The Greater Yellowlegs 



Occurrence in California. — Of general distribution in the vicinity of water 

 during migrations. Winters sparingly in the San Joaquin Valley, in the San Diegan 

 district, and in the Colorado and Imperial valleys. 



Authorities. — Gambel (Totanus melanoleucus) , Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 

 ser. 2, i., 1849, p. 223 (Pac. Coast U. S. in winter) ; Brewster, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 

 vol. xli., no. 1, 1902, p. 65 (western bird described as new subsp., Totanus melanoleucus 

 frazari) \Bowles and Howell, Condor, vol. xiv., 1912, p. 9 (migr. dates at Santa Barbara). 



Taken in San Luis Obispo County 



PORTRAIT OF GREATER YELLOWLEGS 



Photo by the Author 



OUR KNOWLEDGE of the Yellowlegs is absurdly limited to an en- 

 forced acquaintance with his voice. Tew tew tew, tew tew tew, he shrieks 

 wherever he goes. With tew tew tew he invades the swamp-lands seeking 

 to exorcise therewith all foes, present, possible, or suspected. The birdman 

 doesn't mind the racket, for all sounds in nature are good to him, and he 

 would not abate their stirring harshness by one vibration. But with the 

 hunter it is not so. He does not enjoy having his plans published nor his 

 intended victims urged to flee for their lives. Therefore, the noisy bird 

 foretells his own doom, and the end of the Telltale draws nigh. Yet I sup- 

 pose the last member of this doughty race, starting southward sometime 

 about 1940 from Calgary or Stickeen, will grasp his megaphone firmly and 

 proceed to spread abroad the old, old gospel of alarm. He will sow the air, 

 undaunted, with tew tew tew, until some Californian huntsman, arrived 

 with his hammerless, powderless, aimless gun of that day, w r ill drop him 

 kerplunk! into a Sacramento bog. Sic transibit pestis mundi — and would, 

 oh would, he might take the Killdeer with him; for be your business fair 



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