﻿Observations 
  on 
  the 
  preceding 
  Paper. 
  By 
  George 
  N 
  Laav- 
  

   RENCE. 
  Read 
  January 
  7, 
  1849. 
  Plate 
  1. 
  

  

  The 
  snipe, 
  described 
  a 
  few 
  weeks 
  since 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Bell, 
  is 
  

   undoubtedly 
  identical 
  with 
  the 
  Limosa 
  scolopaoea 
  of 
  Say 
  ; 
  for 
  

   his 
  original 
  description, 
  see 
  the 
  Notes 
  to 
  Long's 
  Expedition, 
  

   vol. 
  ii., 
  p. 
  170. 
  

  

  As 
  it 
  is 
  considered 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  first 
  describer 
  of 
  a 
  species 
  that 
  

   the 
  specific 
  name 
  given 
  by 
  him 
  should, 
  if 
  possible, 
  be 
  retained, 
  

   I 
  think 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  done 
  in 
  this 
  instance. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Say 
  has 
  never 
  had 
  the 
  credit 
  of 
  his 
  discovery 
  before, 
  as 
  

   all 
  recent 
  writers 
  on 
  ornithology 
  have 
  supposed 
  his 
  bird 
  to 
  be 
  

   the 
  Red-breasted 
  Snipe, 
  Scolopax 
  grisea, 
  and, 
  consequently, 
  

   quoted 
  his 
  name 
  as 
  a 
  synonym 
  of 
  that 
  species. 
  He 
  placed 
  it 
  

   with 
  some 
  doubt 
  in 
  the 
  genus 
  Limosa, 
  which 
  he 
  considered 
  it 
  

   more 
  to 
  resemble 
  than 
  Scolopax 
  ; 
  but, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  

   thought 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  genus, 
  to 
  come 
  

   between 
  the 
  two. 
  He, 
  however, 
  proposed 
  no 
  generic 
  name, 
  

   although 
  he 
  gave 
  the 
  characteristics 
  upon 
  which 
  to 
  found 
  it. 
  

   I 
  have 
  thought 
  it 
  not 
  out 
  of 
  place 
  to 
  introduce 
  here 
  the 
  generic 
  

   characters 
  as 
  laid 
  down 
  by 
  him, 
  together 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  his 
  

   remarks, 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  " 
  It 
  may, 
  perhaps, 
  with 
  propriety, 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  the 
  type 
  

   of 
  a 
  new 
  genus, 
  and, 
  under 
  the 
  following 
  characters, 
  be 
  placed 
  

   between 
  the 
  genera 
  Scolopax 
  and 
  Limosa: 
  

  

  " 
  Bill 
  longer 
  than 
  thr 
  head, 
  dilated 
  and 
  rugose 
  at 
  tip 
  ; 
  tip 
  

   slightly 
  curved 
  downwards, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  dorsal 
  groove 
  ; 
  nasal 
  

   groove 
  elongated 
  ; 
  feet 
  long, 
  an 
  extensive 
  naked 
  space 
  above 
  

   the 
  knee 
  ; 
  toes 
  slightly 
  margined, 
  a 
  membrane 
  connecting 
  the 
  

   basal 
  joints 
  of 
  the 
  exterior 
  toes 
  ; 
  first 
  of 
  the 
  primaries 
  rather 
  

   longest." 
  

  

  