384 



RUSTICOLA. WOODCOCK. 



The Woodcocks differ from the Snipes in having the 

 body fuller, the tibia? feathered to the joint, the tarsi shorter, 

 the wings broader, and the bill firmer and less scrobicular. 

 Their habits, although essentially similar, are in some re- 

 spects different. These birds are also of larger size than the 

 Snipes. The head is of moderate size, very convex above, 

 not much compressed, with the eyes rather large, placed 

 very high and farther back than usual. 



Bill longer than the head, straight, slender, tapering, 

 compressed, with both mandibles grooved nearly to the end, 

 scarcely enlarged there, scrobiculate beyond the middle, with 

 the tips hard and obtuse, the upper projecting beneath into 

 a considerable sulcate knob, into the depression behind 

 which that of the lower is received. 



Mouth very narrow; its roof with series of reversed 

 pointed papillae. Tongue very long, slender, channelled 

 above, tapering to a point. (Esophagus rather narrow, with 

 an oblong proventriculus ; stomach roundish, very muscular, 

 with dense rugous epithelium ; intestine of moderate length 

 and width ; coeca moderate, cylindrical. 



Nostrils sub-basal, sub-linear. Eyes rather large ; as are 

 the apertures of the ears. Legs short, rather strong ; tibia 

 feathered in its whole length ; tarsus roundish, with very 

 broad anterior seutella; first toe small, a little above the 

 level of the anterior, of which the medial is long, compressed, 

 marginate, the outer a little longer than the inner ; claws 

 short, obtuse, that of the middle toe only being of moderate 

 length and rather acute. 



Plumage firm. Wings long, broad, pointed; the first 

 quill slightly longer than the second; the outer primaries 

 considerably incurvate, all the primaries rounded at the 



