480 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



Throughout central and southern Europe it is met with as a 

 common breeding species at all spots providing suitable habitats, 

 such as rivers, fresh-water lakes, etc. 



Woodcock Scolopax. This genus has been divided into two 

 families, the Woodcocks and the Snipes. 



The European Woodcock is also distributed over Asia. America 

 possesses an indigenous, somewhat smaller Woodcock, minor. 

 Another, 8. saturata, is said to be a native of Java. Of the Snipe, 

 S. gallinago and S. gallinula are found also in Asia ; besides 

 which, Jerdon mentions three additional species for India. America, 

 besides the small species of Woodcock before named, has three 

 distinct species, two of which, S. wilsoni and S. grisea, have 

 occurred in England, the former once, and the latter more 

 than fifteen times up to the year 1872 (Harting, British Birds). 

 In England, a Snipe has been frequently met with which in size 

 and form is said to agree completely with S. gallinago, but which 

 differs from it in colour and markings as completely as one can 

 possibly imagine. In examples of this kind, all the feathers of the 

 upper parts, as well as the wing-coverts, are varied by light and 

 dark brown undulated bands ; there is no trace of the rust-coloured 

 stripes on the back and neck, and the plumage is without any 

 admixture of black. Such birds have never been found breeding, 

 examples having been only shot now and again. In the old edition 

 of YarreU's British Birds, this peculiar form has been described and 

 figured as a distinct species, under the name of S. sabinei ; but later 

 English observers have regarded it as a very remarkable variety of 

 the Common Snipe. 



In Heligoland the four species that belong to Europe as breed- 

 ing birds occur for the most part in large numbers. 



276. Woodcock [WALDSCHNEPFE]. 

 SCOLOPAX KUSTICOLA, Linn. 



Heligolandish : Snepp = Snipe. 



Scolopax rusticola. Nauniann, viii. 361. 



Woodcock. Dresser, vii. 615. 



Becasse ordinaire. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 673, iv. 429. 



To the gunner of Heligoland, ' De Snepp ' is an object of great 

 respect ; in fact, he looks upon it as quite a superior kind of game, 

 before which all else sinks into insignificance. To shoot a Wood- 

 cock, he will leave everything else in the lurch. Thus it happens not 



