﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  303 
  

  

  through 
  the 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  rapidly 
  vibrating 
  wings, 
  similarly 
  to 
  the 
  winnow- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  pigeons' 
  wings 
  as 
  heard 
  about 
  the 
  dovecote. 
  When 
  this 
  winnowing 
  

   of 
  the 
  Snipe 
  is 
  heard 
  in 
  the 
  hush 
  of 
  a 
  spring 
  evening 
  and 
  without 
  warning, 
  

   directly 
  above 
  one's 
  head, 
  the 
  effect 
  is 
  quite 
  startling 
  and 
  impressive. 
  In 
  

   the 
  breeding 
  season 
  the 
  Snipe 
  also 
  has 
  a 
  mating 
  call 
  delivered 
  as 
  the 
  bird 
  

   flies 
  in 
  a 
  direct 
  line 
  over 
  the 
  swamp 
  at 
  a 
  low 
  elevation, 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  suc- 
  

   cession 
  of 
  curious 
  notes 
  resembling 
  the 
  syllables 
  ''kuk, 
  kuk, 
  kuk, 
  kuk, 
  kuk^' 
  

   [Brewster]. 
  I 
  have 
  heard 
  this 
  note 
  often 
  on 
  the 
  marshes 
  of 
  western 
  New 
  

   York, 
  but 
  have 
  never 
  observed 
  the 
  bird 
  alight 
  on 
  a 
  tree, 
  as 
  Brewster 
  states, 
  

   after 
  uttering 
  the 
  call, 
  but 
  have 
  seen 
  it 
  perch 
  on 
  a 
  hummock 
  or 
  log 
  after 
  

   the 
  performance. 
  

  

  The 
  Wilson 
  snipe 
  lays 
  her 
  eggs, 
  four 
  in 
  number, 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  the 
  

   grassy 
  swamp 
  on 
  a 
  slight 
  hummock, 
  or 
  a 
  tussock 
  of 
  grass, 
  in 
  a 
  nest 
  composed 
  

   of 
  a 
  few 
  straws, 
  leaves, 
  or 
  mosses. 
  They 
  are 
  large, 
  about 
  1.6 
  x 
  1.18 
  inches, 
  

   of 
  a 
  cla}' 
  color 
  or 
  greenish 
  olive, 
  with 
  blotches 
  of 
  chocolate 
  and 
  obscure 
  

   shell 
  markings 
  more 
  heavy 
  about 
  the 
  larger 
  end. 
  The 
  chicks 
  are 
  covered 
  

   with 
  a 
  dark 
  down, 
  striped 
  with 
  buffy. 
  

  

  Macrorhamphus 
  griseus 
  (Gmelin) 
  

   Dowitcher 
  

  

  Plates 
  33, 
  34 
  

  

  Scolopax 
  grisea 
  Gmelin. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  1788. 
  Ed. 
  i. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  658 
  

   Scolopax 
  noveboracensis 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  255 
  

   Macrorhamphus 
  g 
  r 
  i 
  s 
  e 
  u-s 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  231 
  

  

  macrorham' 
  phus 
  , 
  Gr. 
  fxaKpo?, 
  long; 
  pd/x<f>o';, 
  beak; 
  grl'seus, 
  Lat., 
  grav 
  

  

  Description. 
  Smnmer 
  plumage: 
  Upper 
  parts 
  blackish 
  edged, 
  mottled 
  

   or 
  barred 
  with 
  dull 
  buffy 
  or 
  cinnamon; 
  rump 
  white, 
  V-marked 
  with 
  blackish; 
  

   tail 
  and 
  its 
  upper 
  coverts 
  barred 
  with 
  white 
  and 
  dusky; 
  under 
  parts 
  pale 
  

   cinnamon 
  becoming 
  white 
  on 
  belly, 
  mottled 
  and 
  barred 
  with 
  blackish, 
  

   except 
  on 
  belly; 
  bill 
  and 
  legs 
  greenish 
  dusky. 
  Winter 
  plumage: 
  Brownish 
  

   gray 
  above, 
  the 
  rump 
  and 
  tail 
  as 
  in 
  summer; 
  throat 
  and 
  breast 
  pale 
  ashy; 
  

   belly 
  white, 
  sides 
  barred 
  with 
  black. 
  

  

  Length 
  lo-ii 
  inches; 
  extent 
  17. 
  5-19; 
  wing 
  5.25-5.9; 
  bill 
  2.05-2.55; 
  

   tarsus 
  1. 
  3-1. 
  4; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  1.2. 
  

  

  Field 
  marks. 
  The 
  Dowitcher 
  resembles 
  the 
  Wilson 
  snipe 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  

   shape, 
  but 
  has 
  a 
  white 
  rump 
  and 
  is 
  less 
  striped 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  more 
  buffy 
  

  

  