BIRDS OF KANSAS. 151 



(not reaching the bill), cheeks, chin and throat pure white; foreneck and jugu- 

 luni soft buffy cinnamon, deepest laterally and posteriorly, and fading gradually 

 into creamy buff on the breast; remaining lower parts white. Wings brownish 

 gray, the coverts and tertials bordered with paler; rump brownish gray, upper 

 tail coverts pure white. Adult male, in summer: Smaller and much duller than 

 the female, with the beautiful markings of the latter but faintly indicated. 

 Adult and young, in idnter: Above, continuous light ash gray; upper tail cov- 

 erts, superciliary stripe and lower parts white, the jugulum and sides of breast 

 tinged faintly with pale ashy. Young, first plumage: Crown, back and scapu- 

 lars blackish dusky, the feathers bordered conspicuously with buff. Upper tail 

 coverts, superciliary stripe and lower parts white, the ueck tinged with buff. 

 Downy young: Prevailing color bright tawny fulvous, paler beneath, the abdo- 

 men nearly white; occiput and nape with a distinct median streak of black, on 

 the former branching laterally into two narrower, somewhat zigzag lines; lower 

 back and rump with three broad black stripes; flanks with a black spot, and 

 caudal region crossed by a wide subtenninal bar of the same. Iris dark brown; 

 bill, legs, feet, webs and claws black. " 



Stretch of 

 Length. iving. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male . 8.50 15.50 4.80 2.00 1.20 1.20 



Female... 9.50 16.75 5.25 2.30 1.25 1.35 



These birds are rare in the Eastern States, abundant in the 

 Mississippi valley and quite common westward within their 

 range. They inhabit the marshes, swails and edges of shallow 

 ponds, feeding upon minute snails and other small forms of life 

 that abound in their aquatic haunts; procuring the same chiefly 

 by running over the moist ground or wading in the short growths 

 of water grasses. They swim buoyantly, but seldom long at a 

 time or far from the shore, and I never saw one dive or make 

 an attempt to do so, but when frightened, prefer to escape by 

 flight, which is strong, but at such times in a zigzag and wavy 

 manner, dropping back as soon as out of danger. As a rule, 

 they are not timid and are easily approached. Their motions, 

 whether upon the land or water, are easy and pleasing, grace- 

 fully nodding the head, or picking from side to side as they go. 



The actions of a pair of these birds while mating are not very 

 demonstrative, but a flock so engaged in their rivalries often as- 

 sume positions both amusing and ludicrous, as they bow, circle 

 around and chase each other. The female is larger and brighter 

 in color than the male, but from observations I am led to think 

 certain writers are mistaken in reporting that the females arrive 

 first and do all the courting, but leave the work of nestrnaking, 



