﻿326 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  or 
  left 
  bare 
  by 
  the 
  lowering 
  waters 
  of 
  our 
  lakes 
  and 
  rivers. 
  Its 
  habits 
  are 
  

   similar 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Greater 
  yellow-legs, 
  but 
  in 
  general 
  it 
  is 
  less 
  suspicious, 
  

   travels 
  in 
  larger 
  flocks 
  and 
  bunches 
  more 
  closely 
  when 
  coming 
  to 
  decoys. 
  

   Giraud 
  mentions 
  an 
  instance 
  of 
  106 
  being 
  killed 
  by 
  discharging 
  both 
  barrels 
  

   into 
  a 
  flock 
  which 
  were 
  sitting 
  along 
  the 
  beach, 
  and 
  Audubon 
  was 
  present 
  

   when 
  127 
  were 
  killed 
  b}' 
  the 
  discharge 
  of 
  three 
  barrels. 
  Is 
  it 
  any 
  wonder 
  

   that 
  shore 
  birds 
  have 
  diminished 
  in 
  numbers? 
  During 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  

   1907 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  unusually 
  low 
  in 
  the 
  Montezuma 
  marshes 
  and 
  many 
  mud 
  

   fiats 
  and 
  bars 
  were 
  exposed. 
  Consequently 
  shore 
  birds 
  were 
  exceptionally 
  

   numerous 
  and 
  flocks 
  of 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  hundred 
  yellow-legs 
  were 
  not 
  uncommon 
  

   and 
  20 
  or 
  30 
  were 
  occasionally 
  killed 
  by 
  a 
  single 
  shot. 
  

  

  The 
  notes 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  resemble 
  closely 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Greater 
  yellow- 
  

   legs, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  slightly 
  more 
  vociferous, 
  uttering 
  more 
  notes 
  in 
  succession, 
  

   commonly 
  following 
  the 
  fonnula, 
  wheu, 
  wheu-wheu-wheu-wheu, 
  wheu-wheu, 
  

   wheu. 
  The 
  fat 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  Yellow-legs 
  is 
  incased 
  is 
  strongly 
  

   flavored 
  and 
  its 
  flesh 
  does 
  not 
  compare 
  favorably 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Snipe 
  

   and 
  larger 
  sandpipers, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  eagerly 
  sought 
  after, 
  like 
  its 
  larger 
  representa- 
  

   tive, 
  and 
  is 
  commonly 
  served 
  in 
  city 
  restaurants 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Snipe 
  

   or 
  Plover. 
  

  

  Helodromas 
  solitarius 
  (Wilson) 
  

  

  Solitary 
  Sandpiper 
  

  

  Plate 
  36 
  

  

  Tringa 
  solitarius 
  Wilson. 
  Am. 
  Orn. 
  1813. 
  7 
  : 
  53, 
  pi. 
  58, 
  fig. 
  3 
  

   Totanus 
  chloropygius 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  249, 
  fig. 
  210 
  

   Helodromas 
  solitarius 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  256 
  

  

  held' 
  dramas, 
  Gr. 
  eAos, 
  marsh, 
  S^oo/Aas, 
  running; 
  solitd'rius, 
  Lat., 
  solitary 
  

  

  Description. 
  Bill 
  slender, 
  about 
  straight; 
  upper 
  mandible 
  grooved 
  for 
  

   over 
  half 
  its 
  length; 
  tarsus 
  about 
  equal 
  to 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw; 
  outer 
  tail 
  

   coverts 
  and 
  outer 
  tail 
  feathers 
  white 
  barred 
  with 
  dusky; 
  central 
  coverts 
  and 
  

   central 
  pair 
  of 
  tail 
  feathers 
  dusky, 
  spotted 
  on 
  the 
  edges 
  with 
  white; 
  upper 
  

   parts 
  in 
  general 
  dusky 
  brownish, 
  somewhat 
  glossed 
  with 
  dark 
  greenish, 
  

   streaked 
  on 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  neck, 
  and 
  spotted 
  with 
  whitish 
  on 
  the 
  back, 
  scapulars 
  

   and 
  longer 
  wing 
  coverts; 
  wings 
  dusky, 
  contrasted 
  abruptly 
  with 
  the 
  white 
  

   belly; 
  under 
  parts 
  white, 
  the 
  jugulum 
  and 
  upper 
  breast 
  and 
  sides 
  under 
  the 
  

   wings 
  marked 
  with 
  dusky; 
  axillars 
  and 
  under 
  wing 
  coverts 
  white, 
  barred 
  

  

  