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Range (North America breeds) (V)

North America; breeds from Minnesota and rarely northern Illinois and Anticosti northward; winters from the Gulf States to Patagonia. Washington, rather common T. V., Apl. and May; July 25 to Nov. Long Island, common T. V., Apl. 10 through May; July 15 through Oct. Sing Sing, common T. V., to June 5; -to Oct. 28. Cambridge, common T. V., Apl. 15 to May 25; Sept. and Oct.

Eggs, three to four, brownish buffy, distinctly but very irregularly spotted with rich vandyke- or madder-brown, 1.43 x 1.20 (Ridgw.). It needs only the musical notes of the Yellow-leg to recall memories of many days passed along the shore and in the marshes. Half reclining in my blind, I see in fancy the staring decoys, pointing like weathercocks with the wind, and hear the dull booming of surf behind the brown sand dunes. SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC.

Few birds are flying; lulled by the lap, lap of the water, I have almost fallen asleep, when from far up in the gray sky comes a soft, flutelike whistle, wheu, wheu-wheu-wheu-wheu, wheu, wheu-wheu. I respond quickly, and, lying on my back, look eagerly upward. Not a bird can be seen, but the questioning call grows stronger and is repeated more frequently. Finally I distinguish five or six black points sailing in narrow circles so high that I can scarcely believe they are the birds I hear. But no bar or shoal breaks the sound waves. The birds grown larger and on widening circles sweep earthward. Their soft whistle has a plaintive tone; their long bills turn inquiringly from side to side. The stolid decoys give no response, they repel rather than encourage, but the whistling continues, and with murmured notes of interrogation the deluded birds wheel over them, to find too late that they have blundered. 255. Totanus flavipes (Gmel.). YELLOW-LEGS; SUMMER YELLOW-