236 GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE. 



prove uriusuall}^ mild, stragglers occasionally winter 

 there. On the 28th of February, 1858, indeed, I myself 

 shot at a Jack Snipe that rose from a small open rill near 

 the town of Wenersborg. 



In the early part of the autumn this bird was much 

 less plentiful in my neighbourhood than the Common 

 Snipe ; but as the season advanced, and the latter began to 

 leave us, the Jacks became much more numerous ; and 

 even after the Common Snipe had all but disappeared, and 

 the frosty nights had set in, they not unfrequcntly remained 

 on our bogs until quite late in November, when I have 

 shot many of them. 



The geographical range of the Jack Snipe is very 

 considerable, being found in almost all European countries ; 

 as also, according to Pennant, in Siberia. The Russian 

 naturalists met with it in the vicinity of the Caucasus, 

 and Colonel Sykes includes it amongst the birds of the. 

 Deccan. Strickland says it is abundant at Smyrna in the 

 winter time. 



The Jack Snipe is by far the smallest of the genus 

 Scolopax, being little more indeed than half the size of the 

 S. GalUnago ; its length is about eight inches, expanse of 

 wings fourteen inches, and weight two ounces. The 

 female, Nilsson tells us, is less than the male. 



The flight of this bird is straighter and less rapid 

 than that of the Common Snipe, and it seldom flies 

 to a distance of more than a few hundred paces before 

 alighting. It seems to be the general belief that on 

 rising from the ground it utters no cry whatever ; and 

 hence its Danish designation of Stum Bekkasin, or the 

 silent snipe. But if I am not greatly mistaken, one 

 does at times hear a slight sound of some kind proceed 

 from the bird. 



The Jack Snipe is qviite as unsocial a bird as the 

 S. major, being seldom met ^^ith otherwise than singly 



