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AMERICAN 

GAME    BIRDS 


BY 


CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.  B. 

Author  of  "Land  Birds,"  Water  Birds,"  "North  American  Birds'  Eggs, 
"Camera  Studies  of  Wild  Birds,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATING  MORE  THAN  ONE  HUNDRED  SPECIES 
IN  NATURAL  COLORS 


DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  CO. 

GARDEN  CITY,  N.  Y. 
1912 


COPYRIGHTED,   1912,   BY 

CHARLES   K.   REED 

WORCESTER,  MASS, 


•    „•    e       • 


*  e    «       •  •      •    '••         •    c  •  •  •  c 


ENGRAVED  AND  PRINTED   BY 
QUADRI-COLOR  CO.,   NEW  YORK 


^ 


AMERICAN  GAME  BIRDS 'HA 


This  book  is  the  result  of  repeated  requests  from  sportsmen  in  the  last  few 
years  for  a  convenient  handbook  illustrative  and  descriptive  of  the  game 
birds.  Although  there  are  hundreds,  or  perhaps  thousands,  of  volumes  deal- 
ing with  hunting  the  various  species  of  wild  fowl,  we  believe  "American 
Game  Biids"  to  be  the  first  to  illustrate  practically  all  of  them  with  accu- 
rately colored  plates. 

Circumstances  permitting,  nearly  every  man  or  boy  capable  of  holding  a 
gun  is,  or  sometime  will  be,  a  sportsman.  Many  sportsmen  are  expert  orni- 
thologists, well  acquainted  with  the  names  and  habits  of  most  of  the  birds, 
but  the  great  majority  are  not  and  often  secure  game  which  they  or  their 
friends  are  unable  to  name.  "American  Game  Birds,"  according  to  an  old 
sportsman  who  has  hunted  all  kinds  of  game  in  all  parts  of  our  country,  will 
be  a  boon  to  sportsmen  of  all  calibers,  for  "the  novice  has  got  to  have  it  to 
know  what  he  is  shooting,  the  man  familiar  with  the  birds  of  his  locality  will 
want  it  in  order  to  see  what  his  brother  sportsmen  are  shooting  in  other  parts 
of  the  country,  and  the  old-timer  will  literally  renew  his  youth  as  he  turns 
over  the  pages  and  sees  portraits  of  his  old  bird  acquaintances  and  recalls 
the  exact  places  and  circumstances  of  their  former  capture." 

A  book  with  this  title  might  very  properly  commence  with  the  most  pop- 
ular game  birds  and  continue  down  the  list  to  the  least  popular  ones,  but  if 
we  placed  the  Ruffed  Grouse  or  the  Bob-white  in  the  van,  some  sportsman 
who  beUeves  there  is  no  game  but  ducks  would  be  sure  to  be  offended.  Since 
there  is  a  natural  order  of  birds  that  is  adopted  by  scientists  the  world  over, 
we  have  taken  up  our  so-called  game  birds  in  this  natural  order,  an  arrange- 
ment that  brings  the  Mergansers  or  "Fish  Ducks"  to  the  fore,  even  though 
they  are  not  desirable  as  an  article  of  food.  We  have  included  all  the  ducks, 
even  though  many  of  them  are  not  fit  to  eat,  and  also  all  the  sandpipers, 
even  though  many  of  them  are  so  tiny  that  none  but  the  veriest  novice  would 
intentionally  shoot  them,  for  the  reason  that  they  are  very  commonly  seen, 
can  be  legally  shot,  and  many  are  inadvertently  taken  before  their  identity 
is  discovered. 

Chester  A.  Reed. 

Worcester,  Mass.,  August,  191 2. 

S 

293159 


AMERICAN     GAME     BIRDS 


MERGANSERS  {Mergus  americanus)  are 
large  ducks  of  unusual  beauty  of  plumage, 
but  otherwise  of  comparatively  little  inter- 
est to  sportsmen,  since  their  flesh  is  wholly 
unfit  for  the  table.  Their  food  consists  very 
extensively  of  fish,  a  diet  that  gives  a  very 
strong  and  rank  flavor  to  the  flesh  of  any 
bird.  That  they  are  exceUent  divers  and 
swimmers  is  amply  proven  by  the  fact  that 
they  pursue  and  catch  fish  under  water. 
The  bill  of  the  Merganser  is  quite  slender 
and  cylindrical,  the  edges  being  provided 
with  sharp  saw-teeth  to  enable  them  to 
firmly  hold  their  finny  prey. 

This  species,  although  often  frequenting 
salt  water,  is  very  partial  to  fresh-water 
lakes,  creeks  and  rivers.  They  remain  in 
such  places  during  winter,  just  as  far  north 
as  the  water  remains  open.  They  are  known 
by  many  local  names,  among  the  most  com- 
mon of  which  may  be  mentioned  "Goosan- 
der," "Saw-bill,"  "Buff-breasted  Shel- 
drake," "Fishing  Duck"  and  "Weazer." 
It  is  well  to  note  some  of  the  major  differ- 
ences between  this  species  and  the  next. 
The  male  Merganser  has  a  somewhat  puffy 
head,  but  no  distinct  crest  as  does  the  fol- 
lowing. The  salmon-colored  breast  and 
under  parts  are  unmarked.  The  females 
are  more  confusing,  for  both  species  have 
crests,  but  that  of  the  present  is  heavier  and 
browner.  An  infallible  mark  of  distinction 
is  the  nostril,  which  in  this  species  is  just  midway  between  the  eye  and  tip 
of  bill,  while  in  the  next  it  is  located  nearer  the  eye.  The  Merganser  occurs 
throughout  North  America,  breeding  locally  from  the  Northern  States, 
northward.  The  eggs  are  laid  in  hollow  trees  or,  in  the  far  North,  usuaUy 
on  the  ground. 

RED-BREASTED  MERGANSERS  {Mergus  serrator)  share  most  of  the 
local  names  with  the  preceding  species.  They  are,  however,  more  commonly 
found  on  salt  than  on  fresh  water.  They  are  cosmopolitan  in  distribution, 
nesting  on  the  ground  in  Canada  and  spending  the  winter  throughout  the 
United  States,  but  most  abundantly  on  the  coasts. 


■*;i 


RED-BREASTED    MERGANSER 

(9,  6) 


HOODED  MERGANSER  (Lophodytes 
cucullatus) .  This  smallest  of  the  Sheldrakes 
has  a  magnificent  circular,  flat,  fan-shaped 
crest  which  can  be  opened  or  shut  to  ex- 
press the  emotions  of  the  owner.  Although 
quite  universally  known  by  its  right  name, 
this  species  is  sometimes  spoken  of  as  the 
"Hairy-head,"  "Little,  Wood,  Pond  or 
Summer  Sheldrake."  They  at  times  live 
chiefly  upon  small  fish,  but  at  some  sea- 
sons in  some  localities  feed  extensively  upon 
moUusks  and  roots  and  their  flesh  then 
is  quite  palatable. 

Hooded  Mergansers  are  exclusively  North 
American,  breeding  throughout  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  but  quite  locally.  Their 
half  dozen  or  more  buff-colored  eggs  are  laid 
on  a  soft  bed  of  grass  and  down,  in  cavities 
of  trees,  generally  along  the  banks  of  streams 
or  lakes.  These  birds  are  exceedingly  active 
on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  more  so 
below,  pursuing  fish  with  the  greatest  agility, 
using  both  the  wings  and  feet  to  propel  them 
through  the  water. 

MALLARD  {A  nas  platyrhynchos) .  Prob- 
ably the  most  valuable  of  all  wild  water  fowl, 
for  they  are  easily  domesticated  and  are  the 
source  from  which  some  of  our  best  barn- 
yard ducks  have  descended.  As  usual, 
other  names  are  often  associated  with  them, 
some  persons  knowing  them  only  as  "  Green- 
heads,"  others  as  "Wild  Ducks,"  while  to  the  French  they  are  the  "Can- 
ard frangais"  or  "French  Duck."  They  are  found  throughout  most  of  the 
Northern  Hemisphere  and  are  very  highly  esteemed  as  table  birds  every- 
where. They  feed  almost  wholly  upon  vegetable  matter,  such  as  tender 
roots  of  aquatic  plants,  which  they  get  from  the  bottoms  of  ponds  in  shallow 
water,  by  "tipping  up"  and  not  by  diving,  and  upon  various  grains  and 
grasses  in  meadows  or  cultivated  fields. 

During  early  summer,  while  the  female  is  sitting  upon  her  greenish-buff 
eggs  in  some  remote  part  of  the  meadow,  the  drake  moults  to  a  plumage 
similar  to  that  of  his  mate,  only  to  again  assume  his  handsome  dress  in  Sep- 
tember. 


HOODED    MERGANSER  (  ^  ,  ?  ) 
MALLARD  (<$,$) 


8 


BLACK  DUCK  (Anas  rubripes) .  This  spe- 
cies is  in  many  respects  quite  similar  to  the 
Mallard,  in  fact  it  is  often  termed  "Black 
Mallard  "  or  "  Dusky  Duck."  The  sexes  are 
quite  similar  in  plumage,  the  female  being 
only  a  Httle  lighter  colored.  The  female 
Mallard  sometimes  bears  considerable  re- 
semblance to  the  Black  Duck,  but  always 
shows  the  two  white  bands  bordering  the 
greenish-blue  speculum.  The  present  spe- 
cies, too,  has  white  linings  to  the  wings, 
which  are  very  conspicuous  during  flight. 
Black  Ducks  are  found  in  eastern  North 
America,  nesting  in  Canada  and  the  North- 
ern States,  where  to  a  large  extent  they 
replace  Mallards,  and  wintering  south  to 
the  Gulf  States. 

The  nesting  and  feeding  habits  of  Black 
Ducks  and  Mallards  are  almost  identical. 
They  feed  chiefly  after  dark,  in  marshes  or 
shallow  water,  where  they  can  easily  reach 
the  bottom.  Although  usually  they  are  very 
watchful  and  wary,  from  time  to  time  they 
forget  caution  and  the  marshes  resound  with 
their  loud  quacking. 

FLORIDA  DUCKS  (Anas  fuhigula)  are 
quite  like  the  Black  Duck,  but  the  coloration 
is  a  trifle  more  buffy  and  the  throat  has  less 
streaking.  The  feathers  on  the  flanks  and 
under  parts  are  also  somewhat  differently  pat- 
terned.    They  are   found  only  in  Florida. 

The   MOTTLED   DUCK  (Anas  fuhigula  maculosa),  which  is  found  in 
southern  Texas,  is  quite  spotted  on  the  under  parts. 

GAD  WALL  (Chaulelasmus  streperus).  These  birds,  which  measure  about 
21  inches  in  length,  are  cosmopolitan  in  distribution,  but  in  America  are  no- 
where as  abundant  as  the  following  species.  They  frequent  marshes  about 
fresh-water  lakes  and  ponds,  breeding  chiefly  in  the  interior  and  western 
America  and  being  only  casually  found  during  migrations  on  the  Atlantic 
coast  north  of  Chesapeake  Bay.  Compared  to  other  species,  the  drake  is 
rather  poorly  plumaged,  the  black,  white  and  chestnut  on  the  wings  only 
serving  to  break  the  monotony  of  the  general  coloring. 


BLACK    DUCK 
GADWALL 


BALD  PATES  {Mareca  americana),  that 
is,  the  drakes,  are  quite  handsomely  plum- 
aged,  as  our  picture  shows.  The  name  is 
bestowed  because  of  the  white  crown,  simi- 
larly as  the  Bald  Eagle  is  so  named,  even 
though  it  is  not  in  any  respect  bald.  Some 
sportsmen  prefer  to  term  this  species  the 
"Widgeon,"  but  since  that  is  the  name  of 
the  common  European  bird,  the  present  one 
is  better  for  this  species. 

These  birds  are  found,  in  the  proper  sea- 
sons, throughout  North  America,  breeding 
chiefly  in  the  interior,  from  the  Arctic  Circle 
south  as  far  as  Texas.  They  winter  in  the 
southern  half  of  the  United  States  and,  while 
abundant  on  the  South  Atlantic  coast,  occur 
en  the  New  England  coast  only  casually 
during  migrations. 

They  are  quite  highly  esteemed  as  table 
birds,  for  their  food  is  almost  who]ly  of  vege- 
table matter.  They  delight  in  accompany- 
ing flocks  of  Canvasbacks,  Redheads  or 
other  deep-diving  ducks,  as  they  can  feed 
upon  the  roots  which,  loosened  by  these 
birds,  float  to  the  surface. 

EUROPEAN  WIDGEONS  (Mareca  penel- 
ope)  are  of  the  same  size  as  the  last  species, 
about  20  inches  in  length,  and  similar  in 
plumage  except  for  the  head,  which  is  rusty 
brown  with  a  buff -colored  crown.  This  is  a 
common  Old  World  species  that  quite  often 
occurs  in  eastern  North  America. 

GREEN-WINGED  TEAL  {Nettion  carolinense).  Although  the  smallest 
of  our  ducks,  measuring  but  14  inches  in  length,  this  species,  which  is  some- 
times called  "  Winter  Teal "  because  it  mi- 
grates later  in  fall  and  earlier  in  spring  than 
the  next,  is  very  attractive  both  in  plum- 
age and  actions.  It  nests  on  the  ground, 
chiefly  north  of  the  United  States  border, 
but  locally  south  to  Colorado. 

They  are  very  active,  swift  of  flight, 
capable  of  diving  deep  and  of  springing 
from  the  water  in  full  flight. 

10 


BALDPATE  (  ?  ,   '  j 
GREEN-WINGED  TEAL 


^yl^f  oVaea^n  V/idaeou 


BLUE- WINGED  TEAL  (Querquedula  dis- 
cors),  which  measure  about  one  inch  longer 
than  the  preceding  species,  are  quite  com- 
monly termed  "Summer  Teal,"  as  they  mi- 
grate earlier  in  fall  and  later  in  spring  than 
the  green-winged  variety.  They  are  found 
in  North  America,  chiefly  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  breeding  in  the  Northern  States 
and  southern  Canada  and  wintering  from 
Maryland  and  Illinois  south  as  far  as  Brazil 
and  Chile. 

Among  sportsmen,  this  species  has  the  rep- 
utation of  being  one  of  the  swiftest  ducks  in 
flight,  the  most  wild  and  impossible  claims 
of  speed  being  mentioned,  even  up  to  two 
hundred  miles  per  hour.  Careful  observa- 
tions by  competent  men  have  amply  proven 
that  this  or  no  other  duck  can  fly  at  a  rate  of 
more  than  sixty  miles  per  hour. 

In  autumn  they  feed  upon  wild  rice,  as  well 
as  other  tender  plants  and  insects,  becoming 
quite  fat  and  very  toothsome,  although  of 
small  size.  They  are  never  very  shy  and 
come  readily  to  decoys,  settling  among  them 
with  the  greatest  confidence.  They  walk 
very  gracefully  and  easily,  and  swim  swiftly 
and  with  much  buoyancy,  usually  keeping 
close  together,  the  same  as  Green-wings  do. 

Their  nests  are  on  the  ground,  in  patches 
or  tussocks  of  grass  in  meadows,  or  along  the 
borders  of  streams,  ponds  or  swamps.   They 
are  made  of  grass  and  weeds,  thickly  lined  with  feathers  and  down;  six  to 
twelve  greenish-buff  eggs  constitute  the  full  setting. 

CINNAMON  TEAL  (Querquedula  cyanoptera)  are  abundant  on  the 
Pacific  coast,  not  uncommon  in  states  west  of  the  Mississippi  and  of  casual 
occurrence  in  eastern  states.  They  are  found  even  more  abundantly  and 
more  widely  distributed  in  South  America.  Like  the  other  teal,  they  prefer 
fresh- water  marshes  and  ponds  and  are  seldom  foimd  on  open  salt  water. 
Like  all  very  active  ducks,  they  run  about  meadows  and  catch  a  great  many 
grasshoppers.  This  diet,  together  with  the  grain  and  tender  plants  they 
devour,  makes  their  flesh  very  palatable. 


BLUE-WINGED    -^.i^    , 
CINNAMON    TEAL  (  6 


¥) 


II 


SHOVELLER  {Spatula  dypeata).  These 
ducks  are  very  easily  identified,  not  only  by 
their  unusual  and  attractive  plumage,  but 
because  of  the  comparatively  large  size  of 
their  bills,  which  are  much  larger  than 
those  of  any  other  species  in  proportion  to 
the  size  of  the  bird.  Shovellers,  "Broad- 
bills"  or  "Spoonbills,"  as  they  are  perhaps 
more  often  termed,  have  a  very  wide  distri- 
bution, being  found  in  almost  all  parts  of  the 
Northern  Hemisphere.  In  our  country, 
they  breed  locally  in  the  western  and  central 
states  and  throughout  Canada. 

Shovellers  frequent  fresh-water  ponds  and 
lakes,  especially  where  there  are  shallow  bot- 
toms well  covered  with  vegetation.  They 
feed  by  "tipping-up,"  where  they  can  reach 
bottom,  sifting  the  mud  through  the  very 
prominent  strainers  on  the  sides  ot  the  bill, 
and  eating  the  many  insects  and  small  mol- 
lusks  so  obtained. 

Their  flight  is  quite  swift  and  often  a  little 
erratic.  They  appear  larger  than  they  really 
are,  for  they  have  considerable  spread  and  a 
large  head  and  bill  to  give  an  appearance  of 
size  that  does  not  exist  in  reality.  Their 
flesh  is  quite  desirable  and  they  are  often 
shot  from  blinds  over  decoys  to  which  they 
come  very  readily  and  with  little  fear. 

PINTAILS  {Dafila  acuta),  "Sprig-tails" 
or  "Spike-tails,"  as  they  are  about  equally 
often  called,  are  quite  unusual  among  ducks  and  easily  identified  because 
they  have  such  long  slender  necks  and  pointed  tails,  although  the  latter  fea- 
ture is  shared  with  the  Old-squaw.  This  also  is  a  cosmopolitan  species  and 
is  found  in  both  the  Old  World  and  the  New.  According  to  E.  W.  Nelson, 
who  has  had  unusual  opportunities  of  watching  their  actions  during  the  mat- 
ing seasons,  they  are  very  playful,  diving  into  the  water  when  in  full  flight 
and  emerging  also  in  flight,  chasing  one  another  about  and  occasionally 
mounting  high  in  the  air  to  descend  on  set  wings.  They  nest  in  Canada  and 
south  to  interior  United  States.  In  winter  they  are  usually  seen  in  small 
flocks  of  their  own  kind,  and  seldom  with  other  species. 


SHOVELLER  (  3  ,    ?  ) 
PINTAIL  (  $  ,  6  ) 


12 


WOOD  DUCK  (Aix  sponsa).  Nearly 
everyone  is  agreed  that  Wood  Ducks  are  the 
most  beautiful  of  any  species  found  in  this 
or  any  other  country.  The  exquisitely  col- 
ored and  crested  head,  the  iridescent  glossy 
back  and  the  delicately  marked  flanks  com- 
bine to  produce  an  effect  that  cannot  be  sur- 
passed. Even  the  female  is  more  beautiful 
than  that  of  other  species. 

Beauty  proves  fatal  to  them,  however, 
for  they  are  hunted,  not  only  for  sport  and 
food,  but  for  their  feathers,  some  of  which 
are  used  in  fly-tying.  Wood  Ducks  are  oft- 
times  called  "Summer  Ducks"  because  they 
are  a  warm-weather  species  and  sometimes 
termed  "Bridal  Ducks"  because  of  their 
beauty  which  is  associated  with  bridal 
robes. 

They  frequent  wooded  lakes  or  creeks, 
where  they  occasionally  perch  in  the  trees, 
but  more  often  are  found  along  the  shores  or 
floating  among  the  grasses  of  lagoons. 
Their  note,  which  is  sometimes  uttered  as 
they  take  wing,  is  a  single  sharply  whistled 
"oeeck."  They  are  of  local  occurrence  and 
breed  throughout  the  United  States  and 
southern  Canada,  but  they  are  yearly  be- 
coming more  scarce  in  all  portions  of  their 
range.  Their  nests  are  in  the  cavities  of 
trees,  but  not  necessarily  near  the  water's 
edge.  The  ducklings  either  flutter  down 
the  tree  trunk  or  are  carried  to  the  ground  m  the  bill  of  the  mother. 

REDHEAD  {Marila  americana).  This  name  is  so  appropriate  that  it  is 
known  by  few  others,  one  of  which  is  "American  Pochard."  Redheads  bear 
superficial  resemblance  to  Canvasbacks  and  the  two  are  sometimes  confused 
by  novices;  the  differences  are  apparent  from  the  pictures,  and  are  pointed  out 
in  the  next  description.  Redheads  breed  in  central  and  western  United 
States  and  Canada  and  are  abundant  on  the  South  Atlantic  coast  during 
migrations  and  in  winter.  They  are  classed  as  one  of  the  sea  ducks,  because 
they  are  able  to  dive  to  great  depths,  but  are  found  equally  common  on  fresh 
water.    Their  flesh  is  exceUent  after  suitable  feeding. 


WOOD    DUCK  {6  ,    ?  ) 
REDHEAD  (  9  ,    ^  ) 


13 


CANYASBACK(Marila  valisneria).  This 
species  ranges  over  the  whole  of  North  Amer- 
ica, but  is  quite  rare  on  the  Atlantic  coast 
north  of  Long  Island.  They  breed  in  the 
interior  and  northwestern  United  States  and 
Canada,  making  their  nests  on  the  ground  on 
the  edges  of  sloughs  or  marshes,  or  some- 
times even  piling  up  rushes  in  shallow  water 
to  form  a  foundation.  They  formerly  win- 
tered very  abundantly  in  the  Chesapeake 
and  North  Carolina  waters,  but  have  been 
hunted  so  relentlessly  that  only  iewer  and 
smaller  flocks  now  visit  there. 

After  feeding  for  several  weeks  on  wild 
rice,  wild  celery  and  the  tender  shoots  of  val- 
isneria, Canvasbacks  become  the  most 
toothsome  of  ducks,  although  Redheads  ap- 
proach them  very  closely. 

This  and  the  last  species  differ  in  the  fol- 
lowing respects,  as  may  be  seen  by  referring 
to  their  respective  pictures.  The  bill  of  the 
Canvasback  is  black  and  high  at  the  base, 
while  that  of  the  Redhead  is  bluish,  with  a 
black  nail,  and  is  ordinary  duck  shape.  The 
iris  of  this  species  is  red,  that  of  the  last  is 
yellow.  The  back  of  the  Canvasback  is 
very  much  lighter  and  more  finely  barred 
than  that  of  Redhead.  The  females  resem- 
ble each  other  closely,  but  can  always  be 
placed  on  account  of  the  differently  shaped 
bills.  Both  are  quite  wary,  but  come  to  and 
are  shot  over  decoys.  Their  flight  is  perhaps  the  swiftest  of  that  of  any  of 
the  large  ducks.  They  are  one  of  the  deep-diving  ducks,  a  subfamily 
characterized  by  having  a  flap  on  the  hind  toe,  although  how  this  can 
prove  of  any  assistance  to  them  is  difficult  to  understand. 

SCAUP  DUCK  {Marila  marila).  This  is  the  larger  of  the  two  species 
that  are  very  commonly  known  as  "Bluebills"  and  "Blackheads,"  and  less 
often  as  "Broadbills"  and  "Raft  Ducks."  This  species  measures  19 
inches  in  length,  while  the  next  is  about  17,  and  the  head  is  glossed  with 
greenish,  while  that  of  the  Lesser  Scaup  has  purplish  reflections.  This  spe- 
cies breeds  in  interior  Canada  and  winters  throughout  the  United  States. 


CANVASBACK    (  ?  ,     6  ) 
SCAUP    DUCK    (  6  ,     ?  ) 


14 


LESSER  SCAUP  DUCKS  {Marila  af- 
finis)  winter  most  abundantly  in  the  in- 
terior of  the  United  States,  while  the  last  spe- 
cies is  the  most  commonly  found  on  the 
coasts  during  winter.  They  nest  chiefly  in 
Arctic  America,  but  casually  south  to  Colo- 
rado and  Iowa,  the  nest  being  on  the  ground 
in  or  close  to  marshes,  as  is  usual  with  most 
ducks.  They  appear  in  numbers  in  the 
States  late  in  fall  and  are,  during  winter,  one 
of  our  most  common  species.  A  few  of  them 
pass  the  severe  weather  just  as  far  north  as 
open  water  can  be  found.  They  usually  are 
found  in  quite  large  flocks;  and  as  several 
flocks  often  unite  and  float  about  in  the  mid- 
dle of  lakes  or  ponds,  they  have  become 
known  locally  as  "Raft  Ducks." 

They  dive  in  very  deep  water  to  pull  up 
grasses  or  pick  up  mollusks  from  the  bottom. 
Owing  to  their  watermanship,  wounded 
Scaups  are  diflEicult  birds  to  secure,  for,  other 
means  of  escape  failing,  they  will  dive  and 
hang  to  grass  at  the  bottom,  drowning 
themselves  rather  than  be  captured;  first, 
however,  they  will  attempt  to  escape  discov- 
ery by  immersing  the  body  and  leaving  just 
the  bill  protruding,  a  ruse  that  usually 
works  successfully. 

The  females  of  the  two  Scaups  are  so 
nearly  alike  that  only  the  matter  of  size  can 
determine  them  with  certainty. 

RING-NECKED  DUCK  (Marila  collaris) 
same  size  as  the  last,  is  not  apparently  abundant  anywhere,  but,  during  the 
proper  seasons,  occurs  throughout  North  America  in  small  flocks  or  individ- 
uals in  company  with  Scaups.  The  name  Ring-necked  Duck  is  owing  to  the 
narrow  collar  or  band  of  chestnut  feathers  separating  the  purplish-black  head 
from  the  intense  black  of  the  breast  and  back.  They  are  locally  known  as 
"Ringbills,"  for  the  reason  that  the  black  bill  has  a  bluish  band  across  the 
middle.  The  female  is  quite  like  that  of  the  Scaup,  but  can  always  be  distin- 
guished by  the  prominent  eye-ring.  Notice,  too,  that  the  male  has  a  tiny 
white  spot  on  the  chin. 


LESSER    SCAUP    DUCK 
RING-NECKED    DUCK  (  $  ,    ^) 

This  species,  which  is  of  the 


IS 


GOLDEN-EYE  (Clangula  clangula  ameri- 
cana).  A  handsome  hardy  species,  length  19 
inches,  that  occurs  commonly  throughout 
North  America  at  different  seasons,  breeding 
QDmmonly  in  northern  Canada  and  south 
locally  to  northern  United  States,  and  winter- 
ing throughout  the  United  States.  At  times 
we  find  them  in  the  Northern  States  when 
the  only  open  water  is  an  occasional  air  hole, 
through  which  they  are  able  to  dive  to  the 
bottom  and  secure  their  food  of  plant,  mol- 
lusks  or  fish.  Golden-eyes  are  among  the 
most  active  of  all  ducks.  They  spring  from 
the  surface  of  the  water  with  the  greatest  of 
ease,  their  rapidly  whirring  wings  producing 
a  whistling  sound,  during  flight,  that  can  be 
heard  even  before  a  flock  comes  into  view; 
on  account  of  this  sound,  these  birds  are 
almost  exclusively  known  among  sportsmen 
as  "Whistlers."  Another  name  applied  to 
them  is  "Spirit  Duck,"  this  because  they  can 
disappear  so  very  rapidly  under  water. 

Golden-eyes  normally  lay  their  six  to  ten 
grayish-green  eggs  on  a  bed  of  down  in  cavi- 
ties of  trees,  but  as  suitable  sites  are  scarce 
many  of  them  locate  on  the  ground  under 
concealment  of  logs,  rocks,  etc. 

BARROW  GOLDEN-EYE  {Clangula 
islandica) .  Otherwise  known  as  the  ' '  Rocky 
Mountain  Garrot,"  this  species,  which  dif- 
fers from  the  preceding  in  having  a  white 
crescent  before  the  eye  in  place  of  a  round 
spot,  having  the  head  glossed  with  purple  instead  of  blue  and  in  having  less 
white  on  the  wings,  is  not  nearly  as  abundant  as  the  common  Golden-eye. 
They  breed  in  Canada  north  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains south  to  Colorado  and  winter  only  to  the  northern  border  of  the  United 
States.  They  commonly  frequent  quite  turbulent  streams,  especially  while 
nesting.  The  females  of  the  two  species  of  Golden-eyes  so  closely  resemble 
each  other  that  only  the  differences  in  the  shapes  of  the  bills  can  identify 
them,  that  of  the  present  species  being  higher  at  the  base  when  viewed  from 
the  side,  and  narrower  at  the  tip  when  viewed  from  above. 


GOLDEN-EYE    (  9  ,     (?  ) 
BARROW    GOLDEN-EYE 


i6 


BUFFLEHEAD  {Charitonetta  alheola). 
These  are  handsome  little  ducks,  length  13  or 
14  inches,  about  equaling  in  size  the  Green- 
winged  Teal.  Neither  sex  can  be  confused 
with  any  other  species  owing*  to  their  tiny 
size  and  very  characteristic  markings.  They 
are  quite  frequently  known  as  "Butter- 
balls"  because  of  their  small,  plump  bodies, 
and  as  "Spirit  Ducks"  or  "Dippers"  be- 
cause of  the  extreme  speed  with  which  they 
can  disappear  under  water.  In  the  days  of 
black  powder,  it  was  quite  difficult  to  shoot 
one  on  the  water,  but  modern  weapons  of 
offense  give  them  no  warning  to  dive,  yet 
their  bodies  are  so  small  and  their  sight  so 
keen  that  they  are  well  able  to  take  care  of 
themselves.  They  breed  throughout  central 
and  northwestern  Canada,  laying  their  eggs 
on  down  in  cavities  of  trees  near  the  banks 
of  streams.  They  are  found  quite  uniformly 
over  the  United  States  in  winter.  They  usu- 
ally add  some  fish  to  their  diet,  as  do  the  two 
Golden-eyes,  consequently  their  flesh  is 
rather  rank,  although  they  are  often  eaten. 

OLD-SQUAW  {Harelda  hy emails).  A  spe- 
cies breeding  in  Arctic  America  and  wintering 
in  great  numbers  as  far  south  as  the  Great 
Lakes  and  on  the  coast  to  North  Carohna 
and  southern  CaHfornia.  Otherwise  known 
as  "Long-tailed  Duck,"  "Old-wife,"  "South- 
southerly"  and  other  less  common  ones,  most 
of  which  refer  to  their  noisy  gabbling.  The 
summer  and  winter  plumages  are  quite  different,  as  shown  respectively  by 
the  bird  just  diving  into  the  water  and  the  lower  one.  The  male  measures  up 
to  23  inches ,  while  the  female  averages  about  18  inches  long.  Their  food  con- 
sists of  shellfish,  small  fish  and  insects  which 
they  can  secure  in  very  deep  water.  Their 
f-esh  is  very  tough  and  quite  unpalatable. 

LABRADOR  DUCK  {Camtorhynchos  lab- 
radorius),  the  male  of  which  is  shown  in  the 
little  pen  sketch,  formerly  Hved  off  the  North 
Atlantic  coast,  but  has  been  extinct  since 
about  1875. 


BUFFLEHEAD    (  9  ,      S) 
OLD-SQUAW   (summer,     ?  , 

winter) 


17 


"IW 


EIDER  (Somaferia  dresseri).  These  very 
large  and  handsome  ducks,  measuring  24  in. 
in  length,  Hve  quite  extensively  upon  small 
fish  as  weU  as  mollusks  and  insects;  their 
flesh  is  consequently  tough  and  very  unpal- 
atable, but  they  are  nevertheless  valuable 
birds,  for  they  furnish  the  eider  down  of  com- 
merce, this  being  gathered  from  their  nests 
on  northern  islands.  This  species  breeds 
from  Maine  to  Labrador  and  in  the  southern 
half  of  Hudson  Bay.  Another  species, 
^^ORTHERN  EIDER  {Somateria  mollis^ 
sima  borealis),  which  differs  from  this  in  hav- 
ing the  soft  basal  portion  of  the  bill  pointed 
instead  of  rounded,  breeds  farther  north  and 
in  Greer  land.  Both  species  winter  south  on 
the  coast  as  far  as  Massachusetts.  Their 
flight  is  rather  heavy  and  is  usually  per- 
formed in  Indian  file. 

PACIFIC  EIDERS  (Somateria  v-nigra) 
are  plumaged  just  like  the  Northern,  except 
that  the  male  has  a  black  V-shaped  mark 
extending  back  from  below  the  bill.  Pacific 
Eiders  are  found  chiefly  on  the  coasts  and 
islands  of  the  Behring  Sea  and  adjacent  por- 
tions of  the  Arctic  Ocean. 

SPECTACLED  EIDERS  (Arctonetta 
fischeri)  are  very  locally  distributed  on  coasts 
of  the  Behring  Sea.  The  male  has  a  very 
pecuHar  formation  of  short  velvety  feathers 
on  the  head,  while  the  female  can  easily  hz 
distinguished  from  other  species  because  the  base  of  the  bill  is  wholly 
feathered. 

STELLER  DUCK  {Polysticta  stelkri)  is  a  smaller  duck,  measuring 
17  in.  in  length.  The  male, 
shown  in  the  pen  sketch,  has 
a  black  throat  and  rusty  col- 
ored under  parts.  The  fe- 
male is  brownish  similar  to 
the  Eiders  but  of  course 
much  smaller.  These  ducks 
are  not  uncommon  in  Behr- 
ing Sea  and  adjacent  waters.      StaUav  "D  v.(;W 

18 


EIDER    (  „'    ,    9  ) 
PACIFIC    EIDER 


Slpectd^cUd  ^'vt^^v 


KING  EIDERS  {Somateria  spectahilis) 
are  found  throughout  the  northern  parts  of 
the  Northern  Hemisphere,  breeding  in  Arctic 
regions  and  wintering  in  America,  south 
regularly  to  the  Great  Lakes,  Long  Island 
and  the  Aleutian  Islands.  They  are  hand- 
some birds,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  illustra- 
tion, having  more  black  in  the  plumage 
than  the  other  Eiders  and  having  a  very 
large  and  prominent  frontal  process  at  the 
base  of  the  bill.  The  female  is  slightly 
grayer  than  the  other  species,  but  can  best  be 
identified  by  the  fact  that  the  feathers  on  the 
sides  of  the  bill  come  far  short  of  reaching 
the  nostrils.  This  seems  to  be  even  more  ex- 
clusively a  sea  duck  than  the  others  and  is 
rarely  found  inland.  It^is  of  about  the  same 
size  as  other  Eiders,  namely,  22  or  23  in.  in 
length. 

SCOTER  (Oidemia  americana) .  This  is 
the  smallest  of  the  so-called  "Sea  Coots,"  be- 
ing about  18  in.  in  length.  Because  of  the 
slightly  enlarged,  bright  yellow,  basal  portion 
of  the  bill,  it  is  very  often  termed  the  "But- 
ter-bill." This  species  and  the  two  follow- 
ing breed  abundantly  in  the  northern  half  of 
Canada  and  Alaska,  and  winter  in  "rafts "  off 
the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  of  the 
United  States  and  on  the  Great  Lakes. 
They  are  all  excellent  divers,  feeding  in  deep 
water;  their  flesh  is,  however,  very  tough 
and  Quite  unpalatable,  although  it  is  sometimes  eaten 


KING  j;idi:r   (  ^  ,   9  ) 

SCOTER    (9,6) 


SUPvF  SCOTERS  {Oidemia  perspicillata) 
the  pen  sketch,  are  about  20  in.  in  length. 


WhUft-NMrnae-dStoXev      Swv^  S>co^ev 


the  male  of  which  is  shown  in 
The  female  is  chiefly  gray,  but 
has  a  large  spot  of  white  on  the 
cheeks.  The  bill  of  the  male 
is  quite  swollen  and  colored 
black,  white  and  orange. 

WHITE-WINGED  SCOTER 
{Oidemia  deglandi),  the  largest 
of  the  Scoters,  is  22  in. in  length. 
The  male  is  shown  in  the  pen 
sketch. 


IQ 


HARLEQUIN  DUCK  (Histrionicus  histri- 
onicus).  A  handsome  and  trim  species,  al- 
though the  male  is  garbed  in  a  clownish 
manner.  Its  pecuHarities  are  not  confined  to 
plumage,  for  Harlequins  are  rather  solitary 
in  their  habits,  while  most  ducks  Hke  com- 
pany of  their  own  kind. 

They  breed  from  the  Arctic  coast  and 
Greenland  south  to  Newfoundland  and  Brit- 
ish Columbia,  and  in  mountains  to  Colo- 
rado. They  frequent,  from  choice,  turbulent 
streams  such  as  are  chosen  by  Golden-eyes, 
and  most  frequently  lay  their  six  to  eight 
buffy  eggs  in  feather  and  down-Hned  hol- 
lows near  the  banks.  In  some  sections  it  is 
also  said  that  they  nest  in  hollow  trees.  In 
winter  they  may  be  found  locally  throughout 
northern  United  States,  but  they  are  most 
abundant  off  the  coasts  from  Newfoundland 
to  Massachusetts  and  from  the  Aleutian 
Islands  to  California. 

In  Alaska  they  are  said  to  congregate  in 
large  flocks  before  and  after  breeding,  but 
most  observers  in  the  States  have  found 
them  in  small  numbers  or  even  as  individ- 
uals. 

They  are  medium-sized  ducks,  measuring 
about  1 7  in.  in  length,  but  are  unfit  for  food 
since  their  flesh  is  quite  tough,  coarse  and 
tasteless.  They  are  very  active  in  the  water; 
can  dive  very  quickly  and  can  swim  to  great 
depths  in  search  of  their  food  of  moUusks  and  insects.  They  also  rise  from 
the  water  with  the  greatest  ease  and  can  fly  very  rapidly.  They  are  usu- 
ally quite  silent,  but  are  said  to  utter  shrill  whistles  during  the  mating 
season. 

RUDDY  DUCKS  (Erismatura  jamaicensis) ,  although  small,  measuring 
only  about  1 6  in.  in  length,  are  regarded  as  very  fine  table  birds.  Both  bill 
and  feet  are  of  unusual  size,  the  latter  propeUing  them  through  the  water 
very  swiftly.  The  narrow-feathered,  stiff  tail  is  usually  perked  comically 
over  the  back  as  they  float  upon  the  water.  Their  short,  concave  wings 
make  a  buzzing  sound  during  flight,  causing  them  to  be  known  as 
"Bumblebee  Coot"  among  sportsmen.  They  breed  locally  in  the  Northern 
States  and  northward  and  winter  throughout  the  United  States. 


IIARL1:;(^UIX    DL'CK 
RUDDY    DUCK 


20 


SNOW  GOOSE  {Chen  hyperhoreus  hyper- 
horeus) .  Geese  are  usually  larger  than  ducks, 
their  bills  are  shorter,  stouter  and  the  "gut- 
ters" or  flutings  on  the  sides  are  very  promi- 
nent, producing  a  sort  of  grinning  effect. 
Adult  Snow  Geese  are  entirely  white,  except 
the  primaries,  which  are  black.  The  head  is 
often  or  usually  tinged  with  pale  rusty  and 
the  bill  and  feet  are  pinkish.  Young  birds 
are  gray  or  variously  mottled.  This  variety 
measures  about  25  in.  in  length.  They 
nest  on  the  ground  within  the  Arctic  Circle 
west  of  Hudson  Bay  to  Alaska.  In  winter 
they  are  found  throughout  western  United 
States  and  casually  in  the  east.  They  usu- 
ally occur  in  large  flocks,  fly  high  in  a  long, 
extended  line  and  are  very  wary  whether  in 
flight  or  feeding.  They  live  on  grain,  tender 
grasses,  mollusks  and  insects;  their  flesh  is 
palatable,  but  not  nearly  equal  to  that  of 
Canada  Geese. 

GREATER  SNOW  GEESE  {Chen  hy- 
perhoreus nivalis)  vary  from  the  preceding 
only  in  size,  measuring  about  30  in.  in  length. 
Large  specimens  of  the  last  are  just  Hke 
small  ones  of  this,  so  that  the  distinction  is 
not  perfectly  satisfactory,  as  it  has  to  be 
based  largely  upon  locaHty  found.  The 
present  variety  is  supposed  to  breed  east  of 
Hudson  Bay  and  to  winter  in  southeastern 
United  States.  Migrates  chiefly  through 
the  interior,  but  is  not  uncommon  on  the  Atlantic 
peake  Bay. 

BLUE  GOOSE  {Chen  ccBrulescens) .  This  is  midway  between  the  two  pre- 
vious varieties  in  size  and  for  a  long  time  was  supposed  to  be  a  color  phase  or 
a  young  plumage  of  the  Snow  Goose.  Its  breeding  range  is  not  definitely 
known,  but  is  supposed  to  be  in  northern  Ungava.  They  migrate  through 
the  Mississippi  Valley  and  winter  in  the  southern  portions  of  it.  They  are 
also  of  rare  or  casual  occurrence  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  They  cannot  be  termed  at  all  abundant,  but  sizable  flocks  of 
them  are  sometimes  seen  and  again  one  or  two  individuals  may  be  in  with  a 
company  of  Snow  Geese.  Those  who  have  eaten  them  declare  their  flesh 
to  be  better  than  that  of  the  last  species. 


\     .      GOOSE 
BLUE    GOOSE 

coast  south  of  Chesa- 


21 


ROSS  GOOSE  {Chen  rossi) .  This  is  by  far 
the  smallest  of  our  geese,  measuring  but  21 
in.  in  length,  about  the  same  size  as  the  Mal- 
^^^^■y  —--^.„  ^^^d-      The  greatest  difference  between  this 

^/^^  ~'  '  species  and  Snow  Geese,  besides  size,  Ues  in 

1^  ^  the  bill,  which  has  less  prominent  teeth,  little 

I  v*^i  ^^  ^^  black  along  the  open  sides  and  which  is 

1^  ^^^^  studded  about  the  base  with  numerous  little 

■^  "jj^^i  carunculations.     The  breeding  grounds  are 

^B^^^^  ^^HIIH  unknown,  but  are  supposed  to  be  north  of 

^^^H^^K  ^  Mackenzie.     It  is  regarded  as  quite  a  rare 

^^^B^^^^~  .     -  bird,  but  sometimes  appears  in  considerable 

^  *  numbers  in  California  during  winter. 

EMPEROR  GOOSE  {Philade  canagica). 
We  have  not  figured  this  species  since  it  is 
found  in  such  a  restricted  and  little  visited 
area,  it  occurring  only  on  the  Alaskan  coast 
chiefly  north  of  the  Aleutian  Islands.  It  is 
a  handsome  species,  the  sexes  as  usual  being 
alike  in  plumage.  The  white  head  is  relieved 
by  a  black  throat  which  shades  into  the 
bluish,  slate-colored  body,  each  feather  of 
which  is  edged  with  black  and  white  so  as 
to  produce  a  very  scaly  effect. 

WHITE-FRONTED  GEESE  {Anser  al- 
bifrons  gamheli).  In  the  interior  and  west- 
ern portions  of  America  this  is  one  of  the 
most  abundant  species  of  geese,  but  on  the 
Atlantic  seaboard  they  are  only  of  casual  oc- 
currence. They  breed  near  the  Arctic  coast, 
west  of  Hudson  Bay,  and  pass  the  winter 
months  in  the  lower  Mississippi  Valley  and  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

White-fronted  Geese  are  very  noisy,  their  loud  and  continued  cackling 
being  responsible  for  their  being  known  quite  commonly  as  "Laughing 
Geese."  They  are  less  often  called  "Pied  Brant."  When  young  birds  first 
arrive  from  the  north,  they  are  not  timid,  and  many  are  killed,  but  they  soon 
become  very  shy  and  difficult  to  approach.  When  feeding,  they  post  senti- 
nels to  warn  the  rest  of  the  flock  of  approaching  danger.  Most  of  them 
are  secured  by  hunters  who  ambush  them  on  the  way  to  and  from  their  feed- 
ing grounds.  Their  mode  of  flight  is  a  V-shaped  formation,  the  bird  at  the 
apex  leading  the  way  until  tired  and  then  falling  back  to  the  end  of  the 
hne  and  allowing  a  new  leader  to  break  the  wind. 


ROSS    GOOSE 
WHITE-FRONTED    GOOSE 


CANADA  GEESE  (Branla  canadensis 
canadensis)  are  the  most  highly  prized  of  all 
water  fowl.  Great  creatures,  3  feet  or  more 
in  length,  and  with  tender  flesh  and  appetiz- 
ing, they  appeal  to  the  gourmand;  wary  yet 
coming  to  decoys,  they  furnish  the  greatest 
sport  for  the  hunter,  and  he  also  gets  game 
worth  while  when  he  brings  one  down. 

Canada  Geese  breed  from  the  Northern 
States  north  to  the  limit  of  trees  and  winter 
chiefly  in  the  southern  half  of  the  United 
States.  Northern  hunters  eagerly  await  the 
loud  honking  of  the  first  spring  flock,  while 
southern  ones  just  as  enthusiastically  wait 
their  return  in  late  fall.  It  is  a  grand  sight 
to  see  the  wide  V-shaped  line  of  great  birds 
swiftly  speed  overhead,  their  large  wings 
strongly  beating  the  air  and  from  their 
throats  to  hear  the  loud  honking  that  sounds 
so  like  a  pack  of  fox  hounds  in  full  cry. 

HUTCHINS  GOOSE  {Brajita  canadensis 
hutchinsi) .  This  is  a  slightly  smaller  variety 
found  chiefly  in  western  United  States,  meas- 
uring about  28  in.  in  length  and  the  tail  hav- 
ing normally  but  16  feathers,  while  that  of 
the  last  species  has  18  or  20.  It  occasion- 
ally occurs  on  the  Atlantic  coast. 

WHITE-CHEEKED  GOOSE  {Branta 
canadensis  occidentalis) .  This  species  is 
equal  to  the  Canada  Goose  in  size  but  is 
slightly  darker,  especially  on  the  under  parts, 
and  the  black  on  the  throat  often  extends  up  to  the  chin,  thus  making  two 
white  cheek  patches  instead  of  a  single  cravat  extending  from  ear  to  ear.  It 
is  found  on  the  Pacific  coast,  breeding  in  the  north  and  wintering  south  to 
California. 

CACKLING  GEESE  {Branta  canadensis  minima)  are  quite  small,  measur- 
ing but  2  feet  in  length.  In  appearance  they  are  just  like  a  dwarfed  White- 
cheeked  Goose,  only  the  tail  normally  contains  but  14  or  16  feathers.  They 
are  found  chiefly  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Geese  feed  upon  berries, 
grasses  and  roots,  which  they  gather  in  fields,  along  shore,  or  by  "  tipping" 
in  shallow  water.  They  swim  well,  but  do  not  dive.  On  land  they  walk 
easily  and  gracefully  compared  with  the  walk  of  barnyard  geese. 


CANADA    GOOSE 
CACKLING    GOOSE 


23 


P1HHB|  BRANT    (Brania   bernicla   glaucogastra). 
'          The  common  Brant  is  found  in  eastern  North 
America  and  Greenland,  breeding  on  Arctic 
^^^                 Islands  and  wintering  on  the  Atlantic  coast 
■jHi^              southward     from     Massachusetts.       They 
^n^                  make  their  appearance  on  the  coast  of  the 

United  States  in  October,  the  various  flocks 
congregating  in  favorite  places  in  immense 
numbers.  They  fly  with  no  apparent  leader 
and  in  a  compact  flock.  They  are  very 
noisy,  their  notes  being  loud,  rolling  and  gut- 
tural, quite  unlike  the  honking  of  geese. 
They  are  not  nearly  as  shy  and  wary  as  Can- 
ada Geese,  it  often  being  possible  to  approach 
a  flock  on  the  water  or  on  a  sand  bar  near 
enough  for  a  shot.  They  come  to  decoys 
with  the  greatest  confidence  and,  conse- 
quently, are  killed  in  such  great  numbers 
that  they  are  yearly  becoming  less  abundant. 
Their  food  consists  almost  wholly  of 
grasses  and  roots  which  are  pulled  up  in  shal- 
low water  where  they  can  easily  reach  bot- 
tom. They  do  not  dive  at  all,  in  fact  even  a 
wounded  Brant  cannot  dive,  but  tries  to  es- 
cape by  swimming  as  rapidly  as  possible  to 
windward. 

Brant  are  about  equally  often  called 
"Brent  Goose"  or  sometimes  "Black 
Brant"  to  distinguish  them  from  the  Snow 
Geese,  which  are  in  the  same  places  called 
"White  Brant."  This  latter  cognomen, 
however,  is  quite  incorrect ;  it  is  reserved  particularly  for  the  next  species. 

BLACK  BRANT  (Branta  nigricans).  This  species  is  of  the  same  size  as 
the  last,  namely  24  in.  in  length.  They  are,  however,  darker  above,  and  the 
black  on  the  breast  extends  over  the  under  parts  to  the  belly  and  crissum. 
The  white  neck  patches  are  also  larger  and  usually  meet  in  front.  Black 
Brant  are  birds  of  the  Pacific  coast,  there  wholly  replacing  the  species  that  is 
found  in  the  east.  They  are  rarely  found  inland,  but  keep  off  the  coast  and  in 
bays  in  large  flocks.  Their  flight  is  rather  heavy  and  not  very  fast,  per- 
formed in  a  widely  strung  out  line  at  right  angles  to  their  line  of  progression. 
Both  species  of  Brant  usually  fly  rather  low,  following  the  coast  line  and 
rarely  cutting  across  even  short  stretches  of  land. 


BRANT 
BLACK    BRANT 


WHISTLING  SWAN  {Olor  columhianus) . 
These  great  birds,  measuring  nearly  5  feet  in 
length,  are  still  not  uncommon  in  the  inte- 
rior and  also  occur  in  numbers  on  the  South 
Atlantic  coast.  They  nest  only  in  high  lati- 
tudes, chiefly  on  Arctic  islands  and  the 
mainland  from  northern  Hudson  Bay  to 
Alaska.  This,  the  smallest  of  our  two  spe- 
cies, can  best  be  identified  by  the  form  of  the 
bill.  The  nostril  is  located  about  midway 
between  the  eye  and  the  extreme  tip,  while 
that  of  the  next  species  is  nearer  the  eye 
than  it  is  to  the  tip  of  the  bill.  The  present 
species  also  has  a  small  yellow  spot  between 
the  eye  and  nostril. 

During  migration,  swans  fly  at  a  great 
elevation  in  a  long  V-shaped  line  with  an 
wise  old  gander  at  the  apex.  Their  flight 
is  swift  and  very  easy  and  graceful,  as  their 
wings  are  of  enormous  size,  easily  capable  of 
carrying  even  such  heavy  bodies.  From 
time  to  time,  the  leader  or  some  of  the  band 
utter  clear  flageolet-like  notes  that  reach  the 
ground  like  voices  from  the  sky,  as  the  swans 
may  be  so  high  as  to  be  almost  invisible. 
When  within  sight  of  their  final  stopping 
places,  they  set  their  wings  and  gradually 
float  downward,  circle  around  so  as  to  come 
up  against  the  winds  and  then  plump  into 
the  water  with  great  splashes.  They  are 
most  beautiful  sights,  either  in  flight  or  as 
they  sit  Hghtly  and  gracefully  on  the  water.  They  feed  chiefly  upon  grasses 
and  roots  that  they  puU  up  from  the  bottom,  usually  in  water  shallow  enough 
so  that  they  do  not  have  to  "tip  up."  They  seldom  come  to  decoys,  but  are 
shot  by  gunners  in  ambush  between  their  feeding  and  resting  places,  or  they 
are  taken  by  saiHng  down  on  them  before  the  wind,  the  swans  having  to  flap 
vigorously  against  the  wind  before  being  able  to  leave  the  water. 

TRUMPETER  SWAN  {Olor  buccinator).  This  species  measures  more 
than  5  feet  in  length  and  differs  otherwise  as  stated  above.  It  is  quite  rare 
now,  but  breeds  west  of  Hudson  Bay  and  winters  in  southwestern  United 
States  and  the  lower  Mississippi  Valley. 


WHISTLING    SWAN 
TRUMPETER    SWAN 


as 


KING  RAIL  {Rallus  elegans).  These  are 
the  largest  of  the  true  rails,  measuring  about 
i8  in.  in  length.  They  are  much  brighter 
colored  both  above  and  below  than  the  sim- 
ilar sized  Clapper  Rails.  They  inhabit  al- 
most exclusively  fresh-water  marshes  in 
eastern  North  America,  breeding  throughout 
the  eastern  states  and  wintering  in  the  south- 
ern ones.  Their  form  is  typical  of  that  of 
the  rail  family:  long  bill,  long  legs  and  short 
tail,  the  latter  often  carried  erect  over  the 
back.  They  are  very  sly  and  secretive  in 
all  their  habits,  keeping  well  under  cover  of 
rushes  or  marsh  grass,  and  doing  most  of  their 
feeding  after  dark.  It  is  very  difficult  to 
flush  them,  particularly  without  a  dog. 
Their  flight  is  very  weak  and  fluttering;  they 
fly  but  a  few  yards  before  dropping  into 
the  protecting  grass  again.  On  the  ground, 
however,  they  are  very  active  and  quite 
graceful,  running  swiftly  and  threading  their 
way  with  ease  through  the  densest  of  weeds, 
rushes  or  brush.  At  night  the  marshes  often 
resound  with  their  loud,  explosive,  grunting 
calls. 

Their  food  consists  of  aquatic  insects, 
seeds,  roots  and  grasses,  which  impart  a  deli- 
cate flavor  to  their  flesh  and  puts  them  in 
the  game-bird  class,  although  the  sport  of 
shooting  them  is  confined  largely  to  one's 
ability  to  make  them  fly,  for  once  awing 
they  are  so  easy  a  mark  that  even  a  novice  can  seldom  miss  one. 

CLAPPER  RAILS  {Rallus  crepitans  crepitans),  of  the  same  size  but  paler 
colored  than  the  last  species,  are  confined  almost  wholly  to  salt  or  brackish 
marshes  near  the  coast,  breeding  north  to  Massachusetts  and  wintering  on 
the  South  Atlantic  coast.  Several  local  varieties  are  recognized:  the  Louisi- 
ana Clapper  Rail  on  the  coast  of  that  state,  the  Florida  Clapper  Rail  on  the 
Gulf  coast  of  Florida  and  the  Wayne  Clapper  Rail  on  the  coast  from  North 
Carolina  to  Florida.     These  differ  but  slightly  in  coloring  or  dimensions. 

CALIFORNIA  CLAPPER  RAIL  {Rallus  obsoletus),  found  in  salt  marshes 
of  the  Pacific  coast  near  San  Francisco,  is  marked  like  the  Clapper  Rail 
above  and  is  as  brightly  colored  as  the  King  Rail  below. 


KING    RAIL 
CLAPPER    RAIL 


26 


VIRGINIA  RAILS   {Rallus  virginianus) 

are  in  plumage  almost  perfect  miniatures  of 

King  Rails,  but  they  measure  only  lo  in.  or 

less  in  length.     They  are  more  or  less  abun- 
dant in  fresh-water  marshes  throughout  the 

United  States  and  southern  Canada,  breed- 
ing in  the  northern  parts  and  wintering  in 

the  southern  parts  of  their  range.     They 

live    usually  in    dryer   portions    of   grassy 

marshes  than  Soras  commonly  inhabit,  and 

usually  nest  on  the  edges,  making  a  small 

mound  of  grasses  and  flags  upon  which  the 

eight  to  twelve  buffy-white,  brown-specked 

eggs  are  laid.     The  young,  hke  those  of  all 

rails,  are  hatched  covered  with  a  jet-black 

down,  leaving  the  nest  and  following  their 

parent  within  a  few  hours  after  emerging 

from  the  eggs. 

SORAS    {Porzana  Carolina)  ^  or  Carolina 

Rails,  are  comparatively  small,  being  only 

a  trifle  over  8  in.  long.     Immature  birds 

have  a  white  face  and  buff  breast,  while 

adults   have    a   black  face  and    blue-gray 

breast.     Soras  are  the  most  abundant  of 

our  rails,  breeding  throughout  the  northern 

half  of  the  United  States  and  southern  Can- 
ada and  spending  the  winter  in  southern 

United  States.     Although  of  such  small  size, 

they  are  killed  in  almost  countless  numbers 

for  the  sake  of  the  small  but  delicate  morsels 

that  their  bodies  afford. 

YELLOW  RAIL  (Coturnicops    novehoracensis) .     This  is    a    diminutive 

species  under  7  in.  in  length,  inhabiting  eastern  North  America,  breeding 

in  the  northern  states  and  Canada  and  wintering  in  the  southern  ones. 

So  small  and  secretive  as  to 
be  seldom  observed. 

BLACK  RAIL  {Creciscus 
jamaicensis).  Tiniest  of  our 
rails;  but  5  or  6  in.  in  length. 
Also  found  in  eastern  North 
America;  replaced  on  the  Pa- 
cific coast  by  the  very  sim- 
ilar Farallon  Rail. 


VIRGINIA    RAIL 
SORA 


27 


FLORIDA  GALLINULE  {Gallinula  gale- 
ata).  This  is  larger  than  any  of  our  rails, 
measuring  14  in.  in  length;  the  bill  is  heavier 
even  than  that  of  the  shorter  billed  rails  and 
ends  in  a  scaly  shield  on  the  forehead  that  is 
characteristic  of  gallinules.  They  share  with 
Coots  the  names  of  "Mud-hen,"  "Water- 
hen"  or  "Moor-hen,"  the  hen  part  of  the 
name  being  because  their  notes,  and  they  are 
very  noisy  birds,  sound  a  great  deal  Hke  the 
cackling  of  barnyard  fowl.  Their  flight  is 
no  stronger  than  that  of  rails,  but  on  land  or 
water  they  are  agile  and  graceful.  Although 
they  do  not  have  webbed  feet  they  can  swim 
well  and  often  dive  when  pursued.  These 
birds  are  found  commonly  throughout  tem- 
perate America, breeding  from  New  England, 
Ontario  and  California  south  through  South 
America  to  Chile. 

PURPLE  GALLINULE  (Jonornis  martin- 
icus).  Very  similar  in  form  to  Florida  Gal- 
hnules,  but  briUiantly  plumaged,  the  whole 
head  and  under  parts  being  a  rich  purplish- 
blue,  becoming  bluish-green  on  the  sides  and 
black  on  the  belly;  back  and  wing  coverts 
olive-green;  under  tail  coverts  pure  white. 
Not  uncommon  in  the  South  Atlantic  and 
Gulf  States;  wanders  casually  to  Nova 
Scotia,  Ontario  and  Wisconsin. 

COOT  (Fulica  americana).  A  most  re- 
markable bird,  at  home  equally  in  the  water 

or  on  land  in  marshes.    Plumage  gray  like  that  of  the  Florida  Gallinule,  but 

secondaries  tipped  with  white,  bill  white  with  a  black  band  or  spots  in  the 

middle,  practically  no  frontal  plate,  and  the  toes  each  with  a  lobed  web.  Coots 

swim  and  dive  fully  as  well  as  any  of 

our  ducks,  and  are  frequently  seen  on 

bays  and  in  rivers  in  company  with  them, 

or  in  flocks  of  their  own  kind.     While 

swimming  they  have  a  habit  of  nodding 

the  head  in  time  to  the  strokes  of  their 

feet.     They  are  to  be  found  throughout 

the  United  States  and  southern  Canada. 

Commonly  known  as  "Blue  Peters."  ^"  '  VviVlpV^-"'\^r5>.V\i)(\wla 

28 


FLORIDA    GALLINULE 
COOT 


AVOCET  (Recurvirostra 'americana) .  Eas- 
ily known  by  the  very  slender  upturned  bill 
and  the  long  bluish  legs,  the  latter  giving 
them  a  local  name  of  "Blue-stocking." 
They  are  among  the  largest  of  our  waders, 
measuring  about  i8  in.  in  length.  The  bird 
shown  is  in  summer  plumage.  In  winter 
and  immature  plumage  they  have  no  rusty 
color  on  the  head.  The  plumage  of  the 
under  parts  is  very  firm  and  duck-Uke.  Their 
webbed  feet  enable  them  to  swim  easily  and 
they  frequently  do  so. 

They  are  particularly  abundant  in  alkaline 
regions  of  the  west,  and  occur  north  to  Sas- 
katchewan. They  are  rarely  found  east  of 
the  Mississippi  River, 

They  frequently  feed  in  shallow  water  by 
immersing  the  head  and  sifting  the  soft  mud 
with  their  slender  bills. 

BLACK-NECKED  STILT  {Himan- 
topus  mexicanus).  These  birds,  which  are 
easily  recognized  by  their  striking  black-and- 
white  plumage  and  by  the  unusual  length 
and  slenderness  of  their  red  legs,  are  abun- 
dant in  southwestern  United  States,  breed- 
ing north  to  Oregon  and  Colorado  and 
along  the  Gulf  coast  to  Florida  and  Cuba. 
They  feed  chiefly  by  wading  and  gleaning 
tiny  insects  from  the  surface  of  the  water  or 
from  aquatic  plants  rising  above  the  surface. 
PHALAROPES  are  small  shore  birds  hav- 
ing lobed  webs  on  each  toe,  thus  having  excellent  swimming  power.  Their 
feathers  underneath  are  very  closely  set  and  waterproof,  Wilson  Phalarope, 
which  has  a  chestnut  stripe  on  the  side  of  the  neck,  breeds  in  the  interior, 

from  Alberta  south  to 
Texas.  Red  and  North- 
ern Phalaropes,  the  former 
rufous  below  and  the  lat- 
ter with  the  neck  largely 
reddish-brown,  breed 
in  Arctic  regions  and  mi- 
grate chiefly  on  the  coasts 
or  at  sea. 


AVOCET 
BLACK-NECKED    STILT 


29 


WOODCOCK  (Philohela  minor)  breed 
throughout  eastern  United  States  and  the 
adjacent  Canadian  Provinces  and  winter 
chiefly  in  our  southeastern  states.  They  are 
stockily  built,  upland  game  birds,  measuring 
about  II  in.  in  length,  of  which  length  about 
one  quarter  is  contained  in  the  long  heavy 
bill.  They  feed  at  night  in  muddy  places  in 
bogs,  swamps  or  along  brooks,  their  bills 
with  the  flexible,  finger-like  tips  being  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  withdrawing  worms 
from  their  places  of  concealment.  Their 
eyes,  which  are  large  so  that  they  may  see 
well  after  dark,  are  placed  far  back  and  close 
to  the  top  of  the  head  so  they  may  see  about 
them  when  their  bills  are  immersed  to  their 
hilts  in  mud.  After  showers  Woodcock  fre- 
quently come  even  into  large  cities  and 
gather  worms  from  lawns.  This  accounts 
for  the  numbers  that  are  caught  by  cats  and 
that  are  found  dead  after  having  flown  into 
unseen  wires.  Because  of  their  feeding 
habits,  they  are  locally  known  as  "Bog- 
birds."  The  term  "Whistling  Snipe"  is 
sometimes  applied,  because  during  flight  the 
three  outer  wing  feathers,  which  are  very  stiff 
and  narrow,  produce  a  shrill  whistling  sound. 
Woodcock  lay  their  four  pear-shape  eggs 
in  depressions  among  dead  leaves  in  thickets 
or  woods,  usually  late  in  March  or  early  in 
April. 

Their  flight  is  fast  and  very  erratic,  making  them  difficult  targets  for  the 
novice,  which  fact  accounts  for  their  continued  existence  in  the  face  of  the 
annual  shooting  to  which  they  are  subjected. 

WILSON  SNIPE  {Gallinago  delicata).  These  birds,  which  measure  about 
the  same  as  Woodcock,  although  their  bodies  are  much  smaller,  are  common 
throughout  North  America,  breeding  in  northern  United  States  and  Canada 
and  wintering  in  southern  United  States.  They  frequent  meadows  and  other 
open  wet  places,  from  which  they  flush  with  a  sharply  whistled  "scaipe"  and 
go  zigzagging  away  in  a  manner  most  confusing  to  any  but  a  tried  gunner. 
They  are  almost  wholly  known  among  the  sporting  fraternity  as  Jacksnipe. 

Their  excellent  flesh,  as  well  as  the  difficulty  of  shooting  them,  make 
them  very  popular  among  gunners. 


WOODCOCK 
WILSON    SNIPE 


30 


DOWITCHER  {Macrorhamphus  griseus 
griseus).  Dowitchers  are  divided  into  two 
races:  the  present,  which  is  the  eastern  form, 
and  the  Long-billed  Dowitcher,  which  is 
supposed  to  be  chiefly  western.  The  former 
probably  breeds  in  northern  Ungava  and 
Arctic  islands  and  migrates  chiefly  along 
the  Atlantic  coast;  the  latter  breeds  along 
the  Arctic  coast  west  of  Hudson  Bay  and 
migrates  through  the  western  part  of  Mis- 
sissippi Valley,  both  wintering  from  the  Gulf 
States  to  South  America.  Since  the  dis- 
tinction is  dependent  wholly  upon  size  and 
length  of  bills,  and  these  features  among 
shore  birds  are  always  very  variable,  they 
may  well  be  considered  as  one  variety,  as  in 
all  probability  they  are. 

Like  most  of  the  sandpipers  a  great  differ- 
ence exists  between  the  summer  and  winter 
plumages,  the  latter  being  composed  only  of 
grays  and  whites,  as  shown  by  the  small 
bird  in  the  upper  background.  Although 
very  small,  only  a  trifle  more  than  lo  in.  in 
length,  they  are  shot  in  great  quantities; 
while  quite  wary,  they  very  readily  decoy 
and  consequently  are  very  easy  to  secure. 
They  are  known  by  a  great  variety  of  names, 
most  common  of  which  are  "Red-breasted 
Snipe,"  "Robin  Snipe,"  "Brown  Snipe," 
"German  Snipe"  and  "Gray-back,"  some 
referring  to  the  summer  and  some  to  the 
winter  plumages.  They  are  quite  gregarious  and  are  usually  seen  in  large 
flocks  during  migrations,  though  sometimes  a  few  mix  with  flocks  of  other 
species. 

STILT  SANDPIPER  (Micropalama  himantopus).  These  are  among  the 
least  often  seen  of  the  smaller  shore  birds  and  are  most  frequently  observed 
in  with  flocks  of  smaller  kinds.  They  themselves  are  tiny,  measuring  less 
than  9  in.  in  length  and  are  consequently  not  often  shot;  yet  they  are  yearly 
becoming  scarcer  and  apparently  will  soon  not  be  found  at  all.  Several  years 
ago  I  used  to  see  flocks  of  from  ten  to  fifty  individuals,  but  the  last  few  years 
I  have  seen  only  one  or  two  Stilt  Sandpipers  in  with  flocks  of  the  smaller 
Least  and  Semi-palmated  varieties.  They  are  not  in  the  least  timid  and 
allow  anyone  to  approach  within  a  few  feet  of  them. 


DOWITCHER 
STILT    SANDPIPER 


31 


•#^*^^^B*^  KNOT  (Tringa  canutus).       While  these 

birds  migrate  to  some  extent  through  the  in- 
terior, they  are  there  seen  in  nothing  hke  the 
abundance  with  which  they  occur  on  the  At- 
lantic seaboard,  although  they  do  not  to-day 
occur  in  such  numbers  as  they  did  a  few  years 
ago.  During  fall,  when  their  numbers  are 
augmented  by  the  young  of  the  year,  flock 
after  flock  passes  the  length  of  our  coast;  at 
this  season  they  are  clothed  in  plain  gray  and 
white,  the  immature  birds  being  rather  hand- 
somer than  their  parents,  for  the  feathers  on 
the  back  are  edged  with  dark  gray  and  white, 
which  gives  a  pleasing  scaled  effect  to  their 
plumage.  In  this  dress  they  are  almost  uni- 
versally known  as  "Gray-backs,"  a  name 
also  apphed  to  Dowitchers,  but  more  fre- 
quently to  this  species.  In  the  spring  dress 
they  are  known  as  "Red-breasted  Sandpip- 
ers," "Robin  Snipe"  and  sometimes  as 
"  Horse-foot  Snipe." 

They  are  of  quite  stout  build,  but  small, 
measuring  but  a  little  more  than  lo  in. 
in  length.  They  fly  in  compact  flocks  and 
come  to  decoys  readily,  their  ranks  being 
sometimes  woefully  thinned  by  the  first  vol- 
ley from  the  blind.  They  feed  either  along 
the  beaches  or  mud  flats,  gathering  insects 
and  shellfish  from  the  ground  or  probing  for 
them  like  snipe.  They  breed  in  the  extreme 
north  and  winter  from  the  Gulf  coast  to  Pat- 
agonia. 

PURPLE  SANDPIPERS  (Arquatella  maritima  maritima),  "Rock  Sand- 
pipers" or  "Winter  Snipe,"  delight  in  cold  weather.  They  breed  in  the  ex- 
treme north  and  in  winter  rarely  go  south  of  Long  Island  and  many  pass  that 
season  in  high  latitudes.  They  are  casually  found  in  the  interior  and  rarely 
along  the  coast  to  Florida.  They  frequent  bold  rocky  shores,  getting  their 
food  chiefly  from  the  kelp  and  seaweed.  The  winter  plumage  is  shown  by 
the  second  bird  from  the  front;  in  summer  the  back  is  mixed  with  buff  and 
rusty  similar  to  that  of  the  bird  below  which  is  a  subspecies. 

PRIBILOF  SANDPIPER  (Arquatella  maritima  ptilocnemis) .  This  spe- 
cies, which  is  figured  in  the  summer  plumage,  breeds  in  the  Pribilof  Islands 
and  winters  on  the  southeastern  Alaskan  coast. 


KNOT  (winter;  summer) 

PURPLE    SANDPIPER    (wINTEr) 
PRIBILOF  SANDPIPER   (sUMMEr) 


32 


PECTORAL  SANDPIPERS  (Pisobia 
maculata) ,  better  known  perhaps  as  the  "  Grass 
Snipe,"  are  one  of  the  most  abundant  of 
the  sandpipers;  in  some  locaHties,  too,  they 
are  known  as  "Kriekers"  because  of  the 
sharp  notes  that  they  utter.  They  breed  on 
the  Arctic  coast  west  of  Hudson  Bay  and 
winter  in  South  America,  migrating  through 
the  interior  and  Atlantic  coast  of  the  United 
States  and  rarely  occurring  on  the  Pacific 
coast  south  of  British  Columbia.  Their 
plumage  is  a  little  brighter  in  summer  than  in 
winter  but  shows  none  of  the  marked  changes 
like  those  of  some  of  the  preceding  species. 
During  breeding  season  the  skin  on  the 
breast  of  the  male  becomes  soft,  flabby  and 
capable  of  considerable  distension;  this  pouch 
having  been  inflated  is  gradually  decom- 
pressed as  the  birds  utter  musical  resonant 
whistles. 

"Grass  Snipe"  frequent  marsh  and 
meadow  in  just  such  places  as  we  find  Wilson 
Snipe.  Although  they  may  be  present  in 
large  flocks,  they  have  the  habit  of  taking 
flight  one  at  a  time  and  rapidly  disappearing 
in  an  erratic  course.  Quantities  of  them 
find  their  way  into  the  hunter's  game  bag, 
although  they  are  too  small  to  be  of  much 
account  as  food,  being  but  9  in.  in  length. 

UPLAND  PLOVER  (Bartramia  longi- 
cauda),  or  Bartramian  Sandpipers  as  they 
were  formerly  termed,  are  apparently  following  the  course  of  the  Eskimo 
Curlew  and  are  on  the  road  to  complete  extinction.  Only  a  close  season 
everywhere  can  prevent  the  calamity,  and  it  may  be  too  late  now  to  save 
them  by  any  means.  They  breed  from  Maine,  Keewatin  and  Alaska  south 
to  Virginia,  Missouri  and  Oregon  and  winter  on  the  pampas  of  South 
America.  During  the  nesting  season  they  are  usually  in  the  vicinity  of 
water,  but  at  other  times  may  be  seen  on  hiUs  or  prairies  catching  insects 
of  various  kinds.  During  migration,  they  are  shot  relentlessly;  they  have 
their  favorite  feeding  grounds  known  to  hunters  who  there  await  them. 
Their  call  is  a  very  melodious  bubbling;  they  come  readily  to  an  imita- 
tion of  it.      They  are  about  i  foot  in  length. 


PECTORAL  SANDPIPER 
UPLAND  PLOVER 


33 


WHITE-RUMPED  SANDPIPERS 

{Pisobia  fuscicollis)  are  placed  by  sports- 
men in  that  class  of  small  species  known  as 
"Peeps,"  too  small  to  be  worth  the  taking, 
the  present  species  measuring  but  little  more 
than  7  in.  in  length.  Yet  they  have  their 
dangers,  for  youthful  hunters,  unable  to 
stalk  larger  game,  often  practice  on  these  and 
I  have  known  of  men  old  enough  to  know 
better,  to  fire  into  flocks  of  "Peeps"  just  to 
see  how  many  they  could  get.  They  breed 
on  our  Arctic  coast  and  migrate  most  abun- 
dantly through  the  Mississippi  Valley,  but 
also  in  numbers  along  the  Atlantic  coast  to 
southern  South  America.  The  upper  bird 
^^'''     ""' ^     i^iO  shows  this  species  in  its  summer  plumage; 

^  ^^MMMi^^RL  [^  is  a  trifle  grayer  in  winter,  being  about  the 

same  color  as  the  bird  below,  from  which  it  is 
of  course  easily  identified  by  the  white  rump 
patch;  the  breast  of  the  present  species  is 
also  more  heavily  streaked  than  that  of  the 
next. 

BAIRD  SANBVIVER  (Pisobia  bairdi). 
This  species,  which  has  a  dark  rump,  is  of  the 
same  size  as  the  last.  Either  kind  may  be 
found  in  flocks  composed  only  of  their  own 
species  or  in  mixed  flocks  of  the  two  and 
other  smaller  sandpipers.  Both  species  are 
very  confiding  and  will  allow  anyone  to  ap- 
proach within  a  few  feet  of  them  as  they  run 
about  at  the  water's  edge  gathering  the  tiny 
insects  that  are  always  present  in  abun- 
dance. Like  the  last,  these  birds  migrate  most  commonly  through  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley,  but  they  also  occur  on  both  coasts. 

LEAST  SANDPIPER  {Pisobia  minutilla).  The  most  diminutive  of  all 
our  sandpipers,  but  almost  matched  by  the  Semi-palmated,  being  only  6  in.  in 
length.  The  toes  are  wholly  devoid  of  webbing,  the  back  is  browner  and  the 
breast  more  distinctly  streaked  than  that  of  the  other  species  of  similar  size. 
These  sandpipers  breed  in  the  northern  half  of  Canada  and  Alaska,  and  win- 
ter from  southern  United  States  southward  occurring  during  migrations 
throughout  the  land.  They  are  almost  devoid  of  fear  and  are  seldom  and 
ought  never  to  be  shot. 


WHITE-RUMPED    SANDPIPER 
BAIRD    SANDPIPER 
LEAST    SANDPIPER 


34 


RED-BACKED  SANDPIPER  {Pelidna 
alpina  sakhalina).  Otherwise  known  as 
"Dunlin,"  "Black-bellied  Sandpiper"  and 
"Winter  Snipe."  Easily  recognized,  even 
when  in  the  gray  winter  dress,  by  the  rather 
stout  slightly  decurved  bill.  Like  Purple 
Sandpipers  they  like  cold  weather,  and  after 
breeding  along  the  Arctic  coast  they  pass  the 
winter  along  our  coasts  south  of  Washington 
on  the  Pacific  and  of  New  Jersey  on  the 
Atlantic  side.  They  are  rarely  met  with 
in  the  interior  except  casually  along  the 
shores  of  the  Great  Lakes.  While  they  are 
but  9  in.  in  length,  they  are  so  plump  and  so 
numerous  that  some  gunners  cannot  resist 
the  temptation  as  they  wheel  over  their  de- 
coys, but  the  majority  consider  them  not 
worth  while  as  game.  They  may  be  found 
either  on  the  sea  beaches  or  on  mud  flats. 

SANDERLING  {Calidris  leucophcea). 
The  lightest  colored  of  the  sandpipers,  being 
chiefly  white  in  winter,  but  in  summer  having 
the  head  and  breast  more  or  less  washed  with 
rusty.  Breeds  throughout  the  Arctic  regions 
of  the  Northern  Hemisphere  and,  in  Amer- 
ica, winters  from  the  Southern  States  south 
to  Patagonia.  On  the  coasts  and  the  shores 
of  the  Great  Lakes  they  occur  abundantly 
during  fall,  frequenting  the  open  sea  beaches 
as  well  as  more  sheltered  bays.  Because  of 
their  Hking  for  the  outer  sand  bars,  they  are 
often  called  "Surf  Snipe." 

Their  plump  bodies  are  highly  prized  by  youthful  sportsmen,  but  those  of 
more  mature  judgment  pronounce  their  length  of  only  8  in.  as  below  their 
standard  of  sportsmanship. 

SEMI-PALM ATED  SANDPIPER  (Ereunetes  pusillus).  So  called  be- 
cause a  small  web  exists  between  the  outer  toes;  to  gunners  they  are  known, 
with  other  small  sandpipers,  simply  as  "Peeps."  Of  the  same  size  as  the 
Least  Sandpiper,  namely  6  in.  in  length.  Breeds  in  the  Arctic  regions  and 
is  very  abundant  during  migrations  from  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  West  of  the  Rockies  a  very  similar  species.  Western  Sand- 
piper {Ereunetes  mauri),  occurs.  Its  upper  parts  are  brighter,  like  those 
of  the  Least  Sandpiper,  and  the  bill  is  slightly  longer. 


RED-BACKED    SAXDrU'ER 

SANDERLING 

SEMI-PALMATED    SANDPIPER 


35 


MARBLED  GODWIT  {Limosa  fedoa). 
The  Godwits  are  among  the  largest  and  most 
highly  prized  of  shore  birds,  the  present  spe- 
cies measuring  about  i8  in.  in  length,  includ- 
ing the  long  up-curved  bill.  They  breed  in 
the  interior  from  Saskatchewan  south  to 
North  Dakota  and  winter  from  the  Gulf 
coast  and  Lower  California  southward. 
They  only  casually  occur  on  either  the  At- 
lantic or  Pacific  coasts  during  migration. 
Their  three  or  four  creamy-buff  eggs,  spotted 
with  yellowish-brown,  are  laid  in  scantily 
lined  depressions  on  the  ground  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  water;  as  usual  with  birds  of  this 
order,  the  eggs  are  pear-shaped  and  very 
large  compared  with  the  body  of  the  bird. 

They  are  highly  prized  for  the  table  and 

eagerly  hunted  whenever  they  appear  on  the 

/,J^'^~.\  C^jt^;^         / '  marshes;  ordinarily,  they  are  rather  shy,  but 

-wi.^i* ;  -i^^-^'*  *  *^      1  since  they  come  to  imitations  of  their  calls 

and  to  decoys  stuck  up  in  the  mud,  their  shy- 
ness does  not  avail  them.  They  are  com- 
monly known  as  "Brown  Marlins"  or 
"Spike-bills." 

HUDSONIAN  GODWIT  {Limosa  hcem- 
asticd).  A  smaller  species  than  the  last, 
measuring  about  i6  in.  in  length;  in  winter 
plumaged  in  gray  and  white,  but  in  summer 
brightly  colored  as  shown.  Notice  that  this 
species  has  a  white  rump,  while  the  last  has 
not.  Hudsonian  Godwits,  otherwise  known 
as  "Ring-tailed  Marlins,"  "Black-tails"  and  "White-rumps,"  breed  in  Arctic 
regions.  Their  fall  migration  is  performed  chiefly  off  the  Atlantic  coast, 
leaving  land  at  Newfoundland  and  not  stopping  this  side  of  the  West  Indies 
on  their  route  to  southern  South  America,  unless  blown  from  their  course, 
when  they  occur  on  New  England  and  Long  Island  shores.  Returning,  their 
course  lies  chiefly  up  the  Mississippi  Valley  to  their  nesting  grounds.  Their 
line  of  flight  is  almost  precisely  the  same  as  that  taken  by  the  Eskimo  Curlew, 
which  is  now  practically  extinct. 

PACIFIC  GODWITS  {Limosa  lapponica  baueri),  which  are  similar  in 
size  to  the  Marbled,  breed  in  western  Alaska  and  migrate  through  Japan  and 
eastern  Asia.  They  have  no  barring  below,  otherwise  not  differing  greatly 
from  Marbled  Godwits. 


MARBLi;])    (.ODWir 
HUDSONIAN    GODWIT 


36 


GREATER  YELLOW-LEGS  {Totanus 
melanoleucus) .  During  migrations,  these 
rather  large  shore  birds,  measuring  about 
14  in.  in  length,  appear  abundantly  in  mead- 
ows, marshes,  about  ponds,  streams  or  even 
on  sandy  beaches.  They  wade  in  the  shal- 
lows, picking  up  all  forms  of  animal  hfe, 
even  small  fishes,  or  run  with  graceful  car- 
riage along  the  shore.  While  they  may  at 
times  be  met  in  large  flocks,  they  usually 
go  in  companies  of  about  six.  They  are 
exceedingly  wary  and  suspicious ;  at  the  first 
sight  of  anyone  approaching,  away  they  go 
uttering  loud  warning  whistles  which  re- 
semble wheu-wheu-wheu,  alarming  everything 
within  hearing,  often  to  the  great  discom- 
fiture of  the  sportsmen.  Because  of  these 
tactics  they  are  not  very  favorably  regarded, 
as  some  of  their  local  names  show,  such 
as  "Greater  Tell-tale,"  ''Tattler"  and 
"Yelper."  They  are  also  termed  "Winter 
Yellow-legs,"  because  they  appear  within 
our  border  later  in  fall  than  the  next  species, 
usually  not  coming  until  August,  while  the 
next  species  arrives  in  July.  Their  call  note 
is  a  clear,  musical  tu-weep,  very  different 
from  the  alarm  cry. 

It  is  a  beautiful  sight  to  watch  a  company 
of  Yellow-legs  arriving  at  their  feeding 
grounds.  We  hear  the  calls  indicating  their 
approach  even  before  the  birds  become  visi- 
ble high  in  the  air.  Sweeping  swiftly  down  on  their  long  angular  wings, 
they  circle  about  once  or  twice  to  make  sure  no  enemies  are  lurking,  then 
sail  gracefully  to  the  ground;  as  soon  as  their  feet  touch  earth,  their  wings 
are  carefully  stretched  upward  to  their  fullest  extent  and  then  properly 
tucked  away  on  the  back.  This  is  a  habit  that  many  shore  birds  have  upon 
alighting. 

Greater  Yellow-legs  breed  in  northern  Canada  and  winter  from  the  Gulf 
States  south  to  Patagonia. 

LESSER  YELLOW-LEGS  {Totanus  flavipes) .  Also  called  "  Summer  Yel- 
low-legs," in  addition  to  most  of  the  local  names  given  under  the  preceding. 
Their  breeding  and  winter  range,  as  well  as  migration  routes  correspond  to 
those  of  the  larger  species.     The  present  one  measures  about  11  in.  in  length. 

37 


GREATER    YELLOW-LEGS 
YELLOW-LEGS 


SOLITARY  SANDPIPER  {Helodromas 
solitarius).  As  the  name  would  imply,  these 
birds  are  not  gregarious  to  any  extent,  rarely 
more  than  a  half  dozen  being  found  together 
and  usually  individuals  or  pairs  being  met 
about  the  edges  of  ponds  or  small  lakes, 
chiefly  in  wooded  districts.  They  feed  in 
the  muddy  or  mossy  banks,  or  wade  in  the 
shallow  water,  picking  their  food  with  grace- 
ful motions,  stopping  every  once  in  a  while  to 
look  about  them  and  to  teeter  in  a  self-satis- 
fied way.  They  are  usually  quite  silent  and 
will  allow  a  close  approach  before  they  take 
wing  and  easily  sail  across  to  the  other  side 
of  the  pond.  They  have,  even  more  than 
other  species,  the  habit  of  elevating  their 
wings,  showing  the  handsome  markings  on 
the  under  sides,  and  then  folding  them  care- 
fully in  place.  Sometimes  as  they  take  flight 
they  utter  a  very  clear,  meflow  whistle. 
They  average  in  length  a  little  over  8  in. 

Solitary  Sandpipers  breed  from  northern 
United  States  northward  and  winter  in  South 
America.  The  present  variety  is  found 
chiefly  east  of  the  Great  Plains,  while  to  the 
west  is  a  very  similar  variety  called  Western 
Sohtary  Sandpiper,  which  is  very  slightly 
larger  and  which  has  brownish  spotting  on 
the  back  instead  of  whitish,  as  in  the  eastern 
form.  The  nesting  of  these  birds  remained 
undiscovered  for  a  long  time  and,  while  even 
at  the  present  date  but  few  nests  have  been  recorded,  we  know  that  they  lay 
their  eggs  in  old  nests  of  other  birds,  up  to  twenty  feet  above  ground.  Since 
this  is  the  habit  of  a  similar  European  species,  it  is  strange  that  the  nest  in 
this  country  should  have  remained  undiscovered  until  1903. 

WILLET  {Catoptrophorus  semipalmatus  semipalmatus) .  These  large 
shore  birds,  measuring  about  16  in.  in  length,  breed  on  our  South  Atlantic 
coast  and  winter  in  South  America,  often  wandering  north  to  New  England 
after  breeding.  The  Western  Willet,  which  is  very  simflar,  occurs  chiefly 
west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  but  also  on  the  Atlantic  coast  during  migra- 
tions. They  are  very  noisy,  their  loud  whistles  sounding  like  pilly-will- 
wUlet. 


SOLITARY    SANDPIPER 
WILLET 


38 


BUFF-BREASTED      SANDPIPER 

{Tryngites  suhrujicollis) .    This  appears  to  be 

one  of  the  rarer  of  the  sandpipers,  although 

it  has  been  reported  at  times  as  abundant  in 

the   Mississippi   Valley  during   migrations. 

It  is  seldom  seen  on  either  the  Atlantic  or 

Pacific  coasts  during  its  flights  between  the 

breeding  grounds  along  the  Arctic  coast  to 

Argentina,  where  it  is  found  in  winter.   They 

are  found  feeding  upon  insects  on  the  prairies 

rather  than  about  ponds  or  marshes,  their 

habits  being  quite  similar  to  those  of  Up- 
land Plover. 

SPOTTED  SANDPIPERS  {Actitis  mac- 

ularia)  enjoy  the  distinction  of  being  prac- 
tically free  from  destruction  by  gunners.    In 

the  first  place  they  are  too  small  to  be  worth 

while,  being  but  little  more  than   7  in.  in 

length;  they  seldom  travel  more  than  four 

in  a  flock  and  do  not  keep  closely  together; 

and   as  they  commonly  breed   throughout 

the  United  States  and  Canada  even  in  the 

vicinity  of  habitations  and  are  so  very  con- 
fiding, they  become  so  well  known  and  ad- 
mired that  only  an  ingrate  would  shoot  them. 

They  nest  among  grass  or  clumps  of  weeds 

anywhere,  not  necessarily  near  water.    They 

live   almost   wholly  upon   aquatic  or  field 

insects  and  are  useful  birds  economically. 

To  a  greater  extent  than  any  other  of  our 

shore  birds  they  have  the  habit  of  almost 

incessantly  teetering  or   bowing   whenever 

they  are  standing,  a  habit  that  causes  the  country  boy  to  almost  universally 

know  them  as  "Tip-ups"  or  "Teeter-tails."     As  usual  with  all  birds  of  this 

order,  the  young  are  hatched  covered  with  down,  and  leave  the  nest  and 

follow  their  mother  about  almost  as  soon  as 
they  emerge  from  the  eggs. 

WANDERING  TATTLER  {Heteractitis 
incanus).  This  is  a  slate-gray  and  white 
species  occurring  on  the  Pacific  coast,  but 
never  in  any  abundance.  They  breed  on 
the  Alaskan  coast  and  winter  on  the  shores 
,^    V     .—- — p^isng^ss^-  of  Lower  California. 


buff-breasted  sandpiper 

spotted  sandpiper  (winter; 

summer) 


39 


LONG-BILLED  CURLEW  {Numenius 
americanus).  The  largest  of  the  curlews  and 
also  the  largest  of  the  shore  birds,  measuring 
about  2  feet  in  length.  The  bill  is  very  long 
and  quite  curved,  measuring  from  4  to  8  in. 
in  length.  Not  many  years  ago  these  great 
birds  occurred  regularly  along  the  Atlantic 
coast  north  to  New  England,  but  at  present 
are  only  regarded  as  stragglers.  They  breed 
from  Texas  and  northern  Cahfornia  north 
to  Saskatchewan  and  winter  on  the  South 
Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts. 

Even  in  the  interior  they  are  rapidly  di- 
minishing in  numbers,  for  no  gunner  loses  the 
chance  to  bag  them  and  they  are  the  very 
easiest  of  game  to  secure.  They  are  killed 
chiefly  because  of  their  size;  their  flesh  is 
rather  tough  and  not  very  desirable.  They 
come  to  decoys  readily,  but  one  does  not  even 
need  decoys,  for  an  imitation  of  their  clear 
flute-like  cur-lew  will  bring  passing  birds 
within  range  without  fail. 

HUDSONIAN  CURLEWS  {Numenius 
hudsonicus)  or  "Jack  Curlews,"  as  gunners 
usually  call  them, measure  only  about  1 7  in. in 
length.  Notice  that  the  crown  is  solid  brown- 
ish-black, with  a  narrow  stripe  through  the 
middle,  this  easily  distinguishing  them  from 
the  smaller  Eskimo  Curlews,  which  have 
the  crown  streaked  all  over  with  buff.  These 
birds  breed  along  the  Arctic  coast  and  mi- 
grate mainly  along  both  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  to  their  winter  homes, 
which  are  from  the  Gulf  coast  to  southern  South  America.  If  the  weather  is 
favorable,  they  leave  land  at  Labrador  or  Newfoundland  and  do  not  stop 
along  the  coast  of  the  United  States. 

ESKIMO  CURLEWS  {Numenius  horealis) 
are  but  13  in.  in  length,  have  short,  little  curved 
bills  and  differ  otherwise  from  the  preceding 
species  as  explained  above.  They  bred  in 
Arctic  regions,  migrated  in  close  flocks  along 
the  coast  to  southern  South  America  and  re- 
turned through  the  Mississippi  Valley;  they 
are  at  present  practically  extinct. 


Q. 


LONG-BILLED    CURLEW 
HUDSONIAN    CURLEW 


^^Wmo 


40 


BLACK-BELLIED  PLOVER  {Squat- 
arola  squatarola) .  These  handsome  birds  are 
known  to  sportsmen  chiefly  as  "Beetleheads" 
or  "Bullheads."  Nearly  a  foot  in  length  and 
heavy-bodied,  these  plover  are  among  the 
most  highly  prized  of  shore  birds,  not  be- 
cause their  flesh  is  of  unusual  merit,  for  it  is 
not,  but  because  of  their  imposing  size  and 
the  fact  that  they  are  just  wary  enough  to 
furnish  good  sport.  They  will  come  to  de- 
coys, but  the  gunner  must  be  well  concealed; 
and  at  the  first  shot  they  are  off  with  a  rush, 
never  showing  that  helplessness  that  char- 
acterizes the  curlew  under  similar  condi- 
tions. They  breed  in  the  Arctic  regions 
and  migrate  along  both  coasts,  but  are  quite 
rare  in  the  interior  except  casually  about  the 
Great  Lakes.  They  winter  from  the  Gulf 
coast  southward.  Their  flight  is  powerful, 
but  has  an  appearance  of  heaviness  because 
they  progress  in  straight  lines  with  almost 
continuous  flapping  instead  of  twisting,  as 
we  are  accustomed  to  see  most  shore  birds 
do.  They  are  found  on  mud  flats  rather 
than  on  ocean  beaches. 

In  winter  both  adults  and  young  are  quite 
similar  in  plumage,  neither  showing  any 
strong  black  markings;  the  backs  of  the 
latter  are  spotted  with  dull  yellow  which 
often  causes  them  to  be  mistaken  for  young 
of  Golden  Plover.  The  axillars,  or  long 
feathers  Hning  the  under  side  of  the  wing,  are  black  on  this  species,  while  they 
are  gray  on  the  next — an  infalHble  distinguishing  mark.  The  present  spe- 
cies also  has  a  tiny  hind  toe,  while  the  next  has  none. 

GOLDEN  PLOVER  {Charadrius  dominicus  dominicus).  This  is  one  of 
the  very  handsomest  of  shore  birds,  adults  in  summer  being  unmistak- 
able, while  immature  birds  and  winter  adults  differ  from  the  preceding  as 
explained  above.  After  breeding  in  Arctic  regions  they  migrate  south 
across  the  Atlantic  from  Labrador  to  the  pampas  of  South  America.  On  the 
return  journey  they  all  pass  through  the  Mississippi  Valley.  They  feed  on 
prairies  and  side  hills  as  Upland  Plover  do.  In  consequence  of  the 
nature  of  their  food  their  flesh  is  very  palatable,  much  more  so  than  that  of 
the  preceding. 


e5. 


BLACK-BELLIED  PLOVER 
GOLDEN  PLOVER 


41 


KILLDEER  {Oxyechus  vocijerus).  These 
handsome  but  noisy  birds  are  abundant 
throughout  the  United  States  and  southern 
Canada  except  in  New  England  and  the  east- 
ern Provinces,  where  they  are  only  locally  or 
casually  found.  The  sexes  are  alike  in  plu- 
mage, and  immature  birds  are  only  a  httle 
duller  plumaged  than  adults.  They  are  very 
noisy  at  nearly  all  times;  they  delight  in 
chasing  one  another  over  the  fields,  all 
screaming  their  loud,  strident  kill-dee,  kill- 
dee,  and  when  they  happen  near  the  nest  of 
a  pair,  all  the  Killdeer  in  the  neighborhood 
promptly  arrive  and  add  their  voices  to 
those  of  the  owners. 

They  are  not  at  all  confined  to  the  prox- 
imity of  water,  in  fact  during  the  nesting 
season  they  may  not  be  within  miles  of  it. 
They  are  useful  birds  to  the  agriculturist, 
for  their  food  is  chiefly  of  injurious  insects. 
They  run  rapidly  and  gracefully,  stopping 
every  few  feet  to  stand  erect  and  look  about 
them.  Their  eggs  are  laid  in  pastures  or 
cornfields  in  slight  depressions  with  scant 
lining  of  straw  and  pebbles;  they  are  creamy- 
buff,  thickly  speckled  and  blotched  with 
blackish-brown. 

SEMI-PALMATED  PLOVER  {Mgial- 
ilis  semipalmata) .  Commonly  known  as 
" Ring-necksJ^  Considerably  smaller  than 
Killdeer,  measuring  but  7  in.,  while  the  last 
Breeds  from  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  and 
Keewatin  north  to  the  Arctic  coast,  migrates  throughout  the  United  States, 
both  coasts  and  interior,  and  winters  from  the  Gulf  States  to  Chile  and 
Patagonia.  During  migrations  they  are  particularly  abundant  on  mud 
flats  and  protected  beaches.  The  experienced  gunner  rarely  shoots  them, 
for  they  are  too  small  to  be  of  consequence  and  are  too  easy  to  get.  But  the 
small  boy  with  his  first  gun  may  create  havoc  in  their  ranks,  for  they  are 
still  legally  game,  although  it  is  the  consensus  of  opinion  among  sportsmen 
as  well  as  ornithologists  that  all  small  shore  birds  should  be  protected. 
''Ring-necks"  are  the  most  confiding  of  birds;  they  will  feed  along  the 
water's  edge  within  two  or  three  feet  of  you,  if  you  are  sitting  quietly. 


KILLDEER 
SEMI-PALMATED    PLOVER 

species  measures  about  10  in. 


42 


PIPING  PLOVER  {Mgialitis  meloda).' 
These  birds,  otherwise  known  as  ''Beach 
Birds"  and  "Pale  Ring-necks,"  are  the 
lightest  colored  of  any  of  our  shore  birds, 
even  whiter  than  the  next  species,  which  is 
known  as  the  Snowy  Plover.  They  are 
found  locally  in  the  interior,  chiefly  about 
the  Great  Lakes  and  on  the  Atlantic  coast 
north  to  Nova  Scotia,  although  in  the  greater 
part  of  this  range  they  have  now  become 
wholly  extirpated  because  of  shooting  and 
more  perhaps  because  of  building  along  the 
coast.  They  are  found  almost  exclusively 
upon  sandy  beaches,  with  which  their  colors 
harmonize  so  closely  that  they  are  hardly 
visible  as  they  run  about.  Their  eggs, 
which  are  laid  in  slight  hollows  in  the  sand, 
are  also  almost  invisible  since  their  ground 
is  sand  color  and  the  few  small  specks  that 
are  on  the  surface  only  add  to  the  degree  with 
which  they  mock  their  surroundings. 

They  can  run  with  almost  incredible 
swiftness,  and  they  will  usually  attempt  es- 
cape by  running  and  hiding  rather  than  by 
flight.  The  tiny  little  plover  are  just  as 
nimble  of  foot  as  their  parents,  and  wfll  hide 
beside  pebbles  or  behind  a  few  spears  of 
beach  grass  so  effectively  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  discover  them. 

Piping  Plover  fly  swiftly  and  with  the 
grace  characteristic  of  shore  birds,  alter- 
nately twisting  so  as  to  expose  first  the  upper  parts  and  then  the  under  sur- 
faces. Their  notes  are  exceedingly  musical,  a  clear,  piping  queep,  queep, 
qiieep-lo.     They  measure  about  7  in.  in  length. 

SNOWY  PLOVER  {Mgialitis  nivosa).  Slightly  smaller  than  the  last  spe- 
cies, the  back  just  a  Httle  darker,  the  addition  of  a  black  mark  back  of  the 
eyes  and  with  the  bill  wholly  black  instead  of  with  an  orange  base  like  that  of 
the  Piping  Plover.  Their  actions,  like  those  of  the  latter  bird,  are  quite  dif- 
ferent from  those  of  the  abundant  Semi-palmated  Plover.  Having  the  abflity 
to  hide  effectually,  they  constantly  make  use  of  this  gift,  which  is  wholly  at 
variance  with  the  habits  of  confiding  "  Ring-necks."  Snowy  Plover  are  found 
in  southwestern  United  States,  north  to  Kansas  and  central  California. 


PLOVER 


43 


WILSON  PLOVER  (Ochthodromus  wil- 
sonius) .  This  species  differs  from  the  "Ring- 
neck"  most  noticeably  in  the  large  size  of 
the  wholly  black  bill  and  the  broader  black 
band  across  the  breast.  It  is  also  slightly 
larger,  measuring  a  little  under  8  in.  in 
length. 

They  breed  along  the  South  Atlantic  and 
Gulf  coasts  from  Virginia  to  Texas  and  casu- 
ally wander  to  New  England  and  also  to 
southern  California.  Their  notes  are  quite 
different  from  those  of  other  closely  allied 
species,  the  call  note  being  more  of  a  chirp 
than  a  whistle,  and  their  notes  of  anger,  deliv- 
ered freely  when  one  is  in  the  vicinity  of  their 
nests,  are  excited  chippering  whistles.  They 
match  the  color  of  their  surrounding  almost 
perfectly  and,  as  might  be  expected,  usually 
trust  to  their  plumage  to  escape  detection 
as  they  sit  upon  their  eggs  in  slight  depres- 
sions in  the  sand. 

MOUNTAIN  PLOVER  (Podasocys  mon- 
tanus).  These  birds  can  be  regarded  as 
"mountain"  only  in  that  they  are  often 
found  at  high  altitudes,  but  on  arid  plains 
they  are  often  known  as  "Prairie  Plover,"  a 
name  that  is  in  reality  better  suited  to  them, 
for  they  spend  most  of  their  time  on  the 
prairies  picking  up  grasshoppers  and  other 
insects.  In  summer  they  are  to  be  found 
distributed  in  scattered  pairs,  but  in  fall  they 
unite  in  flocks  of  some  size.  They  breed  in  western  United  States  from  Mon- 
tana and  Nebraska  south  to  Texas  and  New  Mexico  and  winter  from  the 
southwestern  states  through  Mexico. 

SURF  BIRD  (Aphriza  virgata).  This  comparatively  rare  and  httle  known 
bird,  called  the  "Plover- 
billed  Turnstone "  wanders 
along  the  Pacific  coast  from 
Alaska  to  Chile.  Its  nest 
and  eggs  have  not  as  yet 
been  definitely  reported,  but 
it   is   beheved  to   breed   in 

the  interior  of  northwestern  ^ ,^ 

Alaska.  "^V^wcW  "l w>c  u^\o weT^    S  wj^  \i'k< ^ 


A 

^1 

-.     -          -'--v ^' 

WILSON    PLOVER 
MOUNTAIN    PLOVER 


44 


RUDDY  TURNSTONE  {Arenaria  in- 
ter pres  morinella) .  Turnstones  are  unusual 
in  form,  in  that  the  bill  is  quite  stout,  pointed 
and  has  an  upturned  appearance  since  the 
top  of  the  upper  mandible  is  perfectly  straight. 
The  present  handsome  species  breeds  on  the 
Arctic  coast  and  migrates  abundantly  along 
both  coasts,  wintering  from  southern  United 
States  southward.  The  common  Turn- 
stone, a  grayer  variety,  is  an  Old  World 
species,  a  few  of  which  breed  in  western 
Alaska  and  migrate  through  Japan.  The 
Turnstone  is  commonly  known  among 
sportsmen  as  "Calico-back,"  "Horse-foot 
Snipe"  and  "Beach  Snipe." 

BLACK-TURNSTONE  {Arenaria  mel- 
anocephala) .  Of  the  same  size  as  the  last, 
measuring  about  9  in.  in  length.  Found  on 
the  Pacific  coast,  breeding  in  Alaska  and 
wintering  south  from  British  Columbia. 

OYSTER-CATCHER  (Hcematopus  pal- 
liatus).  A  very  large  shore  bird,  measur- 
ing about  19  in.  in  length,  breeding  on  the 
South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts  from  Vir- 
ginia to  Texas  and  wandering  to  New 
Brunswick. 

BLACK  OYSTER-CATCHER  {HcEma- 
topus  bachmani),  shown  in  the  pen  sketch, 
is  chiefly  sooty  black  and  white.  This  spe- 
cies, found  along  the  whole  Pacific  coast  of 
North  America,  is  wholly  blackish-brown 
in  plumage;  the  bill  is  bright  red  and  the  feet  flesh  color. 

MEXICAN  JACANA  {Jacana  spinosd)  is  a  most  remarkable  species 
common  in   Mexico  and  reaching   our  borders   in  southern  Florida  and 

Texas.  The  plumage  is 
black,  chestnut  and  yellow- 
ish-green; a  scaly  leaf -like 
shield  protects  the  top  of 
the  head;  the  shoulders  are 
armed  with  sharp  horny 
points;  and  the  toes  and 
nails  are  of  exceeding  length, 
enabling  them  to  walk  over 
floating  vegetation  with  ease. 


RUDDY    TURNSTONE 
OYSTER-CATCHER 


B Va^tW  OHS.\e>C-  C S^Vc\\&^C    -  ^  SwQ. 3wU&w 


45 


BOBWHITE  {Colinus  virginianus  vir- 
ginianus) .  Better  known  perhaps  as  "  Quail " 
or,  in  the  south,  as  "Virginia  Partridge," 
these  are  favorite  game  birds  throughout  the 
region  they  inhabit,  which  includes  from 
Maine,  Ontario,  and  North  Dakota  south  to 
the  Gulf  States.  In  the  northern  portions 
of  their  range,  particularly  in  New  England, 
they  have  become  very  scarce  through  ex- 
cessive hunting  and  unfavorable  weather 
during  nesting  seasons.  Although  but  lo 
in.  in  length,  they  have  short  plump  bodies 
that  are  much  larger  than  those  of  most 
other  birds  of  their  dimensions.  As  shown, 
the  plumage  of  the  sexes  is  very  similar 
except  that  the  male  has  a  pure  white  throat 
and  line  above  the  eye,  while  on  the  female 
these  regions  are  buffy. 

During  fall  and  winter,  flocks  of  six  to 
twenty  individuals  may  be  found  in  brush- 
covered  or  stubble  land.  They  squat  mo- 
tionless upon  the  approach  of  anyone  and  re- 
main so  until  almost  trod  upon,  when  they 
rise  with  a  sudden  rush  and  whir  and  scatter 
in  all  directions.  As  their  line  of  flight  is 
direct  and  in  open  ground,  they  are  very  easy 
to  shoot.  Besides,  the  sportsman  has  his 
dogs  to  point  to  their  places  of  concealment, 
so  he  does  not  even  have  the  startling  effect 
produced  by  an  unexpected  rising  to  con- 
tend with.  Only  their  great  productivity 
can  withstand  the  pace  the  gunners  set  them, 
and  even  that  does  not  avail  in  many  sections. 

Early  in  spring  the  males  select  their  mate  or  mates — for  they  are  inclined 
to  be  polygamous — after  short  but  exciting  battles  with  others  and  spread  out 
over  the  country,  each  pair  selecting  a  suitable  spot  in  tall  grass  bordering 
fields,  along  walls  or  fences,  in  which  the  ten  to  sixteen  pure  white  eggs  will 
be  laid. 

During  spring  and  summer  the  males  repeatedly  call  to  one  another  with 
their  clearly  whistled  bob-white  or  bob,  bob-white.  In  fall  and  winter  they  have 
a  shorter  call  to  gather  scattered  flocks,  consisting  of  a  repeated,  soft  quoit, 
quoit,  etc. 

FLORIDA  BOBWHITE  is  a  local  race  found  in  that  state,  very  much 
darker  colored  than  the  ordinary  birds. 

46 


BOBWHITE 
FLORIDA    BOBWHITE 
MASKED    BOBWHITE 


MOUNTAIN  QUAIL  (Oreortyx  picta 
picta).  This,  the  largest  of  the  quail,  meas- 
ing  II  in.  in  length,  is  an  abundant  species 
in  certain  portions  of  Washington,  Oregon 
and  California.  It  is  found  in  humid  regions, 
while  the  very  similar  race,  known  as  Plumed 
Quail,  inhabits  arid  regions  of  the  same  states. 
The  former  has  the  upper  parts  slightly 
browner  than  the  latter,  a  distinction  that 
interests  ornithologists  but  is  of  no  conse- 
quence among  sportsmen.  During  the  hunt- 
ing season  they  go  about  in  small  flocks. 
They  are  difficult  to  put  up  with  a  dog,  for 
they  are  very  fleet  of  foot  and  trust  to  their 
legs  rather  than  to  their  wings  whenever  pos- 
sible. If  they  are  flushed,  they  separate  and 
do  not  flock  together  again  for  some  time, 
so  that  it  is  necessary  to  hunt  them  out  one 
by  one.  This  is  very  different  from  the 
actions  of  Bobwhite  under  similar  circum- 
stances, for  within  a  few  minutes  they  will 
commence  calling  and  soon  the  remnant  of 
the  flock  will  have  been  united.  The  flesh  of 
this  species  is  regarded  as  excellent,  in  fact 
almost  as  good  as  that  of  the  eastern  quail. 

The  call  of  the  male  is  a  short  hoarse  crow, 
similar  to  that  of  a  young  bantam  rooster. 
The  female  is  plumaged  quite  like  the  male, 
but  differs  in  having  much  shorter  plumes. 
Their  eight  or  ten  eggs,  which  are  laid  in  a 
grass-lined  depression  under  a  bush  or  log, 
are  rather  bright  creamy-buff  with  no  markings,  or  very  faint  ones. 

SCALED  QUAIL  {Callipepla  squamata  sqiiamata) .  There  are  two  races 
of  this  species,  the  present  one,  which  is  found  in  southern  Colorado,  Arizona, 
New  Mexico  and  Texas,  and  the  Chestnut-bellied  Scaled  Quail,  which  is 
found  in  the  Lower  Sonoran  zone  of  southern  Texas.  The  latter  variety  is 
much  like  the  former,  except  that  the  back  is  slightly  browner,  the  under  parts 
more  buffy  and  the  male  has  a  patch  of  chestnut  on  the  belly.  They  inhabit 
the  chaparral  and  mesquite  in  dry  washes  and  foothifls  and,  like  most  western 
species,  trust  to  their  legs  chiefly  to  take  them  away  from  danger.  Com- 
monly called  "Blue  Quail." 


MUU  XTAIX    QLAIL 
SCALED    QUAIL 


47 


GAMBEL  QUAIL  {Lophortyx  gamheli). 
A  handsome  species  found  in  arid  canyons 
and  river  bottoms  of  the  southwestern  states, 
north  to  Colorado  and  east  to  western  Texas. 
In  fall  they  gather  into  flocks  sometimes 
numbering  fifty  or  a  hundred  birds,  spread- 
ing over  the  country  to  feed  during  the  day- 
time and  returning  to  huddle  together  at 
night.  The  experienced  pot  hunter  or  trap- 
per can  get  quantities,  but,  hunted  in  a  legal 
and  sportsmanlike  way,  it  requires  a  lot  of 
hard  fast  work  to  make  a  fair  bag.  No 
quail  is  more  nimble  of  foot  than  these; 
they  go  through  the  mesquite  and  cactus 
with  a  speed  few  men  can  follow.  Yet  if 
one  sits  quietly  down,  he  may  often  see  num- 
bers of  them  at  close  range,  for  unless  they 
are  being  hunted  they  are  far  from  wild. 

They  pair  in  February,  at  which  time 
much  vegetation  is  in  bloom,  and  during 
March  or  early  April  sets  of  their  eggs, 
numbering  about  a  dozen,  may  be  found  in  a 
slightly  lined  hollow  beside  a  bunch  of  grass 
or  under  concealing  bushes;  they  are  buffy- 
white,  with  large  spots  of  brown  and  laven- 
der. The  call  of  the  male  during  the  mating 
and  breeding  season  is  a  shrill  cha-chaa. 

CALIFORNIA  QUAIL  {Lophortyx  cali- 
fornica  calif ornica).  Of  the  same  size,  nearly 
lo  in.  in  length,  as  the  last  and  differing  as 
shown.  The  curved  feathers  forming  the 
handsome  crest  are  ordinarily  carried  in  a  single  packet,  but  they  can  be 
separated  at  will  and  thrown  forward  so  that  the  first,  or  all  of  them,  nearly 
touch  the  bill.  These  birds  are  locally  abundant  in  the  humid  regions  of 
the  Pacific  coast  states.  While  they  are  shy 
when  hunted  persistently,  they  are  very 
tame  in  parks  where  they  are  not  molested. 
MEARNS  QUAIL  (Crytonyx  montezumcB 
mearnsi),  otherwise  known  as  Massena 
Quail  or  "Fool  Quail,"  this  is  the  most  strik- 
ingly marked  bird  of  which  I  know.  It  is  M^hi^W^^i^^^f/ 
found  in  upper  arid  regions  of  Mexico  and  --=^— 
north  to  Arizona  and  western  Texas.  "'"  We2w>c~>^^ 


GAMBEL    QUAIL 
CALIFORNIA    QUAIL 


48 


DUSKY  GROUSE  (Dendragapus  obscurus 
ohscurus).  With  the  exception  of  the  Sage 
Grouse,  this  is  the  largest  of  American 
grouse,  measuring  about  20  in.  in  length  and 
weighing  about  three  pounds.  This  mag- 
nificent grouse  is  not  uncommon  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  from  Arizona  to  northern 
Colorado.  Another  race,  known  as  the 
Sooty  Grouse,  which  differs  chiefly  in  having 
a  narrower  tail  band,  is  found  from  Alaska 
south  to  Oregon.  Still  another,  Richardson 
Grouse,  which  shows  scarcely  any  tail  band, 
is  found  in  the  Rockies  from  Mackenzie  to 
Oregon  and  Montana.  All  these  birds  are 
known  to  sportsmen  as  one,  and  are  usually 
termed  "Blue  Grouse." 

During  winter  they  spend  most  of  their 
time  in  the  tops  of  immense  firs  and  pines, 
feeding  upon  the  buds  and  needles  and  only 
coming  down  early  in  the  morning  or  at  dusk 
to  drink.  Living  as  they  do,  in  places  where 
the  trees  are  of  gigantic  size  and  set  closely 
together,  these  birds  are  difficult  to  see,  since 
their  colors  match  the  bark  well  and  they  sit 
motionless  until  they  are  pretty  sure  they 
are  seen,  when  they  will  whir  away  with 
a  thunderous  roar.  As  more  than  half  the 
time  the  speeding  bird  is  apt  to  be  behind 
tree  trunks,  the  chances  of  successful  wing 
shots  are  not  rosy. 

Their  eggs,  laid  in  slight  depressions  along- 
side of  logs  or  under  bushes,  are  creamy-buff,  spotted  all  over  with  brown. 

CANADA  SPRUCE  PARTRIDGE.  (Canachites  canadensis  canace).  A 
medium-sized  grouse,  measuring  about  15  in.  in  length,  feeding  chiefly  upon 
spruce  buds,  which  impart  a  disagreeable  taste  to  its  flesh,  on  which  account 
they  are  seldom  shot  and  are  usually  exceedingly  tame.  They  are  sometimes 
caught  in  the  hands  and  often  caught  with  a  noose  on  the  end  of  a  pole. 
This  species,  or  some  of  the  almost  identical  forms,  is  found  in  wooded  re- 
gions of  Canada  and  northern  United  States.  Franklin  Grouse,  found  in 
western  Canada  and  northwestern  United  States,  has  scarcely  any  band  on 
the  end  of  the  tail  and  the  upper  coverts  are  broadly  banded  with  white. 


DUSKY   GROUSE 
SPRUCE    PARTRIDGE 


49 


RUFFED  GROUSE  {Bonasa  umbellus 
umhellus).  From  the  sportsman's  point  of 
view  these  grouse  are  quite  generally  regarded 
as  the  king  of  American  game  birds.  Of 
good  size,  measuring  about  i6  in.  in  length, 
they  inhabit  wooded  districts  where  a  quick 
eye  and  cool  head  are  necessary  to  bring  them 
down,  especially  since  they  start  with  a 
thunderous  rush,  that  often  proves  the  un- 
doing of  the  novice,  and  speed  swiftly  away 
behind  the  sheltering  tree  trunks. 

Several  races  of  Ruffed  Grouse  are  recog- 
nized, but  the  sportsman  need  concern  him- 
self with  but  one,  since  the  chief  differences 
are  slight  ones  in  the  matter  of  size  and  shade 
of  coloration.  They  are  found  throughout 
the  northern  half  of  the  United  States  and 
the  southern  half  of  Canada  in  suitable 
wooded  localities. 

Sometimes  a  brood  may  remain  together 
through  the  winter,  but  different  broods 
never  unite  to  form  a  flock  as  quail  do.  In 
spring  the  males  daily  resort  to  favorite  logs 
or  rocks  and  send  forth  their  challenging 
drumming.  This  is  produced  by  the  bird 
standing  erect,  with  tail  spread  and  nearly 
horizontal,  and  rapidly  fanning  the  wings  for- 
ward in  front  of  the  breast,  the  beating  of  the 
air  producing  a  thump,  thump,  that,  increas- 
ing in  velocity,  soon  assumes  the  sound  of 
a  loud  rapid  drumming.  They  also  strut 
about  with  head  thrown  back,  ruff  opened  to  form  a  complete  collar  and 
tail  elevated  over  the  back  and  spread  to  its  fullest  extent.  Their  nests 
are  depressions  in  the  leaves  under  the  shelter  of  logs,  stones  or  tree  trunks; 
the  eight  to  sixteen  eggs  are  buff  colored,  unmarked.  The  httle  chicks  fol- 
low their  mother  immediately  after  emerging  from  the  eggs.  If  disturbed, 
at  a  warning  call  each  chick  hides  among  the  leaves  and  the  mother  runs 
away,  whining  and  trailing  the  wings  as  though  badly  wounded,  in  an 
effort  to  lead  the  intruder  away  from  her  little  flock.  This  ruse  usually 
works  with  people  and  it  must  almost  infallibly  pass  if  they  are  discovered 
by  foxes  or  other  predatory  animals.  Birds  in  unsettled  portions  of  the 
north  are  not  at  all  shy,  are  in  fact  almost  as  stupid  as  Spruce  Partridge. 
Often  called  "Partridge"  in  the  north  and  "Pheasant "  in  the  south. 


RUFFED    GROUSE 


50 


WILLOW  PTARMIGAN  (Lagopus  lago- 
piis  lagopus) .  There  are  three  distinct  species 
of  Ptarmigan  or  "Snow  Grouse,"  several 
species  not  so  well  defined,  and  several,  races 
of  some  of  these  species.  The  present  spe- 
cies, or  its  varieties,  inhabits  the  Arctic  re- 
gions generally,  in  America  breeding  from 
southern  Ungava,  Keewatin  and  the  Aleu- 
tian Islands  northward,  and  in  winter  coming 
south  to  Ontario,  Minnesota  and  British 
Columbia  and  casually  to  the  New  England 
States. 

ROCK  PTARMIGAN  {Lagopus  rupesiris 
nipestris).  SKghtly  smaller  than  the  last, 
measuring  a  trifle  more  than  a  foot.  The 
bill  is  considerably  smaller  comparatively, 
and  in  all  stages  of  plumage  there  is  a  black 
spot  in  front  of  the  eyes.  This  species  is 
found  in  northern  Canada  from  Ungava  to 
Alaska  where  several  similar  races  occur. 

WHITE-TAILED  PTARMIGAN  {La- 
gopus leucurus)  are  still  smaller  and  all  the 
tail  feathers  are  wholly  white.  These  are 
found  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  from  New 
Mexico  north  to  Alaska. 

Ptarmigan  are  remarkable  birds  in  that 
they  are  in  an  almost  continual  state  of 
molting,  nearly  every  month  in  the  year 
showing  them  in  different  stages  of  plumage, 
ranging  from  the  snow-white  winter  dress  to 
the  summer  one  in  which  reddish-brown  pre- 
vails on  Willow  Ptarmigan  and  a  black  and  gray  barred  effect  predominates 
on  the  other  species.  Notice  that  they  are  feathered  to  the  toes,  in  winter 
the  feathers  on  the  toes  growing  dense  and  hair-like,  not  only  protecting  the 
toes  from  the  cold  but  making  excellent  snowshoes  which  enable  them  to 
walk  with  impunity  over  the  lightest  snow. 

Ptarmigan  form  the  staple  article  of  diet  for  northern  foxes,  and  were  it 
not  for  the  fact  that  their  plumage  changes  to  correspond  to  the  appearance 
of  the  ground  at  the  various  seasons  they  would  fare  hardly  indeed. 

In  spring  the  little  red  combs  above  the  eyes  of  the  males  are  swollen  and 
conspicuous.  At  this  season  they  strut  and  perform  curious  antics,  such  as 
all  grouse  are  noted  for. 


WILLOW  PTARMIGAN 
ROCK  PTARMIGAN 


SI 


PRAIRIE  CHICKEN  {Tympanuchus 
americanus  americanus) ,  Often  known,  too ^ 
as  Prairie  Hen  and  as  "Pinnated  Grouse." 
These  are  the  game  birds  of  the  plains  in  the 
interior.  They  flock  during  the  fall  and  winter 
months,  lie  well  to  dogs, frequent  open,  easily 
traversed  country  and  above  all  their  large 
size,  1 8  inches  in  length,  and  tender  pala- 
table flesh  are  a  reward  to  the  hunter  in  addi- 
tion to  the  sport  of  capture.  However,  they 
do  not  require  anywhere  near  the  skill  and 
quickness  to  secure  that  the  Ruffed  Grouse 
does.  They  are  hunted  on  foot,  on  horse- 
back, in  carriages  and  even  from  automo- 
biles, but  always  with  dogs  to  locate  the 
chickens  and  to  put  them  up. 

They  frequent  the  plains  of  central  North 
America  from  southern  Canada  south  to 
Texas. 

During  the  mating  season  the  males  per- 
form the  most  ludicrous  antics;  assembling 
on  a  slight  rise,  they  strut  about  with  the  pin- 
nates  elevated  and  the  orange  sacs  beneath 
inflated  until  they  look  like  little  oranges 
and  almost  conceal  the  head  which  is  drawn 
down  between  them ;  the  short  tail  is  spread 
fan-like  over  the  back;  from  all  sides  come 
the  deep  booming  notes  sounding  like  the 
gathering  of  a  lot  of  enormous  bullfrogs. 
When  they  get  worked  up  to  the  proper 
pitch,  the  fight  for  partners  is  on  in  earnest, 
the  feet,  wings  and  bills  being  used  with  savage  effect.  The  winners,  of 
course,  secure  the  belles,  while  the  losers  take  what  is  left  or  go  through 
the  season  as  bachelors. 

HEATH  HEN  {Tympanuchus  cupido) .  This  is  the  Prairie  Chicken  of  the 
east,  now  confined  to  the  island  of  Martha's  Vineyard,  but  formerly  ranging 
over  southern  New  England  and  part  of  the  Middle  States.  They  are  very 
little  smaller  than  the  last,  the  scapulars  are  broadly  tipped  with  buff  and  the 
pinnates  are  pointed  and  less  than  ten  in  number. 

LESSER-PRAIRIE  CHICKEN  {Tympanuchus  pallidicinctus)  is  smaller 
and  paler,  and  the  bars  on  the  back  are  brown  with  black  edgings.  Found  on 
plains  from  Kansas  to  Texas. 


PRAIRIE    HEN 
HEATH    HEN 


52 


SAGE  HEN  (Centrocercus  urophasianus) . 
This,  the  largest  of  American  grouse,  meas- 
uring about  28  in.  in  length  and  weighing  up 
to  8  pounds,  is  found  in  western  North 
America  from  Britsh  Columbia  and  Assini- 
boia   to   central  California   and   Colorado. 

The  hen  bird  is  considerably  smaller  than 
the  cock,  measuring  but  23  in.  in  length. 

These  great  birds  inhabit  the  Great  Basin 
and  arid  plains  throughout  their  range, 
where  sage  is  the  prevailing  brush.  They  are 
strictly  terrestrial  fowl, feeding  almost  wholly 
on  sage  leaves  which  impart  a  disagreeable 
taste  to  their  flesh.  They  remain  common 
only  in  regions  remote  from  civihzation,  for 
their  large  bodies  offer  such  an  easy  mark 
even  though  their  flight  be  swift,  that  they 
soon  become  scarce  after  the  country  be- 
comes settled. 

Because  of  their  great  size,  the  actions  of 
cock  birds  during  mating  season  are  even 
more  ludicrous  than  those  of  other  grouse. 
The  air  sacs  on  the  neck  are  enormously  in- 
flated until  the  whole  breast  is  balloon- 
shaped  and  then  he  sHdes  along  over  the 
bare  ground  for  some  distance  on  this  im- 
provised pneumatic  tire.  While  expelling 
the  air,  he  produces  a  great  variety  of  cack- 
ling and  rumbhng  noises.  At  the  end  of 
this  season  the  feathers  on  the  breast  are 
worn  away  by  this  constant  friction  with 
the  ground,  leaving  only  the  stiff  shafts  at  their  ends. 

WILD  TURKEY  {Meleagris  gallopavo  silvestris).  Largest  and  finest  of 
game  birds  and  the  originator  of  the  common  domestic  turkey.  Found  in  their 
several  races  in  eastern  and  southern  United  States,  north  to  Pennsylvania 
and  west  to  Texas;  formerly  north  to  New  England.  Frequent  wooded  dis- 
tricts and  are  by  nature  very  wary  and  shy,  yet  they  are  very  easily  trapped 
and  it  was  this  means  that  has  driven  them  from  most  of  their  former  range. 
At  present  they  are  taken  chiefly  by  trailing  or  by  calling.  They  have  a  re- 
markably keen  sense  of  sight  and  smell  and  a  strong  pair  of  legs  with  which 
to  run  away,  as  well  as  good  wings  if  necessity  demands  their  use.  With 
plenty  of  cover,  the  turkey  is  pretty  capable  of  caring  for  himself. 


SAGE    HEN 
WILD    TURKEY 


53 


RING-NECKED  PHEASANT  {Phasi- 
anus  torquatus).  These  handsome  birds 
have  been  introduced  into  various  parts  of 
our  country  and  in  some  sections  are  thriving 
very  well,  notably  so  in  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ington and  almost  as  well  in  New  England. 
The  male  is  an  exceptionally  beautiful  bird, 
measuring  about  36  in.  in  length,  including 
the  long  tail.  They  inhabit  cultivated  or 
weed-grown  fields  and  brush-covered  side 
hills  or  pasture  land.  Sportsmen  who  use 
only  the  pointer  or  setter  have  quite  unani- 
mously voted  Pheasants  failures  as  game 
birds,  but  a  well  trained  hound  will  fur- 
nish as  much  sport  with  them  as  can  be  se- 
cured from  any  bird.  Some  of  my  pleasant- 
cst  days  afield  have  been  with  a  hound  and 
without  a  gun.  What  more  could  one  wish 
than  to  watch  his  faithful  friend  coursing  all 
over  the  field,  hot  on  the  trail  of  the  running 
cock  pheasant  and  finally  "standing"  him 
in  some  thick  cover.  Some  claim  that  it  will 
spoil  a-dog  if  you  do  not  occasionally  shoot 
game  he  puts  up,  but  I  have  found  that 
words  of  appreciation  of  his  good  work  go 
just  as  far  as  getting  the  game.  Everyone 
has  his  own  tastes  and,  as  an  article  of  food, 
I  have  yet  to  find  any  game  equal  to  the 
Pheasant.  It  is  very  like  quail  but  with  the 
great  advantage  of  good  size. 

Claims  that  Pheasants  destroy  young 
grouse  I  beheve  to  be  contrary  to  fact  and  spiteful,  since  the  two  species  do 
not  frequent  the  same  covers,  and  I  have  had  much  experience  with  both 
during  the  breeding  season. 

PRAIRIE  SHARP-TAILED  GROUSE  {Pedioecetes  phasianellus  campes- 
tris).  The  typical  Sharp-tail  is  found  from  Central  Alaska  and  British 
Columbia  east  to  Ontario  and  western  Ungava;  the  Columbian  Sharp-tail 
inhabits  the  region  from  northeastern  CaHfornia  and  Colorado  north  to 
Alberta;  and  the  present  variety  occurs  from  Ilhnois  and  Kansas  north  to 
Manitoba.  The  three  varieties  differ  only  slightly  in  the  tone  of  coloring, 
and  even  more  sHghtly  in  size,  averaging  on  16  in.  in  length.  Unlike 
Prairie  Chickens,  these  birds  do  not  thrive  on  cultivated  land,  but  advance 
ahead  of  the  settlers  and  make  their  homes  in  more  remote  country. 


SHARP-TAILED    GROUSE 
RING-NECKED    PHEASANT 


54 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Avocet 29 

Baldpate 10 

Beetlehead  Plover 41 

Blue  Peter. 28 

Blue-stocking 29 

Bob-white 46 

Bog-bird 30 

Brant 24 

Black 24 

Buffle-head 17 

Bull-head  Plover 41 

Butter-ball 17 

Canvasback 14 

Chicken,  Prairie 52 

Coot 28 

Sea 19 

Curlews 40 

Dipper  Duck 17 

Dowitcher 31 

Duck,  Black 9 

Blackhead 14 

Bluebill 14 

Broadbill 12 

Canvasback 14 

Dusky 9 

Florida 9 

Harlequin 20 

Labrador 17 

Long-tailed 17 

Mottled 9 

Pintail 12 

Ring-necked 15 

Ruddy 20 

Scaup 14 

SteUer 18 

Spoonbill 12 

Summer 13 

Wild 8 

Wood 13 

Dunlin 35 


PAGE 

Eider 18 

King 19 

Pacific 18 

Spectacled 18 

Fishing  Duck 7 

Gad  wall 9 

Gallinule 2S 

Garrot 16 

Godwit,  Hudsonian 36 

Marbled 36 

Golden-eye 16 

Barrow 16 

Goosander 7 

Goose,  Blue 21 

Cackling 23 

Canada 23 

Emperor 22  ■ 

Laughing 22 

White-fronted 22 

Greenhead 8 

Grouse,  Blue 49 

Dusky 49 

Pinnated 52 

Ruffed 50 

Sage 53 

Sharp-tailed 54 

Snow 51 

Spruce 49 

Hairy-head •    8 

Heath  Hen 52 

Killdeer 42 

Knot 32 

Mallard 8 

Black 9 

Marlin 36 

Merganser 7 

Red-breasted 7 

Hooded 8 

Mud  Hen 28 


55 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Old-squaw 17 

Ortolan 27 

Partridge 50 

Canada  Spruce 49 

Virginia 46 

Peeps 34 

Pheasant 50 

Ring-necked 54 

Phalaropes 29 

Pintail  Duck 12 

Plover,  Black-bellied 41 

Golden 41 

Piping 43 

Mountain 44 

Ring-necked 42 

Semi-palmated 42 

Snowy 43 

Upland 33 

Wilson 44 

Prairie  Hen 52 

Ptarmigan 51 

Quail 46 

California 48 

Gambel 48 

Mountain 47 

Scaled 47 

Mearns 48 

Raft  Duck 14 

Rail,  Clapper 26 

King 26 

Sora 27 

Virginia 27 

Redhead 13 

Sage  Hen 53 

Baird 34 

Sandpiper,  Bartramian 33 

BuJff-breasted 39 

Least 34 

Pectoral 33 

Pribilof 32 


PAGE 

Sandpiper  {continued) 

Purple 32 

Red-backed 35 

Semi-palmated 35 

Solitary 38 

Stilt 31 

Spotted 39 

White-rumped 34 

Sanderling 35 

Scaup  Duck 14 

Lesser • 15 

Scoter 19 

Sheldrake 7 

Summer 8 

Shoveller 12 

Snipe,  Grass 33 

Jack 30 

Red-breasted 31 

Robin 32 

Wilson 30 

Winter 32 

Sora 27 

South-southerly 17 

Spirit  Duck 17 

Sprigtail 12 

Stilt. 29 

Surf-bird 44 

Swan 25 

Teal,  Blue- winged 11 

Cinnamon 11 

Green-winged 10 

Tell-tale 37 

Tip-up 39 

Turkey,  Wild 53 

Weazer 7 

Widgeon 10 

Wild  Duck 8 

Whistler 16 

Willet 38 

Woodcock : .  .  30 

Yellow-legs 37 


S6 


GUIDE   TO   TAXIDERMY 

BY    C.   K.  AND   C.   A.   REED 

IS    AN   EXPERT,    INTERESTING    AND    CONTINUAL 
INSTRUCTOR 

ILLUSTRATED 

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worth  of  personal  instruction  or  correspondence.  You  get  half  a  dozen  dif- 
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should  easily  enable  you  to  mount  a  bird  excellently. 

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$2.50  to  $100.00  for  animals.  You  can  do  this  work  yourself  at  the  cost  of 
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dozen  full  courses,  is  only  $1.50  net;  postpaid  for  $1.65.  300  pages,  cloth 
bound. 

57 


LAND    BIRDS 

BY   CHESTER  A.   REED,   S.B. 

An  illustrated  pocket  text -book  that  enables  anyone  to  quickly  identify 
any  song  or  insectivorous  bird  found  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It 
describes  their  habits  and  peculiarities;  tells  you  where  to  look  for  them  and 
describes  their  nests,  eggs  and  songs. 

EVERY  BIRD  IS  SHOWN  IN  COLOR,  including  the  females  and  young 
where  the  plumage  differs,  from  water-color  drawings  by  the  4-color  process. 
The  illustrations  are  the  BEST,  the  MOST  ACCURATE,  and  the  MOST 
VALUABLE  ever  printed  in  a  bird  book. 

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our  leading  Ornithologists  and  teachers.     230  pages. 

Bound  in  Cloth,  75c.  net;    in  Leather,  $1.00  net;    postage,  5c. 

S8 


WATER   BIRDS 


BY   CHESTER   A.   REED,   S.B. 


This  book  is  uniform  in  size  and  scope  with  "  LAND  BIRDS."  It  in- 
cludes all  of  the  Water  Birds,  Game  Birds  and  Birds  of  Prey,  east  of  the 
Rockies.  Each  species  is  ILLUSTRATED  IN  COLOR  from  oil  paintings; 
the  bird,  its  habits  and  nesting  habits  are  described. 

The  pictures  show  more  than  230  birds  in  color,  every  species  found  in  our 
range.  They  exceed  in  number  those  in  any  other  bird  book.  In  quahty 
they  cannot  be  surpassed — exquisite  gems,  each  with  an  attractive  back- 
groimd  typical  of  the  habitat  of  the  species. 

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59 


FLOWER   GUIDE 


BY   CHESTER  A.   REED,   S.B. 


A  guide  to  the  common  wild  flowers  found  in  the  Eastern  and  Middle 
States. 

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fertilized  or  cross  fertilized  by  insects  and  how;  in  fact  it  gives  a  great  deal 
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60 


CAMERA  STUDIES   OF   WILD  BIRDS 
IN   THEIR   HOMES 

By  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.B. 

Interesting  text  and  250  illustrations  from  actual  photographs  of  living 
wild  birds.     Some  of  the  finest  ever  made.   300  pages,  5}^  x  73^^,  cloth  bound. 

$2.00  net;  postage,  20c. 

NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS'  EGGS 

By  CHESTER  A.  REED,  S.B. 

This  is  the  only  book  on  the  market  that  gives  illustrations  of  the  eggs  of 
all  North  American  birds.  Each  egg  is  shown  FULL  SIZED,  photographed 
directly  from  an  authentic  and  well-marked  specimen.  There  are  a  great 
many  full-page  plates  of  nests  and  eggs  in  their  natural  situations. 

The  habitat  and  habits  of  each  bird  are  given. 

It  is  finely  printed  on  the  best  of  paper  and  handsomely  bound  in  cloth. 
350  pages — 6  X  9  inches. 

$2.50  net;  postage,  25c. 

NATURE  STUDIES— BIRDS 

A  book  to  start  the  young  folks  along  the  right  paths  in  the  study  of  birds. 
Interesting  stories.     40  colored  illustrations.     112  pages. 

60c.  net;  postage,   lOc. 

NATURE  STUDIES  IN  FIELD  AND 
WOOD 

A  book  to  call  attention  to  the  many  interesting  creatures  to  be  seen  on 
every  hand — in  brook,  pond,  field,  swamp,  woods  and  even  in  the  dooryard. 
40  illustrations.     112  pages. 

60c.  net;  postage,   lOc. 
61 


Birds  of  Eastern  North  America 

BY   CHESTER    A.    REED,    S.B. 

THE  BIRD  BOOK  of  the  year.  It  is  authentic.  The  author  KNOWS 
birds.  He  has  studied  them  for  thirty  years — in  the  hand,  for  plumage, 
and  in  their  haunts,  for  habits.  He  has  studied  them  in  their  homes  and  has 
photographed  hundreds  as  they  were  actually  feeding  their  young.  Besides 
being  able  to  write  about  these  things  in  an  interesting  and  instructive  man- 
ner, he  is  classed  as  one  of  the  foremost  bird  artists  in  America.  This  rare 
combination  of  Artist- Author-Nat uraHst  has  produced,  in  "  Birds  of  Eastern 
North  America,"  the  ultimate  bird  book. 

The  technical  descriptions  aided  by  the  pictures  give  perfect  ideas  of  the 
plumages  of  adults  and  young. 

The  descriptive  text  gives  the  important  and  characteristic  features  in  the 
lives  of  the  various  species. 

The  illustrations— well,  there  are  408  PICTURES  IN  NATURAL 
COLORS;  they  show  practically  every  species,  including  male,  female  and 
young  when  the  plumages  differ,  and  they  are  perfectly  made  by  the  best 
process.  No  other  one  bird  book  ever  had  anywhere  near  as  many  ac- 
curately colored  pictures. 

Bound  in  cloth,  handsomely  illuminated  in  gold;  464  pages  {4}^  x  6J4)', 
408  colored  illustrations;  every  bird  described  and  pictured. 

$3.00  net;  postage  15c. 
CHAS.   K.   REED,  Worcester,   Mass. 

62 


WILD   FLOWERS 

East  of  the  Rockies 

By  CHESTER  A.  REED 

The  latest  flower  book. 

In  a  class  by  itself. 

Original,  beautiful,  compact,  complete,  interesting,  exact. 

Pictures  320  flowers,  ALL  IN  COLOR. 

450  pages. 

Handsomely  bound;  boxed.     $2.50  net;  postage  15c. 
63 


Field  Glasses  for  Bird  Study 

or  equally  good  for  the  mountains,  seashore  or  theater,  or  wherever  a  large, 
clear  image  of  an  object  is  desired. 

We  carefully  examined  more  than  a  hundred  makes  of  field  glasses,  to  select 
the  ones  best  adapted  for  bird  study. 

We  found  one  make  that  was  superior  to  any  other  of  the  same  price  and 
equal  optically,  and  nearly  as  well  made  as  those  costing  three  times  as  much. 

They  magnify  about  three  diameters,  and  have  an  unusually  large  field 
ol  vision  or  angle  of  view,  making  it  easy  to  find  a  bird  or  keep  him  in  sight. 
Price  only  $5.00  postpaid. 

CHAS.  K.   REED        -        -       Worcester,  Mass. 


64 


mgk  a 
•  60  net 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

fp^^ 

AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED   FOR   FAILURE  TO   RETURN 
THIS    BOOK  ON   THE   DATE  DUE.    THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY    AND     TO    $!.00    ON    THE    SEVENTH     DAY 
OVERDUE. 

JAi4^    194» 

'  ■  — 1 

^AN   80  1945 

^: 

jjm 

tt 

w 

. 

LD  21-100m-7,'40 (69368) 

Gaylord  Bros. 

Makers 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
PAT,  JAN.  21.  1908 

J  r 


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