Chap. 3. 



BIRDS OF VERMONT. 



105 



THE SOLITARY AND SPOTTED TATTLERS. 



THE COMMON SNIPE. 



THE SOLITARY TATTLER. 



Totanus chloropygius.—'ViE.n-T^oT. 

 Description.— The whole upper plu- 

 jiiage dark hair brown, interspersed with 

 small, irregular, marginal spots of white, 

 and usually slightly glossed with green 

 reflections ; the lateral tail feathers with 

 their coverts regularly barred with black 

 and white, the bars being broadest on the 

 former; middle tail feathers dark brown, 

 with small white spots on the edges ; pri- 

 maries, their shafts and coverts brownish 

 black, unspotted, the shaft of the 1st pri- 

 mary a little lightest ; a short stripe over 

 the eye, the chin, belly and under tai 

 coverts white; neck and breast spotted I 

 or striped with brownish ; under side ot 

 the wings next the base and axiliaries 

 finelv barred or waved with brown and 

 white ; bill brown, with the nasal groove 

 two thirds its length ; legs and feet dusky 

 olive. Length 8^ inches, tail 2\, folded 

 wino- 5, bill 1 J, tarsus 1 .3. 



HISTORY.— This bird is often seen along 

 the shores of our streams and ponds, and, 

 as it spends the whole summer with us, 

 it doubtless breeds here ; but I have not 

 known of its nest being found. Accord- 

 ing to Dr. Richardson it breeds m most 

 of° the intermediate districts between 

 Pennsylvania and the northern extremity 

 of the continent, depositing its eggs upon 

 the beach, without forming any kind ot 

 nest It is generally seen running along 

 upon the shore, frequently stopping, and 

 often nodding, or balancing its head and 

 tail, and hence its vulgar appellation is 

 Tip-up. 



THE SPOTTED TATTLER. 



the most numerous of the two, and breeds 

 in this state in considerable numbers. 

 The nest is made in a tuft of grass, with 

 a thin lining of hay. The eggs, usually 

 4, are of a dull cream color, spotted with 

 brown, most thickly towards the large 

 end. The female, when alarmed, prac- 

 tices much art for the safety of her 

 young. 



Totanus -macular ius. — T e m jii n c k . 

 DESCRIPTION.-Color glossy olive brown, 

 waved with dusky ; one or more of the 

 outer tail feathers white, barred with 

 black ; quills dusky brown, the two outer 

 plain, the next marked with an oval white 

 spot on their inner webs ; secondaries 

 white on their inner webs and tipped with 

 white; below white, tinged with gray at 

 the sides of the neck, with roundish dusky 

 spots ; bill yellow belov^black at the tip ; 

 leers waxyellow ; iris hazel. Length 7.^. 

 Youn't white below,without spots.— J\««. 

 History.— This bird is often called the 

 Peet-Wect, from its shrill and peculiar 

 note It resembles the preceding species 

 in general appearance, and in most of its 

 habits, particularly in that of balancing or i 

 wao-o-ino- its tail, and it bears the same 

 vulvar name of Tip-up, the two kinds riot 

 beimv distinguished from each other by 

 ordinary observers. This species is much 

 Pt I. 14 



Genus Scolopax. — Linn. 

 Generic Characters.— B\\\ long, siraight, 

 slender, compressed, soft and flexible ; the point 

 depressed, dilated, tumid and obtuse, minutely lu- 

 berculaled or doited, projecting over the lower 

 mandible ; both mandibles furrowed to the mid- 

 dle. Nostrils in the furrow of the bill, basal, lat- 

 eral, linear, pervious and covered by a membrane. 

 Feet and legs moderate, slender, 4 toed, naked 

 ?pace above ihe knee small ; toes entirely divided. 

 Wings moderate, the 1st and 2d primaries longest 

 and nearly equal. Tail short, rounded, consisting 

 of 12 or more feathers. 



THE COMMON SNIPE. 



Scolopax Wilsonii.—T^muscK. 

 Description. — Tail rounded, of 16 

 feathers, with a bright ferruginous, sub- 

 terminal bar ; back and scapulars black, 

 with bronzy reflections ; rump dusky, 

 faintly mottled and barred with pale yel- 

 lowish brown ; crown black, divided by 

 an irregular line of pale brown, and an- 

 other of the same tint passes over each 

 eye ; neck and upper part of the breast 

 pale brown, with small, dusky, longitudi- 

 nal spots ; chin white tinged with brown ; 

 bill brown, blackish at the tip. Length 

 11 to 11.^, spread 17, bill 2.i to 2|.— JV'm«. 

 History. — This species, which is near- 

 ly related to the European Snipe, is found 

 throughout the whole of America from 

 Hudson's bay to the equator. This bird 

 arrives from the south early in the spring, 

 and spends the summer in low, moist 

 grounds, breeding in swamps, where it 

 fays its eggs in a hollow loosely lined 

 with a littlTgrass. The eggs are 4, of a 

 vellow-olive color, speckled with different 

 shades of brown, The young leave the 

 nest as soon as they are hatched. The 

 flesh of the Snipe is in high estimation on 

 account of its exquisite flavor, on which 

 account it is eagerly sought by the sports- 

 man. They are frequently seen striking 

 their bill into the black marshy soil. 

 Their food consists principally of worms, 

 leeches and aquatic insects. 



Genus Rusticola. — VieilL. 

 Generic Cluiractcrs.—BW similar to that of 

 the Snipe, but mure robust, with the extremity at- 



