314 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



GALLINAGO GALLINAGO (LinnKus). 



COMMON SNIPE. 



Scolopax gallinago, Linn. Syst, Nat. i, p. 241 (1766). 



Gallinago gallinago, Licht. Nomencl. Av. Mas. Berol. p. 93 (1851); 



Sharpc, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv, p. 633. 

 Ascalopax gallinago, Malherbe, Faiine Orn. dc I'Alj. p. 33 (1855). 

 Gallinago scolopacinus, Loche, Erpl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 296 (1867). 

 Gallinago gallinaria, Koeiiiy, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 277 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, 



p. H9. 

 Gallinago coelestis, Mliitakcr, Ibis, 1894, p. 100. 



Description. Adult male, winter, from North Tunisia. 



Crown blackish-brown, with a median and two lateral light butf stripes ; 

 upper parts Ijlack, varied witli rufescent huff and grey ; quills blachisk ; 

 wing-coverts tipped with white ; middle tail-feathers Islack, tipped witlr 

 rufous, the remainder bright rufous, barred with black and tipped witli 

 white ; chin, throat and breast buff, marked witli greyisli-hrown ; abdomen 

 white ; flanks Ijarred with dark brown ; under tail-coverts buff, liarrcd with 

 brown. 



Iris dark olive-brown ; Ijill the same, and darker at the tip ; feet dull 

 greenish. 



Total length 11 inches, wing 5'20, culmen 2-75, tarsus 1-25. 



Adult female similar to the male. 



The Common Snipe is abundant in Tunisia between the months 

 of October and March, and may be found in all suitable localities 

 both north and south of the Atlas. A few Snipe may occasionally 

 be met with after the month of March, and on the occasion of my 

 last visit to Gafsa, in the south of the Regency, I found several of the 

 birds in a marshy spot not far from that town as late as April 8th. 

 In the neighbourhood of the Djebel Eshkul, in North Tunisia, Snipe 

 are very plentiful at times, and I have enjoyed some good sport on 

 the marshes lying between that mountain and the small town of 

 Mater. 



In Algeria and Marocco the species is as abundant as it is in 

 Tunisia, and it is also to be found in Tripoli in certain numbers. I 

 do not know of any authenticated instance of the Common Snipe 

 having bred anywhere in North-west Africa. 



The species inhabits Europe generally, ranging as far north as 

 Iceland and Greenland ; it is also to be found throughout a con- 



