106 BULLETIN 142, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



it is met with in all the countries on the northern littoral from 

 Morocco to Egypt; also up the Nile Valley to the Blue Nile (Lakes 

 Nakuru and Naivasha), and sparingly to Kenya Colony. In Asia 

 from West Palestine, South Iraq, Persia, Afghanistan, throughout 

 India, Ceylon, Burma, China (scarce), Formosa, and Japan. In the 

 Canaries it occurs only on passage in small numbers. 



Spiking migration. — In south Spain, end of February and early 

 March; Corsica, February (late date March 27); Greece, February 

 (late dates March 2 and 19) ; Italy, April and early May (latest date 

 beginning of June) ; Cyprus, end of March and early April (late 

 date April 16). In the British Isles the passage lasts from the end 

 of March to the third week of May (late date June, North Uist) ; 

 in Denmark, April; south Sweden from end of March to middle of 

 April; in Hungary they leave about the end of March; and have 

 been noted in Russia in the Caucasus, the Kirghis Steppes, and the 

 Urals. In Asia they remain in Iraq to April T; Sind, early April. 

 Arrival noted on the Boganida June 8. In Africa, Morocco (Feb- 

 ruary), Tunisia (February, March), Abyssinia (February), and 

 Egypt (March). 



Fall migration. — In the British Isles from mid September to end 

 November (early dates, August 12, 1910, Norfolk; August 20, 1910, 

 Essex; August 1, Norfolk). Heligoland (September and October) ; 

 also met with in practically all European countries, reaching south 

 Spain (November, end October, or early November). In Asia re- 

 corded from Asia Minor, Transjordania (October), arriving Sind 

 (early October) and India (September-October). 



Casual records. — Once recorded from the Faeroes (1910) ; also on 

 Madeira fMarch 15, 1889) ; Andaman Isles (once), as well as on the 

 Pribilof Isles. 



Egg dates. — June 4 to 12 (2 records) ; 14 to 21 (8 records) ; 22 to 

 30 (2 records) ; July 1 to 14 (3 records) ; 15 to 28 (4 records) ; 29 

 to August 2 (2 records). 



LIMNODROMUS GRISEUS GRISEUS (Gmelin) 



EASTERN DOWITCHER 



HABITS 



The dowitcher, or, as I should prefer to see it called, the red- 

 breasted snipe, occurs as a species entirely across the American 

 continent. The long-billed dowitcher, the western form, was 

 originally described as a distinct, full species; it has since been re- 

 duced to the rank of a subspecies, because of very evident intergrada- 

 tion; and now some very good ornithologists are in doubt as to the 

 propriety of recognizing the two varieties in nomenclature at all, 



