78 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



" Cock bird. Colors above harmoniously blended and varied black, brown, 

 chestnut and yellowish-gray ; under parts brownish-white, regularly wavy-barred 

 throughout with dark brown. A dusky stripe from bill to eye. Top and back of 

 head brownish-black and brown, divided by three or four cross-bars of brownish- 

 white and brown. Each feather of upper parts chestnut and black, in variegation, 

 the black usually forming a large sub-terminal spot. Yellowish-gray tending to 

 form a scapular stripe on each side of back. Quills and coverts of wings blackish, 

 pretty regularly varied with dark chestnut bars, on the larger quills this chestnut 

 paler and reduced to marginal indentations ; outer web of first primary plain whitish. 

 Upper tail-coverts rich chestnut, little varied with black, with pale tips. Tail feathers 

 black, with angular chestnut indentations of outer webs ; their tips gray from above, 

 viewed from below glistening silvery-white. Under parts brownish-white, more or 

 less suffused with chestnut-brown on breast, the regular dusky barring only giving 

 way on the whitish throat, changing to lengthwise streaks on under tail-coverts. 



Hen. Unmistakably similar substantially the same ; grayer above, much ot the 

 russet mottling of the male replaced by hoary-gray, * * * (about a third larger 

 than P. minor) ; weight 12 to 15 ounces. Over a foot long ; wing seven inches or 

 more ; tail 3 ; bill only about as long as in our woodcock." Cone's Key to N. A. 

 Birds. 



Habitat. Northern parts of the Old World ; occasional in eastern North America. 



From several reports, about a half dozen in all, received during- the last 

 ten years, from gunners in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, I am 

 inclined to the opinion that this bird is ofteuer met with on this side of 

 the Atlantic than it is generally supposed. Not having any specimens 

 of the European Woodcock in my collection, I have quoted from Dr. 

 Cone's Key, a very full description of the generic and specific characters 

 of the species, in order that sportsmen will have no difficulty in identi- 

 fying stragglers which may come into their possession. At least two of 

 these birds have been captured, during recent years, in Pennsylvania. 

 Dr. John W. Det wilier informs me that Mr. John Mack, of Bethlehem, 

 shot one several years ago, while hunting American Woodcock, in North 

 ampton county. In the early part of November, 1886, Mr. David M. 

 McFarland, a prominent banker, residing at West Chester, killed a large 

 female of this species, when hunting quail on the "barrens," in East 

 Nottingham township, Chester county. September, 1889, I found one 

 of these woodcock in the possesion of a game dealer in Philadelphia, 

 which he said had been sent to him, with a lot of Sora and reed birds, 

 from New Jersey. This bird, unfortunately, was too far gone to be pre- 

 served. 



GENUS PHILOHELA GRAY. 

 Philohela minor (GMEL.). 



American Woodcock : Bog-sucker ; Wood-snipe. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 79). 



Body rather heavy ; neck short and thick ; eyes, head and bill large ; ears beneath 

 eyes ; wings short and rounded, the first three primaries very narrow and shorter 

 than fourth ; fourth and fifth primaries longest. The tarsi about 1.25 long, are rather 

 stout ; tibiae feathered to the joints ; toes long and slender, without marginal mem- 



