SHORE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



TOTANUS MELANOLEUCUS (GmeL). 

 Greater Yellow=legs. Winter Yellow=legs. 



Adult in summer: Bill, nearly straight; upper plu- 

 mage, mottled with white and black ; upper tail coverts, 

 white, barred with black; throat, white, streaked with 

 black; chiu, whitish; breast, white, heavily streaked 

 with black; rest of under parts, white, irregularly 

 marked with black: middle of belly, nearly always pure 

 white ; bill, black, and legs, yellow. 



Adult in winter : Top of the head and neck, streaked 

 white and dark brown ; back, brown, the feathers nar- 

 rowly edged with whitish ; chiu, white ; breast, white, 

 narrowly lined with dark brown; rest of under parts, 

 white: bill, black, and legs, yellow. 



Length, 14 ; wing, 7.75 : tarsus, 2.45 ; bill, 2.30. 



The Winter Yellow-leg, and his near rela- 

 tive, the Summer Yellow-leg, are probably the 

 best known representatives of any of our shore 



Totaiuib melanoleucus. 



birds. The clear, sharp, whistling note, re- 

 peated rapidly four or five times, descending in semi-tones down the scale, is 

 known to gunners throughout the land. Although not as abundant as in 

 former years, it is still numerous in many localities during the migrations. 

 Its range extends from the sub-arctic regions south to Chili and Buenos Ayres, 

 breeding from Illinois northward. 



The eggs are usually three or four, buff brown, a pale buff, spotted with 

 dark brown. 



