WILSON'S SNIPE. 345 



Male, 10 J, 17. 



Distributed throughout the country. Breeds from Virginia northwards. 

 Exceedingly abundant in the Southern and Western Districts during winter. 



Adult Male. 



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 straight, the ridge for a short space at the base fiattish, then 

 convex, towards the end flattened, the sides with a narrow groove extending 

 to near the tip, which is obtuse and probe-like, the edges soft and obtuse. 

 Nostrils basal, linear, very small. Lower mandible with the angle extremely 

 long and narrow, the sides nearly erect, with a groove having several bars 

 across it; the end of both mandibles covered, after death, with numerous 

 prominences, or rather with reticular depressions, leaving small prominences 

 between them. 



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 numerous 

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

 free, scutellate above, narrow and slightly margined beneath; first very 

 small, third longer than the tarsus, fourth much shorter, but considerably 

 longer than second. Claws slightly arched, extremely compressed, very 

 acute, that of the third toe largest. 



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

 short. Wings of moderate length, narrow, sharp; primaries broad, tapering, 

 but rounded, the first extremely small and pointed, the second longest, the 

 third very little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries broad, short, 

 incurved, rounded, the inner very long, tapering, as are the scapulars. Tail 

 short, rounded, of sixteen rounded feathers. 



Bill brown, the granulated part towards the tip black. Iris hazel. Feet 

 bluish-grey, claws dusky. On the upper part of the head two brownish- 

 black longitudinal broad bands, separated by a narrower central pale brown 

 one, and with another pale brown band on each side from the bill over the 

 eye; then a loral band of dark brown; chin whitish; neck pale reddish-brown, 

 spotted with brownish-black. The general colour of the upper parts is 

 brownish-black, variegated with pale reddish-brown, of which latter colour 

 are the outer edges of the scapulars and of the lateral feathers on the anterior 

 part of the back. Wing-coverts and inner secondaries similarly mottled, the 

 smaller anterior coverts, the primary coverts, primary quills, and outer 

 secondaries deep brown, more or less tipped with white; first quill white, 

 dusky in the centre, second with the outer edge brownish-white; rump 

 barred with yellowish-grey and dusky; upper tail-coverts similar, but the 



