BIRDS — SCOLOPACIDAE — PHILOHELA MINOE. 



709 



PHILOHELA, G. R. Gray. 



Philohela, Gray, List of Genera, 1841. Type Seolopax minor, Gm. 



Rusticola, Gray, Genera, 1840, not of Moehring, 1752. 



Microptera, Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 192, not of Gravenhorst, 1802. 



Ch.— Body very full, and head, bill, and eyes very large. Tibia short, feathered to the joint. Toes cleft to base. Wings 

 short, rounded. First three primaries very narrow and much attenuated ; the fourth and fifth equal and longest. Tarsi stout, 

 shorter than the middle toe. Hind nail very short, conical, not extending beyond the toe. Tail of twelve feathers. 



The present genus, embracing a single species, the American woodcock, is much like Seolopax, 

 with the European woodcock as type, in color and external appearance. The most striking 

 difference is seen in the wings, which are short, rounded; the fourth and fifth primaries 

 longest and the outer three attenuated, while in Seolopax the wings are long ; the first primary 

 longest and more attenuated. 



PHILOHELA MmOE, (Gmelin,) Gray. 



American Woodcock. 



pax minor, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 661.— Wils. Am. Orn. VI, 1812, 40 ; pi. 48.— Ann. Orn. Biog. IV, 

 1835, 474 ; pi. 268.— Doughty 's Cab. N. H. I, 1830, 158 ; pi. xiv. 

 Rusticola minor, Vieillot, " Analyse, 1816."— Gal. Ois. II, 112 ; pi. ccxhi.— Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 194. 

 Seolopax (Microptera) minor, Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 194. 

 Philohela minor, Gray, List Genera, 1841. 

 Microptera americana, Aud. Syn 1839, 250.— Is. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 15 ; pi. 352. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill long, compressed, punctulated and corrugated near the end ; upper mandible longer than the under, and fitted 

 to it at the tip ; wings moderate, three first quills very narrow ; tail short ; legs moderate ; eyes inserted unusually distant from 

 the bill. Occiput with three transverse bands of black, alternating with three others of pale yellowish rufous ; upper parts of 

 body variegated with pale ashy, rufous, or yellowish red of various shades, and black ; large space in front and throat reddish 

 ashy ; line from the eye to the bill, and another on the neck below the eye, brownish black ; entire under parts pale rufous, 

 brighter on the sides and under wing coverts. Quills ashy brown ; tail feathers brownish black, tipped with ashy, darker on the 

 upper surface, paler and frequently white on the under ; bill light brown, paler and yellowish at base ; legs pale reddish. Total 

 length about 11 inches ; wing, 5? ; tail, 2^ ; bill, 2i ; tarsus, 1^ inches. 



Hab. — Eastern North America. 



List of specimens. 



