350 GAME BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA 



The food of the Stilt comprises among other things grasshoppers, 

 bill-bugs, water beetles and other insects, many of which are destruc- 

 tive to crops (McAtee, 1911a). As an element of the inland avifauna 

 the Black-necked Stilt is thus likely to serve in beneficial capacity 

 whenever it frequents agricultural lands, and it should accordingly 

 receive protection. Its flesh is comparable to that of the Avocet, in 

 other Avords, it is of second class. In former years Stilts were sold 

 in the markets to some extent, but so far as known this practice has 

 not obtained within recent years. Sportsmen in general pay little 

 or no attention to them. The birds have probably not decreased to 

 any great extent, if at all, since the state was first settled, and the 

 present condition of agriculture in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Val- 

 ley, where farming is dependent upon irrigation, will doubtless pro- 

 vide them for many years to come with the proper kind of surround- 

 ings for nesting and feeding. 



Wilson Snipe 



Gallinago delicata (Ord) 



Other names — Jack Snipe; English Snipe; American Snipe; Gallinago 

 wilsoni; Scolopax vnlsoni ; Gallinago media; Gallinago media wilsoni. 



Description — Adults, hoth sexes, at all seaso7is: Top of head velvety black, 

 with a median creamy or whitish longitudinal stripe running back from base 

 of upper mandible, and a similar one running along each side of head above eye; 

 a dark brownish stripe from side of bill (beneath light stripe last mentioned) 

 running to lower eyelid; side of head generally, mixed buffy and whitish, 

 flecked with dusky; a diagonal dark streak on lower cheek beneath ear; chin 

 white or cream-colored; bill "brown," terminal third "black"; iris "hazel" 

 (Audubon, 1842, V, p. 345) ; hind neck and side of neck streaked blackish and 

 buffy in fine pattern; back and scapulars velvety black, with extensive feather- 

 marginings of pale buffy or whitish, many feathers with irregular spots or 

 bars of tawny; the light markings tend to give the back a lengthwise striped 

 pattern; rump brownish gray, narrowly barred with white; upper tail coverts 

 barred with brownish black and pale buffy brown; tail velvety black with 

 subterminal bar of tawny followed by narrow bars of black, buffy and white, 

 the latter terminal; outer tail feathers lighter, the tawny being replaced by 

 pale drab; outer surface of closed wing slaty brown, many feathers margined 

 or tipped with white or buffy; outer web of outermost primary white; some of 

 tertials irregularly banded with brownish and pale drab; under surface of wing 

 and axillars barred with blackish brown and white; under surface of flight 

 feathers dusky; throat and chest buffy drab, the feathers with irregular 

 dusky brown shaft streaks, giving a distinctly mottled effect; abdomen white; 

 under tail coverts tawny, narrowly barred with dusky; sides and flanks barred 

 with dusky brown and white; feet olive green. Males: Total length 10.50- 

 11.94 inches (266-303 mm.) (three specimens from California and Alaska) ; 

 folded wang 4.75-5.06 (120.4-128.5); bill along culmen 2.44-2.61 (61.9-66.3): 

 tarsus 1.15-1.30 (29.1-33.1) (ten specimens from California). Females: Total 

 length 10.00-10.94 (2i34-278) (two specimens from California); folded wing 



