10 DRUMMOND'S SNIPE. 



lars and interscapulars. Middle dorsal plumage and first quill fringed with 

 white, and most of the wing-coverts and lesser quills tipped with the same. 

 Shafts of the primaries deep brown; an inch of the first near its point 

 whitish. Rump and tail-coverts rich greenish-black, with reddish-orange or 

 ferruginous ends, crossed by a blackish subterminal line, and tipped with 

 white; the three exterior pairs barred alternately with clove-brown and 

 brownish-white, the white tips broader; the two intermediate pairs coloured 

 nearly like the middle ones, but partly barred and tipped with white. Under 

 plumage: A dark brown stripe on the lores, another under the ear. Sides 

 of the head, front of the neck and breast pale wood-brown, with central 

 spots of dark umber; the flanks, insides of the wings, and under tail-coverts, 

 barred with black and white, which on the latter is tinged with brown. 

 Belly white. Bill blackish towards its tip, dark wood-brown at the base. 



"Form typical; one small fold of the epidermis at the upper base of the 

 bill; tail rather long, graduated, the feathers decreasing a little in breadth as 

 they are more exterior. 



"Length to end of tail 11^ inches; tail 2|f; wing 5§; bill above 2-?%, rictus 

 2-ff; bare part of tibia ^\ tarsus ly^j middle toe Iff, its nail T 3 2; inner toe 

 •}i; hind toe T 4 2, its nail T l 2." 



RED-BREASTED SNIPE. 



>Scolopax Noveboracensis, Gmel. 



PLATE CCCLI. — Adult in Summer and Winter. 



On our arrival at the mouths of the Mississippi, on the first of April, 1837, 

 I observed large flocks of this species on their way eastward. They were 

 still in their winter plumage, and it was pleasing to see in how short a period 

 that garb was changed, as we had opportunities of observing during our 

 progress. At Grande Terre, on the 4th, several having reddish feathers 

 scattered over their lower parts were procured. On the 13th, at Cayo 

 Island, the change of colour was very considerable in some specimens, which 

 I found to be old birds, while the younger were quite grey above, and white 

 beneath. At Derniere Isle on the 16th, several were shot in as fine plumage 



