BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 139 
in the water when they have satisfied their hunger, or of 
wading about, up to their bellies, with slow measured steps. 
If startled at such times, they rise easily and lightly on wing, 
fly rather slowly a little distance with dangling legs and out- 
stretched neck, to soon re-alight and look about with a dazed 
expression. Just as their feet touch the ground, the long, 
pointed wings are lifted till their tips nearly meet above, and 
are then deliberately folded. The Esquimaux Curlews and 
some other birds have the same habit. The Tattlers are usually 
silent birds, but when suddenly alarmed, they utter a low and 
rather pleasing whistle as they fly off, or even without moving.”’ 
_. SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Bill rather longer than the head, straight, slender, com- 
pressed, both mandibles with narrow grooves; wing long, 
pointed; tail medium or rather short, rounded; legs rather long, 
slender; lower half of the tibia naked; toes long, the outer 
united to the middle by a small membrane, flattened under- 
neath, marginated; upper parts greenish-brown with numerous 
small circular and irregular spots of ashy-white; upper tail 
coverts darker; under parts white; breast and neck before with 
numerous longitudinal lines of greenish-brown; sides, axillaries 
and under wing coverts white with numerous transverse narrow 
bands of dark greenish-brown; under tail coverts white with a 
few transverse bands of dark brown; quills brownish-black with 
a slight bronzed or reddish lustre on the primaries; two middle 
feathers of the tail greenish-brown; other feathers of the tail 
pure white with about five transverse bands of brownish- black; 
bill and legs dark greenish-brown; iris hazel. 
Length, 8 to 8.50; wing, 5; tail, 2.25; bill, 1.25; tarsus, 1.25. 
Habitat, North America. 
SYMPHEMIA SEMIPALMATA (GMELIN). (258.) 
WILLET. 
The Willet is a summer resident of Minnesota, reaching this 
latitude about the 20th of April in sparing numbers; never even 
com nonly represented, yet quite uniformly so. They mani- 
festly prefer sandy localities during their entire stay, in which 
places they are more ordinarily found by collectors, yet they 
are not confined to such by any means, for I have often dis- 
covered them in extensive marshes, partly overflown with 
water, feeding after the manner of the Yellow-legs and other 
waders. They are paired by the first week in May, and build 
their nests about the 25th; occasionally a little earlier, but 
oftener a little later, according to the season. I have seen the 
