196 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



young- blackcock, shot September 12th in Reedwater, 

 which had each of the new black feathers on the flanks 

 and breast streaked centrally with white. Later, I shot 

 an old blackcock on Haydon-fell with precisely the same 

 peculiarity ; and I have twice observed similar cases in 

 Norway. 



There is, or was, in Northumberland a race of rich 

 dark-brown partridges, almost grouse-like, described and 

 figured in Mr Hancock's " Catalogue " {Nat. Hist. Trans., 

 Northumberland and Durham, vol. vi., pp. 91-93)- 



The earliest of the winter migrants to reach the moors 

 are the jacksnipes. On five occasions (during forty years) 

 have I met with them in September. The earliest date 

 was September 21st, as far back as 1869. On first 

 arrival they sometimes plump down in the barest, driest 

 places where there is no covert beyond the dead stalks 

 of burnt heather. But within a few hours they will have 

 found more congenial resort among the little bogs and 

 marshy ditches of the moor. Jacksnipes must sometimes 

 arrive during daylight, since I have found, in the after- 

 noon, half-a-dozen together in a spot where none had 

 been seen, though carefully hunted, that same morning. 



The great or solitary snipe also arrives in September, 

 or rather passes through, since none winter ; but it is 

 so scarce that I have never myself seen one alive, and 

 believe that supposed occurrences are sometimes based 

 on ignorance, or mistaken identity. Reported occur- 

 rences of rare birds are seldom reliable unless the bird 

 has been obtained — and then only when obtained by one 

 qualified to recognise the species. How many venerable 

 records in ornithology, now accepted almost as Holy 

 Writ, would utterly disappear were a searching investiga- 

 tion possible into their real histories and circumstances ? 



