172 BAY-BIRDS. 
upon by persons who wish to make a show of large 
birds, I am always entirely satisfied with a good bag 
of well-conditioned dowitchers. 
“ Snecific Character—Spring plumage, upper 
parts brownish-black, variegated with light brown- 
ish-red ; lower parts dull orange-red, abdomen paler, 
spotted and barred with black; rump white; the 
tail feathers and the upper and lower tail-coverts, 
alternately barred with white and black. In autumn 
the upper parts are brownish-grey ; the lower parts 
greyish-white; the tail feathers and the upper 
and lower tail-coverts the same as in spring. 
Adult with the bill towards the end black, lighter 
at the base; top of the head, back of the neck, 
scapulars, tertials, and fore part of the back, 
blackish-brown, variegated with ferruginous ; second. 
aries and wing-coverts clove-brown, the latter edged 
with white, the former tipped with the same; 
hind part of back white; the rump marked with 
roundish spots of blackish-brown ; upper tail-coverts 
dull white, barred with black; tail feathers crossed 
with numerous black bands, their tips white; loral 
band dusky, the space between which and the medial 
band on the fore part of the head, greyish-white, 
tinged with ferruginous, and slightly touched with 
dusky; sides of the head spotted with dark-brown ; 
lower parts dull orange-red, the abdomen lighter ; 
the neck and fore part of breast spotted with dusky ; 
the sides of the body with numerous bars of the 
same color; legs and feet dull yellowish-green. 
Young with the lower parts paler. Winter dress, 
