288 
PR2EC0CIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOLA2. 
The flight of the Willet is swift, and performed with grace and ease. While in 
general this bird is found in the salt-marshes, it will also at times alight upon bare 
shoals left exposed by the tide, and may be seen wading breast-deep in the water. It 
is extremely watchful, and when in an exposed situation very seldom allows a hunter 
to arrive within shooting distance. Nor is it by any means easily allured by decoys, 
even though the sportsman be well hidden; and even if the bird approaches and 
answers the decoy-note, its keen eye will soon enable it to detect the deception, when, 
quickly changing its course, it darts off like an arrow, and ascends beyond the reach 
of the fowler. While it rarely associates with others of its kind, it may often be seen 
feeding in company with Gulls, Sanderlings, and other birds. When flying it is made 
very conspicuous by the white markings of its wings. It feeds chiefly on worms, 
aquatic insects, small crabs, and minute shellfish. When in good condition, the flesh 
of this bird is quite palatable, although not considered a great delicacy; its eggs, 
however, are very superior food. Audubon was mistaken both as to the absence of 
this bird from the coast north of Boston and its non-existence in the interior. It is 
probably rare north of Long Island, but it is often quite abundant at some distance 
from the coast. 
Wilson characterizes it as one of the most noisy of the birds inhabiting the salt- 
marshes in summer, arriving about the 20th of April, and from that time to the 
last of July making the vicinity resound almost incessantly with its loud and shrill 
reiterations of pill-will-willet. It begins to lay usually about the 20th of May. At 
Cape Charles all the eggs I found on the 5th of June were quite fresh. The nests 
are always on the ground, among the grass of the salt-marshes, and composed of 
rushes and coarse grass, with only a slight hollow. Wilson states that the nest is 
gradually increased in size, during the period of laying and sitting, to the height of 
six inches. The young — which are covered with a gray-colored down — run off soon 
after they leave the shell, being assisted in their search for food by their mother, 
while the male bird keeps a continual watch for their safety. The anxiety and affec- 
tion which the Willets manifest for their young is often quite touching. An intruder 
into the marshes where they are breeding is at once beset by the birds, who fly around 
and hover over his head, vociferating with great violence, and uttering a loud click- 
ing note whenever their nest is approached. At times they give out a mournful note 
expressive of great grief. During the breeding-season the Willet is said to be often 
much annoyed by the predatory excursions of the Crow, whose visits always create 
alarm, and are repelled by the united force, who attack and pursue it with great 
clamor. 
According to the observations of Dr. Heermann, the Willet wades in water to a 
depth equal to the length of its legs, and if wounded swims with great rapidity. Its 
food he found to consist of the small shells, crabs, etc., with the insects to be found 
about the marshes. As it is a large bird, and generally well flavored, it is among 
those shot by the purveyor for market, the first which appear being for sale in 
August. The young keep in separate flocks, and are easily distinguishable by their 
pale gray color. They are much better eating than the old birds, and may be found 
in the market of San Francisco throughout the winter. 
The eggs are always four in number. Giraud describes them as being rather more 
than two inches in length and one and a half in breadth, and very thick at the larger 
end. In color they are dark olive, blotched with blackish brown, these markings 
being usually more numerous at the larger end. According to my own observations, 
the eggs of this species are, without exception, pyriform in shape, quite broad at the 
larger end, and strongly tapering toward the other extremity, and are very nearly 
