SCOLOPACID.E — THE SNIPE FAMILY — PHILOHELA. 



183 



Genus PHILOHELA, Gray. 



Eusticola, Gray, Genera B. 1840 (nee Moehiunu, 1752). 

 PhiloJiela, Gray, List Genera, 1841 (type, Scolopax minor, Gmel.). 

 Microptera, Nutt. Man. IL 1S34, 19-2 (nee Gravenhorst, 1802). 



Char. Body very full, and head, bill, and eyes very large. Tibia short, feathered to the joint. 

 Toes cleft to base. Wings short, rounded, the three outer primaries very narrow and much attenu- 

 ated ; the fourth and fifth equal and longest. Tarsi stout, shorter than the middle toe. Hind 

 claw very short, conical, not extending beyond the toe. Tail of twelve feathers. 





P minor. 



The present genus, embracing a single species, the American Woodcock, is much like Scolopax, 

 with the European Woodcock as type, in color and external appearance. The most striking differ- 

 ence is seen in the wings, which are short, rounded ; the fourth and fifth primaries longest, and the 

 outer three abruptly attenuated : while in Scolopax the wings are long, the first primary longest, 

 and none attenuated. 



Philohela minor. 



THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 



Scolopax minor, Gmel. S. N. L 1788, 661. — ^YILS. Am. Orn. VL 1812, 40, pi. 48, fig. 2. — AuD. 

 Orn. Biog. IIL 1835, 474, pi. 268. 



liusticola {Microptera) minor, Nutt. Man. IT. 1834, 194. 



Philohela minor, Gray, Genera B. 1849. — Cassin, in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 709. — Baird, Cat. 

 K Am. B. 1S59, no. 522. — CouEs, Key, 1872, 251, fig. 162; Check List, 1878, no. 412; 2d 

 ed. 1882, no. 60.5 ; Birds N. W. 1874, 472. — KiDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 525. 



Microptera americana, Aud. Synop. 1839, 250 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 15, pL 352. 



Hab. Eastern Province of North America, north to the British Provinces and west to Dakota, 

 Nebraska, and Kansas ; breeding throughout its known range ; no extra-limital record, except the 

 Bermudas. 



Downy young. 



Sp. Char. Bill long, compressed, punctulated and (in dried skins) corrugated near the end ; 

 upper mandible longer than the under, and fitted to it at the tip ; wings moderate, three outer 



