SCOLOPACIDA) — THE SNIPE FAMILY — TOTANUS. 
273 
April and May. It has also been found in the spring and autumn over the whole 
interior of the country, and quite abundant at those seasons along the entire length 
of the Mississippi, Ohio, and Missouri rivers, as well as on the Arkansas. This bird 
congregates in great numbers during the winter in the inland marshes of Florida and 
along the rivers. Audubon saw them at Eastport as early as the lltli of May, and on 
the coast of Labrador on the 18th of June. In Newfoundland, on the lltli of August, 
the young were nearly equal in size to their parents. 
Though found at all seasons in the vicinity of salt water, this species seems to 
prefer fresh-water ponds where the shores are muddy and the water shallow ; and in 
these places it frequently wades to such a depth as to present the appearance of 
swimming. When just alighted it always holds up its wings, as if doubtful of its 
footing. It feeds on small fishes, snails, insects, and worms, which it catches and 
devours with great rapidity. It alights on floating logs on the Mississippi, where it 
procures shrimps and the fry of fishes. 
Audubon found it breeding in Labrador. A female, having been killed, was found 
to contain a full-formed egg ; this was pyriform, 2.25 inches in length, 1.56 inches in 
breadth, of a pale greenish yellow, and marked with blotches of umber and pale pur- 
plish gray. We have had no other knowledge of its eggs than this mention and that 
of Hutchins, until the Notes of Mr. E. W. Nelson on the Birds of Southeastern Illinois. 
This writer mentions this bird as not only being a regular migrant to the southern 
shores of Lake Michigan, but also as breeding in that locality, where it is said to arrive 
about the middle of April, the greater number going north early in May, returning 
on the first of September, and then remaining until the last of October. He also met 
with pairs of this bird in the Calumet marshes ; and on observing their actions, be- 
came convinced that they were breeding. Mr. Bice, of Evanston, received a set of 
eggs, which were not identified, but which were attributed to this species. The nest 
was in a slight depression on the edge of a slough, and was composed of grass-stems 
and blades. The eggs varied from 1.70 to 1.80 inches in length, and from 1.30 to 1 .38 
in breadth. The ground-color is described as being a deep grayish white, marked on 
three eggs with spots of dark brown, and on the other egg with spots and well- 
defined blotches of a considerably lighter shade of the same color. In addition there 
were shell-markings and obscure spots of lilac. The markings were abundant over 
the whole surface, but more numerous about the larger end. This description varies 
materially from that of Mr. Audubon in regard to the size of the egg. 
Tot anus flavipes. 
YELLOW-LEGS. 
Scolopax flavipes, Gmel. S. N. I. 1788, 659. — Wils. Am. Om. VII. 1813, 55, pi. 58, fig. 4. 
Totanus flavipes, Vietll. Nouv. Diet. VI. 1816, 410. — Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II. 1831, 390. 
Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 152. — Aud. Orn. Biog. III. 1835, 573 ; V. 586, pi. 228 ; Synop. 1839, 243 ; 
B. Am. V. 1842, 313, pi. 344. — Coues, Key, 1872, 259 ; Cheek List, 1873, no. 433 ; 2d ed. 
1882, no. 634 ; Birds N. W. 1874, 497. — Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 549. 
Gambettcc flavipes, Bonap. Compt. Rend. 1856, 597. — Cass, in Baird’s B. N. Am. 1858, 732. — 
Baird, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 540. 
Totanus natator, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. VI. 1816, 409. 
Totanus fuscocapillus, Vietll. l.e. 
“ Totanus leucopyga, Illiger., in Mus. Berol.” 
Hab. The whole of America, breeding in the cold-temperate and subarctic districts of the 
northern continent ; migrating south in winter to Buenos Ayres and Chili. Much rarer in the 
Western than in the Eastern Province of North America. Accidental in Europe. 
vol. r. — 35 
