394 



TOTANUS MELANOLEUCUS (Vieill). 



TELLTALE : GREATER YELLOW-SHANKS. 



Specific Character. — Above, variegated with slate black, pale grey and whit 

 the former predominating, the latter in the form of spots along the edge of the 

 feathers, including the wing coverts and tertials ; crown and nape grayish white, 

 widely streaked with dusky ; upper tail coverts white, irregularly barred with the 

 same ; primaries, plain blackish slate ; tail white, all the feathers barred with 

 dusky, the middle feathers grayish barred with dusky, the latter sometimes obso- 

 lete. Head, neck and lower parts, white ; only the abdomen and throat immacu- 

 late ; lores, cheeks, malar region, auriculars, and neck all round, streaked with 

 dusky ; breast, sides and flanks, barred or transversely spotted with dusky ; the 

 bars more saggitate on the crissum ; bill, black; iris brown ; legs and feet, deep 

 yellow tinged with olive in young. 



Total length about 14 inches : wing, 7.50 ; culmen, 2.20 ; tarsus, 2.50 ; middle 

 toe, 1.40. 



Habitat. — America in general ; but breeding only far north short of the Arc- 

 tic regions. In winter south to Chili and Buenos Ayres, 



The " Telltale " is a very common bird in Ontario during its spring and fall 

 migrations, and large numbers of them are shot by sportsmen in wet meadows and 

 along the shores of watercourses. It is a fine gamy bird, and is eagerly sought for 

 by hunters. In the spring it reaches Ontario in April, and remains a week or two 

 before proceeding north to its breeding grounds. On its return in September it 

 remains longer and then affords good shooting. The Telltale is a very vigilant 

 bird, and has received his name from the fact that no sooner does he discover the 

 fowler than he utters his loud whistle " tell tale," rapidly repeated as he rises in 

 the air, and this proves such a good warning to all the other Greater Yellow-legs 

 and vigilant ducks in the neighbourhood, that they at once take to flight, much to 

 the disgust of the gunner. 



