Jan., igog. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 



399 



■^ 



Dowitcher. 



faint edges of buff on the back; chin and superciliary stripe, dull 

 grayish white; breast, gray, showing slight traces of tawny (often 

 entirely absent); rest of under part, dirty white, mottled on the 

 crissuni; tail, banded dark brown or black and white. 



Length, 10.30; wing, 5.70; tarsus, 1.30; bill, 2.20 to 2.50. 



The Dowitcher was at one time common, but now occurs only 

 as a rather rare migrant in Illinois and Wisconsin. It is difficult to 

 determine the relative abundance of this species in comparison with 

 the next, from the fact that the ordinary sportsmen, as a rule, do 

 not recognize them as different. 



110. Macrorhamphus scolopaceus (Say). 



Long-billed Dowitcher. 



Distr.: Western North America, breeding from Alaska to the 

 Arctic coast; south from the United vStates and Mexico in winter; 

 casual on the i\.tlantic coast. 



Adult: Resembles the preceding species, but the bill is longer, 

 and in breeding plumage, the sides of the body are more distinctly 

 barred with black; the throat and breast more rufous, and the general 

 plumage more highly colored. 



In winter the principal difference is one of size. 



Length, 11; wing, 6.05; tarsus, 1.55; bill, 2.20 to 2.60. 



This species is still more or less common in Illinois and Wisconsin 

 during the migrations. It is (or was ) a well-known bird to sportsmen, 

 and its long, snipe-like bill will always distinguish it from other species 

 of shore birds, except the Wilson's Snipe, from which it may be known 

 at a glance by the small web between the outer and middle toes, and 

 by its differently marked tail and tail coverts. It occurs in flocks, and 

 where it has not been persecuted by gunners, is very tame and unsus- 

 picious. It was formerly very abundant, but being easy to kill, great 



