Sabine's snipe. 347 



five specimens of this snipe, gives the following reasons 

 (" Birds of Middlesex ") for considering it a distinct 

 species, but has evidently overlooked the discovery in 

 recent examples of more than twelve tail-feathers. 

 " Firstly," he says, " in S. sabinii there is a total 

 absence of white in the plumage, and none of the buff 

 coloured markings on the head and back which appear 

 in 8. galUnago ; secondly, the number of tail-feathers 

 in S. sabinii is twelve, whereas S. gallinago has fourteen ; 

 thirdly, the tarsus in >S'. sabinii is stouter and about 

 an eight of an inch shorter than in S. gallinago; 

 fourthly, in S. sabinii the eye is placed much higher 

 in the head, as in S. rusticola ; and lastly, if ;S^. 

 sabinii were only a variety of S. gallinago^ however 

 dark in colour the feathers might be, they would at 

 all events be of the same shape. But it will be observed 

 that in S. gallinago the feathers of the back are lanceo- 

 late in form, while in S. sabinii they are more ovate; 

 in this respect more resembling S. rusticola.''^ The 

 latter is unquestionably the most important reason yet 

 assigned for giving specific rank to this feathered par- 

 adox ; but on the other hand, Mr. Alfred Newton, in a 

 recent communication on this point, remarks — " I have 

 seen, and more or less fully examined, no fewer than a 

 dozen specimens of Sabine's snipe, and, on one occasion, 

 I had the opportunity of comparing five together. I 

 am strongly disposed to doubt its specific rank and to 

 regard it as being only a melanoid variety of the 

 common species. I have good reason for suspecting 

 that all the examples I have seen were birds of the 

 year, and if so, one fact to which Mr. Harting in his 

 ' Birds of Middlesex ' has adverted, is satisfactorily 

 explained, for I beheve that in the common snipe the 

 young of the year have the scapular feathers less pointed 

 than the adult. I am, however, unable at present to 

 speak positively on this subject, and the question must 

 2 Y 2 



