LIMICOL^. ( 240 ) SCOLOPACID^. 



THE GREAT SNIPE. 



DOUBLE SNIPE, SOLITARY SNIPE, WOODCOCK SNIPE. 



Gallinago major. 



And long'hiird Snipe, that knows approaching rains. 



Wilson, Loch IVinnoch. 



This bird is rarely seen in Berwickshire. A specimen was 

 shot by the Earl of Haddington in a dry grass park on 

 the farm of Lightfield, near Mellerstain, in the autumn of 

 1865;^ and another was killed by Mr. Stow Compton- 

 Lundie in a field at Spital House, in the parish of Hutton, 

 about the same time.'^ Mr. Kelly records that an example 

 was got by Mr. Scott, gamekeeper, Thirlestane Castle, in 

 1870 ; ^ and Mr. George Low told me in November 1882 

 that his brother, the Hon. Lord Low, saw a Great Snipe on 

 Ellemford ground a few years previously. 



It is known to be a visitor to the British Islands while 

 on its way to its southern winter quarters, its arrival gener- 

 ally taking place between the middle^ of August and the 

 middle of October. 



It may be distinguished from the Common Snipe by 

 its greater size, and by the under parts being more pro- 

 fusely and closely barred. Seebohm says that the chief 

 distinction lies in the tail ; in the adult Great Snipe the 

 terminal half of the four outside tail feathers on each side 

 is pure unspotted white, whilst in the Common Snipe it is 

 chestnut-buf}', with a sub-terminal dark-brown bar. 



1 Turnbull's Birds of East-Lothian, p. 43. 



2 Inforinatiou from W. Compton-Limdie, Esq. of Spital, lOtli February 1886. 



3 Hist. Ber. .Vat. Club, vol. vii. p. 523. 



II 



