352 CHAKADKIID^ 



RED-BREASTED SNIPE. Macrorhamphus grise'us 

 (J. F. Gmelin). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, * Birds of Great Britain,' vol. iv, pi. 

 76; Dresser, 'Birds of Europe,' vol. viii, pi. 571; Lilford, 

 ' Coloured Figures,' vol. v, pi. 29. 



The first British specimen of this rare American bird 

 was taken about October, 1801, in Devon. It was described 

 and figured by Montagu as the 'Brown Snipe' (Ornith. 

 Diet.). This specimen is preserved in the British Museum. 

 The above county is credited with yielding three more 

 examples, while the bird has also been recorded from : 



England: Middlesex, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, 

 Cumberland, and the Scilly Isles. 



Scotland: There appear to be but three records, 

 namely, one obtained in Fifeshire, September, 1867 (Gray, 

 'Birds of West of Scotland'); this bird is preserved 

 in the Edinburgh Museum. Another obtained in Lanark- 

 shire (Gray, 'Ibis,' 1870). The third was procured in 

 Argyll, September 2nd, 1891 (Malcolm, 'Zoologist,' 1891). 



Ireland: Until 1893, this species w r as unknown in 

 Ireland. During the autumn of that year two examples 

 were obtained, the data being as follows: A female bird, 

 in immature plumage, received in Dublin on September 

 29th, by the late Mr. E. Williams. This specimen was 

 sent up with a consignment of Snipe from Queen's 

 County (E. Williams, ' Irish Naturalist,' 1893, p. 302) ; it 

 is now preserved in the Science and Art Museum, Dublin. 



An adult female, received in Birmingham, on October 

 llth, by Mr. F. Coburn. This specimen was also found 

 among a number of Snipe, sent from the co. Tipperary. 

 It was sent to Professor Newton, who is of the opinion that 

 it belonged to the western variety (Macrorliampus griseus, 

 var. scolopaceus) (G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton, ' Irish Natura- 

 list,' 1893, pp. 323-4). 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. Top of head, blackish, 

 mottled with brown ; back, scapulars, and wings, blackish, 

 with yellowish edgings ; shaft of first primary, white ; tail 

 and its upper coverts, white and rufous, barred with black ; 

 abdomen, reddish-brown ; throat and breast, reddish-brown, 



