202 SCOLOPACIDiE : SNIPE, ETC. 



GREATER LONG-BEAK. 

 Macrorhamphus griseus scolopaceus (Say) Coties. 



Chars. Very similar to the last, and distinguishable with difficulty, 

 if at all. Averaging larger: wing, 5.40-6.00, average, 5.75 ; bill, 

 2.10-3.00, average, 2.70; tarsus, i.3S-i-7S, average, 1.60; mid- 

 dle toe, 0.95-1.15, average, i.oo. In summer plumage, abdomen 

 uniform reddish, without markings (in griseus whitish) ; breast 

 scantily speckled and sides barred with dusky Qn griseus, breast 

 and sides speckled with dusky). Young and winter specimens 

 not distinguishable with any certainty from those o{ griseus, as the 

 dimensions of the two intergrade. 



The balance of opinion respecting this doubtful bird 

 seems to have settled in favor of at least its varietal dis- 

 tinction from M. griseus. According to the latest author- 

 ity on the subject, Mr. Ridgway, specimensnever occur in 

 western North America which have in summer the ab- 

 domen either whitish or speckled, or the sides speckled ; 

 these being characters peculiar to birds of the Atlantic 

 coast (true griseus), where these abound in the migra- 

 tions in the proportion of about a thousand to one of 

 scolopaceus. The coloration as above given is said to 

 be more constant than the dimensions, though scolo- 

 paceus averages larger than griseus. Young birds and 

 those in winter plumage cannot be distinguished, ex- 

 cepting those specimens of scolopaceus which surpass the 

 maximum dimensions of griseus. (Bull. Nutt. Club, v, 

 1880, p. 158.) 



Mr. Newbold T. Lawrence has paid particular atten- 

 tion to this subject, and we extract in substance his 

 article in Bull. Nutt. Club, v, 1880, p. 154. Mr. Law- 

 rence says that the bill of scolopaceus varies from 2.50 



