272 CHARADRIIDA4 
Immature, male and female. — Kesembles the adult 
plumage except that the barring on the outer webs of the 
first two primaries is much more marked, and the general 
shade of plumage is darker ; the light-coloured band on the 
tail-feathers 1s narrower than that of the adult. 
Beak. Horn-colour at the basal part, dark brown 
towards the point ; long and straight. 
FEET. Brownish. 
TripEs. Blackish-brown. 
AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 
TOTAL LENGTH ... sie eee LADS aime 
WING — a m5 Bare (2553 
BEAK Bi Fas aa, AOL ae 
'TARSO-METATARSUS oa: i. Ion gen 
Eae aay Ae coil lies ra 
GREAT SNIPE. Gallinago major (J. F. Gmelin). 
Coloured Figures.—Gould, ‘ Birds of Great Britain,’ vol. iv, pl. 
78; Dresser, ‘ Birds of Europe,’ vol. vii, pl. 541; Lilford, 
‘Coloured Figures,’ vol. v, pl. 25. 
The Great or Solitary! Snipe is a visitant to the British 
Isles in small numbers. In the eastern and southern 
counties of England it probably appears annually in autumn 
and winter, but in spring it is very rare. Klsewhere in 
England, as well as in Scotland, it occurs seldom and 
irregularly. From the latter country about a dozen in- 
stances are on record; a bird obtained in Aberdeenshire, 
September 5th, 1905, seems to be the most recent capture 
(Sim, ‘ Zoologist,’ 1905, p. 466). 
In Ireland, it is very rare, and of the several reported 
instances of its occurrence few have been authenticated. 
Specimens have been taken in the following counties :— 
Cork, Wexford, Kildare, Galway, Mayo, Leitrim, and 
Tyrone. <A bird obtained in the last-named county on 
September 8th, 1899, appears to be the most recent capture 
known (EK. Williams). 
'' The name ‘Solitary’ is applied to this species because it is seldom, 
if ever, seen in ‘ wisps’ like the Common Snipe. 
