310 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



" Inhabits swampy grounds and taro ponds of the Feejee Islands, 

 and supposed to be rare, as we obtained but two specimens." 



Specimens in the collection of the Expedition are in good preser- 

 vation. 



4. Family SCOLOPACID^.— The Woodcocks and Snipes. 



1. Genus SCOLOPAX, Linn. Sjst. Nat. I, p. 242 (1766). 



1. ScOLOPAX MERIDIONALIS, Peole. 



Scohpax meridionalis, Peale, Zool. U. S. Exp. Exp. Birds, p. 229 (1st ed. 1848). 



Atlas, Ornithology, Plate XXXV, fig. 1. Adult. 



Supra nigra et ferrnginea, capite lineis duahus longitudinalibus nigris, 

 suhius pallide fulva lineis transversis prof ande fuscis. Long. tot. Hi 

 pollices. 



Form. — About the size of >S'. saturata, Horsfield. General form robust ; 

 bill long, strong, thick at base; wing moderate, second quill longest; 

 legs very strong ; tail short. 



Dimensions. — Total length (of skin), about eleven and a half inches ; 

 wing, six and one-fourth inches ; tail, two and a half inches ; bill, 

 three and one-fourth inches. 



Colors. — Entire upper parts black and ferruginous, the black form- 

 ing two stripes on the head, with a narrow intermediate stripe of the 

 latter. Every feather on the back and scapulars and the tertiaries, 

 black, with somewhat semicircular or lunated bands of ferruginous, 

 paler on the edges. Rump and upper tail-coverts with irregular trans- 

 verse bands of black and ferruginous. Quills light brown, the two first 

 paler, and nearly white on their outer webs. Under parts pale fulvous, 

 thickly spotted on the cheeks, neck, and breast, with dark brown ; 

 flanks and sides irregularly barred transversely with dark brown; 

 middle of abdomen unspotted. Tail dark brown, with irregular trans- 



