The Snipes. 443 



by the identification of a skin, or by some 

 information subsequently received. 



The account of the breeding of the 

 Wood-Snipe contained in " Nests and 

 Eggs " and the " Game Birds " must, 

 therefore, be viewed with doubt, and I 

 do not quote it. 



The Wood-Snipe has the forehead and 

 the crown of the head deep black, with 

 an indistinct pale buff longitudinal streak 

 down the middle of the crown. There 

 is a broad whitish band from the bill, 

 passing over the eye ; below this a broad 

 black band connecting the eye with the 

 bill. The chin is white. The throat and 

 sides of the head are whitish with blackish 

 spots and streaks, and a black band 

 covers a part of the cheeks. The neck 

 all round is buff, blotched with black. 

 The back is black. The inner scapulars 

 are black, with a broad buff margin to 

 the outer web. The outer and longer 

 scapulars are barred and tipped with buff. 

 The upper part of the rump is dark brown, 

 barred with dull white ; the lower part, 

 and the upper tail-coverts, dull rufous 

 barred with brown, and the outer feathers 

 of the coverts tipped with white. The 

 broad median tail-feathers are black, 

 terminated with chestnut, a wavy black 



