GAME BIRDS. 127 



belly are white ; ttie coverts of the tail are long, and almost cover 

 it ; they are of a reddish-brown colour ; the tail consists of four- 

 teen feathers ; black on their lower parts, then crossed with a 

 broad bar of deep orange ; another narrow one of black, and 

 the ends white or pale orange ; the vent feathers of a dull yellow; 

 the legs pale green ; the toes divided to their origin. 



THE JACK SNIPE 



Haunts the same places, and uses the same food as the preceding; 

 it lies close, and is difficult to start ; its flight is never distant, 

 and more sluggish than the larger kind ; its weight is less than 

 two ounces ; the length eight and a half inches ; the bill is an 

 inch and a half long; the crown of the head is black, tinged with 

 rust-colour ; over each eye is a yellow stroke ; the neck varied 

 with white, brown, and pale red. The scapular feathers are 

 narrow, very long, brown, and bordered with yellow ; the rump 

 a glossy, bluish purple ; the belly and vent white ; the greater 

 quill feathers dusky ; the tail brown, edged with tawny, con- 

 sisting of twelve pointed feathers ; the legs are of a cinerous 

 green. 



SABINE'S SNIPE. 



This late addition to our British Fauna, is about nine inches and 

 a half in length ; bill two inches and three quarters, of a brownish 

 black colour ; the upper mandible inclining to chesnut at the 

 base ; tarsi an inch and a quarter ; the plumage brownish black ; 

 the margin of the feathers chesnut, dusky on the back; tail 

 feathers black at the base, with ferruginous bands towards the 

 tip. The absence of white, and the stripes of ferruginous yellow, 

 so common to the other species, are a strong distinguishing cha- 

 racter in this variety. Since the first record of one of those birds 

 being added to the collection of the late Mr. Vigors, M.P., for 

 Carlow, several have been shot one by Captain Williams, Comp- 

 troller, Dublin Castle ; one by Colonel Wingfield, at Tollymore 

 Park, county Down; and several by Edward Burton, Esq., at 

 Clifden, Currafin. 



Snipe-shooting, when the birds are plenty, affords very ex- 

 cellent sport, it being allowed to be the pleasantest, on account 

 of the quick succession of shots ; this is also the best shooting for 

 practice, seldom failing to make indifferent shots, most excellent 



