The Greater Yellowlegs 



in southern Minnesota and North Dakota, and in the Canadian Provinces. 

 The lake-sprinkled plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan are their princi- 

 pal summer home, and in leaving this they fly almost due east or west, 

 being determined, apparently, to reach the seacoast at the earliest possible 

 moment. The coastwise migrations are rather leisurely, and a few strag- 

 glers winter in the southern part of the State. 



Taken near Santa Barbara 



THE GLEANERS 



Photo by the A uthor 



No. 245 



Greater Yellowlegs 



A. O. U. No. 254. Neoglottis melanoleuca (Gmelin). 



Synonyms. — Long-legged Tattler. Stone Snipe. 



Description. — Adult in summer: General effect mottled black (grayish brown 

 and brownish black) and white; underparts and upper tail-coverts white, immaculate 

 on middle of belly and crissum, finely and sparsely blackish-spotted on throat, heavily 

 blackish-streaked on sides of head and on neck all around ; heavily spotted or wavy- 

 barred on breast, sides, lining of wings, etc.; lightly barred on axillars and upon tail- 

 coverts; upperparts mingled brownish gray and brownish black, varied by white or 

 whitish; white occurring as streaks on head and neck, elsewhere as rounded terminal 

 edgings or lateral indentations; exposed wing-quills plain blackish; tail blackish-and- 

 white-and-gray barred. Bill, straight or slightly inclined upward, not with regular 

 curve, but as if bent near the middle, black or greenish black; feet and legs chrome 

 yellow. Adult in winter: Duller; spotting and barring of under plumage greatly 

 reduced, chiefly confined to dusky streaking of lower neck and breast; above chiefly 

 grayish brown or hair-brown (snipe-gray), margined with whitish; the blackish confined 

 to lateral indentations of longer feathers, tertials, etc. Immature : Like adult in 

 winter, but darker above, the white spotting with some admixture of brownish buff; 

 sides of breast shaded with dusky. Length about 355.6 (14.00); wing 193 (7.60); 

 tail 79 (3. n); bill 54.6 (2.15); tarsus 61 (2.40). 



Recognition Marks. — Little hawk size; long yellow legs; white upper tail-coverts, 

 with sober dusky-and-white coloration, distinctive for size; tew, tew, tew notes. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in California. Nest: On the ground. Eggs: 3 or 

 4; "brownish buffy, distinctly but very irregularly spotted with rich Vandyke or 

 madder brown." Av. size 36.3 x 30.5 (1.43 x 1.20). 



General Range. — North and South America. Breeds in British Columbia, 

 southern Alaska, southern Mackenzie, Ungava, and Labrador. Migrates broadly 

 throughout the interior, and winters from southern California and the Gulf States 

 south to Patagonia. 



1 26? 



