346 WILSON'S SNIPE. 



larger barred with brownish-red and black. Tail-feathers brownish-black 

 at the base, with a broad subterminal band of brownish-red on the outer web 

 of the two middle, and on both webs of the rest, excepting the outer on each 

 side, which is barred with brownish-black and white, the black bars five; the 

 tips of all white. Anterior part of breast like the neck, the rest white; 

 abdomen and lower tail-coverts greyish-yellow, barred with brownish-black, 

 as are the sides; scapulars white, barred with greyish-black; lower wing- 

 coverts similarly mottled. 



Length to end of tail 10^ inches, to end of claw 11^; extent of wings 17; 

 wing from flexure 5; tail 2^; bill along the back 2^, along the edge of lower 

 mandible 2 t Vj tarsus 1 T 2 2, middle toe li, its claw ff. Weight 3 oz. 



Adult Female. 



The female resembles the male, but is rather larger. 



Autumnal plumage. 



The young in autumn resemble the old birds, but have the dark markings 

 of a browner tint, the light more dingy, and the colours in general less pure. 



In an adult male, the mouth is excessively narrow, its breadth being only 

 2 twelfths; on the palate are three longitudinal ridges of strong reversed 

 papillae, terminating anteriorly in a single ridge of similar papilla?. Both 

 mandibles are moderately concave, with very thick sloping edges. The 

 tongue is 1 inch 8 twelfths long, very slender, induplicate, so as to be deeply 

 channelled in its whole length, emarginate and papillate at the base, tapering 

 to a narrow, horny point. The oesophagus is 9 inches 9 twelfths long, 2\ 

 twelfths in width; the proventriculus 3^ twelfths in breadth. The stomach 

 of moderate size, roundish; its lateral muscles large, the inferior prominent; 

 its length 9 twelfths, its breadth the same; the epithelium thin, dense, with 

 numerous longitudinal rugoe, and of a reddish colour. The right lobe of the 

 liver is 1 inch 8 twelfths, the other only 10 twelfths in length; gall-bladder 

 ovate, 4 twelfths long, 2\ twelfths in breadth. Intestine 14^ inches, its 

 greatest width 1^ twelfths, the least 1 twelfth; the coeca 7 twelfths long, f 

 twelfth in breadth, 1 \ inches from the extremity; the cloaca ovate, 6 twelfths 

 in width. The intestine curves at first in the usual manner, at the distance 

 of 1 inch 4 twelfths, then advances toward the right lobe of the liver, pro- 

 ceeds backward, forms a single convolution, and terminates in the rectum 

 over the stomach, making altogether only 5 turns. 



Trachea 2 inches 10 twelfths long, from If twelfths to 1-|- twelfths in 

 breadth, flattened, like that of every other species of the family; the rings 

 very narrow, completely unossified, 10S in number, with 2 additional dimi- 

 diate rings. Bronchial half rings 15. Muscles as usual in this family. 



END OF THE FIFTH VOLUME. 



[m7 7 m] 



