THE GREATER YELLOWSHANK. 623 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds from Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, 

 north Mackenzie, central Keewatin, and south Ungava to valley of 

 Upper Yukon, south Saskatchewan, and north Quebec ; winters in 

 Argentina, Chile, and Patagonia, and casually in Mexico, Florida, 

 and Bahamas. Also recorded from Pribilof Islands, Greenland, and 

 Bermudas. 



TRINGA MELANOLEUCA 



411. Tringa melanoleuca (Gm.)— THE GREATER YELLOW- 

 SHANK. 



Scolopax melanoleuca Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, ii, p. 659 (1789 — 



Labrador). 



Totanus melanoleucus (Gmelin), A. F. Griffith, Bull. B.O.C, xix, p. 7 ; 



Saunders, Brit. B., I, p. 16. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter.— Like T. flavipes 

 but feathers of crown and nape with broader white edges giving a 

 streaked appearance ; feathers of mantle and scapulars more or less 

 notched white and black-brown and tipped white ; primaries some- 

 times more or less freckled white towards base of inner webs, inner 

 ones more broadly tipped and sometimes notched white ; second- 

 aries usually boldly notched white on outer webs, inner webs deeply 

 indented with white ; greater coverts as mantle ; median coverts 

 broadly fringed white and notched white and sepia. This plumage 

 is acquired by complete moult Aug. to Jan. commencing with body- 

 feathers in Aug. Summer. — Most body-feathers, usually all tail- 

 feathers, usually all innermost secondaries and coverts, most 

 median coverts and some lesser coverts are moulted Feb. to May 

 but not rest of wings. Like T . flavipes but streaks on crown and 

 nape broader ; sides of neck, lower -throat and upper -breast more 

 broadly streaked black-brown ; feathers at sides of breast and 

 flanks white with irregular black-brown bars ; rest of breast white 

 irregularly barred and spotted black-brown ; new median coverts 

 black-brown, tipped and deeply notched white. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Like T. flavipes but upper -parts darker ; crown 

 black-brown ; mantle and scapulars black-brown with larger buff 

 notches ; sides of neck and lower -throat and breast more broadly 

 streaked and flanks more broadly barred ; wing as adult but inner- 

 most secondaries and coverts as scapulars ; greater and median 

 coverts sepia notched black-brown and light buff and tipped light 

 buff ; lesser coverts sepia narrowly edged light buff or white. 



First winter. — As adult and only to be distinguished by worn 

 and faded sepia wing-coverts with abraded notches. The juvenile 

 body-feathers, not all scapulars, one or two central pairs of tail- 

 feathers, usually all or most innermost secondaries and coverts, 

 some median and lesser coverts are moulted Sept. to Feb. First 

 summer. — Apparently acquires a little breeding plumage or moults 

 entirely into winter -plumage ; distinguished from adult by worn 

 sepia wing-coverts. 



