THE NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY. 73 



A common migrant. I have observed stragglers early in May, 

 and some years as late as the last of July but I have never 

 seen them throughout the months of May and June, neither have 

 I. been able to find any observer who has done so within recent 

 years. I should consider the nesting of this species in our re- 

 gion of equally rare occurrence with ' that of Wilson's Snipe 

 ( Gallinago delicata) . Mr. E. W. Nelson says :* "Arrives about 

 the middle of April, the larger portion passing north early in 

 May. Returns September first and remains until the last of 

 October. In June, 1875, I found several pairs of these birds 

 about the Calumet Marshes, where, from their actions, I was 

 certain they were breeding, but was not fortunate enough to find 

 their nests. The tenth of June, 1876, Mr. Rice observed a pair 

 about a prairie slough near Evanston. A few days later a set 

 of four eggs were brought him from a similar situation a few 

 miles northwest of that place, and from the description of the 

 parent bird — driven from the nest — he decided thev must belong 

 to this species. I perfectly agree with Mr. Rice's decision, for 

 the prominent characteristics noticed by the collector are ob- 

 viously applicable to this bird." 



The range of this species covers America in general, breeding 

 only in the cold-temperate and subarctic regions of the northern 

 continent. It is known to have nested as far south as northern 

 Iowa and Illinois. It winters as far south as Chili and the 

 Argentine Republic. 



Totanus flavipes (Gmelin). Yellow-legs. 



Scolopax flavipes Gmelin, S. N., I, ii, 1788, 659. 

 Totanus flavipes Vibillot, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., VI, 1816, 410. 

 Popular synonyms : Lessee or Little Yellow-legs. Lesser Tell- 

 tale. 



A common migrant. This species is essentially a miniature 

 of the Greater Yellow-legs, but it occurs in greatei; numbers 

 within our limits, and it is also more gregarious, frequently being 

 found in quite large flocks. This species passes through our 

 region on the way to its breeding grounds about the first of 

 April, and returning in July it remains with us until the latter 

 part of September. I have no records of its breeding within 

 our limits. Mr. E. W. Nelson says:t "A few breed. I ob- 

 tained the young, barely able to fly, near a prairie slough the 

 first of July, 1874, a few miles from Chicago, and have since 



*Birds of Northeastern Illinois, Bull, of the Essex Institute, Vol. VIII, 1876, 128. 

 tBirds of Northeastern Illinois, Bull, of the Essex Institute, Vol. VIII, 1876, 129. 



