SCOLOPACID.K — THK SXIPK FAMILY - LIMOSA. 



259 



ilii' crown, iiaiK', and lore* sln-uk*-"! wiili ilii^ky. Axilliirsaml lining' of the wing white, irn-gularly 

 liarwl anil s|M>ti<<l with iln*ky ^nivish. U'iufir pliiinuije : Aliovc, jiliiin l»ri>wni^h j^ray, iH-neath, 

 iiliiin whitish ; runip, ii|>|N'r lail-i'iivcrl-, tail, axillars, t'tc., as in suninu'r. Yniniij: Alxive, iiirlmU 

 iii^' win>,'-c''iviTt-, li'^ht ;,'iayi-h I'Ull', nr [pali- tlny-iolni-, coarsely aiiil ii'rcj,'ularly s|)i)itcil willi liiiskv, 

 till" latti-r chiclly aloiij,' lli<' cri'tii-> nl' the Iraliu'is, ami showing,' as cniispiciious slial't-stri'.'iks nn the 

 »iiiL;-c">vrrts ; lower |Kiris hntry whiti>li, >liailt'il across the jii;;uliiin ami hreast with "h-eiier ;,'rayi!*h 

 l>iifr: in iitlit-r n-s|K-cts liki- the aiiujt. 



Total icnu'th. aliont hi inches ; win;.'. K.L'."i-!(.|."> ; culniL'n,;}.l.")-;j.5"» ; tai-suw, 2.<Ht-:i 20 ; niiilille 



I..,. 1. 1(1-1. JO. 



Tlieii' is ciiiisiih-i-nhh- variation auiono imiiviiliials in tiie ileptli and continuity of the cinnamon- 

 color on the lower snil'ace 



Tile relationship of this form is un<|ue>tioMalily very close to /,, liijijiniiitii, of which it cannot 

 111' coMsi(li'ii'<l more than a ;ieoo|-i|,||i,-j|l race or -iili-siiecies, the iliffereiu'es lieinj; vory slioht, 

 :ililinii;ili M|ipari-nlly lonstanl. These lonsi-l in the ratliei paler shade of cinnamon on the lowc-r 

 y.al^ in the sunnner plumage, and in the ^.'ravish itistead of distinctly white rump, in all stiigt-M of 

 plumn^'c. 



.\ustralian examph-x ap|H-ar to Ih- i|uite identical with those from Alaska. 



'I'liis .spccjis i.s inili i|<-il in tin- fiiiiiiii nf Nurtli .Viiit'iicii ii.s n suiiinior resident of 

 .Mii.skii Tt-rritHry. whcit- it, wa.s incf with by .Mr. I>all wiiilc ciij^aK'''! oii the Tclf^iiipli 

 i;x|ieilitif>ii. Itsilisnivfrv iis a hiid of .\laska was tint' of tin- mo.st iiitt'rt'.stiii;,' aiiioiij^ 

 tlir re.siilts (if that siirvi'v. as its cxisti'iiit' in North .Vmcriea had not Ix-t'ii fvcii sus- 

 peelcd In'I'oi')' it had Im-ih thus taken. 



So far as had Ihmmi prfviniisly ascertained, its raiij;e. dtiriiij; the winter months, 

 li:id heeti (ivi-r I'lilynesia. .Viistralia. Kastern and Sutitliern .\sia. and •lapan. In 

 summer it was kin>wn tt> f^o imltli to Siheiia. where .Middeiidorff found it Ineedinj^ 

 on the Taimyr K'iver. in latitude 7.*" N. Speeiniens from Polynesia were lirou^ht 

 lionie liy the I'liit'-d ."states Kxplorino l*]xpedition. 



Mr. Switiiioe nuMitions that a pair of this speeies was (d)served fecdiiij^ in eoinpany 

 with a lar:.,'e fhiek <d' (iudwits in the shallows of tiie ereek at lIuiiKpe. on the Island of 

 liiiiiaii. oti the ."lOili (d .Mareli. 'I'JM'y were seemed, and proved to lie very nearly in 

 rull summer plunia;;e. I'liree days lattM'iinotlter example, in the full winter |iliimage, 

 was olil. lined dii tin' sandy slmres df litiehow ilarlior. 



Captain F. W. Mutton (••lliis." 1.S71) states that this liird was seen .several time„ 

 on the Chatham Islands, althoiij^di he did not sm-eeed in (ilitainiiiK' iiiiy speeimeiiH. 

 These examph's were apparently mdy iniKnitoiy. leavinj^ the Islands in winter. 



Iti the PriieeedinoH iif the Philadelphia .Xeadiiny. lS."i,S, Mr. Cassin refers to a 

 species of Limos.i friini daiiaii. which .Mr. Swinhoe states to lie prdlialily this due. 

 lioth Mr. .Swinhoe (•• litis." l.S7."i) and .Messrs. Illakiston and I'lyer mention its 

 occurretwe in dilTeie-it parts nl .lapati. especially \'es(i and ^'okohalua. The .Messrs. 

 l-ayard (•• Iliis,"" IH7N. p. L'til,') cite this species as a bird of New Caledonia. 



.Mr. Dall states that this species was very eoinmon at the mouth of the Yukon 

 Itiver, and al.so on the Piistolik marshes to t ho tiortli of it. It is the laip'st Snipe 

 found in the country. iM-in;,' ipiite as lar'^e in Imdy as a Teal, ami very excidleiit ealiii;,'. 

 lie adds that it lays two lioht-<ilivaceous atnl spotted e}j;Ks in a rounded depressitm 

 ill a sedp> tusstM-k. and that the nest consists of a lining of dry Ki'iisses. 



.Mr. II. \Y. Klliott met with this s|ieeies from time to time dnriii:,' his stay on the 

 I'lyliilof Islands, and s]N-aks of it as only mioratoiy there, and never lireedin^. It 

 I'omes in a straj,'Klin>; manner early in May, passino; mirthward with Imt little dtday. 

 and re-appeariiifj towani the end of Au!,'ust in Hocks of from a do/en to fifty. 



.\ set of the.se e),'f,'s. two in numlier. are in the Smithsonian Colle<ti<in. One of 

 these ineaHtiit's 'J.'J't incln's in length by 1, (•'> in breadth. The giuund-eolor of one is 



