GALLINAGO 759 



Dop2Jelschnepfe, German ; Poelsnip, Dutch ; Tredcekker, Dan. ; 

 Dobbelt-Bekhasin, Norweg. ; Dubbel Beclcasin, Swed. ; Heind- 

 kurppa, Finn. ; Dupel, Leshenok, Russ. 



ad. (Denmark). Forehead and sides of head buffy white dotted 

 with blackish brown ; centre of crown and nape black with a central pale 

 buff streak ; upper parts blackish brown variegated with creamy buff 

 and rufous ; a broad stripe on each side of the back creamy buff ; 

 quills blackish brown ; wing-coverts tipped with dirty white ; middle 

 tail-feathers blackish at base, then rufous variegated with black, the rest 

 broadly tipped with white, the three outermost half white ; chin, neck, 

 and throat buff, the two last marked with blackish brown ; under parts 

 white closely barred with blackish brown, the breast and flanks tinged 

 with buff ; bill dull flesh-coloured at the base darkening to black towards 

 the end ; legs dull flesh-colour, the joints plumbeous ; iris dark brown. 

 Culmen 2'4, wing 5'5, tail 2'5, tarsus T4 inch. Sexes alike. The young 

 have the upper parts more rufous, the wings less marked with white, and 

 the under parts more obscurely marked. 



Hal}. Northern Europe up j;o about 69 N. lat. in Norway, 

 65 in Sweden and Russia, but not above 62 in Finland ; 

 wintering in Southern Europe, and Africa as far south as the 

 Cape Colony; Asia east to the Yenesei valley and Persia; a 

 frequent visitor to Great Britain. 



Like the Woodcock the present species is chiefly nocturnal 

 in its habits, and frequents swampy damp localities. It is 

 always seen singly, never in wisps like the Common Snipe, 

 and its flight is heavier and more direct. It may always be 

 distinguished from that species by its shorter bill and legs, 

 and by the large amount of white on the tail. In the spring 

 they frequent regular " drumming " places, like some of the 

 Grouse, and fight for the possession of the females. Its note 

 bipbip, bipbiperere, biperere, may then be heard at some distance 

 if the night is still. Its food consists of worms, small slugs, 

 insects, and larvae, and it feeds chiefly at night. Its nest is a 

 mere depression in the ground, sparingly lined with a few 

 grass straws, and the eggs are usually deposited in June. 

 These are pale olive-grey or olivaceous stone-buff with purplish 

 grey underlying shell- markings, and bold blackish brown 

 surface spots and blotches, and measure about 1*75 by T24. 



1053. SINGLE SNIPE. 

 GALLINAGO CJELESTIS. 



Gallinago calestls (Frenzel), Beschr. Vog. und Eier Wittenb. p. 58, 

 (1801) ; Dresser, vii. p. 641, pis. 542, 543 ; Saunders, p. 673 ; 



