90 NOTES ON NEW ENGLAND BIRDS 



like a little duck. Once, when I went ashore and 

 started it, it flew so as to bring a willow between it and 

 me, and alighted quite near, much nearer than before, 

 to spy me. When it went off, it uttered a sharp te-te-te- 

 te-te, flying with quivering wings, dashing about. I think 

 that the storm of yesterday and last night brought it up. 

 May 31, 1854. Saw a greater telltale, and this is the 

 only one ' I have seen probably ; distinguished by its 

 size. It is very watchful, but not timid, allowing me to 

 come quite near, while it stands on the lookout at the 

 water's edge. It keeps nodding its head with an awk- 

 ward jerk, and wades in the water to the middle of its 

 yellow legs ; goes off with a loud and sharp phe phe 

 phe phe, or something like that. It acts the part of the 

 telltale, though there are no birds here, as if it were 

 with a flock. Remarkable as a sentinel for other birds. 



SOLITAEY SANDPIPER 



Sept. 24, 1855. I suppose it was the solitary sand- 

 piper (Totanus solita/rius) 2 which I saw feeding at the 

 water's edge on Cardinal Shore, like a snipe. It was very 

 tame ; we did not scare it even by shouting. I walked 

 along the shore to within twenty-five feet of it, and it 

 still ran toward me in feeding, and when I flushed it, it 

 flew round and alighted between me and C., 3 who was 

 only three or four rods off. It was about as large as 

 a snipe ; had a bluish dusky, bill about an inch and a 

 quarter long, apparently straight, which it kept thrust- 

 ing into the shallow water with a nibbling motion, a 



1 [That is, the only species of telltale.] 



3 [Now known as Melodramas solitarius.] s [Channing.] 



