RED-BREASTED SNIPE. 
13 
Passes in immense numbers from Texas eastward and northward to the 
highest latitudes, where it breeds, and returns in autumn. Occasionally 
seen in groups through the interior. Columbia river. 
Adult Male in summer. 
Bill twice as long as the head, subulate, straight, compressed for more than 
half its length, depressed towards the end. Upper mandible with the 
dorsal line dcclinate at the base, then straight, at the end slightly arched, 
that part being considerably enlarged, the ridge convex, towards the end 
flattened, the sides with a narrow groove extending to near the tip, the 
edges soft and obtuse or flattened, the tip narrowed but blunt. Nostrils 
basal, linear, very small. Lower mandible with the angle extremely long 
and narrow, the sides nearly erect, with a longitudinal groove, the edges 
flattened and directly meeting those of the upper mandible, the extremity 
enlarged, the tip contracted and rather blunt. 
Head rather small, oblong, narrowed anteriorly, the forehead elevated and 
rounded. Neck rather short. Body rather full. Legs of moderate length, 
slender; tibia bare below, scutellate before and behind ; tarsus with nume- 
rous scutella before, smaller ones behind, and reticulated sides; toes very 
slender, free, with numerous scutella above, flattened and slightly marginate 
beneath ; first very small and elevated, third with its claw scarcely so long 
as the tarsus, lateral toes nearly equal, the outer connected with the middle 
by a web. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather acute. 
Plumage very soft, blended, rather dense, on the fore part of the head 
very short. Wings long, narrow, pointed; primaries rather broad, tapering 
to an obtuse point, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries 
broad, obliquely terminated, with the inner web projecting beyond the 
outer; the inner much elongated, one of them reaching to half an inch of 
the tip of the wing when it is closed. Tail moderate, nearly even, the 
middle feathers a little longer, of twelve rounded feathers. 
Bill dark olive. Iris reddish-hazel. Feet light yellowish-olive, claws 
black. Upper parts brownish-black, variegated with light brownish-red, the 
feathers being margined and the scapulars obliquely barred with that colour. 
Hind part of back, upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers light reddish-buff, 
obliquely barred with black, the bars on the tail seven or eight, and its tip 
white. Wing-coverts and secondaries greyish-brown, margined with grey 
ish-whitc; the secondary coverts tipped with white, the quills tipped and 
obliquely banded with the same; alula, primary coverts and quills brownish 
black, the shaft of the first quill white. From the base of the bill to the 
eye, and surrounding it, a dull reddish-white band ; loral space dusky. All 
the lower parts dull orange-red, with streaks and spots of black, more 
numerous along the sides, and on the tail-coverts. 
