THE LESSER YELLOW-LEGS. 
669 
of your way. At other times one cannot get within a hundred yards of 
them. 
During the migrations the Yellow-legs appear singly as often as in small 
flocks. The fall movement, which sets in by the middle of August, or even 
earlier, is a little more leisurely than that of spring, inasmuch as the bird’s 
business is less urgent; and because of the year’s increase they are noticeably 
more numerous in autumn. A few winter with us, but South America is the 
normal winter home of the species. In far-off Argentina, the birds are said to 
mingle for a time with those members of their race which constitute a south- 
ern division, and which must soon be leaving for their breeding haunts within 
the Antarctic Circle. 
There are no records of the Telltale’s nesting in this State, but it may do 
so. Mr. Samuel N. Rhoads, in 1892, found them breeding about inland lakes 
in British Columbia as far south as Clinton (Lat. 51°). “At this season both 
sexes stand sentinel on the tops of trees in the vicinity of the nest, rarely 
alighting on the ground during the presence of an intruder. The newly 
fledged young often follow the example of their parents in this respect. From 
this position the male keeps up an incessant clamor thruout the day. One 
series of notes, uttered only during periods of fancied security, is peculiar 
and unquestionably a love song.’’ 
No. 270. 
LESSER YELLOW-LEGS. 
A. O. U. No. 255. Totanus flavipes (Gmel.). 
Synonyms.—Tatrier. Lesser TATTLER. ComMMOoN YELLOW-LEGS. LESSER 
YELLOW-LEGS. YELLOW-SHANKS TATTLER. "TELL-TALE. 
Description.—4 dult in summer: Head and neck all around (save throat), 
and breast, finely streaked with dusky, on white or ashy-white ground, the mark- 
ings on the sides of breast broader and heavier, passing into loose and rather in- 
distinct bars on sides ; remaining underparts white; back and upperparts in general 
light brownish gray, tinging also hind-neck and crown; feathers of back and 
scapulars with blackish centers, and irregular spotting of ashy white; the larger 
feathers, especially tertials, with incomplete black bars; primaries dusky; the 
secondaries with narrow edging of white; upper tail-coverts white, the terminal 
portion of feathers dusky-barred; tail white or ashy gray, centrally, barred with 
dusky; bill and feet as in preceding species. Minter plumage: Above light 
brownish gray, with some darker shaft-lines, and considerable white spotting on 
edges of feathers; markings of neck and underparts much paler, grayish brown, 
a. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1893, p. 36. 
