BIRDS—SCOLOPACIDAE—PHILOHELA MINOR. 
709 
PHILOHELA, G. R. Gray. 
Philohela, Gray, List of Genera, 1841. Type Scolopax minor, Gm. 
Rusticola, Gray, Genera, 1840, not of Moehring, 1752. 
Microptera, Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 192, not of Gravenhorst, 1802. 
Ch.— Body very full, and head, bill, and eyes very large. Tibia short, feathered to the joint. Toes cleft to base. Wings 
short, rounded. First three primaries very narrow and much attenuated ; the fourth and fifth equal and longest. Tarsi stout, 
shorter than the middle toe. Hind nail very short, conical, not extending beyond the toe. Tail of twelve feathers. 
The present genus, embracing a single species, the American woodcock, is much like Scolopax, 
with the European woodcock as type, in color and external appearance. The most striking 
difference is seen in the wings, which are short, rounded ; the fourth and fifth primaries 
longest and the outer three attenuated, while in Scolopax the wings are long ; the first primary 
longest and more attenuated. 
PHILOHELA MINOR, (Gmelin,) Gray. 
American Woodcock. 
Scolopax minor, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 661.— Wils. Am. Orn. VI, 1812, 40 ; pi. 48.— Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 
1835, 474 ; pi. 268.— Doughty’s Cab. N. H. I, 1830, 158 ; pi. xiv. 
Rusticola, minor, Vieillot, “ Analyse, 1816.”— Gal. Ois. II, 112 ; pi. ccxlii.— Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 194. 
Scolopax (Microptera) minor, Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 194. 
Philohela minor, Gray, List Genera, 1841. 
Microptera americana, Aud. Syn 1839, 250.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 15 ; pi. 352. 
Sp. Ch. —Bill long, compressed, punctulated and corrugated near the end ; upper mandible longer than the under, and fitted 
to it at the tip ; wings moderate, three first quills very narrow ; tail short ; legs moderate ; eyes inserted unusually distant from 
the bill. Occiput with three transverse bands of black, alternating with three others of pale yellowish rufous ; upper parts of 
body variegated with pale ashy, rufous, or yellowish red of various shades, and black ; large space in front and throat reddish 
ashy ; line from the e^e to the bill, and another on the neck below the eye, brownish black ; entire under parts pale rufous, 
brighter on the sides and under wing coverts. Quills ashy brown ; tail feathers brownish black, tipped with ashy, darker on the 
upper surface, paler and frequently white on the under ; bill light brown, paler and yellowish at base ; legs pale reddish. Total 
length about 11 inches ; wing, 5j ; tail, 2j ; bill, 21 ; tarsus, 1 { inches. 
Hah. —Eastern North America. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
852 
3 
Nov. 12, 1842 
S. F. Baird. 
10.73 
17.75 
5.16 
1307 
Q 
Mar. 23, 1844 
14.75 
19.00 
5.08 
1086 
oQ 
10.50 
17.25 
4.80 
9040 
s 
Loup Fork, Neb. 
July 18 . 
Lieut. Warren .... 
Dr. Ilayden.. 
10.75 
17.00 
5.75 
Iris brown ; pupil black. 
