SNIPE-SHOOTING. 827 



shot, although it is quite probable that many others may 

 have been brought down by the guns of sportsmen who were 

 no naturalists, and consequently might overlook the distinc- 

 tions between that bird and the jack-snipe. 



The first bird of this species which was met with was shot 

 on the 21st of August, 1822, in the Queen's County, Ireland, 

 by the Rev. Charles Doyne, of Portarlington, who, perceiving 

 it was a distinct species, immediately forwarded it to the 

 late distinguished ornithologist, J. N. Vigors, Esq., member 

 for Carlow, who found it to be a new and undescribed species, 

 and named it after colonel Sabine, well known for his con- 

 nexion with discoveries during the Polar expedition. A 

 female was killed on the banks of the Medway, near Ro- 

 chester, on the 26th of October, 1824. A third specimen 

 was shot by Captain Bonham, of the tenth Hussars, in No- 

 vember, 1827, near Garvagh, in the county of Londonderry, 

 who did not kill it until by a third shot, which afforded him 

 an opportunity of remarking its disregard for his presence, 

 which was manifested by its alighting quite near again, after 

 being fired at, in the manner of the jack-snipe. It did not 

 call, after being sprung, in the manner of the common snipe. 

 The fourth that was killed was sent to Mr. Selby from the 

 neighbourhood of Morpeth, possessing all the characters of 

 Mr. Vigors's bird, but the under parts were perhaps a little 

 darker. We are informed by Mr. Eyton, in his " Rare Bri- 

 tish Birds," that he was told by the Earl of Malmesbury 

 that a snipe of this species was killed by his son in the 

 breeding season near Heron Court, Hampshire : the sixth was 

 said to have been killed in Lancashire. 



It is very remarkable that this very rare species has not 

 fallen into the hands of any naturalist out of Great Britain, 

 and it is to be hoped that sportsmen who may happen to 

 meet with it will preserve it, and send it to some of the 



