102 SCOLOPACINJE. SCOLOPAX. 



for their food in a hideling manner, never appearing in 

 open places, or running about like the Tringae, nor forming 

 dense flocks, although vast numbers of individuals often oc- 

 cur in a small extent of ground. They nestle on moors and 

 heaths, in moist pastures, meadows, and marshes, forming a 

 slight nest, and depositing four very large, pyriform, spotted 

 eggs. They are generally distributed on both continents, 

 but those of Europe and America are distinct. 



204. SCOLOPAX SOLITARIA. SOLITARY SNIPE. 



Tail rounded, of sixteen feathers ; bill twice the length of 

 the head ; two longitudinal black bands on the head, sepa- 

 rated by a narrower medial yellowish-white band, and on 

 each side a band of the same colour ; the upper parts varie- 

 gated with black and light red, with four longitudinal yellow- 

 ish-white bands ; the wing- coverts tipped with white ; sides 

 transversely barred with dusky ; axillar feathers white, barred 

 with greyish-black ; three lateral tail-feathers on each side 

 white. 



Male, 12, 19, . . , 2 T V 



This species, although it has not very unfrequently been 

 met with in England, is apparently an irregular winter visi- 

 tant. Being so very similar to our Common Snipe, it is pro- 

 bably sometimes mistaken for it. It is generally dispersed 

 over the continent, breeding in the northern regions. The 

 name of major given to this species is inadmissible, now that 

 several large species are known. 



Solitary Snipe. Great Snipe. Double Snipe. 



Scolopax major, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. 661. Scolopax major, 

 Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 714. Scolopax major, Temm. Man. 

 d'Ornith. ii. 675. Scolopax solitaria, Solitary Snipe, Mac- 

 Gillivray, Brit. Birds, iv. 



205. SCOLOPAX SABINI. SABINE'S SNIPE. 



Tail rounded, of twelve feathers ; bill more than twice the 

 length of the head ; the head and hind-neck brownish-black, 

 spotted with dull chestnut-brown ; back and wings black, 

 barred and spotted with chestnut-red ; tail black for half its 

 length, then chestnut-red, barred with black ; fore-neck and 

 lower parts dull light red, undulated with dusky. 



Adult, 9 T ? , ..,.., 2/ 5 , 1$,..,.,. 



This species was first described by Mr Vigors in the four- 

 teenth volume of the Transactions of the Linnsean Society, 



