ONTARIO. 



chestnut ; sides waved with dusky ; belly dull white; quills blackish, the 

 outer white edged. Length, 9-1 1 ; wing, 4^-5! ; bill, about 2^ ; whole naked 

 portion of leg and foot, about 3. 



Hab. North and Middle America, breeding from Northern United 

 States northward ; south in winter to West Indies and Northern South 

 America. 



Nest usually a depression in a grassy meadow. 



Eggs 3 to 4 ; grayish-olive, heavily marked with umber-brown and 

 irregular lines of black. 



This is the Snipe of America, although the name is often 

 erroneously apphed toother species. It is sometimes called 

 English Snipe, owing to the close resemblance it bears to the 

 British bird, but those who have compared the two species 

 state, positively that they are different in their markings, besides 

 which the American Snipe has 16 tail feathers, whereas the 

 English bird has only 14. 



In Southern Ontario it is found in considerable numbers in 

 spring and fall, and it is also said to breed sparingly through- 

 out the country. 



In the List of Birds of Western Ontario it is stated that 

 "many breed in the St. Clair marshes," and mention is made of 

 a pair having been shot thereon the 17th of May, 1882. 



Wherever it appears it is eagerly sought after both on ac- 

 count of the excellency of its flesh and the enjoyment it affords 

 to the sportsman. It arrives toward the end of April, passes 

 north for the summer and in the fall remains here till October. 



Genus MACRORHAMPHUS Leach. 



87. MACRORHAMPHUS GRISEUS (Gmel.). 23L 



Dov^itcher. 



Tail and its coverts, at all seasons, conspicuously barred with black and 

 white (or tawny), lining of the wings and axillars the same ; quills dusky, 

 shaft of first primary, and tips of the secondaries, except long inner ones, 

 white ; bill and feet greenish-black. In 'summer, brownish-black above, 

 variegated with bay ; below brownish-red, variegated with dusky ; a tawny 



91 



