Oo4 Nichols, Limicoline Voices. [bet. 



apt to use four syllables, and if three, these highly modulated and 

 ringing, the Lesser's three approaching most nearly that of a 

 Greater about to alight. 



I think I am correct in homologizing the ringing wtiistled voices 

 of the Yellow-legs with comparatively sharp piping voices of Soli- 

 tary and Spotted Sandpipers. The difference is related to the 

 more wide-ranging and flocking habits of the former. 



Solitary Sandpiper (Helodromas solitarius soliiarius). The 

 flight-note of the Solitary, "peep weep weep," is often difficult 

 to differentiate from notes of the Spotted Sandpiper, but probably 

 always differentiable. It is a cleaner-cut sound, less variable, 

 more suggestive in accent than are those of the Spotted Sandpiper 

 of the whistle of the Greater Yellow-legs. In August, 1919, sev- 

 eral Solitarys were living on the meadows at Mastic, Long Island. 

 They were frequently found feeding, flushed or observed making 

 longer or shorter flights at no great heights. In these cases the 

 note was double "peep weep," rarely single. When a bird is 

 changing its grounds the same note is more often three, some- 

 times two-syllabled, and so given when definitely leaving a locality 

 or by wandering birds which ordinarily fly high. 



A quite dissimilar call, less frequently heard, is a fine "pit," 

 "pit pit," or "chi-tit. " This may have no significance other 

 than being a reduction of the preceding, when the bird is less de- 

 finitely on the wing, but seems to depend on there being another 

 individual fairly close by. There is likely homology between it 

 and the short flocking call of the Lesser Yellow-leg, and if correctly 

 determined, a certain analogy thereto is also established, perhaps 

 as much as possible with this non-social species. Of similar 

 quality was a peculiar " kikikiki " from one of two birds in company 

 which came to decoys nicely (Mastic, August 10, 1919), as they 

 went out past me without alighting. 



A third note, isolated "pip"s, suggesting the call of the Water- 

 thrush, is expressive of excitement when a bird is on the ground, 

 as when just alighted. 



Willet (Catoptrophoms scmipahnatus races). The identification 

 flight-note of the migratory Willet is a far-reaching, gull-like 

 "kiyuk," repeated at intervals. On the breeding grounds in 



