158 Eidgway on Macrorhamphus griseus, etc. 
true griseus being scarcely represented. Subsequent correspondence 
with Messrs. George N. and Newbold T. Lawrence, of New York 
City, both of whom were much interested in the subject, led to the 
exchange of specimens for examination, and I thus for the first time 
became autoptically acquainted with the Eastern bird. With this 
additional material to aid me, I have reviewed the matter, and the 
result is a perfect' correspondence of my views with those of the gen- 
tlemen above named, as embodied in the preceding article, except 
that I cannot regard the two forms as specifically distinct, since 
intermediate specimens do unquestionably occur, although they are 
exceedingly rare. 
The results of my later investigations may be briefly summarized 
as follows : — 
(1.) That in Western North America specimens never occur which, 
in summer plumage, have the abdomen either whitish or speckled, 
or the sides speckled. 
(2.) That specimens marked as above are peculiar to the Atlantic 
coast (I have seen none from west of the Alleghanies), where they 
abound during the migrating season, in the proportion of about 
1,000 to 1 of scolopaceus (according to Mr. Lawrence, in epist.). 
(3.) That size and proportionate length of bill, legs, etc. is much 
more variable in both forms than is the coloration, scolopaceus 
averaging decidedly larger, however, than griseus. 
(4.) That young birds and those in winter plumage cannot with 
certainty be referred to either form, excepting that the very large 
individuals (those exceeding the maximum of griseus , as given below) 
are undoubtedly scolopaceus. 
These conclusions, I believe, agree in the main with Mr. Law- 
rence’s views concerning the two forms in question. Following, I 
give a brief synonymy and diagnosis of the species in its two 
races. 
Macrorhamphus griseus. 
a. var. griseus. 
The Gray Snipe. 
Scolopax grisea , Gmel., S. N. I., 1788, 658 (based on the Brown -Snipe 
of Pennant and Latham). 
Macrorhamphus griseus , Leach, Cat. Brit. Mus., 1816, 31. — Cassin, in 
Baird’s B. N. Am., 1858, 712. — Baird, Cat. N. Am. B., 1859, No. 524. 
— Coues, Key, 1872, 253; Check List, 1873, No. 415; Birds N. W., 
1874, 476. 
