326 MEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



or left bare by the lowering waters of our lakes and rivers. Its habits are 

 similar to those of the Greater yellow-legs, but in general it is less suspicious, 

 travels in larger flocks and bunches inore closely when coming to decoys. 

 Giraud mentions an instance of 106 being killed by discharging both barrels 

 into a flock which were sitting along the beach, and Audubon was present 

 when 127 were killed by the discharge of three barrels. Is it any wonder 

 that shore birds have diminished in numbers? During the suinmer of 

 1907 the water was unusually low in the Montezuma marshes and many mud 

 flats and bars were exposed. Consequently shore birds were exceptionally 

 numerous and flocks of two or three hundred yellow'-legs were not uncommon 

 and 20 or 30 were occasionally killed by a single shot. 



The notes of this species resemble closely those of the Greater yellow- 

 legs, but it is slightly more vociferous, uttering more notes in succession, 

 commonly following the formula, when, ivJieii-whcii-wJicu-ivhcii, wheu-whcu, 

 when. The fat with which the body of the Yellow-legs is incased is strongly 

 flavored and its flesh does not compare favorably with that of the Snipe 

 and larger sandpipers, but it is eagerly sought after, like its larger representa- 

 tive, and is commonly served in city restavirants under the name of Snipe 

 or Plover. 



Helodromas solitarius (Wilson) 

 Solitary Sandpiper 



Plate 36 



Tringa solitarius Wilson. Am. Oni. 1813. 7 : S3, pi. 58, fig. 3 

 Totanus chloropygius DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 249, fig. 210 

 Helodromas solitarius A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 2. 1895. No. 256 



held'dromas, Gr. cAos, marsh, Spo/xa's, running; solitd'riits, Lat., solitary 



Description. Bill slender, about straight; upper mandible grooved for 

 over half its length; tarsus about equal to middle toe and claw; outer tail 

 coverts and outer tail feathers white barred with dusky; central coverts and 

 central pair of tail feathers dusky, spotted on the edges with white; upper 

 parts in general dusky brotvnish, somewhat glossed with dark greenish, 

 streaked on the head and neck, and spotted tvith ivhitish on the back, scapulars 

 and longer wing coverts; wings dusky, contrasted abruptly zvith the white 

 belly; tinder parts white, the jugulum and upper breast and sides under the 

 wings marked with dusky; axillars and under wing coverts white, barred 



