276 MACRORHAMPHUS GRISEUS. 



second joint of the latter, these toes being in other Snipes 

 free. Such a difference might not of itself be viewed as of 

 much importance, and its occurrence in other genera has not 

 been considered as sufficient to render a separation of species 

 necessary. Thus Charadrius Hiaticula of Europe differs 

 from Ch. semipalmatus of America chiefly in this very cir- 

 cumstance ; and yet the persons who separate the Grey 

 Snipe from the Brown Snipe generically place these Plovers 

 in the same genus, whatever name they give to it. But the 

 habits are quite different, and indicate an affinity to the 

 Tringinse. 



This species is somewhat larger than the Common Snipe. 

 Its body is ovate and compact ; its neck rather short ; its 

 head rather small, oblong, convex above, and narrowed in 

 front. The bill is twice the length of the head, straight, 

 subulate, compressed for more than half its length, depressed 

 toward the end ; the sides of both mandibles grooved, the 

 ends of both a little enlarged, and terminating in a narrow 

 but blunt point. The mouth is very narrow, the gape-line 

 straight ; the eyes of moderate size, as are the apertures of 

 the ears ; the nostrils small, linear, basal ; the nasal groove 

 narrow. 



The roof of the mouth is flat, with three longitudinal 

 series of papillae ; the lower mandible deeply concave ; the 

 tongue marginate and papillate at the base, slender, tapering 

 to. a point, two inches and a quarter in length. The oeso- 

 phagus is three inches and three quarters long, a quarter of 

 an inch in diameter, without dilatation. The proventriculus 

 oblong, four-twelfths across, with cylindrical glandules. The 

 stomach is an oblong gizzard, an inch in length, and eight- 

 twelfths in breadth ; its lateral muscles strong, the inferior 

 distinct, the tendons large ; the epithelium dense, tough, 

 longitudinally rugous, and of a dark red colour. The intes- 

 tine, Avhich is twenty inches and a half in length, is of con- 

 siderable width, its diameter being a quarter of an inch at 

 the upper part. The coeca are an inch and three quarters 

 long, one-twelfth in diameter at the commencement, two- 

 tAvelfths toward the end. The digestive organs are thus, in 

 all respects, similar to those of the other Snipes. 



