GALLINAGO GALLINULA 315 



siderable portion of Asia, in North Africa, and in the Atlantic 

 Islands. 



The Common Snipe frequents marshes and wet and swampy localities 

 generally, and is usually to be found singly, though not unfrequently 

 in "wisps" or parties consisting of many individuals, when it is diffi- 

 cult to approach. It is always more or less shy and wary, though 

 apparently less so on fine warm days than at other times. In its 

 habits it is somewhat nocturnal or crepuscular, and its chief feeding- 

 hours appear to be those of the early morning and late evening. 

 It also migrates by night. 



Its food consists of worms, snails, and insects of various kinds. 

 Its flight is very swift, and for several yards after rising, very twist- 

 ing. On flying off, it utters a note like the word " scape." The 

 peculiar "drumming," or "bleating" sound, produced by the Snipe 

 when on the wing during the spring, is attributed by some ornitholo- 

 gists to the action of the wings, assisted by the expanded tail-feathers, 

 but by others solely to the latter. 



The so-called Sabine's Snipe, which is now generally admitted 

 to be merely a melanic form of the Common Snipe, appears to be 

 rarely met with out of the British Islands. Its coloration is like that 

 of the dark variety of Sky-lark, found in the Roman Campagna, and 

 the restriction of these two forms to more or less circumscribed 

 areas is an interesting fact, and one which, if carefully studied, 

 might possibly afford a clue to the explanation of this curious phase 

 of colour variation. 



(GALLINAGO GALLINULA (Linnaeus.) 



JACK-SNIPE. 



Scolopax gallinula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 244 (1766); Malhcrbc, Faune 



0)11. de I'Alg. p. 33 (1855). 

 Gallinago gallinula, Bonap. Comp. List Birds Eur. and N. Amer. p. 52 



(1838) ; Koenig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 277 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 90 ; Wliitaker, 



Ibis, 1894, p. 100. 

 Ljnnnocryptes gallinula, LocJie, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 298 (1867). 

 Limnocryptes gallinula, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv, p. 665. 



Description. — Adult male, winter, from North Tunisia. 



General colour of upper plumage black, varied with rufous-buff and grey. 



