Scolopax. BIRDS. PRESSIROSTRES. 105 



Greenshank : approaches it nearly in colours ; but the hill was so much thicker, 

 as to form a specific distinction.'" Montagu adds (Suppl. Orn. Diet.), " One 

 of these birds in the late unfortunate Leverian Museum was marked Grey 

 Godwit. It appeared to be rather smaller than the Common Godwit, the bill 

 and legs rather shorter, and more slender ; the tail barred dusky and white 

 nearly to the base : the rump white, with a few spots : the back and scapu- 

 lars pale brown, with grey borders." 



It is not improbable' that the Black Sandpiper of Pennant (ii. 2C4.) is merely 

 the Greenshank in its winter dress. 



Gen. LXVIII. SCOLOPAX. Snipe.— Bill straight, soft, 

 and swollen near the end, and in drying becomes like sha- 

 grin. Tip of the upper mandible enlarged beneath for the 

 reception of the extremity of the lower. 



a. Tibia feathered even to the knee. Woodcocks. 



145. S. Rusticola. Woodcock. — Crown cinereous; nape with 



transverse black bars. 



Will. Orn. 213. Sibb. Scot. 18. Linn. Syst. i. 243. Penn. Brit. ZooL 



ii. 433. Temm. Orn. ii. G73 W, Cyfi'ylog; G, Coilleach coille — A 



regular winter visitant. 



Length 14, breadth 20 inches; 12 ounces. Bill 3 inches long, livid, dark at 

 the tip. Legs livid. Irides hazel. Lores black. Plumage, above, variegated 

 with red, yellow, cinereous and black. Beneath, yellowish-white, with cross- 

 waved brown bars. Quills 23, black, with transverse reddish bars. Tail of 

 12 feathers, black, tipped with grey above and white below. Female larger, 

 with white spots on the wing-covers — Nest on the earth. Eggs 4, yellowish, 

 spotted with brown. — This species visits us about the first week of October, 

 arriving at night with a north-east wind ; and departs in March. A few, how- 

 ever, have been known to breed in this country. 



b. Loiccr part of the tibia naked. Snipes. 



146. S. major. Great Snipe. — Tail of 16 feathers; shaft of 

 the first quill white. 



Penn. Brit Zool. ii. 450. Temm. Orn. ii. 675. — Bare in Britain. 



Length 12 inches; weight 8 ounces. Bill 2| inches long, brown, the base 

 reddish. Feet greenish-grey. Crown black, divided by a band of yellowish- 

 white, similar to one over the eyes. Above, variegated brown and red ; the 

 latter colour disposed longitudinally. Beneath, reddish-white ; the belly and 

 sides with black bands. This species seems of rare occurrence. The follow- 

 ing remark by Mr Bewick, however, would lead us to believe that it is proba- 

 bly overlooked, and by sportsmen not distinguished as a species. " The au- 

 thor has seen three specimens of a large kind of snipe, called by some sports- 

 men, from being always found alone, The Solitary Snipe. They weighed the 

 same as the above mentioned (8 oz.), but differed in some slight particulars, 

 measuring only 12 inches in length, and from tip to tip about 19. The upper 

 parts of the plumage were nearly like those of the common snipe. The breast, 

 sides, belly, and vent, white, spotted, barred, and undulated with black. It 

 is not clearly ascertained whether this be a distinct species of snipe, or whe- 

 ther it acquires its bulk, and change of plumage, from age, and its solitary 

 habits from ceasing to breed." — Brit. Birds, ii. p. 07. 



147. S. Sabini. — Tail feathers 12. Plumage destitute of lon- 

 gitudinal bands. 



