Sabine's Snipe 99 



has arisen ; the large Common Snipe being mistaken for, and recorded 

 as tlie SoHtary Snipe. The differences between the two species are 

 clear and distinct. The so-called .S. ritssafa is really a giant Common 

 Snipe — the measurements being in proper proportion to the increased 

 size and weiglit. The tail feathers are fourteen in number, the belly 

 white, and the bird commonh' utters the usual " sceap, sceap " 

 when flushed. 



The Great Snipe, on the other hand, measures but little more 

 than the Common Snipe, as regards its wings, bill, etc.. notwith- 

 standing its larger bod\- and increased weight. It is a short-winged, 

 short-billed bird in proportion to its body weight. The tail consists 

 of sixteen feathers, and the belly is freely spotted right down to the 

 vent. The flight is very heav}^ and slow compared with that of a 

 Common Snipe, and the bird alw^ays rises silently. 



Our own Snipe has fourteen tail feathers, and the number of 

 tail feathers has been made use of b\' some writers as a specific 

 distincticm. 



Kaup, for instance, received a Snipe with sixteen tail feathers 

 and on that character proceeded to create a new species, Scolopax 

 Brehmii, which is universallv discredited at the present time. I 

 have myself shot a Snipe with sixteen tail feathers, differing in no 

 other way from the Common Snipe. 1 believe the number of tail 

 feathers to be a verv inconstant character ; not i per cent, of the 

 Snipe shot ever have their tail feathers counted, and I would hazard 

 the conjecture that, if all the Snipe shot in the country had the 

 number of tail feathers accurately ascertained, many would be found 

 with sixteen rectrices ; perhaps 5 per cent, or more. 



Passing now to the extreme colour variations : white, pied, 

 and cream-coloured birds are not very uncommon, and most of 

 them are very beautiful. 



In the very light forms, the normal over-markings of the Snipe's 

 plumage are often delicately indicated by darker buff pencillings 

 on the white or cream-coloured ground. 



There is, however, a very remarkable dark varietx- — the so- 

 called Sabine's Snipe — which is especially deserving of notice, for, 

 as Thompson said, " it is one of the greatest puzzles in ornithology." 



The first specimen on record was shot on August 21st, 1822, at 

 Portarlington, Queens Co., and forwarded to Vigors. Regarding 

 it as a distinct species for reasons given below, he named it Scolopax 

 Sabinii, in honour of a distinguished contemporary'. 



The specified distinctions, according to Vigors, were : — 



1. The uniform brown colouring. 



2. The number of tail feathers (12 against 14 in the Common 



Snipe). 



3. The shorter and stouter tarsus. 



4. The two outer toes being united at the base for a short 



distance. 



