712 
U. S. P. E. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENEEAL EEPOET. 
MACRORHAMPHUS GRISEUS, (Gmelin,) Leach. 
Gray Snipe; Red-breasted Snipe. 
Scolopax grisea, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 658, No. 27. 
Macrorhamphus griseus, “Leach, Catal. Brit. Mus. 1816, 31.’’ —Stephens, Shaw. Gen. Zool. XII, 1824,61 — 
Bon. Am. Orn. IV, 1332, 51 ; pi. xxiii. 
Scolopax noveboracensis, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 658, No. 28.— Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 45 ; pi. Ivin.—Sw. 
F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 398.— Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 288; pi. 339 .—Ib. Syn. 249.— 
Ib. Birds Amer. Vi, 1843. 10 ; pi. 351. 
Scolopax leucophaea, Vieillot, Diet. Ill, 358, (2d ed.) Not of Latham. 
Sp. Ch.— Rather smaller than the preceding ; bill long, compressed, flattened and expanded towards the end, and in the 
same space punctulated and corrugated ; wing rather long ; shaft of first primary strong ; tail short ; legs rather long. Jldull. 
Upper parts variegated with dark ashy, pale reddish and black, the latter predominating on tlje back ; rump and upper tail 
coverts, white, the latter spotted and barred transversely with black. Under parts pale ferruginous red, with numerous points 
and circular spots of brownish black on the neck before, and transverse bands of the same on the sides and under tail coverts ; 
axillary feathers and under wing coverts white, spotted and transversely barred with black. Quills brownish black ; shaft of 
first primary white ; tail brownish black, with numerous transverse bands of ashy white, and frequently tinged with ferruginous, 
especially on the two middle feathers ; bill greenish black ; legs dark greenish brown. Younger. Entire under parts dull white, 
strongly marked with dull ashy on the neck in front, and transverse bands of the same on the sides ; axillary feathers and under 
wing coverts white, spotted with brownish black ; upper parts lighter than in the adult. Total length about 10 inches ; wing, 
5^ ; tail, 2| ; bill, 2| ; tarsus, 1| inch. 
Hub. —Entire temperate regions of North America. 
Quite a variable species in plumage, scarcely any two being exactly alike, except in very 
mature plumage, but always readily distinguished from the preceding by the white shaft of the 
first quill in the present bird. This bird is widely distributed, and is very similar to, if not 
identical with, the succeeding species. 
In the list of specimens I give species of sizes varying between considerable extremes, reserving 
for M. scolopaceus only three, which are still larger than any of these. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig’l 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
1703 
Q 
.. Sept. 12,1844 
S. F. Baird. 
11.24 
19.25 
5.16 
1671 
a 
.. Aug. 12,1844 
10.56 
18.50 
5.56 
2675 
1845. 
10447 
, May —,1812 
5769 
9 
. . Sent_1856 
340 
5096 
4182 
.. Mar. 27.1853 
11.00 
18.25 
5.50 
6644 
6647 
Q 
.. Mar. 27.1853 
Dr. Kennerly .... 
10.50 
18.00 
5.75 
6609 
6643 
o 
.. May 5,1856 
371 
11.75 
19.00 
6646 
V 
572 
MACRORHAMPHUS SCOLOPACEUS, (Say,) Lawrence. 
Llmosa scolopaceus, Say, Long’s Exped. II, 1823, 170. 
Macrorhamplius scolopaceus, (Say,) Lawr. Ann. N. Y. Lyc. N. H. V, 1852, (Read Jan. 1849,) 4, pi. i. 
Scolopax longirostris, Bell, Ann. N. Y. Lyc. V, 1852, (Read Oct. 9, 1848, and published soon after, but vol. dated 
1852,) 3. 
Figures.— Bonaparte, Am. Orn. IV, pi. 23, fig. 3. Annals, Lyceum N. Y. V, pi. 1. 
