. Key to North American birds. Containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland and lower California, with which are incorporated General ornithology: an outline of the structure and classification of birds; and Field ornithology, a manual of collecting, preparing, and preserving birds . one, and becomes studded with small pits. Tlie gape of the mouth is extremely short andnarrow; the toes are cleft; the legs, neck, and wings are comparatively short, and the body i
. Key to North American birds. Containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland and lower California, with which are incorporated General ornithology: an outline of the structure and classification of birds; and Field ornithology, a manual of collecting, preparing, and preserving birds . one, and becomes studded with small pits. Tlie gape of the mouth is extremely short andnarrow; the toes are cleft; the legs, neck, and wings are comparatively short, and the body israther full. There are no obvious seasonal or sexual differences in plumage. Not completelygregarious; no such fliglits of woodcock and true snipe occur as are usually witnessed amongsandpipers and bay-snipe; they inliabit the bog and brake rather than the open waterside :they cannot be treacherously massacred by scores, like some of their relatives ; they are know-ing birds, if their brains are upset, and their successful pursuit calls into actiou all the betterqualities of the true sportsman. There is but one species of Philohela ; two or three ofScolopax, and about twenty of GalUnago. The curious circumstance occurs, among thelatter, that the tail-feathers range from 12 to 26 in different species; and in those with thehigher numbers, several pairs are narrow and linear —a character upon which the genus. Fig. 432. — American Woodcock, about % nat. size. (From American Field.) Spilura rests.— The singular genus Illiynchcea, with two species, B. capensis (Africa)and B. semicollaris (S. America), may belong here.—Macrorhamphus, containing only ourspecies, and one other, M. semipalmatus of the Old World, has a bill .exactly as in GalUnago,but is distinguished by more pointed wings, and differently proportioned legs, with basal webbing of the toes. It stands exactly between the true snipe and &. The Godwits (Limosa), in which we find the same very long, wholly grooved, an
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirdsnorthamerica
