GALLIXAGO GALLINULA. 279 



perfectly still in the most favourite spot and await their return. 

 I have more than once taken a chair down and sat in it, waiting 

 for their flight overhead, much to the astonishment of the native 

 population, who could not understand such a proceeding. 



Varieties or races of this species, varying in size and colour, 

 have been named russata, delamottii, and brehmi; but it is 

 difficult to perceive any distinction, as these varieties are not 

 constant. " Sabine's Snipe " is merely a dark variety. 



Axillaries white, barred with blackish grey ; tail-feathers fourteen. 

 Length 10^ inches. 



303. Gallinago gallinula (Linnaeus). The Jacksnipe. 



Moorish. Saiga (Favier). 



This bird is stated by Favier to be " nearly as common in the 

 winter months around Tangier as the Common Snipe, arriving 

 during November, and departing northwards in February." 



On the Spanish side of the Straits the Jacksnipe is generally 

 distributed throughout the winter, and is extremely numerous 

 about some favourite black muddy spots at Casas Yiejas and in 

 the " ojos," or land-springs, at the edges of the marisma, but is 

 by no means so plentiful as the Common Snipe. Towards the 

 end of February, Jacksnipes assemble together very much ; and 

 this gathering of them is a sure prelude to the general departure 

 of most of the Snipes for the north. The greatest number of the 

 present species that I ever saw anywhere was in some of the 

 " ojos " westward of Coria del Rio, near Seville ; these circular 

 spots, about ten yards in diameter, were very muddy and sparingly 

 covered with short sedge. Many of them held fifteen or a dozen 

 Jacksnipe ; and the often-cited, and perhaps imaginary, individual 

 who is said to have found a single Jacksnipe afford him sport for 

 months until his friend unluckily killed it, would here, indeed, 

 have been in happy hunting-grounds. 



I could not ascertain any good local Andalucian name for this 

 bird. I have heard some ; but they were too absurd and varied 



