594 SCOLOPACID.E. 



by two bars of yellow wood-brown ; eacli feather of the neck 

 below, pale brown, edged with dark brown ; the back greyish 

 brown, varied with reddish brown, and dark umber-brown ; 

 all the wing-coverts reddish brown, Avitli open oval rings of 

 dark brown ; primary quill-feathers blackish brown, with tri- 

 angular spots of pale reddish brown along the margin of each 

 web ; secondaries and tertials of the same ground colour, 

 blackish brown, but the light-coloured marks are more elon- 

 gated, and extend from the margin of the web to the shaft 

 of the feather ; rump and upper tail-coverts chestnut-brown, 

 tinged with grey and barred transversely with dark brown ; 

 tail-feathers black above, tipped Avitli pure dark grey ; chin 

 very pale yellow brown ; neck in front, breast, and all the 

 under surface of the body, wood-brown, transversely barred 

 with dark brown, both shades of brown on the under sur- 

 face becoming lighter in old birds ; under wing-coverts pale 

 brown, barred with dark brown ; under surface of the quill- 

 feathers dry-slate grey, the triangular markings yellowish 

 grey ; under surface of the tail-feathers nearly black, tipped 

 with delicate snow-white ; legs and toes livid brown, claws 

 black. 



The whole length about fourteen inches and a half. From 

 the carpal joint to the end of the wing, eight inches and a 

 half; the second quill- feather the longest. 



As in thjs family generally, the females of the Woodcock 

 are larger than the males at the same age ; the youngest 

 birds have the shortest beaks. Females have the upper part 

 of the back more black, and the lower part of the back more 

 red, than males. 



Males have the forehead more inclined to grey, with the 

 chin white ; and the space above and below the decided dark 

 brown mark from the beak to the eye much lighter in co- 

 lour, almost white, with the small dark triangular speck at 

 the end of these light-coloured feathers better defined : the 



