BAY-BIRDS. 167 



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late in September. It collects in immense flocks, 

 and stools excellently, but its flight is irregular and 

 rapid, and when frightened, it darts about in a con- 

 fusing way that often baffles the sportsman. When 

 wounded it will swim away, and, if possible, crawl 

 into the grass to hide. 



Although a pleasant bird to shoot, it is unattrac- 

 tive on the table, even when in best condition, unless 

 killed along the fresh water, where it attains an 

 agreeable and delicate flavor. Both it and the 

 yelper are found in considerable numbers on the 

 marshy shores of the western lakes, where it and the 

 other smaller bay-birds are called, indiscriminately, 

 plover. 



Wonderful stories are told of the number of yel- 

 low-legs killed at one shot, and as it is a small bird, 

 these are probably not exaggerated. By Wilson 

 the yellow-legs, the yelper, and willet are classed 

 among the Scolopacidce, or snipe, but the other orni- 

 thologists have erected a separate genus for them. 



"Specific Character. Bill along the ridge one 

 inch and three-eighths ; length of tarsi one inch and 

 seven-eighths; legs yellow. Adult with the bill 

 black; throat white; upper part of the head, lores, 

 cheeks, hind part and side parts of the neck, deep 

 brownish-grey, streaked with greyish-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 pare of the breast, greyish-white, streaked 

 with greyish-brown; lower part of the breast and 

 abdomen white ; lower tail-coverts white, the outer 



