286 
PRiEOOCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOL.E. 
grayish. In life, “bill light blue, dusky toward end ; iris brown ; feet light blue, claws black” 
(Audubon). 
Total length, about 15.00-17.00 inches ; extent, 25.00-30.00 ; wing, 8.00-9.00 ; eulmen, 2.30- 
2.60; tarsus, 2.40-2.85; middle toe, 1.35-1.40. 
The Willet is one of the most extensively distributed of all our American birds. 
It is not only found along the entire Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Florida, and 
along the entire Gulf coast, but is equally abundant on the Pacific and through nearly 
all the marshy regions of the interior ; it also occurs throughout Central and South 
America as far south as the Pampas, where it breeds in large numbers. Burmeister 
could find no difference between South American examples of this bird and those 
from farther north. 
Mr. Nelson refers to this species as being a rare summer resident in the marshes 
and on the wet prairies of Northeastern Illinois, where it arrives the last of April, 
leaving by the first of October. The same writer afterward found it abundant on the 
shores of Salt Lake, in company with Avocets, where its clamor made it a perfect 
nuisance to the sportsman. Captain Bendire also noticed it as an abundant summer 
resident in Southeastern Oregon, where he procured several sets of its eggs, which 
began to be laid about the 10th of May. These birds were quite as abundant in the 
higher mountain valleys, at an altitude of six thousand feet, as they were in the lower 
regions, apparently frequenting all marshy localities. Dr. Bryant found this to be 
an abundant species in the Bahamas, where it was also resident, breeding in all suit- 
able localities, and being known as the “ Duck Snipe.” 
On the Pacific coast, according to Dr. Cooper, it is one of the most common of the 
shore-birds, especially in the southern portions of California and about San Fran- 
cisco, in the market of which it is plentiful all the year round. Although no nests 
had been found, there could be no doubt that it breeds abundantly in that State, as 
Dr. Cooper had met with fledged young at San Pedro early in July. It frequents 
the marshy ground, both on the coast and in the interior toward the north, but none 
were seen on the Colorado. According to Dr. Heermann, they are found along Hum- 
boldt Biver. Mr. Ridgway found the Willet in June breeding abundantly on the 
grassy flats on the southern shores of Great Salt Lake, in company with the Long- 
billed Curlew. It was found in considerable numbers on the shores of small saline 
lakes near the Saskatchewan by Richardson, but is not known to range in the sum- 
mer any farther north than the 56th parallel, occurring only in the interior. 
Mr. Salvin speaks of this species as occurring in Guatemala, where it was quite 
common at Chiapam, as well as on all the lagoons along the entire Pacific coast. 
