JACK SNIPE. 127 



spread in flight the white terminal portion of the more outer 

 feathers of the Great can generally be seen. These are not so 

 white in immature as in mature birds, and most of those which 

 visit us in autumn are birds of the year ; but at any age the 

 under parts, even the abdomen, of the Great are more barred 

 and speckled than those of the Common, in which the centre of 

 the abdomen is white. SoHtary Snipe is one rather misleading 

 name for this species, for though " wisps " are not noticed in 

 Britain, couples may rise together. Its usual haunts are drier 

 than those of either the Common or Jack Snipe ; it may be 

 found in fields, amongst bracken, or even in woods. From this 

 choice of habitat, and from its manner of flight, without the 

 sharp zigzags, it is at times called the " Woodcock Snipe." It is 

 slower on the wing, and flies heavily ; indeed, it looks a bulkier 

 bird than the resident species, though its actual length on the 

 average is about the same, for the bill is proportionately short. 

 So far as is known, it feeds rather more on what it can pick up 

 than upon worms, for which it has to probe ; insects and their 

 larvae have been found in its stomach. During the breeding 

 season abroad it has several notes, but is not known to " drum " ; 

 in Britain it is a silent bird, rising without any call of alarm. 



The plumage closely resembles that of the last species, except 

 in the points already mentioned — the tail and under parts. The 

 bill is brown, almost black at the tip, the legs are greenish 

 brown, the irides very dark brown. Length, 1 1 ins. Wing, 

 5-5 ins. Tarsus, i'35 ins. 



Jack Snipe. Linuiocryptes gallimda (Linn.). 



The Jack or Half Snipe (Plate 53) has a more northern and 

 eastern breeding range in Europe and Asia than the last 

 species ; it winters in southern Europe and north Africa, in 

 India and Burma. To Britain it is a common and regular 

 winter visitor and passage migrant, usually arriving during 



