WILLET. 153 



Genus SYMPHEMIA Rafinesque. 

 SYMPHEMIA SEMIPALMATA (Gmel.). 



111. Willet. (258) 



Bill, straight, comparatively stout, grooved little, if any, more than half its 

 length. In summer, gray above, with numerous black marks; white, below; 

 the jugulum, streaked; the breast, sides and crissum, barred, or with arrow- 

 shaped marks of dusky (in winter, and in young birds, all these dark marks few 

 or wanting, except on jugulum); upper tail coverts, most of the secondaries, 

 and basal half of primaries, white; ends of primaries, their coverts, lining of 

 wings and axillars, black; bill, bluish or dark; toes, with two conspicuous 

 basal webs. Length, 12-16; wing, 7-8; tail, 2J-3; bill or tarsus, 2-2J; tibia, 

 bare, 1 or more; middle toe and claw, 1^-2. 



Hae. — Temperate North America, south to the West Indies and Brazil. 



Nest, in a tussock of grass in the marsh, just above water level. 



Eggs, three or four, usually clay color, splashed or spotted with varying 

 shades of umber-brown and purple. 



Very little is known of this species in Ontario. On two occasions 

 I have seen it brought in by gunners from the marsh, but have not 

 met with it alive. That it passes this way in spring and fall is 

 probable, for it breeds generally throughout the United States as far 

 north as Dakota, and has also been observed in the North-West by 

 Prof. Macoun. In general appearance it resembles the Greater Yellow- 

 shanks, but in the present species the legs are bluish-lead color. The 

 Willets are very wary birds, and along the sea coast, where they are 

 more common and much sought after, decoys are used to attract 

 them within range. In the fall they are said to get extremely fat, 

 and are much prized for the table. 



Although generally distributed throughout Ontario and across the 

 interior to the Pacific coast, they are nowhere numerous, the centre 

 of abundance beingfarther to the soutli. Cobb's Island, Virginia, is 

 mentioned as one of the breeding places. 



In Davie's " Nests and Eggs," it is stated that there is a tract of 

 salt grass in Beaufort County, South Carolina, where it breeds in 

 great numbers. A hundred pairs or more are commonly observed 

 breeding in this locality at the same time. The eggs are very difficult 

 to discover, but the crows find them out and feed upon them, the 

 •empty shells being strewed plentifully over the field. 



