108 Birds of Colorado 



and rounded of twelve feathers ; legs short ; tibio-tarsus feathered 

 aknost to the joint, the tarsus scuteUated in front and behind ; hind 

 toe present, front toes without web ; eye very large and placed far back, 

 the ear-opening below and slightly in front of it. 



This genus contains only one species, and is distinguished from that 

 containing the Old World Woodcocks by the attenuation of the 

 three outer primaries. 



American Woodcock. Philohela minor. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 228— Colorado Records— H. G. Smith 86, p. 283 ; 

 96, p. 65 ; Morrison 89, p. 167 ; Cooke 97, pp. 64, 158 ; Fisher 01, p. 447 ; 

 Henderson 03, p. 234 ; 09, p. 227. 



Description. — Adult — Above mottled black, dusky brown and bufiy ; 

 hinder-part of crown black with narrow transverse bars of buff ; 

 primaries plain dusky ; below pale-rufous ; iris dark brown, bill light 

 brown, paler at the base, legs reddish-brown. Length 10-5 ; wing 

 5-25; tail 2-25 ; culmen 2-5 ; tarsus 1-25. 



The female is larger — wing 5-50, culmen 2'75. 



Distribution. — -Southern Canada and the eastern United States from 

 the Atlantic to Manitoba and eastern Texas, breeding throughout its 

 range ; wintering chiefly on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 



In Colorado the Woodcock is only known from the Platte Valley 

 and from Denver along the foothills northwards, where it may be 

 regarded as a scarce summer resident. It was first reported by H. G. 

 Smith who saw an example in a gun-store in Denver, which was killed 

 near the town about August 12th, 1885. Four or five additional 

 specimens have been noticed from Denver or Boulder co., while Cooke 

 reports that H. Horner observed a pair with three young ones, only 

 about a week old, one of which was taken July 3rd, 1897, near 

 Timmath ; so there can be httle doubt that, occasionally at any 

 rate, it nests in Colorado. 



Habits. — The Woodcock is a crepuscular bird, feeding 

 chiefly at dusk and in the night, and keeping concealed 

 during the day in thickets and rank grass. It inhabits 

 marshy or moist country, and lives almost exclusively 

 on worms which it draws out of the mud with its long 

 and sensitive bill. 



It has an enormous appetite — o, Woodcock weighing 

 six ounces is said to consume at least its own weight 

 in earth-werms in twenty-four hours. Owing to its 



