640 SCOLOPACIDJE. 



bird in the fur-countries, arid is seen either solitary or in 

 pairs on the banks of every river, lake, and marsh, up to 

 the northern extremity of the continent. It is very im- 

 patient of any intrusion on its haunts, and often betrays 

 the approach of the sportsman to the less vigilant of the 

 feathered tribes, by flying round his head, its legs hanging 

 down, and its wings drooping, and uttering its incessant 

 though plaintive cries. Previous to its retreating south- 

 wards on the approach of winter, it collects in small 

 flocks, and halts for a time on the shores of Hudson's 

 Bay." 



Pennant mentions that this species is found about New 

 York in autumn. Mr. Bullock is said to have had one 

 example in his museum, and, after some search, I found 

 one skin in the collection of a London dealer. 



The whole length of the bird is nine inches and three 

 quarters ; the bill, from the point to the commencement 

 of the feathers on the forehead, one inch and five-eighths ; 

 wing, from the anterior bend to the end of the longest 

 quill-feather, six inches, the first quill-feather the longest 

 in the wing ; the naked part of the leg one inch and a 

 half, thence to the junction of the toes two inches and 

 a quarter; length of the middle toe one inch and a 

 quarter. The bill black, upper mandible rounded in 

 form towards the point, the point itself projecting slightly 

 beyond the end of the lower mandible ; irides dark brown ; 

 top of the head, back of the neck, and upper part of the 

 back, ash grey, slightly varied with occasional darker- 

 coloured streaks; wing-primaries black, the shaft of the 

 first quill-feather white, the others with shafts of light 

 brown ; secondaries and wing-coverts greyish black, the 

 margins varied with white ; the plumage of the lower 

 part of the back almost black ; the upper tail-coverts 

 white, each of the few feathers between these surfaces 



