SCOLOPACIILE THE SNIPE FAMILY. 59 



GENUS TOTANUS BECHSTEIN. 



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SUBGENUS Totanus. 



Totanus BECHST. Orn. Taschenb. 1803, 282. Type, Scolopax totanus LINN. 



CHAE. Bill usually slender, and slightly upturned terminally, the lateral groove of the 

 maxilla extending about half way to the tip. No web between the middle and inner toes. 

 Tarsus about twice as long as the middle toe. 



The submenus Totanus is very closely allied to Helodromas 

 (see page 62), but differs as follows: 



Tetanus. Middle toe not more than half as long as the tarsus ; bill , decidedly shorter 

 than tarsus. 



Helodromas. Middle toe nearly or quite as long as the tarsus; bill longer than tarsus. 



The two North American species of Totanus, while resembling 

 each other minutely in coloration, are very different' in size and 

 proportions, as the following comparative measurements will 

 show : 



1. T. melanoleucus. Size large wing more than 7 inches. Terminal half of bill slightly 

 recurved. Wing, 7.40-8.00; culmen, 2.05-2.40; tarsus, 2.35-2.70; middle toe, 1.25-1.50. 



2. T. flavipes. Siz e small wing less than 7 inches. Terminal half of bill not perceptibly 

 recurved. Wing, 6.10-6.65 ; culmen, 1.30-1.55; tarsus, 2.00-2.15; middle toe, 1.00-1.15. 



Totanus melanoleucus (Gmel.) 



GREATER YELLOW-LEGS. 



Popular synonyms. Big Yellow-legs; Stone Snipe; Tell-tale; Big Cucu (Plymouth Bay, 

 Mass.); Yelper. 



Scolopax melauoleuca GMEL. S. N. ed. 13, i, 1788, 659. 



Totanus melanoleucus VIEIUO. Nouv. Diet vi, 1816, 398. -Atro. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 68, pi. 



308.-COUES, Key, 1872, 268; Check List, 1874, No. 432; 2d ed. 1882, No. 633; B. N. W. 



1874, 496. RIDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 548; Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 165. B. B. & E. 



Water B. N. Am. i, 1881, 269.-A. O. U. Check List, 1886. No. 254. 



Gambetta melanoleuca BONAP. 1856. CASS. in Baird's B. N. Am, 1858, 731. BAIED, Oat. N. 



Am. B. No. 539. 



Scolovax vociferus WILS. Am. Orn. vii, 1813, 57, pi. 58, fig. 5. 

 Totanus vociferus VIEILL. 1816. Sw. & RICH. F. B.-A. ii, 1831. 389. AUD. Synop, 1839, 244; 



B. Am. V, 1842, 316, pL 345. 



HAB. America in general, but breeding only in cold-temperate and subarctic climates 

 of the northern continent; in winter, south to Chili and Argentine Republic. 



SP. CHAB. Adult, summer plumage: Above, variegated with slate-black, pale gray, and 

 white, the former predominating, the latter in the form of spots along the edge of the feath- 

 ers, including the wing-coverts and the tertials ; crown and hind neck grayish white, widely 

 streaked with dusky; upper tail-coverts white, irregularly barred with dusky ; primaries 

 plain blackish slate; tail white, all the feathers barred with dusky, the middle feathers 

 grayish, barred with dusky, the latter sometimes obsolete. Head, neck, and lower parts 



