418 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



of cream-colour ; in this streak, just over the eye, are 

 a few dark brown feathers, making a sort of eye- 

 brow ; the top of the head to the nape dark brown, 

 almost blackj with a few spots of rusty ; the sides of 

 the face and neck white, much streaked and spotted 

 with dark brown; the feathers of the back and 

 scapulars are glossy black, reflecting green and 

 purple, with a few rusty markings on them ; there 

 are two rich cream-coloured streaks down the back, 

 and also (but paler and not so decided) between the 

 scapulars and wing-coverts ; the scapulars are the 

 same, but with more rufous markings ; the whole of 

 the colour of the wing is much like that of the 

 Common Snipe ; the tail-feathers are much pointed, 

 dusky brown in the centre, margined with pale 

 rusty brown ; the chin is white ; the throat streaked 

 white and two shades of brown, one pale yellowish 

 brown and the other darker ; belly and under tail- 

 coverts white ; legs and toes greenish brown ; claws 

 black. 



I do not know that varieties of this bird ever 

 occur, as they do of the Woodcock and Common 

 Snipe. I have never seen one, and I do not know 

 that any are mentioned by authors. 



The eggs are very rare in collections : they are 

 said to be of a yellowish olive, the larger end spotted 

 with two shades of brown.* Meyer has figured them 



* Yarrell, vol. iii., p. 43. 



