140 NOTES ON THE 



nest in situ but once, but have reports from several others, 

 with the eggs. I am satisfied if careful search could be made 

 in grant or Otter Tail county in June more could be found than 

 further south, yet, the Willet must breed in occasional instances 

 in the most southern counties, for individuals are seen there 

 during the summer months when they should be breeding, as 

 they reappear in August with their progeny in the northern 

 sections, followed by their increasing presence below, approach- 

 ing the 1st of September. They remain about in families until 

 the latter part of October, when, after uniting the families into 

 small flocks, they move off to some lower latitude (Brazil?) to 

 escape our inclement winters. 



The nests have been found quite remote from water of any 

 kind on the dry prairie south of the Minnesota river, and in 

 the bottom of that river. 



It is constituted of grass and weeds, in a tussock of weeds, 

 or grass in some cases, and in others in a hollow in the ground 

 into which they have gathered and arranged very little mate- 

 rial of any kind. They have four pear-shaped, pale-olive eggs 

 marked with blotches of various shades of brown, more conflu- 

 ent about the larger end. They are very noisy birds when dis- 

 turbed during the breeding season, uttering vehemently, as near 

 as has yet been expressed, the syllables pil-ivilet, it-'pil- wilet, in 

 shrill cries which arouse all the water fowls in the section in- 

 stantly. 



Dr. Hvoslef met with these birds on the 26th of April in his 

 section, Mr. Lewis at Big Stone at the same date, and in June 

 in Douglas county, while I myself found them relatively com- 

 mon in Becker and Crow Wing counties in the last week in 

 May (1887). 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The largest American species of its genus; bill longer than 

 the head, straight, rather thick and strong; groove in the up- 

 per mandible extending about half its length, in the lower 

 mandible nearly obsolete; wings long; legs long, strong; toes 

 moderate, united at base by membrane, the largest of which 

 unites the outer and middle toe; hind toe small; tail short; en- 

 tire upper parts dark ash color without spots; the shafts of the 

 feathers brownish black; rump and upper tail coverts white; 

 under parts white, tinged with ashy on the neck and sides; ax- 

 illaries and under wing coverts brownish-black; primary quills 

 white at base, tipped with brownish-black; secondaries white, 

 spotted with brownish -black; tail ashy white, the two middle 



