SABINE'S SNIPE. 21 



field, from which, however, it sufficiently differs in its 

 general proportions ; and I find no description of any other 

 extra European species of true Scolopax which at alljap- 

 proaches it in this character of its plumage. In the num- 

 ber of the tail-feathers, again, which amount to twelve, it 

 differs from Scolopax major, which has sixteen, and from 

 Scolopax gallinago, which has fourteen : it agrees, however, 

 in this point, with Scolopax gallinula, which also has but 

 twelve ; but it never can be confounded with that bird, 

 from the great disproportion between the essential cha- 

 racters of both ; the bill alone of 8. Sabini exceeding 

 that of the latter species by one-third of its length. In 

 the relative length and strength of the tarsi, it equally dif- 

 fers from all. These members, although stouter than those 

 of S. gallinago, fall short of them by -/g- of an inch ; they 

 are much weaker, on the other hand, than those of S. 

 major, although they nearly equal them in length. In 

 general appearance it bears a greater resemblance to the 

 Woodcock S. rusticola, than to the other European Scolo- 

 paces, but it may immediately be recognised as belonging 

 to a different station in the genus ; the two exterior toes 

 being united at the base for a short distance, as in the 

 greater number of the congeneric species ; while those of 

 8. rusticola are divided to the origin. 



" This bird was shot in the Queen's County in Ireland, 

 by the Rev. Charles Doyne, of Portarlington, in that 

 county, on the 21st of August, 1822 ; and was obligingly 

 communicated to me the same day. I have named the 

 species in honour of the Chairman of the Zoological Club 

 of the Linnean Society, whose zeal and ability have thrown 

 so much light upon the ornithology of the British Islands." 



Mr. Vigors adds in a note, " Since this communication 

 was read to the Society, I have been enabled to record a 

 second instance of this bird having been met with in the 



