700 



GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 



The killdeer was one of tlie few birds that were common all along 

 onr route. They were very numerous about Salt Lake and in the Gey- 

 ser Basin. At the latter place they were in perpetual fear of the marsh- 

 hawks, {Circus hudsonius,) which made great havoc among them. 



Family 55. — ScoLOPACiDiE, the Snipes. 

 Gallinago tvilsonii, Bonap., (English snipe:) 



Hah. — Entire temj^erate regions of North America. 

 Actoclronius hairdii, Cones., (Baird's sand-piper :) 



JIaJ). — Western ISTorth America ; accidental on Atlantic coast. 



The Lower Geyser Basin is the only locality where these birds were 

 seen. There I saV a flock of about thirty specimens. I fired into their 

 midst, wounding several, only one of which, No. 249, (G23G1,) 1 secured. 



Halj. — Entire temperate regions of North America; South America. 



While riding about the marshes and sloughs near Salt Lake, we were 

 generally escorted by a troupe of twenty or thirty willets, who kept 

 continually flying about over our heads, uttering loud, clattering notes. 

 They would often dart down in a bee-line for our heads, and when 

 within eight or ten feet of it, turning suddenly and gracefully to one 

 side, they would rise again to repeat the performance. 



Gamhetta mclanoleuca, Bonap., (tell-tale :) 



Rah. — Entire temperate regions of North America; Mexico. 

 The tell-tale, or stone-snipe, was very abundant on the shores of 

 Yellowstone Lake. 



