284 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



whitish, extending from the base of the bill ; sides of face 

 bronzy-brown, with blackish shaft-lines to the feathers; fore- 

 part of cheeks and under surface of body pure white, with 

 dusky streaks on the throat, these being a little larger on the 

 chest, the sides of the latter and sides of upper-breast brown ; 

 under wing-coverts white, mottled with blackish bases to the 

 feathers, especially distinct on the edge of the wing ; axillaries 

 pure white ; quills dusky below, white towards the base of the 

 inner web ; bill dusky above, grey beneath ; feet greyish, 

 tinged with green, claws black; iris brown. Total length, 

 8 inches; culmen, ri ; wing, 4-1 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, o'()6. 



Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. Similar to the male in 

 colour, but not quite so heavily marked, and the streaks, on 

 the fore-neck and chest less pronounced. Total length, 7 

 inches; culmen, ri ; wing, 4^3; tail, 2*4.; tarsus, 0-85. 



Adults in Winter Plumage. A little more bronzy-olive than in 

 the summer, and uniform above, without the black central 

 streaks and black spear-shaped spots, which are characteristic 

 of the summer dress ; the streaks on the throat are also much 

 narrower and not so distinct. 



Young Birds. Easily distinguished by the cross-bars of sandy 

 or reddish-buff and dusky-brown, which give the upper surface 

 a freckled appearance; the throat uniform, with scarcely any in- 

 dication of streaks on the lower part. 



Range in Great Britain The Summer-Snipe visits us in spring, 

 and remains to breed ; and in the autumn migration it is one 

 of the commonest of our wading birds, occurring both on the 

 inland rivers and lakes, and also in the tidal harbours. It breeds 

 in the north of England and Scotland, as well as in Wales and 

 the south-western counties of England. Mr. Ussher states that 

 it breeds in every county of Ireland, except perhaps, Kilkenny. 

 It only breeds locally in Wexford and the north of Waterford, 

 and is very common on the lakes throughout Ireland. 



Range outside the British Islands. The Summer-Snipe breeds 

 throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and passes in winter 

 to Africa, the Indian Peninsula, and even as far as Australia. 



Habits. That the Summer-Snipe passes across England, 

 both in its northward and southward migration, is proved by 



