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darker ; feet bluish. Length fifteen inches and a half, wing eight 

 and a half. Young with the lower parts brownish-gray, the ferru- 

 ginous markings wanting. 



This bird with us is not as plentiful as the former, and is known 

 to the gunners by the name of " Ring-tailed Marlin," — so called 

 from the white band crossing the tail feathers. A few are shot 

 every season on the shores of Long Island, and are occasionally 

 procured on the sea coast of the Eastern States. Though not abun- 

 dant in the middle districts, it is by no means a rare species. It is 

 said to breed abundantly on the barren grounds near the Arctic 

 seas, from whence it migrates through the interior, or along the 

 coast of the Pacific. Its habits are nearly allied to the preceding, 

 with which it sometimes associates. 



GENUS SCOLOPAX — LINN. 



SNIPE. 



[Bill long — twice the length, or more, than the head — straight tapering, flat- 

 tened toward the end ; eyes rather large, placed high in the head, and far back 

 from the bill; neck of moderate length and rather thick; body full ; wings 

 rather long and pointed ; tail of moderate length and rounded ; legs moderate ; 

 toes slender, rather long — hind toe short ; middle toe longest, and connected at 

 the base with the inner by a slight web — outer toe free.] 



SCOLOPAX WILSONII— TEM. 



WILSON'S SNIPE. 



Scolopax Wilsonii, Bonap. Syn. 



Snipe, Scolopax gallmago, Wils. Amer. Orn. 



Scolopax Wilsonn, Wilson's Snipe, Sw. & Rich. 



Wilson's Snipe, Nutt. Man. 



American Snipe, Scolopax Wilsonii, Aud. 



Specific Character — Upper parts blackish-brown, variegated with 

 pale reddish-brown ; the fore neck and fore part of the breast 

 pale reddish-brown, streaked with brownish-black ; sides of the 

 body barred with dusky ; abdomen white ; basal part of tarsi 

 black, toward the end a broad band of brownish-red, succeeded by 



