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. sabimw and the common 
species, he says, “I am able to state that no specific 
difference, 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 furcula, 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. 
Alfred Newton, whose valuable collection of breastbones 
exhibits specimens of several species of Scolopaz, 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 S. 
gallinago and S. wilsont species which, be it remem- 
bered, were for some time confounded; he also showed 
me the sterna of S. major and S. 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¥ 
