214 GRALLJE. 



THE GREAT SNIPE (ScolopOX major). 



The great snipe is a migrant bird on the continent, breed- 

 ing in the marshes of the northern parts, but belonging to 

 the eastern migration, and therefore visiting the British 

 shores only occasionally, as a straggler on its return south- 

 ward in the autumn. The marsh birds of that migration 

 appear to be most dispersed by dry seasons in the marshes 

 of Finland and Russia, which are their chief breeding-places. 

 In these cases they are scattered at an earlier period than 

 usual, and some of them are caught by the east winds, and 

 drifted to our shores. It has been called the "solitary 

 snipe," from the few specimens that have appeared in the 

 country being found alone ; and as its appearance and man- 

 ners are nearly the same as those of the common snipe, it has 

 sometimes been regarded as a variety of that. Its form and 

 the markings of its colours are very similar to those of the 

 common snipe, but it is fully one-third larger in the body, 

 and at least double the weight. Its nidrfication in the 

 eastern marshes is said not to differ much from that of the 

 common snipe in this country. 



SABINE'S SNIPE (Scolopax Sabini). 



This is another occasional straggler, of more rare occur- 

 rence in this country ; neither has it been clearly ascertained 

 whence it straggles, or of what part of the world it is a 

 native. The places which snipes inhabit are, however, in all 

 countries difficult, and in some countries impossible, to ex- 

 plore ; and the habits of the birds themselves conspire, with 



- away with them. White, in his "Natural History of Selhorne," 

 says : " Numhers of snipes hived every summer in some mossy ground on 



Pg8 of this parish. It is v< to see the coek-hird 



wiiiLC at that time, and to hear his piping and humming notes." They 

 always hum as they arc descending, and prohahly the noise results from 

 the action of the wings. M. 



