BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 77 



Habitat. Temperate North America, chiefly in the interior, breeding from north- 

 ern Illinois and Utah northward to the Saskatchewan region ; south in winter to 

 Brazil and Patagonia. 



Bare and irregular migrant throughout the state, but at Erie bay 

 small flocks of these phalaropes are sometimes to be seen in the fall 

 swimming in the water like ducks. 



NOTE. The Bed Phalarope (Crymophilus fulicarius) which appears 

 to be more exclusively maritime than the others, can easily be dis- 

 tinguished by the bill, which is short, stout and broad, with lancet- 

 shaped tip. The Bed Phalarope was mentioned in the first edition of 

 the Birds of Pennsylvania on the authority of Mr. C. D. Wood, of Phil- 

 adelphia, who had two specimens, both of which I have since learned 

 were taken in New Jersey, and not at Philadelphia, as I had first been 

 informed. 



FAMILY SCOLOPACID^E. SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETO. 



About twenty species of this large and important family, including several species 

 which are eagerly sought after by the sportsmen and highly prized by epicures, are 

 found in Pennsylvania during migrations or as summer residents. The great majority 

 of the members of this family breed in high northern regions ; three species the 

 American Woodcock, the Spotted and Bartramian Sandpipers breed regularly and 

 generally throughout our state. Some of these birds are solitary, but most of the 

 species, when migrating are gregarious, and often they are seen in large flocks, 

 which frequently contain different species. Although many of these birds occur in 

 ail parts of the commonwealth, more species and individuals, particularly in large 

 flocks, are to bo observed during the spring and fall migrations at Erie bay and 

 about the lake shore in Erie county than in other localities of the state. The Snipes 

 and Sandpipers, with a few exceptions, inhabit commonly the muddy and sandy 

 shores of rivers, lakes, creeks and ponds ; they likewise frequent, swamps and 

 marshy meadow lands, and some of them are also to be found, usually, about bogs 

 and watery places in woods and thickets. "The general econony of these birds is 

 similar to that of a plover, a chief peculiarity being probably their mode of procur- 

 ing food, by feeling for it, in the majority of cases, in the sand or mud with their 

 delicately sensitive probe-like bill. The eggs are commonly four, parti-colored, 

 pointed at one end and broad at the other, placed with the small ends together in a 

 slight nest or mere depression on the ground ; the young run about at birth." 

 Coues Key of N. A. Birds. These birds subsist almost exclusively on an animal 

 diet, consisting mainly of insects, worms, water leeches, etc. 



GENUS SCOLOPAX LINN.EUS. 

 Scolopax rusticola LINN. 



European Woodcock. 



DESCRIPTION. 



"No outer primaries shortened or peculiar, the first narrowed somewhat on inner 

 web near end; first and second longest, third little shorter, fourth much shorter; 

 wings long, comparatively * * *. Generic characters, excepting those of wing, 

 much as in Philohela; same style of bill and feet and configuration of body and 

 head ; plumage similarly variegated above, but below barred crosswise through- 

 out ; size much superior. 



