62 
TELL-TALE SNIPE. 
continually nodding their heads ; and were called there Stone 
Curlews.* 
The Tell-tale seldom flies in large flocks, at least during sum- 
mer. It delights in watery bogs, and the muddy margins of ci'eeks 
and inlets ; is either seen searching about for food, or standing in 
a watchful posture, alternately raising and lowering the head, and 
on the least appearance of danger utters its shrill whistle, and 
mounts on wing, generally accompanied by all the feathered tribes 
that are near. It occasionally penetrates inland along the muddy 
shores of our large rivers, seldom higher than tide water, and then 
singly and solitary. They sometimes rise to a great height in the 
air, and can be distinctly heard when beyond the reach of the eye. 
In the fall when they are fat their flesh is highly esteemed, and 
many of them are brought to our markets. The colors and mark- 
ings of this bird are so like those of the preceding, that unless in 
point of size, and the particular curvature of the bill, the descrip- 
tion of one might serve for both. 
The Tell-tale is fourteen inches and a half long, and twenty- 
five inches in extent ; the bill is two inches and a quarter long, of 
a dark horn color, and slightly bent upwards ; the space round the 
eye, chin and throat, pure white ; lower part of the neck pale ashy 
white, speckled with black ; general color of the upper parts an 
ashy brown, thickly spotted with black and dull white, each fea- 
ther being bordered and spotted on the edge with black ; wing 
quills black ; some of the primaries, and all of the secondaries with 
their coverts, spotted round the margins with black and white ; 
head and neck above streaked with black and white ; belly and 
vent pure white ; rump white, dotted with black ; tail also white, 
barred with brown ; the wings when closed reach beyond the tail ; 
thighs naked nearly two inches above the knees ; legs two inches 
and three quarters long; feet four-toed, the outer joined byamem- 
Arct. Zool. p. 468. 
