138 Birds of Xokth Carolina 



season the YcUow-lcgs, after tlie custom of many other of our shore birds, changes to a certain 

 extent its ordinary habit, often perching on trees and bashes, if there are sucli in the vicinity of 

 the nest. The note is varied and botli sexes Ijccomc very noLsy, resenting witli louil cries "any 

 approach near the nest. The young are hatched in Jul}- and rapidly attain the age of loolving 

 out for themselves, for by tlie end of the month the old birds leave tlicm and gather in the fest 

 migratory flocks." — Sa.vford, Bishop, Vax Dyke, The Waler Fowl Family. 



/ 



Genus Helodromas (Kaup.) 

 119. Helodromas solitarius solitarius {Wils.). Solitary Sandpiper. 



Ads. in summer. — Upperparts olive-fuscous, with a sUght greenish tinge, head and neck streaked 

 and back spotted with white; upper tail-coverts fuscoas, with fine whitish spots on their sides, 

 latcial ones .sometimes barred; central pair of t:iil-fcatlicrs fuscous, the others white, barred with 

 black; breast streaked, and sides sometimes barrcil with black; belly wliitc; axillars l)arrcd with 

 black and white; legs greenish fuscous. Ads. and J iiv. in winter. — Similar, but upperparts grayish 

 brown; head and neck generally unstreaked, and back only lightly spotted with bulTy white; 

 breast streaked with brownish gray. L., 8.40; W., 5.25; Tar., 1.2(3; B., 1.15. (Chap. .Birds of 

 E. N. A.) 



Range. — Summers from Pennsylvania northward; winters from the West Indies to southern 

 South America. Breeding range; imknown. 



Range in North Carolina. — Whole State during the migrations; may summer in parts of the 

 mountain region. 



Pig. 100. SoLiT.VRV Sandpii'ER. 



The Solitarj' Sandpiper is a bird of the woodhuKl ponds, kikes, and streams, and 

 not partial to the beaches and salt marshes. It oecurs with us only iluring the 

 migrations, and, as its name implies, is seldom found in companies. This and the 

 Spotted Sandpiper are our two common inland sandpipers, and their habits are, 

 to a certain extent, similar. The Solitary, however, shows a greater partialitj' to 

 mud-banks than to the partly submerged logs and tiny patches of sand-beach much 

 frequented by the Spotted Sandpiper. 



At Kaleigh it stays as late as the latter part of May, and the retiu-niiig l)irds 

 reach here by the middle of July. It is a common migrant throughout the State. 



This bird lays its eggs in the disused nests of other birds situated in trees grow- 

 ing in swamps in Canada. 



Genus Catoptrophorus i^Bonap.) 



One species of this genus occurs witli us, represented by two subspecies. 



KEY TO SUBSPECIES 



1. Colors darker; bill shorter, usually less than 2.25. Wiltel. 



1. Colors paler; bill longer, usually more than 2.25. Western Wilkl. 



