Sabine's snipe. 345 



hind toe, four-twelfths and its claw, three twenty-fourths 

 of an inch ; tibia bare for three lines above the tarsal 

 joint ; toes all separate ; first and second primary quills 

 the same length ; number of tail feathers eleven ; colour 

 of legs olive green ; iris dark hazel." Of the colour of 

 the beak, he says, " I regret I can say nothing, for the 

 bird having been killed five days when I saw it, had 

 faded apparently in this respect, as also the legs and 

 iris, though the above colours, doubtless darker in the 

 case of the legs than when alive, were quite distinct." 

 Not having completed its autumn moult, the feathers 

 of the tail and wings were imperfect ; of the former, 

 Mr. Salvin counted eleven, but was able to detect 

 satisfactorily the absence of three, making the total 

 number equal to those of the common snipe ; and com- 

 paring also the sterna of S. sdbinii and the common 

 species, he says, *'I am able to state that no specific 

 diiference, or rather no difference at all, exists; the 

 length and breadth of the sternum, the curvature and 

 depth of the keel, and the curvature of the fiircula, all 

 correspond exactly in each ; in fact, it is impossible to 

 distinguish them, and this is testimony in favour of the 

 species being the same, of no small value, for Mr. 

 Alfi'ed Newton, whose valuable collection of breastbones 

 exhibits specimens of several species of Scolopax, assures 

 me that a very marked difference subsists between the 

 sterna of every member of the genus with which he is 

 acquainted, and made special reference to those of 8. 

 gallinago and S. wilsoni species which, be it remem- 

 bered, were for some time confounded ; he also showed 

 me the sterna of 8. major and 8. gallinula, which 

 differed materially from each other, and from either of 

 the above." 



Not the least singular feature in the history of this 

 bird, is the fact that hitherto it has not been met with 

 out of the British Islands, a circumstance equally re- 

 2 Y 



