VICISSITUDES OF SINK-BOX SHOOTING - 51 
numbers are diminishing. The most abundant of the 
larger shore birds are the avocets, a white bird with a 
splash of black on each wing, with legs as long and body 
as large as a winter yellow-leg. Avocets are restless 
feeders, always aimlessly walking about and constantly 
dipping their bills in the water, feeding on minute 
insects. 
A bunch of a dozen avocets flew a dozen yards high 
directly over the sink box. Each bird as it passed 
cocked its head on one side and took a good look at me 
as though it wanted to see what kind of a strange animal 
it was that lived in a square hole in the water. Avocets 
are the most independent of all shore birds. They pay 
no attention to any whistle or call, but go wherever 
it looks attractive and promising in the way of shallow 
water and feed. 
A winter or greater yellow-leg whistle came clear and 
sharp from the clouds. I answered it, but the whistle 
came but once again and then from a greater distance. 
The bird itself was invisible and I was sorry not to get 
a glimpse of him for old times’ sake. There’s nothing 
like old friends and winter yellow-leg snipe and I have 
had several good hearty tussles together in days gone 
by. Ihave never seen a summer or lesser yellow-leg on 
the marsh, but both summer and winter yellow-legs 
are plentiful earlier in the season, along with innumer- 
able smaller bay birds. The shallow mud flats in the 
lake and the pond holes in the marsh suit them exactly. 
Nearly all these birds go south before the beginning of 
the duck season. 
Eight teal came in from behind, alighting with con- 
siderable of a flutter among the decoys in front of the 
sink box. I could hear distant whoops from Jimmy, 
who seeing the teal come in, imagined I was asleep. 
