THE DOWITCHER. 



{Macrorhamphus griseus.) 



The range of the Dowitcher is limited 

 to the eastern part of North America. It 

 has been reported as far west as the Mis- 

 sissippi river. It breeds in the far north, 

 usually within the Arctic Circle. Its mi- 

 gration is extensive for it winters in Flor- 

 ida, the West Indies and in the northern 

 portion of South America. 



The Dowitcher is one of the best 

 known of our coast birds. It bears many 

 popular names, such as Gray Snipe, 

 Gray-back, Dowitch, Driver, Brown-back 

 and Bay Bird. The generic name Mac- 

 rorhamphus is derived from two Greek 

 words, makros, meaning large, and 

 rhamphos, meaning bill. The specific 

 name griseus means gray, and probably 

 has reference to the grayish color of the 

 winter plumage. 



The Dowitchers are the most numer- 

 ous of the seaside snipes. Inland it is re- 

 placed by the Long-billed Dowitcher 

 ( Macrorhamphus scolopaceus), which has 

 a longer bill and is a little larger. Mr. 

 Wilson, in his Ornithology, gives the 

 following interesting account of their 

 habits : "They frequent the sandbars and 

 mud of flats at low water in search of 

 food and, being less suspicious of a boat 

 than of a person on shore, they are easily 

 approached by this medium and shot down 

 in great numbers. I have frequently 



amused myself with the various actions 

 of these birds. They fly rapidly, some- 

 times wheeling, coursing and doubling 

 along the surface of the marshes ; then 

 shooting high in the air, there separating 

 and forming in various bodies, uttering a 

 kind of quivering whistle." At the re- 

 treat of the tide flocks will frequently set- 

 tle on the shore in such large numbers 

 and so close together that several dozen 

 have been killed at a single shot. 



Mr. Chapman tells us that ''they mi- 

 grate in compact flocks, which are easily 

 attracted to decoys by an imitation of 

 their call. Mud-flats and bars exposed by 

 the falling tide are their chosen feeding 

 grounds. On the Gulf coast of Florida I 

 have seen several hundred gathered in 

 such close rank that they entirely con- 

 cealed the sandbar on which they were 

 resting." 



In summer the general color of these 

 birds is dark-brown and the feathers are 

 more or less edged with a reddish tinge. 

 Underneath, the general color is light 

 cinnamon, with white on the belly. In the 

 winter the plumage is more gray and the 

 under parts are much lighter in color. 



This bird usually lays four eggs of a 

 buffy olive color, which are marked by 

 brown, especially near the larger end. 



All the beautiful stars of the sky, 



The silver doves of the forest of Night, 

 Over the dull earth swarm and fly, 



Companions of our flight. 



— James Thomson. 



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