796 MACRORHAMPHUS 



with black, the middle feathers rusty ochreous, the rest white ; sides of 

 head, throat, and under parts rusty red, paler on the lower abdomen ; sides 

 of neck and upper flanks spotted, lower flanks and under tail-coverts barred 

 with black ; iinder wing-coverts and axillaries white, barred with blackish 

 grey ; bill blackish brown ; legs pale olivaceous ; iris brown. Culmen 2 '35, 

 wing 57, tail 2'45, tarsus T4 inch. Sexes alike. In winter the crown, 

 nape, and upper parts are dull ashy grey, the back slightly marked with 

 blackish ; lower back nearly white ; no trace of rufous in the plumage ; 

 under parts white, the neck and breast clouded, and the flanks and under 

 tail-coverts barred with ashy grey. 



Hob. North America, breeding in the high north, wintering 

 in Central and South America ; of rare occurrence in S. Green- 

 land ; Britain, frequently in France, and twice in Denmark ; the 

 Chukchi Peninsula in N.E. Siberia, and has been twice obtained 

 in Japan. 



In habits it resembles the Sandpipers and Godwits, and has 

 nothing in common with the Snipes except its bill. In winter 

 and on passage it collects in flocks, and frequents marshy 

 localities and mud-flats, feeding on worms and insects of 

 various kinds. It breeds in Arctic America in June, the nest 

 being a depression in the ground, usually in a grassy hummock 

 in marshy places, the lining being merely a few dry leaves. 

 The 4 eggs vary in ground-colour from clay-olive to greyish 

 ochreous, and the markings, which are collected chiefly at the 

 larger end, are dark umber-brown. In size they measure about 

 175 by 1-22. 



1098. SEMIPALMATED SNIPE. 



MACRORHAMPHUS SEMIPALMATUS. 



Macrorliamphus semipalmatus, Jerdon : Blyth, J. A. Soc. Beng. xvii. 

 p. 252 (1848) ; (David and Oust.), Ois. Chine, p. 474, pi. 121 ; 

 (Tacz.), F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 936 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. 

 p. 257 ; Eidgway, p. 151 ; M. taczanowskii (Verreaux), Kev. and 

 Mag. 1860, p. 206, pi. 14 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 400. 



$ ad. (Dauria). Differs from M. griseus in being larger, in having the 

 lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts closely marked and barred with 

 blackish brown ; the under parts more uniform rufous, unspotted on the 

 throat and breast, and the under wing-coverts white, unbarred ; beak and 

 legs black ; iris dark brown. Culmen 3'03, wing 6'68, tail 3'0, tarsus 

 T97 inch. In winter dress it may be distinguished by the barred rump, &c., 

 the unbarred axillaries and under wing-coverts, and the flanks and under 

 tail-coverts less barred. In general appearance and size it resembles L. 

 lapponica, being very Godwit-like, but is readily distinguishable by its 

 barred rump and snipe-like bill. 



