GREATER YELLOW-LEGS. 
153 
ularly in the vicinity of Chatham and Ipswich) , and of which 
but few penetrate inland, their next visit being usually to the 
shores of Long Island in their further progress to the South. 
In the spring, however, avoiding the long-continued eastwardly 
storms of this climate, they are led to go inland by a more 
favorable route, and have been seen at this season by Mr. 
Say on the banks of the Missouri on their way to the interior 
of the continent. 
The vociferous vigilance of the Tell-Tale has justly stigma- 
tized him with the present name ; for no sooner does the gun- 
ner appear than his loud and shrill whistle of about four 
rapidly repeated notes is instantly heard as he mounts on 
wing, and proves generally so good a warning to all the rest of 
his feathered neighbors, and particularly the vigilant Ducks, 
that the whole, to the frequent disappointment of the fowler, 
at once accompany their faithful and officious sentinel. At 
times, indeed, without any particular motive to excitement, 
except perhaps that of hilarity and vigor, they are seen to rise 
high in the air, chattering so loudly as still to be heard when 
beyond the reach of the eye. From their note they are called 
by the Cree Indians of Hudson Bay Sasashew, and in this 
part of New England they are usually known by the name of 
the Winter Yellow- Leg. 
The Tell-Tales, after taking up a summer residence in the 
marshes, are no longer gregarious until the return of winter, 
when, with the addition of the young, they rove about in small 
parties until their final departure for the South, l.ike most of 
the species, they frequent watery bogs and the muddy margins 
of creeks and inlets, where they are often seen in quest of food 
or standing in a watchful posture, alternately balancing them- 
selves, raising or lowering the head and tail, and on the least 
appearance of danger or surprise, which they readily perceive 
from the elevation of their legs and the open places in which 
they feed, their loud whistle is instantly heard and the tim- 
orous and less watchful flocks are again in motion. They 
sometimes penetrate, singly or in small numbers, some way 
inland along the muddy shores of estuaries and rivers to the 
