WATER BIRDS. 183 



Distribution. — The whole of North America, the West Indies, and the 

 greater part of South America. Breeds in the Arctic regions. Of frequent 

 occurrence in Europe. 



This is the bird most often called Jack Snipe, a name also given to Wilson's 

 Snipe. The present species, though often known under the name of Grass 

 Snipe, is not entirely confined to 

 grassy places, but frequents the / 



margins of muddy pools and is 



occasionally found on the sandy /f _ ^--.--^-!j==:5£^tv,i 



shores of ponds and streams. It is ^'[^^^^^^^iksM'^'^^^^^'^'^'lh 

 an abundant migrant throughout the T^^^^^^^^^^l^rX^S^ V'-'/'f 

 state, and is one of the best known ^^^-^^^^^-^ ~"" - ^ 

 of the shore birds which occur "' />- 

 regularly. Ordinarily it is seen in -■_ 

 squads of six to thirty, around grassy "'^ 

 pools in marshes or meadow lands. • ^_:: 



On August 19, 1897, near Lansing, ^^--^^=SE^^^ 

 the writer saw at least 300 Grass 

 Snipe about a temporary pool in a Fig. 53. Grass Snipe. 



cornfield, associated with YellowlegS, From Baird, Brewer and^RidgwaysW^ater Birds 

 Killdeer, Solitary Sandpipers, and a of North America. (Little, Brown & Co.) 



few Wilson's Snipe. It seems to be more abundant always in fall than in 

 spring, but occasionally it appears in some numbers in May. When 

 scattered about in grassy meadows it often lies close and flushes almost 

 as suddenly as Wilson's Snipe, and in the fall of the year it is considered 

 good eating. 



There is no reason to suppose that it ever nests within our limits. It 

 passes northward usually before the first of June, and nests only in the 

 far north, where it lays three or four grayish buff or olive green eggs, heavily 

 blotched with vandyke brown and purplish gray, which average 1.44 by 

 1.02 inches. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Top of head, back and scapulars mainly black and brown, each feather mostly black 

 with a wide margin of brown or buff; neck all around, and most of throat and upper breast, 

 ashy-gray, thickly and rather sharply streaked with black; chin, upper throat, and abdomen 

 white or buffy wlnte; sides (under wings) somewhat streaked with brown; axillars white, 

 unmarked; rump and upper tail-coverts black or brownish black. 



Autumn specimens are browner, spring specimens grayer; little or no sexual difference 

 in color, but females larger than males. Length 8 to 9.50 inches; wing 5 to 5.50; culmen 

 1.10 to 1.20. 



97. White-rumped Sandpiper. Pisobia fuscicollis (VieilL). (240) 



Synonyms: Bonaparte's Sandpiper. — Trianga fuscicollis, Vieill., 1819, Coues, 1874, 

 A. O. U. Check-list, 1895. — Tringa bonapartei., Schleg., Cass., Baird. — Tringa Schinzii, 

 Bonap., Nutt., Aud. 



Characterized by its moderate size (wing about five inches), and white 

 upper tail-coverts, unspotted or with very few spots indeed. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America, breeding in the high north. 

 In winter, the West Indies, Central and South America, south to the 

 Falkland Islands. Occasional in Europe. 



This is one of our less common sandpipers, yet it doubtless occurs regularly 

 during migrations, although in small numbers. Dr. Gibbs states that 

 specimens were killed in Kalamazoo county during 1878 and 1879, by B. 



