SOLITARY TATTLEB. 485 



Very common spring and fall migrant. The Lesser Telltale is rather 

 more extensively distributed while with us than the former species. It 

 is not confined to stony banks of streams, but may be found about muddy 

 banks of ponds or in any situation resorted to by Sandpipers or Plover, 

 They are often found in flocks of from five to six, or in pairs, or as sin- 

 gle birds, either solitary or associated with other Sandpipers. Usually 

 they are quite tame and unsuspicious. 



They are not known to breed within the State, but Mr. Nelson reports 

 their breeding in Illinois. The eggs are described as three or four in num- 

 ber, light-brown or clay-color, blotched with very dark-brown. They 

 measure about 1.66 by 1.16. 



Sub-genns Bhyacophiliu. Toes with inner web rudimentary ; legs bltwkish. 



TOTANUS BOLITABIUS (Wils.) Aud. 



Solitary ITattler. 



Totanus cMorypygias, Kiktlaud, Ohio Geolog. Snrv., 1838, 165, 



MhyaotpMlui ttUtariua, Whbaton, Ohio Agrio. Rep. for 1860, 369, 378; Reprint, 1861, 



11. 

 Totanui s»Utariue, Wheaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. H»p. for 1874, 57S ; Ke- 



print, 1875, 13.— CouKS, Birds of ST. W., 1874, 449 (eggs ?).— Langdon, Cat. Birds of 



Gin., 1877, 15 ; Bevised List, Jonm. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 183 ; Reprint, 17 ; 



Summer Birds, ib., iii, 1880, 227. 



Totanua chloropygiua, ViEttLOT, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist., Nat., vi, 1816, 401. 

 Tringa tolUaria, ^ilbon, Am. Om., 1790, 730. 

 Totanus solitariut, Audubon, Syn., 1839, 242. 

 Bhytcophilus eoUiarius, Cabsin, Birds N. Am., 1658, 733. 



Bill parfectly straight, very slender, grooved little beyond its middle. Dark lustrous 

 olive- brown, streaked on the head and neck, elsewhere finely speckled with whiti«h; 

 jugnlum and sides of neck with brownish saffnsion and dnsky streaks ; mmp and upper 

 tail-coverts like the back ; tail, axillars and lining of wings beautifully barred with 

 black and white ; quills entirely blackish ; bill and feet very dark olive-green ; young 

 duller above, less speckled, jngulum merely suffused with grayish-briown. Length, 8-9 ; 

 wing, 5 ; tail 2i ; bill, tarsus, and middle toe, each about l-lj ; tibiae bare f . 



Habitat, Western Hemisphere. North to Alaska. Breeds in Northern United States 

 and northward, if not also throughout most of the United States range. Winters 

 ohiefiy or altogether beyond our limits, in Mexico, Central and South America, and West 

 Indies. Accidental in Europe. 



Common migrant, and in part summer resident. The Solitary Sand- 

 piper is well named, when its personal habits or the localities which it 

 frequents are considered. It is found, except during and shortly after the 

 breeding season, about small ponds in woods, remote shaded ditches or 

 small brooks, just such localities as are frequented by the Water Thrash. 



