258 A HANDBOOK OF EUROPEAN BIRDS. 
Genus GALLINAGO. al 
GREAT OR DOUBLE SNIPE. x 
Gallinago major (Gme/.). 
Adult: Chin and sides of head whitish, speckled with 
brown; hinder crown and neck buffish, marked with brown ; 
on either side of crown a band of blackish-brown, with a 
whitish band between ; general colour of upper parts brown, 
black and chestnut; outermost scapular and mantle-feathers 
conspicuously margined with buff; quills brown ; secondaries 
and median wing-coverts broadly tipped with white; ¢az/- 
feathers (sixteen) chestnut, mottled with black, white-tipped 
and black at bases ; outermost rectrices chiefly white ; neck and 
breast buff; closely marked with blackish-brown; rest of 
under parts white, tinged on abdomen and flanks with buff, 
and barred more or less conspicuously with brown ; bill pale 
brown, darker at tip; legs, feet and irides brown. Length 11 
to 12°5 inches; culmen 2°4; wing 5°5 ; tarsus 1°5. 
Young in first plumage: Very nearly resemble adults, 
but have the outermost tail-feathers subterminally barred with 
brown. 
Distribution: Inhabits Holland, North Germany, the 
north-east of Europe, and in Northern-central Asia, migrating 
southward in autumn, but not recorded from India or China ; 
of casual occurrence in England. 
Habitat: Peaty swamps, moist meadows, &c. 
COMMON SNIPE. vi 
Gallinago ccelestis (/7enz.). 
Adult : Differs from G. major in being smaller ; in having 
the secondaries only tipped with white and the outermost tatt- 
feathers pale chestnut buff, tipped with white and subterminally 
barred with blackish ; abroad patch on the lores dark brown ; 
bill pale brown at base, dark brown at tip; legs, feet and 
claws brown; irides hazel. Length 10 to 11°5 inches; culmen 
2°38; wing 5; tail (of r4 feathers) 2'4; tarsus 1°2. 
