264 Natural History Bulletin. 



ToTANUs MELANOLEucus (Gmel.). Greater Yellow-Legs. 

 Common above Chemawawin where there are some sand 

 flats, about which a few of these birds may usually be seen. 

 They do not seem to be much hunted in this region, and hence 

 are quite fearless, calmly regarding a canoe with hunters only 

 a few yards distant. Although we secured no 3^oung speci- 

 mens, they doubtless breed somewhere in this vicinity. 



ToTANUS FLAViPES (Gmel.). Tcllozv-Legs. Apparently 

 rare. Shot on the sand flats above mentioned. 

 Breeds within the Arctic Circle. (MacFarlane.) 



AcTiTis MACULARiA (Linn.). Spotted Sandpiper. The 

 most abundant scolopacine bird in the region of Grand Rap- 

 ids, where it was always to be seen running along the rocky 

 shore of Lake Winnipeg, or "teetering" on the summit of a 

 boulder. Breeds in that locality. A young specimen just 

 attaining its first plumage shov/s no spots on the breast or 

 abdomen, although the down has almost entirely disappeared 

 from that region, and the olive-brown patch on the sides of 

 breast has appeared. The wing-coverts are tipped with white. 

 The series collected shows a great variation in the spotting of 

 the breast, one specimen having very sparse but well defined 

 oval spots, regularly distributed, over the lower parts, while 

 others have the spots almost as thick as they can be planted 

 without being extensively confluent. The younger specimens 

 have the barring of black on the scapulars much more dis- 

 tinct than the others. 



The efiicacy of the protective coloration of shore birds is 

 always a source of wonder to me, and if the spotted sand- 

 piper only knew enough to keep still, it would require sharp 

 eyes to see it on a pebbly or ston}- beach. On the contrar}'-, 

 however, many shore birds, notably this one, seem insanely 

 bent on making themselves as conspicuous as possible, both 

 with voice and movement, until one is almost tempted to shoot 

 them to stop their noise, especially when listening for the 

 notes of other birds. I suppose the "teetering" is a part of 



