SNIPE 157 



of both sportsman and naturalist, many of whom were 

 inclined to regard the bird as a separate species. The 

 consensus of opinion, however, has lately been in the 

 direction of regarding this bird as neither more nor less 

 than a melanic form of the Common Snipe. Several 

 examples of Sabine's Snipe have occurred from time 

 to time, and Mr. Barrett Hamilton, in reviewing the 

 records of its occurrence in The Irish Naturalist for 

 January 1895, stated that out of fifty-five examples 

 of this dark form of snipe now existing in collections, 

 thirty-one were obtained in Ireland, twenty-two in 

 England, one in Scotland, and one in France. I have 

 gone somewhat fully into this question of the Sabine's 

 Snipe, in order to enable the gunner lucky enough to 

 come across a black snipe the more readily to identify 

 his capture, as well, also, to satisfy the minds of any 

 who may still incline to the belief that this bird is a 

 sufficiently good species to rank specifically. 



THE GREAT SNIPE. (Scolopax major.) 



This bird is sometimes called by sportsmen the 

 " woodcock "-snipe, or " double " snipe, by reason of its 

 size. The Great Snipe is just double the weight of the 

 Common Snipe, and in this respect, as well as in that 

 of measurement, its total length being 12 inches, and 

 expanse of wings 19 inches or so, it more nearly ap- 

 proaches the woodcock in the matters of size and weight. 

 The Great Snipe is an annual late-summer visitor to this 

 country ; it usually reaches our shores some consider- 

 able time before the Common Snipe from over-sea put 

 in their appearance. It is most frequently met with 

 in August and September, and occasionally so late 



