414 The Water-fowl Family 



distance, can usually be called up to the decoys ; 

 if permitted, they drop among the stool and gaze 

 at the wooden snipe in blank surprise. After the 

 first shot the flock often return, and, if skilfully 

 whistled, hover over the wounded birds. The 

 readiness with which they court destruction has 

 resulted in their being driven from many of 

 the old-time resorts, and this common, friendly 

 bird may easily become rare. The young of the 

 year migrate along the same course as the adults, 

 but appear later, usually about the last week of 

 August. For a short time after the first long 

 flights the birds are in poor condition ; but they 

 soon fatten on their favorite feeding-grounds, and 

 the dainty flavor of the flesh is highly esteemed. 

 In the summer the lesser yellowlegs pass along 

 through the United States, in the interior as well 

 as along the coast. The return flight, however, 

 in the spring is made by the shortest route to the 

 breeding-grounds, the birds following along the 

 Mississippi Valley and the larger adjacent water- 

 courses, north into the fur countries. These are 

 reached in June, and here they scatter through the 

 smaller lakes and rivers of the Arctic regions, 

 breeding on the shores and marshes. The eggs 

 are laid on the ground with hardly the formality 

 of a nest. At this season the yellowlegs, after the 

 custom of many other of our shore-birds, changes 

 to a certain extent its ordinary habit, often perch- 



