Snipe, Sandpipers, etc. 



marked with sepia, chiefly around the larger end. These birds ot 

 many names are not found in Germany, any more than the so 

 called English snipe is found in England, but they are called 

 German snipe or Deutschers, to distinguish them from that 

 species, dowitcher being simply a corruption of Deutscher in the 

 mouths of longshoremen. 



The Long-billed or Western Dowitcher ( Macrorhamphus 

 scolopaceus), the representative of the preceding species from the 

 Mississippi Valley westward to Alaska, may be distinguished 

 from it chiefly by its slightly larger size and longer bill and 

 possibly by its more uniformly rusty under parts and the heavier 

 dusky bars on its sides in the summer plumage only. Very 

 rarely one of these birds is taken by gunners on the Atlantic 

 coast. In habits these two species are similar — even their eggs 

 being identical; but the shrill whistled /i'fe-fe-/e, p'te-te-te, of the 

 gray snipe swells into a musical song, something like peet-peet; 

 pee-ter -wee-too; wee-too; twice repeated, according to Mr. D. G. 

 Elliot, in the case of the long-billed dowitcher. For years even 

 scientific men thought these two species were one. 



Stilt Sandpiper 



(Micropalama himantopusj 



Called also: LONG-LEGGED SANDPIPER. 



Length — About 9 inches. 



Male and Female : In Summer — Feathers on upper parts blackish, 

 each bordered with gray or buff or tawny, the markings 

 scalloped on the shoulders; wings darker; ears, and an indis- 

 tinct line around back of head, rusty red ; lower back ashy ; 

 upper tail coverts white with dusky bars; tail ashy, the 

 centre and edges of the feathers white. Under parts white, 

 streaked and barred with dusky. Bill nearly as long as a 

 snipe's, and flattened and pitted at the tip. Legs very long. 

 Both bill and feet greenish black. In Winter: Upper parts 

 brownish or ashy gray, the feathers edged with white; a 

 white line like an eyebrow; upper tail coverts white, the 

 tail feathers white margined with brownish ash ; throat and 

 sides streaked with gray; under parts white. 



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