414 JBlBbS OF 



of authors (Macrorhdrnpus griseus) ; it is known, I 

 suppose, to every Snipe-shooter as the ' Big Snipe,' 

 the * Brown Snipe,' the ' Norway Snipe,' &c." The 

 Brown Snipe here mentioned (M. griseus} may be 

 put out of the question, as this " Winter Snipe " of 

 Mr. Knox (Scolopax russata, I believe, has been 

 proposed as the Latin name should it eventually 

 prove a distinct species) is a true Snipe possessing 

 all the generic peculiarities of the Snipe, whereas 

 M. gristeus has been considered to differ so 

 materially as to have a claim to separate generic 

 distinctions, for which see Yarrell. 



I have been particular in mentioning this probable 

 species, as, if it turns out to be really a true species, 

 it certainly must be counted amongst our Somerset- 

 shire birds, as the one from which the following 

 description is taken, and which is now in my collec- 

 tion, was shot near here on the 18th of November, 

 1863. It certainly differs from both the Common 

 or Great Snipe in many particulars, and appears to 

 agree very nearly with the " Winter Snipe " of Mr. 

 Knox : it is considerably larger than the Common 

 Snipe, and the light markings are of a much richer 

 colour and there are more of them; the beak is 

 about the same colour, but longer than that of the 

 Common Snipe ; the head has the two dark streaks, 

 but the streak between them is a rich rusty ; the 

 back of the eye to the nape of the same colour, with 

 a few dark spots on the feathers ; the sides of the 



