SCOLOPACID:. 409 
green and even of a light drab colour. ‘‘'The 
females are larger than the males. The males lighter 
in colour above and below the dark stripe behind 
the base of the beak, and the breast is less covered 
with the dark half-circular markings; the white 
spots at the ends of the wing-coverts are rather 
larger and more conspicuous from their purer white 
colour. Young birds in their first autumn have 
short beaks, and fewer, if any, white outside tail- 
feathers: these are probably obtained at their first 
moult, as this species is sometimes described as 
being without any white outside tail-feathers, and at 
others with as many as five on each outside.” 
The eggs are said to be of a yellow olive-brown, 
spotted with two shades of reddish brown. 
Common Sniper, Scolopax Gallinago. The Com- 
mon or Full Snipe is tolerably numerous in most 
parts of the county, and in some localities which are 
well suited to its nature it is at times very abundant, 
but is rather eccentric in its movements, as on one 
day one may have very excellent sport and on the 
next may go over the same ground’ and not see a 
bird. It is on the whole a migratory species, but, 
as with the Woodcock, a few pairs remain every year 
to breed on the Quantock, Brendon and other hills, 
and probably also on some parts of the marsh, as 
the Rey. Murray A. Mathew mentions * having seen a 
* § Zoologist’ for 1865, p. 9763. 
2Q2N 
