438 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



MACRORHAMPHTJS, LEACH. 



Macrorhamphus, " LEACH, Catal. Brit Birds, 1816." Gray. (Scolopax grisea*} 

 Gmelin. 



General appearance of Gallinago. Tarsi longer than middle toe ;' a short web 

 between the base of outer and middle toe. 



The membrane at the base of the toes will at once distinguish this genus from 

 Gallinago, though there are other characters involved. 



MACEOEHAMPHUS GRISEUS. (Gm.) Leach. 

 The Red-breasted Snipe ; Gray Snipe. 



Scolopax grisea, Gmelin. Syst. Nat., I. (1788) 658, No. 27. 

 Scolopax Noveboracensis, Wilson. Am. Orn., VII. (1813) 45. Aud. Orn. Biog., 

 IV. (1838) 285. Ib., Birds Amer., VI. (1843) 10. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Bill long, compressed, flattened, and expanded towards the end, and, in the same 

 space, punctulated and corrugated; wing rather long; shaft of first primary strong; 

 tail short ; legs rather long. 



Adult. Upper parts variegated with dark-ashy, pale-reddish, and black, the lat- 

 ter predominating on the back; rump and upper tail coverts white, the latter 

 spotted and barred transversely with black ; under parts pale ferruginous-red, with 

 numerous points and circular spots of brownish-black on the ,neck before, and 

 transverse bands of the same on the sides and under tail coverts ; axillary feathers 

 and under wing coverts white, spotted and transversely barred with black ; quills 

 brownish-black ; shaft of first primary white ; tail brownish-black, with numerous 

 transverse bands of ashy-white, and frequently tinged with ferruginous, especially 

 on the two middle feathers ; bill greenish-black ; legs dark greenish-brown. 



Younger. Entire under parts dull- white, strongly marked with dull-ashy on 

 the neck in front, and transverse bands of the same on the sides ; axillary feathers 

 and under wing coverts white, spotted with brownish-black ; upper parts lighter 

 than in the adult. 



Total length, about ten inches ; wing, five and three-quarters ; tail, two and a 

 quarter; bill, two and a quarter; tarsHS, one and a quarter inch. 



Hob. Entire temperate regions of North America. 



This handsome bird is found in small numbers in the 

 marshes along our coast, in the spring and autumn migra- 

 tions. It seldom penetrates into the inland waters of New 

 England, but prefers the salt marshes. I think that it is 

 much more of a beach bird than the Common Snipe ; for it 

 is often found on the beach of the seashore, while the 

 other is never seen there, so far as my experience goes. It 



