GREAT SNIPE. 



341 



nut, bounded by a circle of black, and tipped with white ; 

 chin pale yellow-brown ; breast and sides of the body with 

 half-circular bands of brownish-black on pale brown ; belly 

 and vent greyish-white ; legs and toes varying in colour from 

 a livid green to a pale drab ; claws black. 



The whole length is about twelve inches. From the carpal 

 joint to the end of the first quill-feather, which is the longest 

 in the wing, five inches and a half. 



There is little if any constant or appreciable external 

 difference between the sexes. The young may be recognized 

 by having the outside tail-feathers barred across hotJi webs ; 

 the white bars on the wings and the markings of the under 

 parts are less defined, and the upper parts are more rufous. 



The Great Snipe may be distinguished from the Common 

 Snipe by its larger size and proportionately shorter legs and 

 bill ; but especially by the closely barred under parts and the 

 greater amount of white in the tail-feathers, which, moreover, 

 are normally sixteen, and not fourteen, in number. 



The young in down are very much lighter in tint, less 

 variegated, and less rufous than those of the Common Snipe, 

 in which the predominant colour is a deep ruddy chestnut. 



The vignette below represents the young of the Common 

 Snipe. 



