BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 301 



History. 



Viiw if any sliorc birds liuve a wider and niove general dis- 

 tribution in America than the Winter Yellow-legs. It does not 

 go as far north as some species, [)ut it ranges soutliward over 

 the greater j)art of both the American conlinc^nts. Although 

 this si)ecies is hunted much, an(] has diminished greatly in 

 numbers in most jiarts oi ihc I nion, it is still a rather common 

 birrl in lli<* migrations al<Hig the coast of \<;w \'ork and New 

 Kngland, and som(*tim(^s appears in considerable numbers, 

 particularly in spring. Only nine of my Massachusetts cor- 

 respondents saw an increase in this species up to 1908, and 

 ninety-one a decrease. A nx-ent increase is recordcnl in j>or- 

 tions of Plymouth and Barnstable^ eounti<;s, where large flights 

 are nolcd from WHUi to IIM)S, also in some parts of Kssex and 

 Norfolk <'olmti(^s; but this spc^cies, which is generally common 

 in the interior of I he continent, seems to ai)[)car here mainly 

 on the coasi or not far from it. 



Spring |>rolc<lioii in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and 

 r^)nnecti(Mjt luis shown good results. Many of the flocks keep 

 well ofl' shore during the; fall migration, and so escape the 

 gimiicr, except where they come ashore (o feed, ''i'hus the 

 diminution of this species has been lessened. The bird is sus- 

 picious and noisy, and often alarms other birds by its cries 

 and warns them of the presence of the hunter, but it is easily 

 deceived by a good bird caller, and sometimes can be called 

 back to the decoys after it has been shot at, and so it falls an 

 easy prey to the hidden and skilful sportsman. 



The (Jreater Yellow-legs migrates north ancj scjuili over 

 the greater part of the United States to the Antilles, and up 

 and down both (toasts of South America. It winters mainly 

 in the southern part of South America and north to Georgia 

 ;ind flic ( '.iioiiiKis. 'i'his is one of the species that no doubt 

 was once common along our coast all summer, although it 

 probably never bred there. Non-breeding individuals still 

 summer in South America and along the .south Atlantic coast 

 of the United States. Those which once summered here were 

 mostly destroyed long ago by the gunner. The migration of 



