SCOLOPACID^ — THE SNIPE FAMILY. 



39 



mixed with white on the breast and sides; winR-covorts bordered wth whitish; a whitish 

 superciliary stripe. Young, first plumaoe: Back, scapulars, and tortials, variegated black 

 and liKht clay-color, the latter chiefly on the ed^res of the feathers; lower parts dirty white, 

 soiled with dull buff or pale clay color, especially iicross the breast; juKulum and sides us- 

 ually indistinctly speckled with dusky. Total length, about 10 to 12.50 inches; extent, 17.50 

 to2U.25; wing, 5.30-6.00(5.73); oulmeu.2.00-3.00; tarsus 1.25-1.75 (1.53); middle toe, 90-1.10 a.OO)- 



1. M. griseus. Wing, 5.23-5.90 (5.(^5) ; culmen, 2.00-2.55 (2.30); tarsus. 1.20-1.55 (1,35 ; middle 



toe, .90-1.05 (.95).* Adult in stmnmer. Abdomen whitish ; breast and sides speckled 

 with dusky. Hah. Eastern Province of North America, 



2. M. Ecolopaceus. Wing. 5.10-6.00 (5.74); culmen. 2.10-3.00 (2.72); tarsus. 1.30-1.75 (l.W): mid- 



dle toe, .95-1.15 (1.01).+ Adult in summer. Abdomen uniform cinnamon, without 

 markings; breast speckled (usually .scantily), and sides barred with dusky. Hub. 

 Mississippi Valley and Western Province of North America, from Mexico to Alaska. 



Macrorhamphus griseus (Gmel.) 



DOWITCHER. 



PopTilar synonyms. Gray Snipe; Gray-back; Dowitch; Driver (Plymouth Bay Mass.). 



Scolopax griseus Gmel. S. N. i, 1788. 658. 



ilacrorhamphtis griseus Lbach, Syst. Cat. Brit. Mam. & B. 1816, 31.-Cass. in Baird's 

 B. N. Am. 1858, 712.-BAIBD, Cat N. Am. B. 1869,No. 524.-Co©ES, Key, 1872, 253; Check 

 List. 1874,No. 415; 2d ed. 1882. No. 609; Birds N. W. 1874, 476.-Rir)GW. Nom. N. Am. B. 

 1881, No. 527: Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 151.— A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 231, 

 Scolopax [Macrorhamphus) grisea Bonap. 1828.— Nutt. Man. ii, 1834, 181. 

 Macrorhamphus griseus, a, griseus B. B. & B. Water B. N. Am. i, 1884, 196. 

 Soolopax no-pe6ora«ensi,s Gmel.— WrLS. Am. Orn.vii. 1813, 45, pi. 68. flg.l.—Sw. & Rich. 

 F. B.-A. il, 1831. 398.— AUD. Orn. Biog.iv, 1838. 388, pL399; Synop. 1839, 249; B. Am. vi. 

 1843, 10. pL 351. 

 Hab. Eastern Province of North America (breeding in the region about Hudson's Bay?). 

 Sp. Chab. About the size of Gallinago delicata. Shaft of the first primary strong, pure 

 white ; axillars, tail-coverts, and lower pait of rump white, barred or transversely spotted 

 with slate-color; upper part of rump white, usually immaculate; tail slate-colored or 

 dusky, barred with white, (or, in summer adult, mth a pale cinnamon on middle feathers). 

 Adult in summer : Head, neck, and more or less of lower parts, light cinnamon, the abdo- 

 men whitish, breast and sides speckled with dusky, the head and neck streaked with the 

 same ; upper parts mixed black, light cinnamon and white, the first prevailing. Winter 

 plumaoe : Belly and anal region white, usually unmarked; rest of plumage nearly uniform 

 ash-gray, somewhat mixed with white on breast and sides; a whitish supercihary stripe, 

 and wing -coverts bordered with white. Young : Back, scapulars, and tertials, varied with 

 black and light clay-brown, the latter chiefly on edges of the feathers: lower parts dall 

 whitish, soiled with dull buff or clay-color, especiaUy across breast, the jugulum and sides 

 usually indistinctly speckled with dusky. "Bill dark olive; iris reddish hazel; feet light 

 yellowish olive; claws black." (Audubon.) 



Wing, 5.25-5.90 (5.65) ; culmen, 2.00-2.55 (2.30 ; tarsus, 1.20-1.55 (1.35) ; middle toe, .90-1.05 (.95). 



Comparatively little is on record respecting the habits of this 

 species. It is apparently more abundant along the Atlantic 

 coast than in the interior, but its presence in Illinois is attested 

 by specimens in the National Museum collection, received from 

 Mr. H. K. Coale, and collected by him near Chicago. Along the 



* Extremes and average of eighteen fully adult specimens. 

 t Extremes and average of forty fully adult specimens. 



