28 BROWN SNIPE. 



table. They frequent sand-bars, mud-lines, and mud-flats by 

 the sea-side. 



On being disturbed they generally rise high in the air, 

 and make several circuitous manoeuvres before they descend, 

 wheeling, coursing, and doubling about, then shooting high in 

 the air, and there separating in various bodies. 



They feed on marine worms and small shell-fish. 



They utter, says Wilson, a loud howling whistle. 



In singularity of appearance, this Snipe, curious as are our 

 other species, seems to be 'facile princeps.' Male; weight, three 

 ounces and a quarter; length, from ten to eleven inches; bill, 

 dark reddish brown, darker towards the point, at the base 

 deep greenish grey; between it and the eye is a dusky streak, 

 which in winter is white. Iris, dark reddish brown; above it 

 runs a white line tinged with reddish brown. Head on the 

 sides and crown, neck on the back and nape, pale chesnut brown 

 streaked with black, in winter light greyish brown varied with 

 darker brown and dusky black; the sides of the head white; 

 neck on the sides and in front, reddish chesnut spotted and 

 barred with black, in winter grey tinged with brown; chin, 

 in winter, white; throat and breast, pale reddish chesnut, 

 spotted and barred with black, in winter grey tinged with 

 yellowish brown, below white; back on the upper part, nearly 

 black, the feathers beautifully edged and streaked with bright 

 yellowish chesnut; in winter the black colour changes to grey 

 brown, and the grey to white; below it is white, barred across 

 with black; in winter it is nearly white. 



The wings have the first quill feather the longest; greater 

 and lesser wing coverts, dusky greyish brown; in the winter 

 dusky and white, the former with paler edges, and slightly 

 tipped with white; primaries, dusky greyish brown; in winter 

 dusky, the shaft of the first white; secondaries, dusky brown, 

 in winter edged and tipped with white; tertiaries, edged and 

 streaked obliquely with bright yellowish chesnut, in winter 

 greyish brown, darkest towards the end, margined with greyish 

 buff white; greater and lesser under wing coverts, white, 

 prettily marked with angular dusky streaks. The tail is of 

 twelve feathers, crossed alternately with bars of black and 

 white, those of the former colour the broadest; in summer 

 it is tinged with rufous, the two middle feathers are rather 

 the longest; upper tail coverts, white, spotted with black, 

 in summer with a rufous tinge; under tail coverts, white 

 tinged with red and spotted with black; in winter the white 



