246 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



lower throat, fore-neck, and sides of breast sandy-rufous, the 

 fore-neck and chest more ashy and uniform, so that the black 

 shaft-streaks are confined to the lower throat, sides of neck, 

 and sides of breast, being here a little broader. 



Characters. Distinguished from H. pectoralis (infra, p. 247) 

 by the characters given below. 



Range in Great Britain. Two specimens of this species have 

 been procured within our limits. One was obtained near Yar- 

 mouth as long ago as September, 1848. It remained for many 

 years in the Norwich Museum, and was supposed to be an 

 example of H. maculata. The second specimen was shot near 

 the same place on the 29th of August, 1892, by Mr. T. Ground. 



Eange outside the British Islands. There can be no doubt that 

 the present species nests in North-east Siberia, and thence 

 passes on migration by the coasts of Alaska, as well as those 

 of China and Japan, to the islands of the Malayan Archi- 

 pelago, as far as Australia and New Zealand, occurring also 

 in the Friendly Islands in the Pacific. 



Habits. Mr. E. W. Nelson gives the following note on the 

 species : " On the north shore of Siberia, near North Cape, 

 we found these birds very common, scattered over damp grass 

 flats near the coast, the ist of August, 1881. The ground was 

 covered with reindeer tracks, and among these the Sharp- 

 tailed Snipe were seen seeking their food. They were very un- 

 suspicious, and allowed us to pass close to them, as they circled 

 close about us. From their movements, and other circum- 

 stances, I judged that this district formed part of their breed- 

 ing grounds, whence they reach the neighbouring coasts of 

 Alaska in the fall. 



" They usually make their first appearance on the shore of 

 Norton Sound the last of August, and in a few days become 

 very common. They sometimes remain up to the i2th of 

 October, and I have seen them searching for food along the 

 tide-line when the ground was covered with two inches of snow. 

 When feeding along the edges of the tide-creeks they may 

 almost be knocked over with a paddle, and when a flock is 

 fired into, it returns again and again." 



Nest and Eggs. Unknown. 



