418 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
of cream-colour ; in this streak, just over the eye, are 
afew dark brown feathers, making a sort of eye- 
brow; the top of the head to the nape dark brown, 
almost black, with a few spots of rusty; the sides of 
the face and neck white, much streaked and spotted 
with dark brown; the feathers of the back and 
scapulars are glossy black, reflecting green and 
purple, with a few rusty markings on them; there 
are two rich cream-coloured streaks down the back, 
and also (but paler and not so decided) between the 
scapulars and wing-coverts; the scapulars are the 
same, but with more rufous markings ; the whole of 
the colour of the wing is much like that of the 
Common Snipe; the tail-feathers are much pointed, 
dusky brown in the centre, margined with pale 
rusty brown; the chin is white; the throat streaked 
white and two shades of brown, one pale yellowish 
brown and the other darker; belly and under tail- 
coverts white; legs and toes greenish brown; claws 
black. 
I do not know that varieties of this bird ever 
occur, as they do of the Woodcock and Common 
Snipe. J have never seen one, and I do not know 
that any are mentioned by authors. 
The eggs are very rare in collections: they are 
said to be of a yellowish olive, the larger end spotted 
with two shades of brown.* Meyer has figured them 
‘s Yarrell, vol. ii., p. 43. 
