108 Birds of Colorado 
and rounded of twelve feathers; legs short; tibio-tarsus feathered 
almost to the joint, the tarsus scutellated in front and behind; hind 
toe present, front toes without web ; eye very large and placed far back, 
the ear-opening below and slightly in front of it. 
This genus contains only one species, and is distinguished from that 
containing the Old World Woodcocks by the attenuation of the 
three outer primaries. 
American Woodcock. Philohela minor. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 228—Colorado Records—H. G. Smith 86, p. 283 ; 
96, p. 65; Morrison 89, p. 167 ; Cooke 97, pp. 64, 158 ; Fisher 01, p. 447; 
Henderson 03, p. 234; 09, p. 227. 
Description.—Adult—Above mottled black, dusky brown and buffy ; 
hinder-part of crown black with narrow transverse bars of buff; 
primaries plain dusky ; below pale-rufous; iris dark brown, bill light 
brown, paler at the base, legs reddish-brown. Length 10-5; wing 
5-25; tail 2-25; culmen 2-5; tarsus 1-25. 
The female is larger—wing 5-50, culmen 2-75. 
Distribution.—Southern Canada and the eastern United States from 
the Atlantic to Manitoba and eastern Texas, breeding throughout its 
range; wintering chiefly on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 
In Colorado the Woodcock is only known from the Platte Valley 
and from Denver along the foothills northwards, where it may be 
regarded as a scarce summer resident. It was first reported by H. G. 
Smith who saw an example in a gun-store in Denver, which was killed 
near the town about August 12th, 1885. Four or five additional 
specimens have been noticed from Denver or Boulder co., while Cooke 
reports that H. Horner observed w» pair with three young ones, only 
about a week old, one of which was taken July 3rd, 1897, near 
Timmath; so there can be little doubt that, occasionally at any 
rate, it nests in Coloradce. 
Habits.—The Woodcock is a crepuscular bird, feeding 
chiefly at dusk and in the night, and keeping concealed 
during the day in thickets and rank grass. It inhabits 
marshy or moist country, and lives almost exclusively 
on worms which it draws out of the mud with its long 
and, sensitive bill. 
It has an enormous appetite—a Woodcock weighing 
six ounces is said to consume at least its own weight 
in earth-worms in twenty-four hours. Owing to its 
