16 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



" On Long Island I do not think it breeds, and I am not aware 

 that their nests have been found on the seacoast of the United 

 States. In autumn its flesh is very juicy and vi^ell flavored ; 

 Vi^hen procured late in the season, I think it superior to any 

 of our shore birds ; and I have partaken of it when I have 

 thought it equal to any of our upland game. 



" The Long-legged Sandpiper, the Curlew Sandpiper, and the 

 Semipalmated Sandpiper, I purposely omit as so rare that they 

 must not be regarded by the sportsman as regular game. 

 Wilson's Sandpiper and Schinz Sandpiper, I also omit on ac- 

 count of their rarity, small size, or worthlessness." 



No. 4. Yellow-Shanks Tatler — Totanus Flavipes ; Latham, 

 Vulgo, theYellow-Legs. 



Scolopax flavipes, Wils Amer. Oin. Totanus flavipes, Bonap. Syn. Teta- 

 nus flavipes, Yellow-shanks Tatler, Sw. & Rich. Yellow-shanks, Totanus 

 flavipes, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



" Specific Character. — Bill along the ridge one inch and three- 

 eighths ; length of tarsi one inch and seven-eighths ; legs yel- 

 low. Adult with the bill black ; throat white ; upper part of 

 the head, lores, cheeks, hind part and sides of the neck, deep 

 brownish-gray, streaked with grayish- white ; eye encircled with 

 white, a band of the same color from the bill to the eye ; fore- 

 neck, sides of the body, and upper part of the breast, grayish- 

 white, streaked with grayish-brown ; lower part of the breast 

 and abdomen white ; lower tail coverts white, the outer feath- 

 ers barred with brown ; scapulars and fore-part of the back, 

 brown, the feathers barred and spotted with black and white ; 

 primaries blackish-brown, the shaft of the outer brownish- 

 white, whiter toward the tip — the rest dark brown ; secondaries 

 margined with white ; hind part of the back brownish-gray ; 

 tail barred with grayish-brown, white at the tip ; legs, feet, and 

 toes yellow ; claws black. Length ten inches and three quar- 

 ters ; wing six. Young with the legs greenish — and by those 

 who have not recognized it as the young of the year, I have 

 heard the propriety of its name questioned. 



