424 GAME BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA 



Eichardson collection) ; Anacapa Island, March 14, 1911 (Burt, 1911, 

 p. 164) ; San Clemente Island, March 29, 1897 (specimen in Orinnell 

 collection) ; and Monterey, April 13, 1913 (Howell, MS), and April 

 20 (Beck, 1910, p. 71). Small numbers of apparently non-breeding 

 birds are often to be seen during the summer ; it is possible that these 

 are late tarriers among the northbound migrants, or early arrivals 

 from the north. The species has been recorded from Santa Barbara, 

 San Nicolas, and San Clemente islands as late as June 12 (Willett, 

 loe. cit.) ; San Miguel Island, June 18, 1910 (Willett, 1910, p. 173) ; 

 Farallon Islands, June 1, 1911 (Dawson, 1911, p. 180) ; and Point 

 Reyes, Marin County, June 26, 1880 (Allen, 1881, p. 18) . At Monterey, 

 the return migration sets in about the middle of July (Loomis, 1895, 

 p. 223), and by the last of that month the birds are common there. 

 The species was seen on Santa Cruz Island, July 4 to 24, 1887 (Blake, 

 1887, p. 329), and on Santa Barbara Island, July 3, 1909 (Willett, 

 1912a, p. 39). The fall migration contiaues through August. Some 

 birds then remain well along into early winter, late dates being: 

 Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, December 11, 1905 (Willett, loe. 

 cit.) ; and Santa Cruz Island, December 17, 1907 (Linton, 19086, p. 

 126). Willett (loe. eit.) states that he has "... frequently seen the 

 species on rocky shores of the mainland during the winter months." 



The Wandering Tattler is notably an inhabitant of rocky shores 

 and headlands where the surf beats heavily, and is rarely, if ever, 

 found on sandy or muddy beaches. It is therefore much more 

 restricted, as to the localities in which it may be found within our 

 boundaries, than many other shore birds. The word "common" used 

 above was not intended in the same sense as applied, for example, 

 to the Western or Least sandpipers. Even where conditions are most 

 favorable seldom more than two Tattlers are in sight at one time, and 

 ten or a dozen individuals are as many as would be met with in a 

 day's observation. 



The Wandering Tattler is to be distinguished by its moderate size, 

 which is little greater than that of a Killdeer, its uniform slaty brown 

 upper surface, and its total lack of contrasted white patches at aU 

 seasons on either the rump or wings. In hand, the unmottled axillars, 

 and, in spring and summer, the almost completely barred under sur- 

 face, are distinctive. Prom the two Yellow-legs, the "tattlers" of 

 inland waters and sandy or muddy flats coastwise, the Wandering 

 Tattler may be distinguished by the uniform color of its whole upper 

 surface and its much shorter and darker colored legs ; from the Turn- 

 stones and Surf -bird, with which it is most likely to be associated in 

 life, this species may be distinguished by its slenderer bill, and by the 

 absence of white patches on its rump and wings ; from the Plovers it 

 may be told by its more slender build, and proportionally longer and 



