COMMON SNIPE. 331 



be said to be about four ounces, but Mr. Lubbock 

 states that out " of twenty-one couples killed the 1st of 

 December, 1829, the snipes being at that time in very 

 high condition, six birds weighed five ounces each, two 

 five and a half ounces each, and one bird within a hair 

 of six ounces." 



There is, however, as I have stated in my account 

 of Scolopax major, a large race of the common species, 

 of which several examples have been killed, to my 

 knowledge, in Norfolk. In my own collection is one 

 of these, which I shot at Horning on the 23rd of 

 November, 1853, when, as before stated, the flooding 

 of the low lands had caused extraordinary numbers 

 to congregate on the higher level. This bird rose 

 slowly and heavily like a woodcock, and uttered no 

 cry, and when I shot it, I fully believed I had killed a 

 solitary snipe, until I saw the white feathers on the 

 under parts of the body. Two others of equal propor- 

 tions were shot at the same time, which I regret to say 

 were not preserved. In comparing my specimen, an 

 adult female, even with a male of Scolopax major, it 

 appears to stand as high on its feet, and measures 

 about the same in total length, but great as are its 

 proportions as compared with ordinary specimens of the 

 common species, it wants the somewhat woodcock aspect 

 of the solitary snipe. Like the common snipe it has 

 only fourteen feathers in the tail, the white of the 

 under parts is pure, but much barred on the flanks, 

 and the rest of the plumage particularly rich in colour, 

 with the dorsal stripes fairly defined. The most re- 

 markable feature, however, is the beak, which measures 

 exactly three inches and a quarter, whilst in a speci- 

 men of the solitary snipe the beak is only two inches 

 and five-eighths, and the same in an average sized 

 female of the common snipe. Being in rather poor 

 condition it weighed only a little over six ounces. Mr. 

 2u2 



