622 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — LIMICOLM. 



basally, then bright chestnut, with a narrow subterminal black bar, their tips fading to whit- 

 ish ; some of the lateral ones white, with little rufous tinge and several instead of one black 

 bar. Belly white ; jugulum and fore-breast light brown speckled with dusky brown ; chin 

 nearly white; sides of body shaded with brown, and with numerous regular dusky bars 

 throughout ; crissum more or less rufous, with numerous dusky bars. Length of $ 10.50- 

 11.50; extent 17.50-19.50; wing 4.75-5.25; biU 2.50 (more or less); tail 2.25; tarsus 

 1.25 ; middle toe and claw 1.50. <? averaging smaller. Weight of various specimens 

 3 oz. 4 dr. to 4 oz. 3 dr. Bill greenish-gray, dusky on terminal third ; iris brown ; feet green- 

 ish-gray. This is the genuine snipe, of all the birds loosely so-called ; its name of " English " 

 snipe is a misnomer, as it is indigenous to this country, and distinct from any European 

 species,- though closely resembling two of them ((?. media or coslesUs and G. gallmula). In 

 our species the tail is normally composed of 16 feathers, the two lateral of which on each 

 side are abruptly smaller, shorter, and much narrower, resembling the under coverts somewhat ; 

 and the whole sides of the body from breast to tail, as well as the axillars and lining of the 

 wiugs, are completely and regularly barred, as is also the crissum. Open wet places of 

 North America, at large ; migratory ; breeds from N. U. S. northward ; S. into S. Amer. in 

 vrinter, though many remain in U. S. The general habits of this favorite game-bird are 

 too well known to require remark. Eggs 3-4, moderately pyriform, grayish-olive, with more 

 or less brownish shade ; markings bold and numerous, most so on the larger end, of varying 

 shades of umber-brown ; usually also sharp scratchy lines of black ; shell-spots not notice- 

 able. Nest a mere depression in grass or moss of the bog ; chicks mottled with white, ashy, 

 ochrey and dark brown. 

 232. MACRO RHAM'PHUS. (Gr. fioKpos, mahros, long, pdfi,<j)oi, hramphos, beak.) "Web-toed 

 Snipe. Bill as in GalUnago, Wings longer and more pointed, more as in Tringa. Tibiae 

 naked below for a space about half the length of tarsus. Tarsus longer than middle toe and 

 claw. Anterior toes webbed at base; webbing most •extensive between middle and outer. 

 Tail doubly-emarginate, of only 13 stiffish (as compared with Gallmago) feathers ; all the 

 feathers closely and regularly barred. Sexes alike ; summer and winter plumages different 

 (as in sandpipers). Thoroughly snipe-like in the biU, but otherwise like long-legged sand- 

 pipers ; near Mieropalama, for example. Two alleged species, or varieties. 



Analysis of Varieties. 



Iiength 10.00 to 12.50; extent 17.B0-20.00; wing 5.30-6.00, average 5.70; bill 2.00-3.00; tarsus 1.25-1.76, 

 average 1.53 ; middle toe witliout claw 0.90-1.10, average 1.00. 

 Wing 5.25-5.90, average 6.65; bill. 2.00-2.55, average 2.30; tarsus, average, 1.35; middle toe alone, 



average 0.95. In summer : Belly wliltish; breast and sides speckled witli duslcy . . griseus 609 



Wing 5.40-6.00, average 5.75; 6ij;, 2.20-3.20, average 2.80; tarsus, average, 1.60; middle toe alone, 

 average 1.00. In summer: Belly cinnamon-brown; breast scantily speckled with dusky; sides 

 barred with dusky . . . . . . scolopaceus 610 



Measurements of nine individuals, shot out of one flock in Dakota, formerly supposed to include both 

 species, and to show their perfect gradation in size ; now supposed to show Individual variation in M. 

 scolopaceus alone. 



609. M. gri'seus. (Lat. griseus, gray. Fig. 437.) Bed-breasted Snipe (summer). Gray 

 Snipe (winter). Brown-back. Dowitchee. Adult? (J, in summer: Under parts rich 

 rusty-red, paler or whitish on the belly ; jugulum, breast, and sides fully speckled with dusky. 

 Axillars and lining of wings white, with angular dusky raarldngs. Wing-quills fuscous, the 

 shaft of the 1st primary white, of the others brown ; secondaries conspicuously tipped with 

 white. Above, black, varied everywhere with the reddish color of the under parts, and on 



