352. 2. Scolopax Drummondii, Swains. Drummond's Snipe
Not figured.
"Dorsal plumage and wings mostly brownish-black; the top of the head, scapulars, interscapulars, intermediate coverts, posterior greater ones, and tertiaries, reflecting green and mottled, or barred with yellowish-brown; this colour also forming stripes from the forehead to the nape, over the eyes to the sides of the neck, and more broadly on the exterior edges of the scapulars and interscapulars; middle dorsal plumage and first quill fringed with white, and most of the wing-coverts and lesser quills tipped with the same. Shafts of the primaries deep brown, an inch of the first near its point whitish. Rump and tail-coverts rich greenish-black, with reddish-orange or ferruginous ends, crossed by a blackish subterminal line, and tipped with white; the three exterior pairs barred externally with clove-brown and brownish-white, the white tips broader; the two intermediate pairs coloured nearly like the middle ones, but partly barred and tipped with white. Under plumage, a dark brown stripe on the lores, another under the ear; sides of the head, front of the neck, and breast pale wood-brown, with central spots of dark umber; the flanks, insides of the wings, and under tail-coverts barred with black and white, which on the latter is tinged with brown; belly white; bill blackish towards its tip, dark wood-brown at the base. Length 111/2, wing 53/8.
"Fur Countries to Lat. 55°. Rocky Mountains."
Scolopax Drummondii, Drummond's Snipe, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 400.
Drummond's Snipe, Scolopax Drummondii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 319.
353. 3. Scolopax Noveboracensis, Gmel. Red-breasted Snipe
Plate CCCXXXV. Adult in summer and winter.
Tail of twelve feathers; bill dark olive; feet light yellowish-olive. In summer, the 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 buff or white, barred with black, the bars on the tail seven or eight, and its tip white; wing-coverts and secondaries greyish-brown, margined with greyish-white; 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. In winter, the upper parts of a nearly uniform brownish-grey, the hind part of the back and tail barred as in summer, head and neck all round ash-grey, streaked with dusky, the rest of the lower parts greyish-white, the sides barred with dusky.
Adult, 101/4, 181/2.
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.
Red-breasted Snipe, Scolopax noveboracensis, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 48.
Scolopax grisea, Bonap. Syn. p. 330.
Scolopax noveboracensis, New York Godwit, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 398.
Brown or Red-breasted Snipe, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 181.
Red-breasted Snipe, Scolopax noveboracensis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 285.
GENUS VII. MICROPTERA, Nutt. BOGSUCKER
Bill double the length of the head, straight, slender, tapering, subtrigonal, and deeper than broad at the base, slightly depressed towards the end; upper mandible with the ridge narrow, towards the end flattened, the sides with a narrow groove extending to near the tip, the tip blunt, knob-like, and longer than that of the lower. Head rather large, oblong; eyes large, and placed high; neck short; body full. Feet rather short; tibia feathered to the joint; tarsus rather short, compressed, scutellate; first toe very small, the third much longer than the tarsus. Claws very small, arched, acute. Wings short, rounded, the fourth and fifth quills longest, the first three extraordinarily attenuated. Tail very short, cuneate, of twelve feathers.
354. 1. Microptera Americana, Aud. Common Bogsucker. – American Woodcock
Plate CCLXVIII. Male, Female, and Young.
Bill and feet flesh-coloured; forehead yellowish-grey, with a few dark mottlings in the centre; on the upper part of the head two broad blackish-brown transverse bands, and on the occiput two narrower, separated by bands of light red; a brownish-black loral band, and a narrow irregular line of the same across the cheek, and continued to the occiput; upper parts variegated with brownish-black, light yellowish-red, and ash-grey; inner wing-coverts and secondary quills similarly barred, the outer pale greyish-red, faintly barred with dusky; quills brown, tipped with dull grey, secondaries spotted on the outer web with dull red; upper tail-coverts barred; tail-feathers brownish-black, their tips grey, their outer edges mottled with reddish; sides of the neck grey, tinged with red; lower part in general light red, tinged with grey on the breast, on the sides and lower wing-coverts deeper; lower tail-coverts with a central dusky line, the tip white. Young with a longitudinal black band on the head.
Male, 11, 16. Female, 117/12, 171/4.
Distributed throughout the country. Extremely abundant in the Middle and Eastern Districts, as well as in the interior, where it breeds, as far as Nova Scotia. Equally abundant in winter in the Southern States, though many migrate southward.
Scolopax minor, Gmel. Syst. Nat. v. i. p. 661.
Woodcock, Scolopax minor, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vi. p. 40.
Scolopax minor, Bonap. Syn. p. 331.
Lesser Woodcock, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 194.
American Woodcock, Scolopax minor, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 474.
GENUS VIII. RECURVIROSTRA, Linn. AVOCET
Bill twice the length of the head, very slender, much depressed, tapering to a point, and slightly recurved; upper mandible with the dorsal line straight for half its length, then a little curved upwards, and at the tip slightly decurved, the ridge broad and flattened, the edges rather thick; nasal groove rather long and very narrow; lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line slightly curved upwards, the point very slender, extremely thin, and a little curved upwards. Nostrils linear, basal. Head small, rounded above, rather compressed; neck long; body compact. Legs very long, slender; tibia bare for half its length, and reticulated; tarsus very long, compressed, reticulated with hexagonal scales; toes rather short, the first extremely small; outer toe a little longer than inner; anterior toes connected by webs of which the anterior margin is deeply concave. Claws very small, compressed, rather acute. Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, pointed, the first quill longest; inner secondaries elongated and tapering. Tail short, even, of twelve rather narrow rounded feathers. Tongue short in proportion to the length of the bill, slender, tapering to a point; œsophagus wide, considerably dilated at the lower part of the neck; stomach an oblong gizzard of moderate strength, its epithelium hard, longitudinally rugous; intestine long and of moderate width; cœca rather long.
355. 1. Recurvirostra Americana, Linn. American Avocet
Plate CCCXVIII. Adult, and Young in winter.
Bill black; feet light blue; head, neck, and fore part of breast reddish-buff, the parts around the base of the bill and the eye nearly white; back white, with a longitudinal band of brownish-black elongated feathers on each side; inner scapulars of the same colour, the outer and interior edge of the wing being white; wing brownish-black, with a broad band of white, formed by the tips of the secondary coverts, four of the inner secondaries, and the basal part, with the inner webs and outer edges of the rest; lower parts white.
Male, 18, 305/8.
Passes along the coast from Texas northward, in small numbers, a few breeding in New Jersey. Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. Abundant in the Rocky Mountains, and the Fur Countries. Migratory.
American Avocet, Recurvirostra Americana, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 126.
Recurvirostra Americana, Bonap. Syn. p. 394.
Recurvirostra Americana, American Avocet, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 375.
American Avocet, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 74.
American Avocet, Recurvirostra Americana, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 168.
GENUS IX. HIMANTOPUS, Briss. STILT
Bill about twice as long as the head, very slender, roundish, tapering, slightly recurved; upper mandible with its outline slightly curved upwards, the ridge rather flattened, the sides convex, the edges inflected, the tip narrow and rather acute; nasal groove nearly half the length of the bill; lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the sides grooved as far as the angle. Nostrils linear, direct, subbasal. Head small, ovate, rounded above; neck very long and slender; body rather compact. Legs extremely elongated, slender; tibia bare for more than half its length, covered anteriorly with large curved scutella; tarsus very long, moderately compressed, scutellate before, reticulate on the sides; toes of moderate length, slender; first toe wanting; outer a little longer than inner, anterior toes webbed at the base. Claws small, nearly straight, moderately compressed. Plumage ordinary. Wings very long, of moderate breadth, acute, the first quill longest. Tail short, even, of twelve feathers.
356. 1. Himantopus nigricollis, Vieill. Black-necked Stilt. – Lawyer
Plate CCCXXVIII. Male.
Bill black; feet lake-coloured; upper part of head, fore part and sides of neck, and all the lower parts, together with the hind part of the back, rump, and tail, white, the middle feathers of the latter tinged with ash-grey; hind neck, fore part of back, scapulars, wings, and lower wing-coverts, bluish-black, glossed with green. Young individuals have only the forehead white, and the back greyish-brown.
Male, 141/2, 27. Female, 14, 253/4.
Rather common in Texas during spring. Breeds on different parts of the Atlantic coast, as far as Long Island. A few spend the winter about the mouths of the Mississippi. Migratory.
Long-legged Avocet, Recurvirostra Himantopus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 48.
Himantopus nigricollis, Bonap. Syn. p. 322.
Black-necked Stilt, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 8.
Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus nigricollis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 247.
GENUS X. NUMENIUS, Briss. CURLEW
Bill very long, slender, subcylindrical, slightly compressed, more or less arcuate or decurved; upper mandible with the ridge broad and flattened at the base, broad and rounded in the rest of its extent, a deep groove running from the nostrils to near the tip, which is decurved, enlarged so as to form an oblong obtuse knob, projecting beyond the point of the lower mandible, the edges rounded; lower mandible similar in its curvature to the upper, its angle extremely narrow, and extending to near the middle, the ridge rounded, the sides with a shallow groove to near the end, the edges directly meeting those of the upper, the tip obtuse. Head rather small, oblong, compressed; neck long; body compact. Feet long; tibia bare below; tarsus scaly above, scutellate for two-thirds; toes rather small, scutellate, first very small, lateral nearly equal. Claws small, compressed, blunted. Wings long, very acute, the first quill longest, some of the inner secondaries greatly elongated. Tail short, much rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
357. 1. Numenius longirostris, Wils. Long-billed Curlew
Plate CCXXXI. Male and Female.
Bill more than four times the length of the head, nearly straight to the middle, beyond which it is slightly decurved, deep brown, toward the base dark flesh-coloured; feet light greyish-blue; general ground colour of the plumage light yellowish-red; the head marked with oblong spots; the back with spots and bars of brownish-black; alula and outer web of first four quills deep brown, the rest of the quills of the general colour, barred on both webs with dark brown, as are the tail-feathers; upper part of throat and lower eyelid whitish; neck marked with longitudinal lines of brownish-black; sides barred with the same, as are the lower larger wing-coverts; the rest of the lower parts unspotted, the sides and lower wing-coverts of a richer yellowish-red than the rest. The bill varies from seven to nine inches.
Male, 26, 40.
Resident, and breeds in the Texas and on the Islands off South Carolina. Stragglers go far north. Columbia River. Occasionally seen in the interior.
Long-billed Curlew, Numenius longirostris, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 23.
Numenius longirostris, Bonap. Syn. p. 314.
Numenius longirostris, Long-billed Curlew, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 376.
Long-billed Curlew, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 94.
Long-billed Curlew, Numenius longirostris, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 240; v. v. p. 587.
358. 2. Numenius Hudsonicus, Lath. Hudsonian Curlew
Plate CCXXXVII. Male.
Bill little more than twice the length of the head, brownish-black, base of lower mandible flesh-coloured; upper part of head deep brown, with a central and two lateral lines of whitish; a brown line from the bill to the eye, and another behind the latter; neck all round pale yellowish-grey, longitudinally streaked with brown, excepting the upper part of the throat, which is greyish-white; upper parts in general blackish-brown, marked with numerous spots of brownish-white, there being several along the margins of each feather; wings and rump somewhat lighter; upper tail-coverts and tail barred with dark brown and olivaceous grey; primaries and their coverts blackish-brown, all with transverse yellowish-grey markings on the inner web, the shaft of the first quill white, of the rest brown; breast and abdomen greyish-white, the sides tinged with cream-colour and barred with greyish-brown.
Male, 18, 33.
Passes from Texas northward, returning in autumn. Abundant in the middle districts at both periods. Breeds at Hudson's Bay, and farther north.
Esquimaux Curlew, Scolopax borealis, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 92.
Numenius hudsonicus, Bonap. Syn. p. 314.
Numenius hudsonicus, Hudsonian Curlew, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 377.
Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius hudsonicus, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 97.
Hudsonian Curlew, Numenius hudsonicus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 283; v. v. p. 589.
359. 3. Numenius borealis, Lath. Esquimaux Curlew
Plate CCVIII. Male and Female.
Bill half as long again as the head, slender, brownish-black, the lower mandible flesh-coloured at the base; upper part of head brownish-black, streaked with pale yellowish-brown, and having an indistinct central and two lateral lines of whitish; upper parts brownish-black, marked with numerous spots of light brownish-yellow, there being several along the margin of each feather; wing-coverts and secondaries of a lighter tint, similarly spotted; alula, primary quills, and coverts, dark brown, the shaft of the first quill white, of the rest brown; inner webs not barred as in N. Hudsonicus; tail barred with light greyish-brown and dark brown; sides of head and neck all round pale yellowish-grey, striped with dark brown; breast and sides greyish-yellow, with longitudinal and transverse dark markings; lower wing-coverts and tail-coverts similarly barred, axillars of a rufous buffy tint, regularly banded.
Male, 141/2, 273/8.
Passes in spring from Texas along the coast eastward to the Fur Countries, returning in autumn. Abundant at times in the Middle Atlantic Districts. Rarely seen in the interior. Breeds in the northern barren grounds.
Numenius borealis, Bonap. Syn. p. 314.
Numenius borealis, Esquimaux Curlew, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 378.
Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius borealis, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 101.
Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius borealis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 69; v. v. p. 590.
FAMILY XXXVII. TANTALINÆ. IBISES
Bill very long, arcuate, rather stout at the base, obtuse. Nostrils basal, linear or oblong. Head bare in front, rather large or of moderate size; neck long and slender; body ovate. Legs long and rather stout; tibia bare to a large extent; tarsus reticulate, sometimes scaly in front; toes four, articulated on the same level, the anterior webbed at the base, the first more slender. Claws arched, compressed, rather obtuse. Wings long and very broad, with the second quill longest. Tail short, of twelve feathers. Tongue triangular, extremely short, flat, and thin. Œsophagus wide; stomach large, muscular, broadly elliptical, with the epithelium dense, longitudinally rugous; intestines generally of moderate length and width, cœca very small; cloaca globular. Trachea without inferior laryngeal muscles.
GENUS I. IBIS, Cuv. IBIS
Bill very long, slender, higher than broad, compressed, tapering, arched, obtuse; upper mandible with the dorsal line arched in its whole length, the ridge convex, broader towards the end, the sides at the base erect, towards the end very convex and narrow, separated in their whole length from the ridge by a deep narrow groove, the edges inflected and sharp; lower mandible more slender, its angle very narrow, and protracted in the form of a groove to the tip. Nostrils basal, dorsal, linear. Head small, compressed, oblong, bare before the eyes; neck long and slender; body rather slender. Feet very long, slender; tarsi scutellate; anterior toes connected by membranes at the base. Claws rather small, slightly arched, pointed. Wings long, ample, with the second quill longest. Tail short, nearly even, of twelve feathers. Œsophagus wide, like that of a heron; stomach muscular.
360. 1. Ibis Falcinellus, Linn. Glossy Ibis
Plate CCCLXXXVII.
Bill black, bare part of head greyish-blue, feet greyish-black; upper part and sides of head dark glossy green, with purplish reflections; neck, part of the back anteriorly, breast, abdomen, and tibiæ, deep rich brownish-red or dark chestnut; part of the breast shaded with green, the sides dusky, tinged with green, as are the lower wing-coverts and lower tail-coverts; except the anterior edge of the wing, and the anterior scapulars, which are deep brownish-red, the upper parts splendent dark green, glossed with purple; primaries black, shaded with green; tail glossy, with purple reflection. Young, in its second plumage, with the head, neck, and lower parts greyish-brown, the head and greater part of the neck marked with small longitudinal streaks of white, of which there are two on each feather; all the upper parts blackish-green, glossy in a less degree than those of the adult.
Male, 25, 42; wing, 111/4.
Rare or accidental in the Middle Atlantic Districts; more common in South Florida and Texas, where it breeds. Rarely seen far inland. Migratory.
Ibis Falcinellus, Bonap. Syn. p. 312.
Bay or Glossy Ibis, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 88.
Glossy Ibis, Ibis Falcinellus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 608.
361. 2. Ibis rubra, Linn. Scarlet Ibis
Plate CCCXCVII. Adult Male and Young.
Bill, feet, and bare parts of head, pale lake; plumage bright scarlet, excepting the quills, which are white, and the terminal portion of the outer four primaries, which are bluish-black. Young in first plumage with the bill and feet brownish-grey, the bare parts of the head pale flesh-colour; plumage of head, neck, and upper parts, brownish-grey, of lower, white.
Adult, 29; wing, 111/4.
Accidental. Three specimens seen by me in Louisiana.
Scarlet Ibis, Tantalus ruber, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 41.
Ibis rubra, Bonap. Syn. p. 311.
Scarlet Ibis, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 84.
Scarlet Ibis, Ibis rubra, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 62.
362. 3. Ibis alba, Linn. White Ibis
Plate CCXXII. Adult and Young.
Bill and bare parts of the head light orange-red, feet paler; plumage pure white, excepting the ends of from three to five of the outer primaries, which are deep black, glossed with blue and green. Young with the bill greyish-yellow, the feet leaden-coloured, the plumage dull brown all over, excepting the rump, which is whitish, and the tail, which is tinged with grey. Young after first moult with the bill pale yellow, the feet pale blue; the plumage dull olivaceous brown, the quills dark, the tail lighter, the hind part of the back white, as are the breast and abdomen.
Adult, 241/2, 40.
Constant resident in South Florida, where it is abundant. Breeds along the coast to Texas, westward, and occasionally as far as New Jersey eastward, inland as far up the Mississippi as Natchez and Red River. Returns to the Floridas in autumn.
White Ibis, Tantalus albus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 43.
Ibis alba, Bonap. Syn. p. 312.
White Ibis, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 86.
White Ibis, Ibis alba, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 173; v. v. p. 593.