356 



SCOLOPACIDJi:. 



black, edged with pale brown ; primary quill-feathers dusky- 

 black ; secondaries the same, but ending in a white point ; 

 tertials brownish-black, spotted and streaked with rich red- 

 dish-brown ; upper tail-coverts brown, edged with buff; tail- 

 feathers twelve, greyish-black margined with brown : the 

 central ones elongated ; cheeks, chin, and neck, greyish- 

 brown, spotted with darker brown ; breast, belly, and vent 

 white ; legs and toes dark greenish-brown ; claws black. 



The whole length is eight inches to eight inches and a 

 half; the length of the beak one inch and a half; from the 

 carpal joint to the end of the first quill-feather, which is the 

 longest, four inches and three-eighths. 



Females are on the average a trifle larger in size than the 

 males, but not so bright in their colours. In the plumage of 

 winter the reddish-brown parts are more inclined to ash-grey. 



Young birds have not the brilliant green and purple re- 

 flections observable in old birds. The nestling is of a still 

 richer brown than that of the Common Snipe already figured, 

 and the bill is shorter, higher, and broader at the base. 



Varieties in this species are very uncommon, but a melan- 

 ism is recorded by Mr. F. Bond (Zool. 18G2, p. 8000) as 

 having been shot near Staines. 



The differences in the emargination of the breast-bone iu 

 the Jack, and in the Common Snipe, are shown below. 



-^jr 



