SNIPE. 143 



AMERICAN STINT. Tringa pusilla, Wilson*. 

 Hab. North and South America ; West Indies. 



One, Marazion Marsh, Cornwall, 10th Oct. 1853: Rodd, 

 Zoologist, 1854, p. 4297 ; Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds (pre- 

 face to 3rd edition). In the collection of Mr. Vingoe. 



One, Northam Burrows, Devon, Sept. 1869: Rodd, The 

 Field, 23rd Oct. 1869; Zoologist, 1869, p. 1920j Rickards, 

 Zoologist, 1870, p. 2025. In the collection of Mr. Rick- 

 ards f. 



WILSON'S SNIPE. Gallinago wilsoni, Temminck. 

 Hab. North and South America. 



One, hitherto unrecorded, killed in the grounds of Mr. Charles 

 Pascoe Grenfell, at Taplow Court, Bucks, 1st Aug. 1863. 

 It was forwarded in the flesh to Mr. Gould for identifica- 

 tion ; and while in his possession I had an opportunity of 

 examining it J. 



* T. pusiUa, Wilson, Am. Orn. v. p. 32, pi. 37 (1812), not of 

 Linnaeus. T. minutilla, Yieillot, Nouv. Diet, xxxiv. p. 466 (1819). 

 T. wilsoni, Nuttall, Man. ii. p. 121 (1834). 



f Mr. Rickards kindly brought this specimen to London, shortly 

 after he had skinned it, in order that I might see it. We compared 

 it with skins in my collection from North and South America and the 

 West Indies, and were satisfied of its identity with Wilson's species. 



J Although this specimen has but fourteen feathers in the tail, 

 like our Common Snipe, instead of sixteen, which is the usual num- 

 ber in G. wilsoni, the general character of the plumage and par- 

 ticularly the colour of the axillary plumes (which are closely barred 

 across both webs) show that it is referable to the American and not 

 to the European species. It may have lost the outer tail-feather 

 on each side, or may never have possessed more than fourteen ; for it 

 appears that in some species the number of tail-feathers is not 

 always canstant. While this sheet was passing through the press, a 

 Snipe was forwarded to Mr. Gould by Mr. Rodd, of Penzance, which, 

 possessing sixteen feathers in the tail, was thought, chiefly on 



