SCOL OP A CIDJE : SNIPE. 



807 



.,\^y^r\ 



MON Snipe. " English" Snipe (so called). Meadow Snipe. Marsh Snipe. Gutter- 

 snipe. Jack-snipe. Shad-bird. Alewife-bird. Shad-spirit. Adult ^9: Crown 

 black, with u pale ochrey middle stripe. Upper parts brownish-black, varied witli bright bay 

 and tawijy ; scapular feathers smoothly and evenly edgeil with tawny or whitish, forming two 

 lengthwise stripes on each side when wings are folded. Quills and greater coverts blackish- 

 brown, usually with white tips, and outer web of first primary usually white. Lining of wings 

 and axillars white, fully and regularly barred with black. Rump black, the feathers with 

 white tips. Upper tail-coverts tawny with numerous black bars, and tail-feathers black 

 basally, then bright chestnut, with a narrow subtermiual black bar, their tips fading to whit- 

 ish ; some lateral ones white, with little rufous tinge and several instead of one black bar. 

 Belly white; jugulum and fore-breast liglit brown speckled with dusky brown; chin nearly 

 white; sides of body shaded with brown, and with numerous regular dusky bars throughout; 

 crissum more or less rufous, with numerous dusky bars. Bill greenish-gray, dusky on ter- 

 minal third; iris brown; feet greenish-gray. Length of ^ 10..50-1 l.oO; extent 17.50-] D.oO; 

 wing 4.75-5.25 ; bill 2.50 (more or less) ; tail 2.25; tarsus J. 25; middle toe and claw 1.50. 

 9 averaging smaller. Weight of various specimens 3 oz. 4 dr. to 4 oz. .'3 ilr. Tliis is the 

 genuine Snipe, of all the birds loosely so called; 

 its name of " English " Snipe is a misnomer, as 

 it is indigenous to this country, and distinct from 

 any European species, though closely resembling 

 two of them {G. gallmago and G. gallinida : see 

 above). Its coinmonest name with sportsmen 

 is "Jack-snipe," which is well enough in this 

 country, though if said in England it would be 

 understood as G. (jullinitlu. In our species the 

 tail is normally composed of l(j featliers, the two 

 lateral of which on each side are abruptly smaller, 

 shorter, and much narrower, resembling under 

 coverts somewhat; and whole sides of body from 

 breast to tail, as well as a.xillars and lining of 

 wings, are completely and regularly barred, as is 

 also crissum. Ojien wet places of North America, 

 at large ; migratory; breeds from the Northern States northward, but chiefly beyund U. S. ; S. 

 into tlie West Indies and South America in winter, tliongh many remain in tlie U. S. The 

 general habits of this favorite game-bird arc too well known to require renuirk. Esrgs 1^4, 

 1.55 X 1.15, moderately pyriform, grayish-olive, with more or less brownish shade; markiuys 

 bold and numerous, most so <m the larger end, of varying shades of umber-brown ; usually also 

 sharp scratchy lines of black ; shell-spots not very noticeable. Nest a mere dcjiression in <,'rass 

 or moss of the bog; chicks mottled with white, ashy, ochrey, and dark brown. (Sculopa.r 

 wiUoni Tem.m. 182G ; G. icilsoni of most authors, as of fornwr editions of tiie Key; G. media 

 wilsoni liiDGW. ; G. ccelestis wilsoni Stej. ; Scolojxix delicata Oku. id. Wii.s. 1825 ; G. dclicata 

 A. 0. U. No. 230.) 



MACRORIIAM'PIIUS. (Gr. fiaKpot. mnJcrof), long, pd^cpot, /iiinnjiluis, Ixak.) WKn-TOKD 

 Sniim;. ]?ill as in Gallinaf/o. Wings longer and more pointed, more as in Tiivgn. Tibijp 

 naked bdow for a space about \ the leiiijth of tarsus. Tarsus longer tli.m middle too and claw. 

 Ant(>rior toes webbed at base ; webbiui: most extensive betwoon niiddir and outer. Tail 

 doubly emarginate, uf oidy 12 feathers, all closely and reuularly barred. Sexes alike; suininer 

 and winter plnma<,'es different (as in Sandpipers). Tliorouyhly sni|)e-like in bill, but other- 

 wise like loni;-legi,'ed Sandpi|)('rs — near Miernpnhima, for example, and not far from Limosa. 

 Two allcLxcd s]iecies, or a species and subspecies. 



Fio. 501. Tail of Wilson's Snipe. ( From 

 American Shore Birds," by D. G. Elliot.) 



' North 



