BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 135 
TOTANUS FLAVIPES (Gein). (255.) 
YELLOW-LEGS. 
From the first to the tenth of April the Yellow-legs appear 
about the shallow pools and muddy ponds in small parties. In 
these they wade about constantly for hours at a time when 
unmolested, and when driven to wing, fly very swiftly away 
in ao irregular, Snipe-like manner, making a loud, whistling 
note, illy adapted to concert melody. Their flight is wonder- 
fully compact, the flock moving as if by one impulse through 
all the gyrations incident to indecision where next to go, 
which however often results in their return to the same pool 
when the gunner has concealed himself effectually. From the 
repeated observation of this phenomenon in many species of 
bird life, I am convinced that in such cases only the individual 
leading the fiock takes the least cognizance of their surround- 
ings, all others maintaining an instinctive attention to the mo- 
tions of the leader alone. If by an exceptionally sudden sur- 
prise the flock is momentarily deranged, in an instant the 
former compactness is resumed as if nothing had occurred, 
which would be impossible upon any other conceivable hypo- 
thesis. 'The noisy, whistling notes of the species soon becomes 
familiar to the gunner, which some of them learn to imitate 
so well, that the deluded flock easily falls into the range of 
his deadly missile. Their meat is scarcely less palatable than 
the best of the Snipe kind. By the first of May most of them 
have gone, probably much further north, to multiply by 
reproduction and return here again about the first week in 
September. I know nothing of their nidification habits, and 
have never seen their eggs under circumstances to describe 
them. 
Mr. Washburn, (as have nearly all my correspondents) 
met with some flocks late in October. He says:—‘‘At Dead 
lake, Octcber 23d, I saw a few flocks of these birds flying 
south. They were very tame, and exceedingly fat. Although 
repeatedly shot at, they would return again to me on my 
imitating their call.” Great numbers of them are usually 
found in the markets and restaurants at this season, as well as 
earlier. Most of them have gone southward by the first of 
November, but I have some records of their remaining until 
the middle of that month. 
10z 
