SCOLOPACID.E— THE SNIPE FAMILY. 69 



Hab. North America in general, especially the interior; broodinK chiefly in the interior 

 of British America and the Yukon district; migrating south to Peru and Uruguay. Fre- 

 quent in Europe. No West Indian record, except Cuba. 



Sp. Char. Bill shorter than the head, .straight, compressed, narrow at the point; nasal 

 groovr long; wings very long. Ilrst quill longest, tho tortials rather .shorter; tail moder- 

 ate or longer than usual in this group; legs rather long, lower third of the tiliia nuked; toes 

 free at base, flattened underneath, and slightly margined; hind toe small. Upiier paits pale 

 and dull ochraceous, wllh an ashy tinge; every feather with a large central, lanceolate, 

 crescont-shaped, or oblong spot of black, fre(iuently with a glossy green tinge, especially 

 on the back and shorter tertials. Under parts light ochraceous or p le fawn-color, many 

 feathers tipped with white, and paler on the flanks and abdomen, on the breast with par- 

 tially concealed small s|>ots of black; axillary feathers white. Quills white, their outer webs 

 light brown, inner webs ashy white marbled with black and narrowly tipped with white; 

 middle tail-feathers brownish black; outei- feathers lighter, with transverse waved linis of 

 black on the terminal half, and tipped with white: under primary- coverts beautifuUr 

 marbled with black. Bill greenish black: legs greenish yellow. Young. Generally simi- 

 lar, but tbe upper parts witli the black and fawn-color less sharply contrasted, and each 

 feather with a conspicuous terminal border of white. Marbling on inner webs of primaries 

 and on under primary-coverts much more minute and delicate than in the adult. "Bill dull 

 olive-green, dusky toward the point; iris hazel; feet dull yellowish green, claws dusky." 

 (Audubon.) 



Total length, about 7.. 50-8.011 inches; wing, 5.l0-r...';o; culmen, .T.'i-.wi; tarsus. 1.15-1.80; 

 middle toe. .7.5-. 85. 



Thi.s handsome species is, so far as we know, one of the rarer 

 migrants in Illinois. Mr. Nelson mentions a single specimen ''in 

 the collection of Mr. Tl. P. Clarke, obtained upon the Lake 

 shore, at Chicago, September 4th, 1873," and is inclined to 

 doubt Dr. Hoy's .statement (Wis. Agr. Rep. 1852) that it is 

 "quite common" near Racine, Wis., from September 15th to 

 October lOth. It may be, however, that it is not so rare as 

 Mr. Nelson supposes, but has escaped his observation, since in 

 other poi'tions of the Mississi])pi Valley' it is very abundant. 



Sriii-A.Mii-v NUMENIN^. 



Chab. Back of tarsus covorod with small hexagonal scale's ; bill mmh longer than tjir- 

 sus, decidedly do<!urvcd or arched. 



Genus NUMENIUS P.kisson. 



Nmiieniiia Bbiss. Orn. vi, I'lM, 311. Type. St-ohiitnx arquala Linn. 



Cbab. lycgs covered anteriorly with transverse Bcntollfc, laterally and behind with 

 small hexagonal scales. Bill very long, exceeding the tibia, and curved downwnnl for the 

 terminal half: the e\ilmen rounded. Tip of bill expanded laterally and club-shaped. 

 Orooves of bill not n'achlng beyond the ndddle. Tertials as long as primaries. 



Hill variable in length, always longer than tarsus, sometimes exceeding tar><usand loos. 

 It Is nearly straight at the base, then docurvlng quite rapidly to the tip. where the upper 

 mandible Is thickened downward beyond and over the lower. Lateral grooves oonupyInK 



