BIRDS MET WITH BY THE WILDFOWLER 347 
In autumn the sexes are alike, and the general colour is 
brownish grey above and white below. The tail feathers are 
brown with zo bars, but the tail-coverts are barred always. 
The young have a shorter beak than the adults, and are 
brown chequered with buffish above and dull buff below. The 
tail feathers are broadly barred. 
In spring the male has the back with tawny markings, 
the head and neck chestnut with dark streaks. Whole of the 
under parts deep chestnut, the sides of the breast spotted 
with brownish black; rump white; tail whitish with brown 
bars. Length 15°5 in. ; bill 2°75 in. ; wing 8in. The female 
_ is slightly larger and has very little of the ruddy tint. 
WOODCOCK 
Scolopax rustzcola (Linneus) 
Although this species is a resident in the British Isles, we 
depend upon immigrants from abroad to swell its numbers in 
winter. It breeds throughout the temperate portions of the 
Palearctic region. 
The adults and young are closely alike, and have the upper 
parts chestnut brown, barred with black and ashy grey; 
under parts rufous, barred finely with brown. Bill 3°25 in. ; 
length 15 in. 
GREAT OR SOLITARY SNIPE 
Scolopax major (Gmelin) 
The Great Snipe is a rare spring and autumn migrant to 
the British Isles. A few birds, however, for the most part 
immature, visit our south and east counties, yearly in autumn. 
It breeds in Scandinavia and across Northern Europe, 
extending southwards into Russia, Poland, and North Ger- 
many ; over the rest of Europe east of the Rhone Valley it is 
common on migration and during the winter months. 
