150 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



GENUS PHILOMELA GRAY. (Page 147, pi. XLV., fig. 1.) 



Species, 



Adult : Occiput with three transverse bands of black alternating with three 

 much narrower ones of ochraceous, or yellowish rusty ; upper parts varied with 

 pale ashy, rusty, and black, the latter in form of large spots ; quills plain brownish 

 gray ; head, except as described above, chiefly plain cinnamon-ashy, relieved by a 

 dusky line from corner of mouth to eyes and another across ear-coverts; lower 

 parts plain light cinnamon, much tinged with light ashy. Downy young : General 

 color light rusty buff, unvaried on lower parts ; broad stripe down rump, and other 

 markings on upper parts very dark chestnut, or seal-brown. Length 10.50-11.75, 

 wing 4.80-5.70, culmen 2.50-nearly 3.00, tarsus 1.25, middle toe 1.37. Eggs 1.51 X 

 1.14, short ovate or rounded ovate, buffy, spotted with rusty brown and purplish 

 gray. Hab. Eastern United States, north to British Provinces, west to the Plains ; 

 accidental in Bermudas 228. P. minor (GMEL.). American Woodcock. 



GENUS GALLINAGO LEACH. (Page 147, pi. XLY., fig. 2.) 



Species. 



COMMON CHARACTERS. Tail with a subterminal band of rufous, succeeded by a 

 black bar; top of head blackish, divided medially by a line of pale buff; feathers of 

 back, etc., blackish, broadly edged exteriorly with pale buff; under wing-coverts, 

 axillars, and sides sharply and broadly barred with slate-color on a pure white 

 ground ; length 10.00-12.00. Eggs pale olive, olive-grayish, or pale olive-brown, 

 heavily spotted, especially on larger end, with deep brown and purplish gray. 



a 1 . Tail-feathers usually 14; under wing-coverts with white prevailing, the dark 

 bars everywhere narrower than the white interspaces ; culmen usually more 

 than |:80; wing 5.00-5.30, culmen 2.80-3.00, tarsus 1.25-1.45, middle toe 

 1.15-1.40; outer tail-feathers much broader than in G. delicata. Eggs 1.57 

 X 1.11. Hab. Europe and northern Asia and Africa; accidental in Bermu- 

 das, and occasional in Greenland. 



229. G. gallinago (LiNN.). European Snipe. 



a 2 . Tail-feathers usually 16 ; under wing-coverts everywhere broadly barred with 

 slate-color, these bars, as well as those on the axillars, nearly as broad as the 

 white interspaces; culmen usually less than 2.75; wing 4.90-5.60, culmen 

 2.50-2.70, tarsus 1.20-1.30, middle toe 1.10-1.35. Eggs 1.55 X 1-09. Hab. 

 Whole of North and Middle America, and West Indies, and northern South 

 America ; breeding from northern United States northward. 



230. G. delicata (ORD). Wilson's Snipe. 



GENUS MACRORHAMPHUS LEACH. (Page 149, pi. XLVI., fig. 2.) 



Species. 



COMMON CHARACTERS. Rump and upper tail-coverts white, the former with 

 U- or Y-shaped marks, the latter with transverse bars, of dusky ; tail grayish dusky, 



