RED-BREASTED SNIPE. 13 



Passes in immense numbers from Texas eastward and northward to the 

 highest latitudes, where it breeds, and returns in autumn. Occasionally seen 

 in groups through the interior. Columbia river. 



Adult Male in summer. 



Bill twice as long as the head, subulate, straight, compressed for more than 

 half its length, depressed towards the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal 

 line declinate at the base, then straight, at the end slightly arched, that part 

 being considerably enlarged, the ridge convex, towards the end flattened, the 

 sides with a narrow groove extending to near the tip, the edges soft and 

 obtuse or flattened, the tip narrowed but blunt. Nostrils basal, linear, very 

 small. Lower mandible with the angle extremely long and narrow, the 

 sides nearly erect, with a longitudinal groove, the edges flattened and directly 

 meeting those of the upper mandible, the extremity enlarged, the tip con- 

 tracted and rather blunt. 



Head rather small, oblong, narrowed anteriorly, the forehead elevated and 

 rounded. Neck rather short. Body rather full. Legs of moderate length, 

 slender; tibia bare below, scutellate before and behind; tarsus with nume- 

 rous scutella before, smaller ones behind, and reticulated sides; toes very 

 slender, free, with numerous scutella above, flattened and slightly marginate 

 beneath; first very small and elevated, third with its claw scarcely so long as 

 the tarsus, lateral toes nearly equal, the outer connected with the middle by 

 a web. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather acute. 



Plumage very soft, blended, rather dense, on the fore part of the head 

 very short. Wings long, narrow, pointed; primaries rather broad, tapering 

 to an obtuse point, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries 

 broad, obliquely terminated, with the inner web projecting beyond the outer; 

 the inner much elongated, one of them reaching to half an inch of the tip of 

 the wing when it is closed. Tail moderate, nearly even, the middle feathers 

 a little longer, of twelve rounded feathers. 



Bill dark olive. Iris reddish-hazel. Feet light yellowish-olive, claws 

 black. Upper parts brownish-black, variegated with light brownish-red, the 

 feathers being margined and the scapulars obliquely barred with that colour. 

 Hind part of back, upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers light reddish-buff, 

 obliquely barred with black, the bars on the tail seven or eight, and its tip 

 white. Wing-coverts and secondaries greyish-brown, margined with grey- 

 ish-white; the secondary coverts tipped with white, the quills tipped and 

 obliquely banded with the same; alula, primary coverts and quills brownish- 

 black, the shaft of the first quill white. From the base of the bill to the eye, 

 and surrounding it, a dull reddish-white band; loral space dusky. All the 

 lower parts dull orange-red, with streaks and spots of black, more numerous 

 along the sides, and on the tail-coverts. 



