﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  305 
  

  

  single 
  pair 
  to 
  ret^irn 
  to 
  the 
  breeding 
  grounds. 
  On 
  the 
  inland 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  

   State 
  this 
  bird 
  is 
  decidedly 
  uncommon, 
  but 
  is 
  taken 
  occasionally 
  along 
  the 
  

   Great 
  Lakes 
  and 
  rarely 
  on 
  our 
  rivers 
  and 
  smaller 
  lakes, 
  in 
  May 
  and 
  early 
  

   September. 
  

  

  The 
  Dowitcher 
  ("Deutscher" 
  or 
  "German" 
  snipe 
  to 
  distinguish 
  it 
  from 
  

   the 
  "English" 
  snipe), 
  also 
  called 
  Red-breasted 
  snipe, 
  Robin 
  snipe. 
  Brown- 
  

   back, 
  Gray-back, 
  and 
  Quail 
  snipe, 
  is 
  fully 
  as 
  gregarious 
  as 
  the 
  Yellow-legs 
  

   and 
  often 
  occurs 
  in 
  dense 
  bunches 
  over 
  the 
  bars 
  and 
  mud 
  fiats 
  of 
  Lone 
  

   Island. 
  As 
  they 
  circle 
  about 
  the 
  marshes, 
  and 
  often 
  as 
  they 
  take 
  wing 
  

   when 
  startled, 
  they 
  utter 
  a 
  tremulous 
  whistle 
  resembling 
  considerably 
  the 
  

   notes 
  of 
  the 
  Yellow-legs. 
  Their 
  flesh 
  is 
  less 
  delicious 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Wilson 
  

   snipe, 
  and 
  they 
  also 
  bear 
  less 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  true 
  game 
  birds 
  since 
  

   they 
  are 
  hunted 
  from 
  blinds 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  decoys, 
  and 
  do 
  not 
  scatter 
  or 
  

   lie 
  in 
  cover 
  before 
  dogs 
  like 
  the 
  common 
  Snipe. 
  The 
  capture 
  of 
  dowitchers 
  

   is 
  more 
  like 
  slaughter 
  and 
  less 
  like 
  genuine 
  sportsmanship. 
  

  

  Macrorhamphus 
  scolopaceus 
  (Say) 
  

  

  Long-hilled 
  Dowitcher 
  

  

  Limosa 
  scolopacea 
  Say. 
  Long's 
  Expedition. 
  1823. 
  2:170 
  

   Macrorhamphus 
  scolopaceus 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  232 
  

  

  scolopd'ceus, 
  Lat., 
  snipehke 
  

  

  Description. 
  Very 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  preceding 
  species, 
  but 
  slightly 
  larger, 
  

   with 
  longer 
  hill. 
  The 
  under 
  parts 
  are 
  also 
  more 
  rufous 
  in 
  the 
  summer 
  

   plumage, 
  with 
  the 
  sides 
  more 
  heavily 
  barred. 
  In 
  winter 
  plumage 
  the 
  size 
  

   and 
  bill 
  are 
  the 
  only 
  distinguishing 
  features. 
  

  

  Length 
  10.75-12. 
  5 
  inches; 
  extent 
  18-20.5; 
  wing 
  5.45-6.5; 
  bill 
  2.2-3.25; 
  

   tarsus 
  1.3; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  1.2. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  chiefly 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  arctic 
  coast 
  west 
  of 
  Hudson 
  bay 
  

   in 
  the 
  breeding 
  season, 
  and 
  migrates 
  mostly 
  through 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  valley 
  

   and 
  along 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast. 
  On 
  our 
  shores, 
  however, 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  regular 
  migrant, 
  

   according 
  to 
  Lawrence 
  arriving 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  month 
  earlier 
  than 
  M. 
  griseus, 
  

   in 
  the 
  spring 
  often 
  appearing 
  by 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  March 
  and 
  passing 
  northward 
  

   dn 
  April. 
  Mr 
  Butcher's 
  Notes 
  furnish 
  dates 
  ranging 
  from 
  July 
  16 
  to 
  October 
  

  

  