WATER BIRDS. 171 



Similar, but the glossy black replaced by dull black or brownish slate. Young: Like 

 adult female, but all the dark areas more or less mottled by grey or buffy edgings of feathers. 

 Length 13.50 to 15.50 inches; wing 8.50 to 9; culmen 2.50; tarsus 4. 



Family 26. SCOLOPACID Ji]. Snipe, Sandpipers, Etc. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



A. Bill (culmen) two inches or over. B. BB. 

 B. Wing less than six inches. C, CC. 

 C. Three outer primaries much 

 narrower than rest (Fig. 

 49); tibia feathered to heel 

 ioint ("knee"). Woodcock. 

 No. 91. 

 CC. Outer primaries not narrow: lower end of tibia bare. D, DD. 

 D. Tail with a rust-red bar near end; rump and upper tail- 

 coverts without white. Wilson's Snipe. No. 92. 

 DD. Tail without a rust-red bar; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 largely white. Red-breasted Snipe. No. 93. 

 BB. Wing more than seven inches. E, EE. 



E. Bill straight or with slight upward curve. F, FF. 

 F. Bill more than 2.75 inches. G, GG. 



G. Bill 3.50 inches or more. Marbled Godwit. No. 103. 

 GG. Bill less than 3.50 inches. Hudsonian Godwit. 

 No. 104. 

 FF. Bill less than 2.75 inches. H, HH. 



H. Basal half of primaries white, forming a large white 



patch on the wing. Willet. (Appendix) 

 HH. No white patch on wing. Greater Yellowlegs. No 

 105. 

 EE. Bill curved decidedly downward. I, II. 



I. Crown with a median light stripe between two broad 



dusky ones. Hudsonian Curlew. No. 112. 



II. Crown without median light stripe. J JJ. 



J. Bill (culmen) 2.50 inches, or less. Eskimo Curlew. 



No. 113. 

 J J. Bill from 3 to 8.50 inches. Sickle-billed Curlew. 

 No. 111. 

 AA. Bill (culmen) less than 2 inches long. K, KK. 

 K. Wing more than 6 inches. L, LL, LLL. 



L. Rump without any white. Bartramian Sandpiper. No. 108. 

 LL. Rump pure white without bars or streaks. Lesser Yellowlegs. 



No. 106. 

 LLL. Rump white, barred with dusky. Knot. No. 95. 

 KK. Wing less than 6 inches. M, MM. 



M. Bill more than an inch long. N, NN. 

 N. Tarsus more than 1.50. O, 00. 



O. Wing 5 inches or over. Stilt Sandpiper. No. 94. 

 00. Wing less than 5 inches. Red-backed Sandpiper. 

 No. 100. 



