418 



GRALL.E. BIRDS. RALLID.E. 



upper plumage is black, with the feathers margined 

 with reddish-brown and white, and the whole lower 

 surface rich reddish-chestnut , in the winter it is ashy- 

 gray above, and white streaked with gray beneath. 

 In this country the Knot is met with on the shores, 

 chiefly of the southern and eastern counties. 



THE DUNLIN (Tringa variabilis), which is about 

 eight inches in length, undergoes changes in its plumage 

 analogous to those occurring in the preceding species, 

 and the difference between the bird in its summer 

 and in its winter dress is so great, that it was long 

 supposed to form two species, distinguished under the 

 names of the Dunlin and the Purre. The Dunlin is 

 diffused over the whole northern hemisphere, and 

 migrates to high latitudes in the spring to breed ; in 

 this country it is abundant on the sea-coasts during 

 the autumn and winter, but appears to breed only in 

 the most noithern parts of Scotland, and in the Orkney 

 and Shetland islands. It frequents flat sandy shores, 

 where it is seen in constant activity, running along or 

 taking short flights near the edge of the water, and 

 continually probing with its bill in search of the small 

 Crustacea on which it chiefly feeds. 



THE COMMON SNIPE (Scolopax gallinago)P]ate 

 27, fig. 103. This well-known bird, although generally 

 migratory in its habits, and breeding in high northern 

 latitudes, is still truly indigenous to this country, in all 

 parts of which it is known to breed, but most commonly 

 towards the north. It is, however, most abundant 

 here during the winter, when it is met with in marshy 

 places all over the country. The bill in the Snipe, and 

 in all its immediate allies, is thickened, soft, and very 

 tender at the extremity, and this part, being richly 

 supplied with nerves, serves as a delicate organ of 

 touch in searching in the soft ground for the insects 

 and worms which constitute the food of the bird. The 

 nest of the Snipe is a very slight structure, composed 

 of a little dry grass or other herbage, brought together 

 in a small hollow in the ground, often under the shel- 

 ter or in the midst of a tuft of grass or rushes. The 

 eggs are from two to four in number. The Common 

 Snipe is found in all parts of Europe, and in Northern 

 Africa and Asia Minor, but in its more southern places 

 of residence it is only a winter visitor. 



THE JACK SNIPE (Scolopax gallinula), a smaller 

 and rarer British species than the preceding, is found 

 in this country almost exclusively during the winter, 

 although a few specimens remain to breed in the 

 northern parts of Scotland. It is widely distributed 

 over the eastern hemisphere towards the north, and 

 migrates into high latitudes every summer. 



THE GEEAT SNIPE (Scolopax major) is a larger 

 species, measuring about twelve inches in length. Like 

 the preceding Snipes it is widely distributed, and 

 migrates far north to breed. 



THE WOODCOCK (Scolopax rusticola}, which, like 

 the Snipes previously referred to, is a winter resident 

 in this country, is also known to remain here through 

 the summer, and to breed in many parts of Britain, 

 especially in the north of Scotland. It arrives here 

 early in October, and leaves us again for the north in 

 March, and during its residence here dwells chiefly 

 i:i plantations and copses in the vicinity of water. It 



feeds at night, when it sallies forth from its cover and 

 proceeds silently to its feeding ground, where it seeks 

 the worms and larvae of insects which constitute its 

 nourishment. In its mode of nidification it resembles 

 the other Snipes. 



THE GRAY PHALAEOPE (Phalaroims lolatus). The 

 Phalaropes closely resemble the Snipes in their general 

 characters, but are at once distinguishable by the 

 structure of their feet, which have the anterior toes bor- 

 dered with membranous lobes, rendering them efficient 

 swimming organs. Hence, they have been placed by 

 some ornithologists in the same group with the Coots 

 and Grebes, in which nearly the same structure of foot 

 prevails, although in all other respects the Phalaropes 

 are evidently true members of the Snipe family. 



The Gray Phalarope is a pretty little bird, measuring 

 about eight inches in length. In winter its colour is 

 pearl-gray above, with the greater part of the wing- 

 feathers lead-gray, margined with white; the lower 

 surface is white. In the summer it is nearly black 

 above, with the margins of the feathers pale-yellow, 

 and reddish-chestnut beneath. This bird is widely 

 distributed in the Northern hemisphere, being met with 

 in Europe, Asia, and North America. It is migratory 

 in its habits, resorting to the extreme north for the 

 breeding season, and passing the winter in the warmer 

 temperate latitudes. It is usually seen in this country 

 in autumn, when it is not uncommon, and a few speci- 

 mens remain with us through the winter. As might 

 be expected, from the structure of its feet, the Phala- 

 rope is a good swimmer. It has been seen several 

 miles out at sea, swimming about and capturing the 

 small Crustacea and other animals which float at the 

 surface of the water. When swimming its appearance 

 resembles that of a teal. Two other species .of Phala- 

 ropes are met with in North America, one of which, 

 the KED-NECKED PHALAROPE (P. hyperboreus), is also 

 found in Europe. 



FAMILY VI. EALLID^. 



In this family the bill is always short, much com- 

 pressed, and wedge-shaped; the upper mandible is 

 grooved along each side, and the nostrils are generally 

 placed near the middle of the bill. The legs are 

 also short, rarely so long as in the preceding family. 

 They are generally pretty stout. The toes, espe- 

 cially the anterior ones, are greatly elongated; the 

 hinder toe is sometimes of moderate length, some- 

 times very long, and it is either placed on the same 

 plane with the anterior toes, or elevated a little upon 

 the back of the tarsus. The claws with which the toes 

 are armed are often very long, especially that of the 

 hinder toe ; and the birds in which this structure 

 occurs are thereby enabled to run with ease upon the 

 floating leaves of aquatic plants. The wings are 

 moderate, and the tail generally short. The neck, also, 

 is short, and in their general aspect the birds resemble 

 the Gallina3 more than the true Waders. 



In their habits the birds of this family vary greatly. 

 Some of them frequent dry places, and especially corn- 

 fields, whilst others haunt marshy places and the 

 margins of water. Of the latter, some, as already 



