SCOLOPACID.E - THE SNIPE FAMILY — BAIITIIAMIA. 



205 



Moiitiigu kept sovoral of these birds in coniineiiieut a ihhuIkt ol' years. In this 

 coiidition tlie luah's tooii no other iiotiee ol' the females than to drive them from the 

 Idiiil; invariahly (luarrtdlinj; with eaeh otlior, Itut takinj,' no notice of otht'r species, 

 anil feeding,' in perfect amity out of the same disli with Laud-Uails and other birds 

 (■(intiued witii tiiem. 



When the llheeves, as the females are called, hv^'m to lay, both they and the IJulfs 

 ;nv least shy, and are easily eau},dit. The females lay their egi,'s dnrinL,' the tirst 

 (ir second week in May, and their younj,' are sometimes hatched out as early as .Inne 

 ;i. The nest is usually placed on a slight elevation in moist, swami)y places, sur- 

 rounded by coarse grass, of which material it is chietly nuide. The eggs are four in 

 iiundier, have an olive ground-color, and are nuirked with spots and blotches of und)er 

 and liver-brown. They are of an oblong jiyriform shape, and measure l.GO inches in 

 length by 1. 00 inches in their greatest breadth. The young, which are i)rettily 

 siiettcd when covered with down, soon leave the nest, and are dilUcult to tiud without 

 a good dog. 



I 



Gknits BARTRAMIA, Lesson. 



Bartramia, Lessos, Triiitu d'Orii. 1831, 553 (type, li. latkaiulu, Less., = Tringa longicauda, 



HwllST. ), 



Acltibinis, Itox.vi". Sii^'j,'io, etc., 1831,143 (type, Trimja Bartramia, AVii.s.,= Tringa lunijicauUa 



Bechst.). 

 Euliga, NuTT. Jlan. IL 1831 (same tyi>c). 



C'hah. l'|)per mandible grooved liiterally to within the tcniiinal fourth, the lower not (piitu 

 .solar. Cuhnen concave to near the ti[i, where it is slightly decurved ; ;,'onys straii;ht. Mouth 

 ilccply del't, almost as far back as the anterior canthus. The eulnieii oidy about two thirds the 

 cuinniis.sure, shorter than the head or tarsus, and about uipial to middle toe withoiU claw, i'eath- 



ti, hinijicauda. 



ers extending much farther forward on the upper Jaw than on the lower, although those of chin 

 ri.'aih nearly to end of nostrils. Tarsus one and one half times nnddlu toe and claw ; the bare 

 part of tibia not (juite e(iual to the nnddle toe above ; outer toe united at base as far tis lii-st joint ; 

 Web of inner toe very basal. Tail long, graduated, more than half the wings. 



