BAY-BIRDS. 174 
length of the head; straight, tapering, and flattened 
towards the end; eyes rather large, placed high in 
the head, and far back from the bill; neck of mode- 
rate length, and rather thick; body full; wings 
rather long and pointed ; tail moderate and rounded ; 
legs moderate ; toes slender and rather long, except 
the hind one; middle toe longest, and connected at 
the base with the inner by a slight web, the outer 
one being free. 
DowircHEr. 
Dowitch—Brown Back—Quail-Snipe—Red-Breasted Snipe. 
Scolopax Noveboracensis, Wils. 
This is a beautiful, excellent, and plentiful bird ; it 
abounds in the marshes during the entire summer, 
congregates in vast flocks, and although uttering a 
faint call itself, is attracted to the decoys by the ery 
of the yellow-legs, or almost any sharp whistle. Itis 
remarkably gentle, individuals often alighting when 
their associates are slain, in spite of the unusual 
uproar ; and it can be more readily approached than 
any of the bay-birds. Its flesh, moreover, is quite 
delicate, and when fat somewhat similar to that of 
the English snipe, which it greatly resembles in 
appearance. In general color it is brownish, with a 
light abdomen, but occasionally the breast is as red 
as that of a robin’in full plumage. Its flight is 
steady, although when alarmed it “ skivers,” or darts 
about rapidly, and as it flies in close ranks, it suffers 
proportionally. Although it is rather looked down 
