KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 273 



Family SCOLOPACID^. Snipes, Sandpipers, etc. 

 Genus PHILOHELA Gray. 



PHILOMELA niNOR {Gmel). 

 American Woodcock. 



Adult : Bill long, corrugated near the end ; upper parts variegated with tawny rufous brown 

 and black ; head rufous brown, banded on the occiput with alternate bands of black and tawny- 

 brown ; a line of black from the eye to the bill ; a narrow patch on the sides of the lower head, 

 blackish ; throat pale rufous or rufous white ; under parts of the body pale rufous ; quills 

 brownish ; tail feathers dusky tipped with ash ; bill pale brown, yellowish at the base ; legs red- 

 dish ; bill light brown ; paler and yellowish at base. 



Length, 11.50; Wing, 5.45 ; Tarsus, 1.30; Bill, 2.90 to 3.05. 



Common on the Atlantic coast from Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico, 

 breeding, as a rule, north of the Carolinas. It is occasionally observed in 

 Florida in winter and is very abundant in the swamps of Alabama and 

 Louisiana at some seasons. The eggs are usually four, mottled and spotted 

 with brown. 



Genus GALLINAGO Leach. 



GALLINAQO DELICATA {Onl). 

 Wilson's Snipe. English Snipe. 



Bill long and straight, being slightly enlarged near the tip and showing numerous small pits ; 

 no web on toes ; general upper parts dark brown, tawny brown, pale yellow, dull white; top of 

 the head black with middle stripe of tawny brown ; outer web of first primary white ; greater 



