176 FEATHERED GAME 
THE WILLET. 
(Symphemia semipalmata.) 
This bird seems to be closely related to the 
‘‘yvellow-legs’’ and is somewhat like it in its 
coloration, but is considerably heavier in figure 
and of greater size, having also a stouter and 
heavier bill. The Willet does not go so far 
north as does his cousin of the yellow stockings 
and throughout North America is more south- 
ern in his range, few of these birds breeding 
much beyond the northern boundaries of the 
United States. They pass the winter months 
in South America and along the shores of the 
Gulf of Mexico. 
The Willet is colored thus: above, ashy gray, 
mottled with black. Rump dusky; tail coverts 
mainly white. Tail grayish white, faintly 
black-barred, with the outer feathers nearly 
white. Below, white with blackish arrowheads 
as in the ‘‘yellowshanks.’’ Axillars, edges and 
linings of the wings blackish. Primaries nearly 
black with the white bases of the feathers half 
hidden by the coverts. Some of the secondaries 
also white, thus making a considerable area 
