562 RED-BREASTED SNIPE. 



Mississippi valley a slightly larger form prevails, with somewhat longer 

 bill and brighter coloration in summer, and for this many American 

 ornithologists have adopted the name scolopaceus, either specifically 

 or sub-specifically. Both forms occur in winter in the Gulf States 

 and among the West Indian Islands, while it is admitted that birds 

 undistinguishable from those of the Atlantic race occur on the 

 barren-grounds and in Alaska — the summer-quarters of the western 

 form — as well as down the Pacific side of America. For the purposes 

 of the present work we may unite the two under one heading 

 and say that the Red-breasted Snipe breeds throughout the Fur 

 countries, migrating in winter as far south as Brazil on the east side 

 and Chili on the west, while a few wanderers cross the Pacific to 

 Japan and North-eastern Siberia. Its spring arrival on Long Island, 

 near New York — where it is known by the name of ' Dowitcher ' — 

 takes place towards the end of April, and within a month the most 

 northern of its breeding-grounds have been reached. 



According to Messrs. Dall, MacFarlane, Nelson and others, the 

 eggs, 4 in number, are laid in June in some slight hollow in a 

 tussock near a lake or marsh-pool ; their colour is greenish-grey or 

 brownish-olive, blotched with dark umber : average measurements 

 175 by 1*22 in. The young are full-grown and on the wing by the 

 end of July, and early in August the adults begin to lose their red 

 breeding-plumage, while by September they have fully assumed their 

 grey winter garb, and have formed' large flocks. Owing to its tame- 

 ness this species affords no sport, and if disturbed merely utters 

 a short weel on taking flight, soon settling down again by the side 

 of the water, in which it seeks the small insects, worms and marine 

 bivalves which constitute its food. 



This bird is rather larger than the Common Snipe, and may 

 be recognized at all seasons by the pure white shaft of the first 

 primary, the white axillaries and lower back, and the black-and-white 

 bars on the upper tail-coverts. In summer the upper as well as the 

 under parts are suffused with pale chestnut, and the central tail- 

 feathers are barred with black on a rufous ground, the outer pairs 

 being marbled with black and white ; bill dark olive ; irides reddish- 

 hazel ; legs and feet pale olive. Whole length lo-ii in.; wing 

 5 '5 in. The sexes are alike in plumage. The young are much 

 greyer than the adults, and only the margins of the feathers of the 

 mantle are rufous. In winter the general plumage is grey, and 

 except for its size and length of bill the bird is then just like a Dunlin 

 in the dress of that season. 



