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 no 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 275 in. ; wing 8 in. The female 

 is slightly larger and has very little of the ruddy tint. 



WOODCOCK 



Scolopax rusticola i^LinncEus) 



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 

 Palaearctic 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. 



