BIRDS OF NEW YORK 



303 



through the feathers of the rapidly vibrating wings, similarly to the winnow- 

 ing of pigeons' wings as heard about the dovecote. When this winnowing 

 of the Snipe is heard in the hush of a spring evening and without warning, 

 directly above one's head, the effect is quite startling and impressive. In 

 the breeding season the Snipe also has a mating call delivered as the bird 

 flies in a direct line over the swamp at a low elevation, consisting of a suc- 

 cession of curious notes resembling the syllables "kuk, kuk, kuk, kuk, kuk" 

 [Brewster]. I have heard this note often on the marshes of western New 

 York, but have never observed the bird alight on a tree, as Brewster states, 

 after uttering the call, but have seen it perch on a hummock or log after 

 the performance. 



The Wilson snipe lays her eggs, four in number, in the midst of the 

 grassy swamp on a slight hummock, or a tussock of grass, in a nest composed 

 of a few straws, leaves, or mosses. They are large, about 1.6 x 1.18 inches, 

 of a clay color or greenish olive, with blotches of chocolate and obscure 

 shell markings more heavy about the larger end. The chicks are covered 

 with a dark down, striped with buffy. 



Macrorhamphus griseus (Gmelin) 

 Dowitcher 



Plates 33, 34 



Scolopax grisea Gmelin. Syst. Nat. 1788. Ed. i. pt 2, p. 658 

 Scolopax noveboracensis DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 255 

 Macrorhamphus griseus A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 2. 1895. No. 23 1 



macrorhdm' phus , Gr. /tuiKpo?, long; pa/t<^os, beak; grl'seus, Lat., gray 



Description. Summer plumage: Upper parts blackish edged, mottled 

 or barred with dull buffy or cinnamon ; rump white, V-marked with blackish; 

 tail and its upper coverts barred with white and dusky; under parts pale 

 cinnamon becoming white on belly, mottled and barred with blackish, 

 except on belly; bill and legs greenish dusky. Winter plumage: Brownish 

 gray above, the rump and tail as in summer; throat and breast pale ashy; 

 belly white, sides barred with black. 



Length lo-ii inches; extent 17. 5-19; wing 5.25-5.9; bill 2.05-2.55; 

 tarsus 1. 3- 1. 4; middle toe and claw 1.2. 



Field marks. The Dowitcher resembles the Wilson snipe in size and 

 shape, but has a white rump and is less striped on the back and more buffy 



