[158.] * 3. T o t a n c s f l a v i p e s . (Vieillot.) Yellow-shanks Tatter.
Ge n u s , Totanus, B e c h s t e in .
Yellow-shanks Snipe. P e n n ., Arct. Zool., ii., p. 468, No. 378. W il so n , vii., p. 55, pi. 58, f. 4.
Totanus flavipes {Yellow-legged Godwit), Sab. Frank. Journ., p. 688. B o nap. Syn., No. 261.
Sassasees, Cb.e e I n d ia n s . Lesser Tell-tale, U n it e d St a t e s .
This is a very common bird in the fur-countries, and is seen either solitary
or in pairs on the banks of every river, lake, and marsh, up to the northern
extremity of the continent. It is very impatient of any intrusion on its haunts,
and often betrays the approach of the sportsman to the less vigilant of the
feathered tribes, by flying round his head, its legs hanging down, and wings
drooping, and uttering its incessant though plaintive cries. Previous to its
retreating southwards, on the approach of winter, it collects in small flocks, and
halts for a time on the shores of Hudson’s Bay.
DESCRIPTION
Of a male killed at Fort Franklin, May 16, 1826.
C olour.—Top of the head and. neck blackish-brown, edged with greyish-white. Fore
part of the back, scapulars, greater coverts, and tertiaries, blotched and barred with blackish-
brown, and marked with marginal triangular spots of brownish-white. Posterior part of the
back, lesser coverts, and secondaries, clove-brown, narrowly edged round with white.
Greater quills blackish-brown ; the shaft of the first one white. Two central pairs of tail
feathers broccoli-brown; the lateral ones and the coverts white, all barred with blackish-
brown ; less distinctly on the coverts. Eye stripe, chin, and under plumage, white, streaked
on the neck and barred on the sides of the breast and belly with blackish-brown. Bill black.
Legs yellow.
F orm.—Bill moderately long, straight; upper mandible grooved half its length, its acute
tip turning down. Wings a little longer than the tail. Tarsus longer than the bill. Fore
toes connected by small webs ; the inner web half the size of the exterior one.
Dimensions
Of the male.
Inch. Lin.
5 Length of middle nail
0 . „ of hind toe
l£ ; „ of its nail
Length, total . . 9 8 Length of hill to rictus
y. of tail . . 2 9 „ of tarsus
„ of wing . . 5 11 , . of middle toe
„ of bill above . 1 4
The female is larger in all its dimensions, being 1^ inch longer,
both sexes.
The plumage is alike in
[159.] 4 . T o t a n u s c a l i d r i s . , (Bechstein.) The Redshank or Gambet.
Genus, Totanus, Bechstein.
Chevalier Gambette {Totanus calidris'). Temm., ii;, p. 643.
A specimen of this bird, from Hudson’s Bay, exists in the British Museum*.
DESCRIPTION.
Colour.—Top of the head, top and sides of the neck, fore part of the back, sides of the
breast, the wing coverts, and tertiaries, dark hair-brown, the shafts blackish. Posterior part
of the back, the rump, tail coverts, tail, secondaries, and the under plumage, white. The upper
tail coverts, tail, and greater wing coverts, barred with blackish-brown ; bases of the secondaries
mottled with the same; and the shafts of the neck, breast, and flanks, also dark.
Greater quills pitch-black ; shaft of the first one white, and the ends of some of the posterior
ones mottled with white.
F orm.—Bill straight; nasal grooves exactly half its length. Wings rather shorter than
the -rounded tail. Thighs naked for an inch. A short web between the inner and middle
toes. Outer web rather more than a quarter of an inch deep.
Inch. Lin.
Length, total . • U 0
„ of tail •' • 3 3
of wing . • 6 4
Dimensions.
Inch. Lin.
Length of bill above . . 1 7f
„ of bill to rictus . 1 9f
,, of tarsus . . 2 0
Inch. Lin,
Length of middle toe . 1 0|
„ of middle nail . 0 If
,, of hind toe and tail 0 3f
[160.] 5. T o t a n u s B a r t r a m iu s . (Temm.) Bartram’s Tatter.
Genus, Totanus, Bechst.
“ Tringa longicauda. Bechst. Voy. Nachtr.” Fide Temm.
Bartram’s Sandpiper {Tringa Bartramii). W il s ., vii., p. 63, pi. 59, f. 2.
Chevalier a longue queue {Totanus Bartramius'). T em m ., ii., p. 650.
Totanus Bartramius. Bonap. Cat., No. 256.
This bird was seen by us only on the plains of the Saskatchewan. It feeds
on coleopterous insects.
* The “ White Redshank” ( W a t » Candidas, Bitiss.), from Hudson's Bay, figured by E dwards, pi. 139, is
considered by him to be an albino variety of T. calidris. The dimensions of its bill and wings are, however, greater
than those of the latter, and do not accord with those of any of the other Totem described in this work : whilst its
semipalmated feet rank it with T. scmipalmatus, which is a larger bird. The following is Edwards’s description :
“ The bill is above two inches long; the wing, when closed, near seven inches. The bill is black at the point, all the
rest of it being orange-colonred. The plumage is all white, except a little transverse mixture of pale brown or dirty white
on the back, wings, and tail j the greater quills are of a darker shade of white than the other wing feathers; the inner
coverts have some faint spots; the legs and feet are of a bright reddish-orange colour; the legs are bare above the
knees; the three forward toes seem to be all webbed together as far as the first joint." He goes on to say: “ From
its shape, size, proportions, and its faint marks, I am confident it can he no other than our Poolsnipe or Bedshank.”