THE SNIPE-TATTLERS. 305 



brown instead of white, and by the upper tail coverts being 

 white, with the longer ones banded. Its yellow legs are also a 

 specific character. 



Range in Great Britain. Only two specimens are recorded as 

 having been met with in this country: one in Nottingham- 

 shire some years ago, and another in Cornwall, in September, 

 1871. 



Range outside the British Islands. The present species breeds in 

 Arctic America, from Hudson's Bay to Alaska, and south to 

 Lake Superior, and probably to the vicinity of Chicago. In 

 winter it migrates to Central and Southern America as far as 

 Patagonia and Chili. 



Habits. Mr. D. G. Elliot writes: "This Snipe is very soci- 

 able, goes in flocks of considerable size, and is always calling for 

 others to come and join it. It is easily decoyed, more so than 

 T. milanoleiicus, and as it approaches the lures, it lowers its 

 long legs and hovers over them. On the sea-coast, like all the 

 w.iders, it is apt to have a sedgy flavour, but this is not ap- 

 parent in the birds obtained in the interior away from salt- 

 water. " 



Nest. " A depression in the ground, placed amid the grass 

 near water, lined with twigs and leaves." 



Eggs. " Four in number, of a light drab-colour or brown, 

 blotched with chocolate or rufous, sometimes with a much 

 paler tint, pyriform in shape. Axis, i'5~i'75 inch; diam. 

 1-25" (Elliot). 



THE SNIPE-TATTLERS. GENUS MACRORHAMPIIUf. 



MacrorhatnphuS) Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. and Birds Brit. Mus. 

 p. 31 (18:6). 



Type, M. griseus (Gm.). 



This genus has generally been considered to be closely re- 

 latc-d to the true Snipes, but I think that its most natural place 

 will be found to be near the Godwits. Like these birds, it has 

 a very long bill, with the culmen exceeding the tail in length. 

 In appearance the bill is Snipe-like, and is slightly widened at 



II X 



