SCOLOPACID.E — THE SNIPE FAMILY — RHYACOPIIILUS. 



279 



Hab. The whole of North and Middle America and the greater part of South America, ranging 

 south to Brazil and Peru ; Ijreediiiu' throughout temperate North America, Ijut chielly nortiiward ; 

 accidental in Europe. 



Sp. Char. Adult in summer: Above, olivaceous slate, rather sparsely speckled with wliile, 

 the crown and nape indistinctly streaked with the same ; outer upper tail-coverts ban-ed with 

 white ; primaries and primary-coverts plain slate-black. Tail white (the middle feathers dusky), 

 all the feathers widely barred with dusky, these bars most numerous on outer webs, where extend- 



ing to the base of the feathers. Eyelids, supraloral stripe, and lower parts white ; the sides of 

 the head, neck (all round), and juguluni streaked with brownish slate ; remaining lower parts 

 immaculate. Lining of wing and axillars slate-color, regularly barred with white. JVinter phmuige : 

 Similar to the summer dress, but dark ashy above, less distinctly speckled, and foreiieck very 

 indistinctly streaked, or simply washed with ash}'. Young : Above, grayish brown (lighter and more 

 olivaceous than the adult), thickly speckled with buff ; crown and nape plain brownish gray; cheeks 

 and sides of neck nearly uniform gray ; foreneck streaked, as in the adult. 



Total length, about 8.00-8.50 inches ; extent, 15..50-16..5O ; wing, .5.()0-.5.40 ; culmen, 1.1.5-1.30; 

 tarsus, 1.25-1.30 ; middle toe, 1.00. Bill greenish brown (in life), dusky terminally; iiis brown ; 

 legs and feet olive-green in adult, more grayish in young. 



It is difficult to reconcile all the various statements in regard to the habits of 

 this species, either with our own observations or with tlie experience of more recent 

 observers. Audubon speaks of finding it nesting in Louisiana, AVilson of its breed- 

 ing in the highlands of Pemisylvauia, and Giraud considered it a summer resident 

 of Long Island from May to September. How far these statements are reconcilable 

 with fact, or how far they may be erroneous or exceptional, it is not easy to deter- 

 mine. It may be that, like the Common Snipe, this bird occasionally breeds iir 

 unusually southern localities. Mr. J. A. Allen met with it at Ipswich, Mass., in 

 June, under circumstances which led him to feel confident that the bird was breed- 

 ing there. The general rule, ho^vever, is that throughout the United States this 

 sjjecies is as decidedly migratory as the Winter Yellowleg, and that if it ever nests 

 south of latitude 43°, the instances are rare, exceptional, or caused by peculiar cir- 

 cumstances. It is common, though not abundant, in Massachusetts in spring and 

 fall, although not known to breed in that State. It comes in the spring in the latter 

 part of May, its stay being short, as it almost immediately passes on to its northern 

 breeding-places. It begins to re-apjjear in midsummer, or about the loth of July, 

 and is more or less common from that time up to the last of October. Maynard 

 obtained an example at Erroll, iST. H., as late as October 31, when the ponds were 

 frozen over ; and ]Mr. William Brewster met with partially grown j'oung in Pran- 

 conia, N. H., in August. 



]\Iajor Wedderburn states that this Sandpiper — w-hich reminded him so much, 

 both in appearance and in habits, oi Iifti/acojyhi/us r/lareola of Europe — is found every 



