196 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Rather large, snipe-like Eroliinse (?) (wing 135-150 mm.) with 

 bill at least two-fifths (sometimes half) as long as wing, with the 

 slightly expanded and punctulate terminal portion occupying one- 

 third or more of its total length; tarsus less than twice as long as 

 middle toe without claw, and without web at base of inner inter- 

 digital space. 



Bill two-fifths to one-half as long as wing, straight, compressed 

 for proximal two-thirds, the terminal third slightly but distinctly ex- 

 panded, depressed, and minutely punctulate; culmen ascending ba- 

 sally, the base of bill much higher than wide; nostril sub-basal, small, 

 longitudinally elliptical or linear; nasal groove extending to near 

 middle of expanded terminal portion of maxilla; latero-frontal antia 

 forming a straight, sometimes oblique, vertical line from base of 

 culmen to rictus, the malar antia sometimes a continuation of the 

 same line but usually forming a more or less convex or obtuse 

 angular projection, the mental antia more or less (never very much) 

 anterior to the malar antia. Wing moderate, pointed, the longest 

 primary (outermost) exceeding distal secondaries by about half the 

 length of wing; tortials elongated, tapering distally but rounded at 

 tips, the longest falling decidedly short of tip of longest primary. 

 Tail between one-third and two-fifths as long as wing, very slightly 

 rounded; rectrices, 12. Tarsus much shorter than exposed culmen, 

 one-fourth as long as wing or very slightly less, transversely scutellate 

 anteriorly and posteriorly, but scutella of planta tarsi much smaller 

 than those of acrotarsium ; bare portion of tibia decidedly shorter 

 than middle toe without claw, with transverse scutella distinct only 

 on lower portion, both before and behind; middle toe about three- 

 fourths as long as tarsus, the outer and inner toes, successively, de- 

 cidedly shorter; hallux small and slender, shorter than basal pha- 

 lanx of middle toe; claws rather small, moderately curved, sharp; 

 basal phalanges of outer and middle toe connected for about half 

 the length of the former, the space between inner and middle toe 

 entirely without web. 



Coloration. — ^Lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail white, 

 the first often immaculate, the rump spotted, the upper tail-coverts 

 and tail barred with blackish; axillars and under wing-coverts white 

 with V-shaped bars of dusky; summer adults with under parts 

 mostly dull light pinkish cinnamon, more or less spotted or barred 

 with dusky, the back, scapulars, etc., variegated with black and pale 

 cinnamomeous ; winter plumage nearly plain brownish gray above, 

 plain white and pale gray beneath. 



Range. — Northern North America, migrating to Middle and South 

 America. (Monotypic.) 



