SCOLOPACID.E — THE SNIPK FAMILY — SYMPHEMIA. 



285 



lower rather farther forward. Chin-feathers reaching to middle of nostrils. Bill longer than head ; 

 about e(iual to tarens, which is more than one and one half times the middle toe. Both toe.s webbed ; 

 the emargination of inner web as far Ibrward as the noddle of basal joint of middle toe, the outer 



S. semixxdinata. 



reaching nearly to the end. Bare portion of tiljia rather less than middle toe without daw. Tail 

 nearly evuu, or little rounded, not half the wincrs. 



Symphemia semipalmata. 



THE WILLET. 



Scolopax semipahnata, Giiel. S. N. I. 17SS, 059. — WiL.s. Am. Oni. A'll. 1813, 27, pi. 56, fig. 3. 

 Totanus scmipalmatus, Temm. Man. Orn. II. 1S2S, 637. — Sw. & EiCH. F. B. A. II. 1S31, 3S8, pi. 



67. — Ai:d. Orn. Biog. 111. 1835, 510 ; V. 1839, 585, pi. 274 ; Synop. 1839, 245 ; B. Am.V. 1842, 



324, pi. 347. — CoUES, Key, 1872, 258 ; Check List, 1873, no. 431 ; Birds N. W. 1874, 494. 

 Totanus (Catoptrophm-us) scmi2Mlmatus, Bonap. Synop. 1S2S, 328. — NuTT. JIan. 11. 1834, 144. 

 Symphemia semipalmata, Hartl. Picv. Zool. 1S45, 342. — Cass, in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 729. — 



BAiun, Cat. K Am. B. 1859, no. 537. — Ridow. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 552. — Coue.s, Check 



List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 632. 

 Totanus crassirostris, ViEiLL. Nouv. Diet. 1816, 406. 

 Symphemia allanlica, Ii.A.FixESQUE, Jour. Pliys. Ixxxviii. 1S19, 417. 

 Totanus speculifenis, Cuviek, Peg. An. I. 1S17, 351. 



Hab. Temperate North America, south to Brazil ; West Indies. Accidental in Europe. 



Sp. Char. Largest of American Scolopacidas, except genera Numenius and Liinosa. Primaiies 

 black, with nearly the basal half white, producing a very conspicuous patch on the spread wing. 

 Slimmer adult : Aljove, light Virownish gray, streaked on head and neck, and spotted and bari'ed 

 on the back, etc., with blackish ; beneath, white, tinged with ashy on foreneck and with buff along 

 sides, the former, with jugulum, spotted with dusky, and the latter barred with the same ; upper 

 tail-coverts white ; tail a.shy, more or less distinctly mottled transversely with a deeper shade of 

 the same ; wing-coverts plain ash-gray ; axillars and lining of wing plain sooty black. Winter 

 jdumage : Above, plain ash-gray ; beneath, immaculate dull white, the foreneck shaded ^vith 

 grayish. Young : Above, brownish gray, the feathers margined with pale ochraceous ; sides much 

 tinged with the same, and finely mottled transversely with grayish. IMll black ; legs and feet 



