The Greater Yellowlegs 
or foul, these two birds will exaggerate its menace or lie most shamelessly. 
While no longer common, the impression of abundance still persists 
by reason of the restless, noisy ways of these Tattlers, so that if there 
be a single bird about a horse-pond, the whole country-side is likely to 
know of it. The birds frequent not only tide-flats and salt-water marshes, 
but duck-ponds, upland-pools, and river-bars as well. Sometimes they 
move uneasily from one part of the pond to another, as though discon¬ 
tented with the fare offered; and at all times, with reason or without it, 
they utter their high, querulous notes, tew tew tew, tew tew tew ,—always 
in groups of three. 
While feeding, the Tattler wades about, knee-deep, snatching its food 
from the surface of the water, or else thrusting its head below for a quick 
search along the bottom. Snails and the larvae of insects are among his 
usual victims, but the bird is quite smart enough to seize tadpoles or 
minnows. At such times it may be very alert or quite unwary, according 
to the amount of persecution it has previously endured. By the side of a 
farmyard pond I once watched a bird which seemed rather to enjoy com¬ 
pany, so long as you didn’t actually step on him. With immaculate under¬ 
garments rolled tightly above each knee (or heel, if you insist on anatomical 
correctness), he would adventure to wade around you rather than to fly 
out of your way. At other times, one cannot get within a hundred 
yards of them. 
During the migrations, the Yellowlegs appear singly as often as in 
small flocks. The fall movement, which sets in by the middle of August, 
or even earlier, is a little more leisurely than that of spring, inasmuch as the 
bird’s business is less urgent; and because of the year’s increase, they are 
noticeably more numerous in autumn. A few winter with us, but South 
America is the normal winter home of the species. In far-off Argentina, 
the birds are said to linger to some slight extent throughout the year, al¬ 
though they do not breed there. In like manner, occasional non-breeding 
birds have summered in California, but there is no reason to suppose that 
they ever bred within our borders in historic times, nor, indeed, anywhere 
short of British Columbia or Washington. 
Mr. Samuel N. Rhoads, in 1892, found them nesting about certain 
inland lakes in British Columbia as far south as Clinton (Lat. 51 °). “At 
this season both sexes stand sentinel on the tops of trees in the vicinity of 
the nest, rarely alighting on the ground during the presence of an intruder. 
The newly fledged young often follow the example of their parents in 
this respect. From this position the male keeps up an incessant clamor 
throughout the day. One series of notes, uttered only during periods of 
fancied security, is peculiar and unquestionably a love song.” 1 
1 Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1893, p. 36. 
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