Genus MACRORHAMPHUS, Leach. 



Gen. Char. Beak very long, straight, rounded, rather slender in the middle, the tip dilated, 

 somewhat incurved and rugose. Nostrils lateral, basal. Legs four-toed; the outer toes 

 connected at their base by a membrane ; hinder toe touching the ground only at the tip ; 

 lower part of the tibiae naked. Wings long and pointed. 



GREY SNIPE. 



Macrorhamphus griseus, Leach. 

 La Becassine ponctuee. 



The bird now before us has the beak of a Scolopaw, but with this it also possesses toes connected by a 

 membrane ; to this we may add, that its habits and the peculiar periodical change of plumage to which it is 

 subject, still further prove its alliance to the species of the genus Tringa. Dr. Leach, however, considered 

 it sufficiently removed both from Snipes and Sandpipers to warrant the adoption of a separate generic distinc- 

 tion, and we have followed his example. 



This bird occurs but seldom in Europe. A single specimen has been taken in Sweden. A second was 

 obtained in England on the Devonshire coast, which came into the possession of Colonel Montagu, and is 

 preserved in the British Museum : this specimen is in the plumage peculiar to the winter season. A third 

 example has been shot at Yarmouth, which was in the plumage of summer. No other instances, that we are 

 aware of, are recorded. It is, on the contrary, very plentiful on the Western shores of North America, from 

 the United States, even to the Arctic circle ; and to the excellent work of Wilson we are indebted for the 

 best account of its habits and oeconomy. 



" The Red-breasted Snipe," as it is called by Wilson, on account of the prevailing colour of its summer 

 plumage, "arrives on the sea-coast of New Jersey early in April; it is seldom or never seen inland : early in 

 May it proceeds to the North to breed, and returns by the latter part of July or beginning of August. During 

 its stay, it flies in flocks, sometimes very high, and has then a loud and shrill whistle, making many evolutions 

 over the marshes ; forming, dividing, and reuniting. They sometimes settle in such numbers, and so close 

 together, that eighty-five have been shot at one discharge of a musket. They frequent the sand-bars and 

 mud-flats at low water, in search of food ; and being less suspicious of a boat than of a person on shore, are 

 easily approached by this medium, and shot down in great numbers." 



" These birds," says Wilson, " of all our sea-side Snipes, are the most numerous, and the most delicious for 

 the table. They doubtless breed not far to the northward of the United States, if we may judge from the 

 lateness of the season when they leave us in spring, the large size of the eggs in the ovaries of the females 

 before they depart, and the short period of time they are absent." This hiatus in their history has been 

 supplied by Dr. Richardson in his Fauna of North America, who says, " they are well known in the fur- 

 countries, and have an extensive breeding range from the borders of Lake Superior to the Arctic Sea. 



The whole length of this bird is nearly eleven inches, the bill two inches and a half. In winter, the head, 

 neck, breast and wing-coverts are uniform ash-coloured brown ; a streak of the same colour from the base of 

 the beak to the eye ; throat, bellv and thighs pure white ; flanks white, varied with light brown ; back and 

 scapulars light brown, each feather with a darker brown edge ; rump, upper and under tail-coverts white, 

 with black cross bars ; tail-feathers twelve, crossed with narrow black and white bars alternately ; the beak 

 dark greenish black ; legs dull green. In summer, the top of the head and neck, back and scapulars are 

 irregularly varied with black, reddish brown, and yellow ; the space round the eye bright red ; front of the 

 neck and breast reddish buff ; wing-coverts ash-colour and edged with white ; belly, rump and tail the same 

 as in winter. The female is paler on the back, and less ruddy on the breast. 



The figures on our Plate represent the plumage of both seasons. 



