568 SCOLOPACID.E. 



the first quill-feather, which is the longest in the wing, nine 

 inches ; length of the tarsus three inches ; of the naked part 

 above, one inch and three quarters. 



The male in summer has the beak black for half its length 

 from the point, the basal half pale orange ; irides hazel ; 

 from the gape to the eye a dark streak produced by small 

 black spots on feathers of a reddish brown ; over this and 

 around the eye a ring of pale brown ; top of the head and 

 the ear-coverts reddish brown streaked with black ; the neck 

 all round, before and behind, a reddish fawn colour ; the fea- 

 thers on the back in spring become dark brown, almost black 

 at the base and on the centre ; the ends, which were of an 

 ash colour in winter, become rufous by degrees till the 

 darker feathers with reddish margins pervade the whole of 

 the back : the wing-primaries are more decidedly black, 

 the white coloured portion more pure and conspicuous ; 

 the tail the same at all seasons ; the breast white, barred 

 across with rufous brown and dark brown ; the thighs and 

 belly more sparingly barred with dark brown only ; vent and 

 under tail-coverts white ; legs, toes and claws, brownish 

 black. 



Whole length of a male sixteen inches ; beak alone three 

 inches and a quarter. 



Young birds of the year are during their first autumn 

 tinged with red on the neck, and may be distinguished 

 throughout their first winter from old birds by their smaller 

 size, and by the ash brown tint which pervades their neck 

 and the upper part of the breast : the white of the lower part 

 of the breast is also clouded with ash grey. 



