172 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



NN. Tarsus less than 1.50. P, PP. 



P. Tail with cross-bars. Solitary Sandpiper. No. 107. 

 PP. Tail without cross-bars. Q, QQ. 

 Q. Bill straight. R, RR. 



R. Upper parts purplish-black without rusty. 



Purple Sandpiper. (Appendix) 

 RR. Upper parts mottled with black, whitish 

 and rusty. Grass Snipe. No. 96. 

 QQ. Bill curved downward toward tip. Curlew 

 Sandpiper. (Appendix) 

 MM. Bill one inch or less. S, SS. 



S. Only three toes, hind toe lacking. Sanderling. No. 102. 

 SS. Hind toe present. T, TT. 



T. Wing over 4 inches. U, UU. 



U. Upper tail-coverts white. White-rumped Sand- 

 piper. No. 97. 

 UU. Upper tail-coverts not white. V, VV. 



V. Wing more than 5 inches, inner webs of 

 primaries speckled with blackish. Buff- 

 breasted Sandpiper. No. 109. 

 VV. Wing less than 5 inches. W, WW. 



W. Outer tail-feathers with spots or bars. 



Spotted Sandpiper. No. 110. 

 WW. Outer tail feathers without spots or 

 bars. Baird's Sandpiper. No. 98. 

 TT. Wing 4 inches or less. X, XX. 



X. No webs between the toes. Least Sandpiper. 



No. 99. 

 XX. Distinct (but small) webs between the toes. 

 Semipalmated Sandpiper (and possibly 

 Western Sandpiper). No. 101. 



91. Woodcock. Philohela minor (Gmcl). (228) 



Synonyms: Wood Snipe, Bog-sucker, Timber-doodle. — Scolopax minor, Gmel., 1788, 

 Wils., 1812, Aud., 1835. — Philohela minor of most authors. 



Plate IX, Figures 48, 49, 50. 



Distinguishing marks are the long, grooved bill, short legs feathered to 

 the heel ("knee"), very large eyes, and top of head barred with buff and 

 black. The scythe-shaped or falcate tips of the three outer primaries are 

 distinctive. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America, north to the British Provinces, 

 west to Dakota, Kansas, etc.; breeding throughout its range. 



This beautiful bird, justly celebrated for its table qualities, was formerly 

 an abundant resident of the entire state, being fairly plentiful in all suitable 

 localities, which of course are wooded or brushy swamps, since this species 

 is practically confined to wet woodlands and the thickets bordering streams. 

 In autumn it is occasionally found in cornfields and often about the edges 

 of fairly dry woods, but usually where the ground is soft enough for probing 

 with the whole length of the bill. This method of feeding is almost unique, 

 for the long bill is forced into the ground up to the feathers in search of 



