GRALLJ5 — SCOLOPACIOE — SCOLOPAX. 257 



(EXTRA-LIMITAL.) 



S. drummondi. (Rich. F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 400.) Brownish black above, striped on the neck and 

 back with rufous. Rump and tail-coverts greenish barred with black, tipped with white. Beneath 

 dull brown, with central spots of dark brown. Length, 11*5; bill, 2*5. Northern regions. 



Sleucurus. (Id. ib. p. 501.) Tail of sixteen feathers ; the lateral ones pure white : three basal black 

 bands on the outer web. Belly transversely banded. Northern regions. 



GENUS RUSTICOLA. Vieillot. 



Bill robust, straight, nearly double the length of the tarsus, deeply grooved on each side of 

 the upper mandible, slightly depressed towards the end (which is blunt), and longer than 

 the lower one. Head large. Eyes large. Tibia entirely feathered : legs short. Toes 

 cleft to the base. Hind nail obtuse, not projecting beyond the claw. Wings short ; the 

 first three quills very narrow ; the fourth and fifth longest, subequal. 



Obs. This group, which was first separated from Scolopax by Vieillot, and subsequently 

 by Nuttall under the name of Micropteea, differs essentially from any of the species 

 belonging to the first named genus. It contains at present but one American authenticated 

 species. 



THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK.  



RtfSTICOLA MINOR. 



PLATE CIH. FIG. 231. 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Scolopax minor, Gmelin. Little Woodcock, Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 463, pi. 19. 

 S. id. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 6, p. 40, pi. 48, fig. 2. 

 S. (Rttsticola) id. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. Vol. 2, p. 331. 



8. id. Audubon, Birds of Am. Vol. 6, p. 15, pi. 352. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 195. Gibaud, Birds of 

 Long island, p. 269. 



Characteristics. Hind head black, with three narrow pale rufous bars ; beneath pale buff 

 or chesnut, not barred. Quills plain brown. Length, 11 '0. 



Description. Bill straight, knobbed and slightly drooping at the tip, 2*9 long. Feathers 

 of the flanks loosely webbed. Tail short, wedge-shaped. Eyes large, and near the summit 

 of the head. 



Color. Fore part of the head brownish ash ; all above black, varied with reddish and grey. 

 Wing-coverts rufous, barred obscurely with brown. Tail above black, bordered narrowly 

 [Fauna — Part 2.] 33 



