THE YELLOW-LEGS. 



521 



Recognition Marl«s. — Killdeer size; like preceding species but smaller. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Ohio. 'Eggs, 3-4, "buffy (variable as to shade), 

 distinctly (sometimes broadly) spotted or blotched with dark madder or Vandyke 

 brown and purplish gray." Av. size, 1.69 x 1.15 (42.9 x 29.2) (Ridgw.). 



General Range. — America in general, breeding in the cold temperate and 

 subarctic districts, and migrating south in winter to southern South America. Less 

 common in western than in eastern North America. 



Range in Ohio. — "Very common spring and fall migrant" (Wheaton). 



Taker, in Massachusetts. 



SHORE BIRDS GALORE. 



Photo by Lynds Jones. 



THIS smaller representative of the genus Totanus is even more gen- 

 erally distributed, if possible, than its larger brother, T. melanoleucus. Dur- 

 ing the spring migrations it spreads over the state and rests wherever there 

 is flooded land. Altho not solitary by preference, the birds are rather inde- 

 pendent, and I have seen single individuals, or twos and threes, quite as often 

 as larger flocks. These little Tattlers mingle freely with other species, and 

 especially with their larger congeners, the Greater Yellow-legs, and with the 

 closely related Solitary Sandpiper. When frightened from their feeding 

 haunts, however, tlie Yellow-legs draw ofif by themselves, and pursue a course 

 to other pastures, without reference to their recent associates. 



