BIRDS OF FERGUS COUNTY, MONTANA. 19 



When flushed, they fly rapidly in irregular, capricious flight, maintaining 

 a close formation as a flock, and uttering a hurried twittering. They drop 

 abruptly to alight. When feeding, an individual will frequently utter a 

 quiet chirp greatly like that of the song sparrow. When one is flushed 

 alone, it arises obliquely in a hurried, dodging movement, sometimes 

 mounting to a considerable height, darting here and there as though seek- 

 ing to evade an invisible pursuer, and uttering its sharp, quick call. In this 

 flight it acts very much like Wilson's snipe. 



Distinguishing features' Upper parts chiefly streaked and edged 

 with black brown and dull yellowish; rump and upper tail coverts 

 brownish black, unmarked; front parts brownish white, streaked; lower 

 parts dull white; length 5-7 inches. 



246. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. Ereunetes pusillus. 



Rare in migration, occuring chiefly in the fall. Capt. Thome reports 

 jr. common in spring and a few in the fall at Ft. Keogh. 



Distinguishing features: Upper parts grayish brown tinged with 

 yellowish-brown; breast streaked with darker colors; length 5-7 inches. 

 Can easily be distinguished from the least sandpiper by the fact that all 

 the front toes are united by webs at their bases. 



254. GREATER YELLOW-LEGS. Totanus melanoleucus. 



A very common migrant, entering this region from the north soon 

 after the middle of August, and lingering on the pond shores till the mid- 

 dle of September. It is generally associated with its smaller congener, 

 T. flavipes, in the ratio of one to three or four. No large flocks are seen 

 here, as small troops of three to six are the most that I have seen at one 

 time. This yellow-legs has a loud mellow whistle, consisting generally of 

 two syllables, which closely resembles the call of the avocet. 



Distinguishing features: Upper parts varied with blackish gray 

 and dull white; throat streaked with darker color; lower parts white, 

 chiefly barred or spotted: length 12-15 inches. 



255. YELLOW-LEGS. Totanus flavipes. 



A very common migrant, generally associating with other shore birds, 

 preferably the sandpipers and phalaropes. The yellow-legs makes its ap- 

 pearance from the north soon after the middle of August, and lingers in 

 suitable places until the middle of September. 



Distinguishing features: Like the greater yellow-legs, but smaller, 

 length 9-11 inches. 



256a. WESTERN SOLITARY SANDPIPER. Helodromas solitaries cinna- 



momeus. 



A regular migrant, appearing on its southward movement about the 

 end of the third week of August, and lingering for two or three weeks, 

 frequenting the pond shores and edges of irrigating ditches and marshy lo- 

 calities. It has the same "teetering" motions that characterize the spotted 

 sandpiper, and its call is a counterpart of the "peet weet" uttered by its 

 smaller relative. Its flight is irregular and capricious, and in alighting it 

 darts abruptly downward to the place where it wishes to feed. 



