416 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
whole colour of the bird is nearly the same as the 
light streaks on the back, but the places where the 
darker markings should be are just hinted at. 
The egg is pear-shaped; olive-brown ground 
colour, spotted and blotched, mostly near the larger 
end, with dark brown and dull purplish brown. 
Jack Snive, Scolopax Gallinula. The pretty little 
Jack Snipe is by no means so numerous with us as 
the Common Snipe, and I am not aware that it has 
ever been met with in our county during the summer, 
and it certainly does not remain to breed: it is 
therefore a much more truly migratory species, 
making its appearance about the end of September 
and departing about the beginning of April. 
Notices no doubt occasionally appear of specimens- 
of this bird being procured, in both England and 
Treland, during the summer, but these seem to be 
very scattered cases. Generally the Jack Snipe lies 
much closer than the Common Snipe, and, rising 
close under the feet of the sportsman, gives him a 
very fair shot, as far as distance is concerned, but 
not a very easy one, on account of its zigzag 
flight; but, as it generally pitches again very soon, 
it sometimes affords a very fair afternoon’s sport, as 
far as the expenditure of powder and shot is 
concerned, and I have known cases in which one 
Jack Snipe has afforded a whole winter’s shooting. 
All authors seem to agree that the Jack Snipe has 
a peculiar attachment to certain localities, visiting 
