BIRDS OF KANSAS. 203 



HABITAT. The whole of temperate North America; breeding 

 from the Gulf coast and Arizona north within its range; south 

 in winter to the West Indies and Guatemala. 



SP. CHAR. "The largest American species of this genus. Bill very long, 

 much curved, upper mandible longer than the under, somewhat knobbed at the 

 tip; wing rather long; legs moderate; toes united at base. Entire upper parts 

 pale rufous, tinged with ashy, every feather with transverse and confluent bauds 

 of brownish black, most numerous and predominating on the back and scapulars; 

 secondary quills, under wing coverts and axillars bright rufous; primaries with 

 their outer webs brownish black and their inner webs rufous, with transverse 

 bands of black. Under parts pale rufous, with longitudinal lines of black on 

 the neck and sides; tail rufous, tinged with ashy, transversely barred with 

 brownish black. Specimens vary to some extent in the shade of the rufous 

 color of the plumage, and very much in the length of the bill. The rufous color 

 is probably more distinct in the young. Downy young: Very pale ochraceous, 

 with a tinge of sulphur yellow, rather deeper below than above. Upper parts 

 marbled coarsely and rather irregularly with black. Bill straight, about 1.40 

 inches long." 



Stretch of 

 Length. -wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 22.50 37.50 10.25 3.75 3.20 7.00 



Female... 25.00 40.00 11.25 4.00 3.40 7.75 



This large species is rare upon the Atlantic coast north of the 

 Carolinas, but quite common elsewhere westward to the Pacific. 

 Its most northern record that I can find is Labrador and Van- 

 couver' s Island; but it seldom breeds north of Prince Edward's 

 Island, Manitoba and Oregon. 



These birds, as a rule, inhabit the muddy shores and moist 

 grassy flats and plains, but often frequent and breed upon the 

 uplands, remote from water. Their food consists of worms, 

 crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, small snails, crabs and crawfish 

 the latter they reach for with their long bills, and pull them out 

 of their holes; and I have seen them probe for and unearth the 

 larvae of the beetles and other forms of life that in the spring 

 come to or near the surface, preparatory to transformation. 

 While feeding they move about with an easy carriage. 



Their flight is not rapid, but well sustained, with regular 

 strokes of the wings, and when going a distance, usually high 

 and in a triangular form, uttering now and then their loud, pro- 

 longed whistling note, so often heard during the breeding sea- 

 son; before alighting, suddenly drop nearly to the ground, then 

 gather, and with a rising sweep gracefully alight. When at rest 



