SCOLOPACIDJE— THE SNIPE FAMILY. 37 



Gallinago delicata (Ord). 



WILSON'S SNIFE. 



Fopnlar synonyms. EnglisA Snipe ; American Snipe ; Gutter Suipe. 



Scolopax gallinago Wilson. Am. Orn. vi, 1812. 18, pi. 47. f. 1 (mec Linn.). 

 iSooZopoa; totZsoni Temm. PI. Col. V. 1824. Uvr. Ixviii (in text).— Sw. & Bioh. F. B.-A. ii. 

 "1831. 401.— NuTT. Man. li, 1834, 185.— AtiD. Orn. feiog. iii. 1835.322;*v. 1839, 583, pi. 243; 

 Synop. 1839, 248; B. Am. v. 1842. 339, pi. 350. 

 Gallinago mJsomBoNAP. 1838.— Cass. inBaird's B. N. Am. 1858, 710.— Baied, Cat. N. 

 Am. B. 1859. No. 523.— CouES, Key, 1872. 262; Cheek List. 1874, No. 414; 2d ed. 1882, 

 No. 608; Birds N. W. 1874, 475.-B. B. & E. Water B. N. Am. i, 1884, 188. 

 Gallinago media wilsoni B.isa'w, Nom. N. Am. B. 1881. No. 526. 

 IScolopax drummondi Sw. & Bice. F. B.-A. ii, 1831, 400.— Nutt. Man. il, 1834. 190.— AuD. 



Orn. BioB. v, 1839, 319; Synop. 1839. 240; N. Am. vi. 1843, 9. 

 Scolopax douglasii Sw. & EiOH. F. B.-A, ii, 1831. 400.— Nutt. Man. ii, 1834. 491. 

 Scolopax leucurus Sw. & Rich..!, o. 501.— Nutt. I. o, 617. 

 Scolopax delicata Oed, Wils. Orn. ix, 1825. ooxvili. 



Gallinago delicata Eidgw. in A. O. U. Clieok List, 1886, No. 230; Man. N. Am. 

 B. 1887, 150. 



Has. The whole of North and Middle America, breeding from northern JtTnited States 

 northward, mieratipg south in winter as far as Colombia and throughout the West Indies; 

 Bermuda; accidental in England. 



Sp. Chae. BiU long, compressed, flattened and slightly expanded toward the tip, puno- 

 tulated in its terminal half ; wings rather long; legs moderate; tail short. Entire upper 

 parts brownish black, every feather spotted and widely edged with light rufous, yellowish 

 brown, or ashy white; back and rump transversely barred and spotted with the same; a 

 brownish white or pale buffy line from the base of the bill over the top of the head. Throat 

 and neck before, dull reddish ashy; wing-feathers marked with dull brownish black; other 

 under parts white, with transverse bars of brownish black on the sides, axillary feathers, 

 under wing-coverts^nd under tail-ooverts; auills brownish black; outer edge .of first pri- 

 mary white ; tail glossy, brownish black, widely tipped with bright rufous, paler at the tip, 

 and with a subterminal narrow band of black. Bill brown (greenish gray in life), paler at 

 base and darker toward the end; legs dark brown (light greenish gray In life). 



Total length, about 10.50 to 11.50 inches; extent. 16.50 to 17.00; wing, 5.00 to 5.60; taH.2.60; 

 bill, 2.50 to 2.70; taj-sus, 1.25. 



^ In a very large series of specimens from all parts of the con- 

 tinent north of Panama, no variations are noticeable other than 

 what appear to be of a purely individual character, and these 

 are seldom very pronounced. 



This well-known bird is abundant, at the proper seasons, 

 throughout the State. In Cook county, according to Mr. Nel- 

 son, it is "abundant during the migration and not a very rare 

 summer resident. Arrives the first of April and nearly all are 

 gone by the first of May. Returns in fall the first of September 

 and departs by the first of November. Mr. T. H. Douglas has 

 obtained its eggs near Waukegan, and while there in the spring 

 of 1876, I found several pairs during the breeding season, in 

 various portions of the marsh near that place. 



