234 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 



the " scape-scape " of its congener. It can be distinguished at once 

 from 6'. Gallinago by its greater size, as well as by having all the 

 under parts mottled and streaked with brown, instead of being 

 white, as in the other species — although, in the common Snipe the 

 colouring on the under parts varies much, and you often kill one 

 almost, though not entirely, dark underneath. 



Scolopar Sa6ini. " Sabine's Snipe." Whether this bird is a 

 distinct species from S. Gallinago, or merely a melanism, has been 

 much disputed, but I certainly incline to the opinion that it is 

 merely a variety of plumage. I have several notices of its recent 

 occurrence. One was sent in to Harbour, the Reading naturalist, 

 by the late Sir C. Russell, of Swallowfield Park, on September 14th, 

 1873. Another was killed by Mr. Bennett, of Stapleford, at that 

 place, on December 20th, 1873, as communicated to me by Mr. 

 Baker, of Mere ; a third, at Picket Post, in the New Forest, in 

 1859; while at Christchurch it has occurred not infrequently of late 

 years, as will be seen by the note kindly furnished me by Mr. Hart, 

 one in each of the years 1852, 1860, 1867; two in 1868 ; four in 

 1869 ; one each in 1870 and 1876 ; and one on January 12th, 1881, 

 killed by Hart himself, at Mitchell's Hole, near the ferry boat. 

 There seems to be no essential difference in this bird, in shape or 

 formation, from the common Snipe, which itself is not infrequently 

 met with of various shades of colour, so that there would seem to be 

 no material reason for thinking this to be a totally distinct species. 



Scolopax Gallinago. " Snipe." It is one of our common winter 

 birds. But they do not stay with us in the summer, or breed in 

 our meadows, though I believe they occasionally do at Compton 

 and other places on the banks of the neighbouring river, the Test. 

 I have always found the November month the best for them in this 

 parish, when you could generally bag, with two good guns, four or 

 five couple. One day in November, after hard rain all the morning, 

 the sun came out warm and bright, and I took two friends out for 

 a turn in the meadows, not expecting there would be a Snipe in ; 

 but we found the meadows full of them, and from 12 to 4 we bagged 

 nine couple and a half, and should have bagged at least twelve 

 couple, had one of my friends been accustomed to Snipe ; and on 



