1920 J Nichols, Limicoline Voices. bZ\) 



Surf Snipe or Sanderling (Calidris leucophaea). The note of 

 the Surf Snipe is a soft "ket, ket, ket," uttered singly or in series. 

 I have heard it from birds taking wing but am not sure just how 

 generally it is used or what its analogies are. This species is 

 rather silent at all times. 



The notes of the Shore Birds allied to the Tattlers have no 

 apparent homology with those of the species so far treated. The 

 Greater and Lesser Yellow-legs are the Tattlers whose voices have 

 been most closely studied. A rather careful compilation has been 

 made of the notes of these birds as heard in 1918, the same com- 

 pared with earlier data, and conclusions checked up by observa- 

 tion the present year (1919). 



Greater Yellowlegs ( Totanus melanoleucus) . The varied notes 

 of the Yellow-legs are perhaps the most familiar of any, and fre- 

 quent reference is made to them in discussion of other species. 

 For convenience they are numbered serially. 



(1) The yodle (a rolling "toowhee toowhee" etc.) is commonest 

 in a flock, from birds remaining in one locality, not travelling. I 

 think I have heard it from a single bird in the fog. It is charac- 

 teristically given in the air, generally with set wings, by birds 

 which seem to contemplate alighting. It advertises birds tarry- 

 ing in one general locality, and has probably the function of loca- 

 tion notice. It is doubtless homologous with the gather call of 

 the Spotted Sandpiper with which it has little analogy. 



(2) Loud ringing 3, "wheu wheu wheu." The characteristic 

 cry of the species, spring and fall. It is commonly given by pass- 

 ing or leaving birds. It advertises the species, — and a change of 

 policy in the individual according to its loudness. Analogous 

 with notes of other species spoken of as flight-notes or identifica- 

 tion notes; occasionally heard from an alighted bird. This call 

 is subject to considerable variation, when heard from a bird about 

 to drop down and join others feeding it is comparatively low- 

 pitched and even, leaving or about to leave a feeding ground, 

 highly modulated. 



(3) Four "whew"s, heard as follows, seem to have a rather 

 definite significance: Low hurried descending, heard from a bird 

 leaving companion. Short clear four, by a following bird. Loud 



