SCOLOPACIDJ5— THE SNIPE FAMILY. 69 



Hab. North Amerioa in general, espeoially the interior; breeding chiefly in the interior 

 of British America and the Yukon district; migrating south to Peru and Uruguay. Tre- 

 auent in Europe. No West Indian record, except Cuba. 



Sp. Ohab. Bill shorter than the head, straight, compressed, narrow at the point; nasal 

 groove long; wings very lone, first quill longest, the tertials rather shorter; tail moder- 

 ate or longer than usual in this gi-oup ; legs rather long, lower third of the tibia naked; toes 

 free at base, flattened underneath, and slightly margined; hind toe small, tipper parts pale 

 and dull oohraoeous, with an ashy tinge ; every feather with a large central, lanceolate, 

 orescent-shaped, or oblong spot of black, frequently with a glossy green tinge, especially 

 on the back and shorter tertials. Under parts Ught ochraoeous or p le fawn-color, many 

 feathers tipped with white, and paler on the flanks and abdomen, on the breast with par- 

 tially concealed small spots of black; axillary feathers white. Quills white, their outer webs 

 Ught brown, inner webs ashy white marbled with black and narrowly tipped with white ; 

 middle tail-feathers brownish black; outer feathers Ughter, with transverse waved lines of 

 black on the terminal half, and tipped with white; under primary- coverts beautifuUr 

 marbled with black. Bill greenish black: legs greenish yellow. Young. Generally simi- 

 lar, but the upper parts with the black and fawn-color less sharply contrasted, and each 

 feather with a conspicuous terminal border of white. Marbling on inner webs of primaries 

 and on under primary-coverts much more minute and delicate than in the adult. "Bill dull 

 olive-green, dusky toward the point; iris hazel; feet dull yellowish green, claws dusky." 

 (Audubon.) 



Totallength, about 7.50-8.0(1 inches; wing, 5.10-5.50; culmen, .75-.80; tarsus, l.lB-1. 30; 

 middle toe, .75-.85. 



This handsome species is, so far as we know, one of the rarer 

 migrants in Illinois. Mr. Nelson mentions a single specimen "in 

 the collection of Mr. R. P. Clarke, obtaine(i upon the Lake 

 shore, at Chicago, September 4th, 1873," and is inclined to 

 doubt Dr. Hoy's statement (Wis. Agr. Rep. 1852) that it is 

 "quite common" near Racine, Wis., from September 15th to 

 October 10th. It may be, however, that it is not so rare as 

 Mr. Nelson supposes, but has escaped his observation, since in 

 other portions of the Mississippi Valley it is very abundant. 



Subfamily NUMENIN-ffi. 



Ohab. Back of tarsus covered with small hexagonal scales ; bill much longer than tar- 

 sus, decidedly deeurved or arched. 



Genus NUMBNItJS Beisson. 



Numenius Bbiss. Orn. vi, 1760, 311. Type, Scolopax arquata Linn. 



Chab. Legs covered anteriorly with ti-ausverse scutellse, laterally and behind with 

 small hexagonal scales. Bill very long, exceeding the tibia, and curved downward for the 

 terminal half; the culmen rounded. Tip of bill expanded laterally and club-shaped. 

 Grooves of bill not reaching beyond the middle. Tertials as long as primaries. 



Bill variable in length, always longer than tarsus, sometimes exceeding tarsus and toes. 



.It is nearly straight at the base, then deourving quite rapidly to the tip, where the upper 



mandible is thickened downward beyond and over the lower. Lateral grooves occupying 



