1911] Swavih: Alas'ka Expedition of 1909. 49 



Macrorhamphus griseus scolopaceus (Say). 

 Long-billed Dowitcher. 



Three-mile arm, Kiiiu Island, was the only place where this 

 species was observed, several small flocks being seen from ]\Iay 

 3 to 6. Six specimens were secured on ]\Iay 3, all shot from the 

 same flock. Five of these birds are in almost perfect nuptial 

 plumage, there being but an occasional gray feather here and 

 there over the body; but the sixth (no. 9806) is still almost 

 entirely in the gray winter garb. They were feeding on the 

 mud flats together with large flocks composed of several species 

 of waders, but the dowitchers kept by themselves, and did not 

 mingle with the others. They were quite tame and easily 

 approached. 



I cannot see why griseus and scolopaceus should still be 

 regarded as distinct species, considering the evidence to the 

 contrary (see Ridgway, 1880, pp. 157-160; Howe, 1901, pp. 157- 

 162). As for the six specimens I secured, taken in the heart 

 of the range of M. scolopaceus, there is no one character ascribed 

 to the species that holds good through the series ; and one or 

 two of the birds (as no. 9808) if shot on the Atlantic coast 

 would probably pass unquestioned as ordinary examples of 

 M. griseus. The specific characters of scolopaceus, besides the 

 generally larger size and especially longer bill, are supposed to 

 lie in the summer plumage : the deeper toned and more uniform 

 cinnamon color of the lower parts covering the entire belly as 

 well as the breast, while the sides are barred instead of spotted. 

 The most that can be said of these six birds is that none is as 

 small as the minimum measurements given for M. griseus. In 

 all there is more or less whitish on the abdomen, some are 

 heavily spotted underneath, the spots extending well down on 

 the belly, and several have the sides distinctly spotted instead 

 of barred. 



Altogether it seems to me the height of inconsistency to con- 

 sider two such closely related forms as scolopaceus and griseus as 

 distinct species, while, to take a parallel case, Arquatella niari- 

 tima couesi is regarded merely as a race of A. maritima. There 

 is apparently far greater possibility of the breeding range of 



