272 TiMEHRI. 



The Pica arrives here on the coast with the Golden 

 Plover, and leaves at about the same time, but many 

 stragglers remain throughout the marshy alluvial islands. 

 They are also occasionally met with in the early part of 

 March, though it is by no means certain whether these 

 are returned migrants from the far south, or colle6led 

 groups from our interior savannahs. They are known 

 to breed high up in the northern latitudes. 



Very similar in markings and colouring to the Pica is 

 the small or common Yellow-shanks (Totanus flavipes) 

 which comes as a migrant at the same time as the other 

 species of snipes and plovers, and is occasionally a strag- 

 gler even in England and on the Continent of Europe, 

 where well authenticated records are known. 



The little Yellow-shanks is easily distinguished from 

 the preceding species by its size, its length being about 

 lo inches — often slightly more or less — while the black 

 beak is about i^ inches long. The legs are also bright 

 yellow, and frdm their thinness, appear of great length — 

 hence the term Yellow Long-shanks sometimes applied to 

 them. 



These birds are known to breed as far north as Ar£lic 

 America, and to range south to Patagonia. Many strag- 

 glers remain with us throughout the winter. 



Though the flesh of the two Yellow-shanks is not con- 

 sidered as a delicacy by many, and is far inferior to that 

 of the plover and the snipe, yet the birds are shot in large 

 numbers, and from the scarcity on the coast of the more 

 relished game birds, these are regarded as welcome sub- 

 stitutes when they arrive. 



Somewhat larger than the above, and about 12 inches in 

 length, is BartRAM's Sa.n6pipcT ('Bar tramta/on^t'cauda/. 



