24 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
the exterior feathers graduating and preserving the rotund sweep. The 
tail-feathers of the two, when seen together thus spread out, show 
these characters prominently; the square character of the Common 
Snipe’s tail arises in consequence of the outer and third feathers being 
of equal length. Another specimen of the russet variety in Mr. Vingoe’s 
possession, rather smaller in size, is a male; this has also the rounded 
and shorter tail. The only distinguishing character in the two is that 
the male has some of the longitudinal dorsal lines on the scapularies edged 
with a paler yellow, almost white, as compared with an uniform yellowish 
border in those of the female. Whether these characters will be found to 
hold good is a question which must remain open for further investigation. 
Since writing the above I have had opportunities, during the late severe frost, 
of examining a great number of specimens of our Common Snipe, and I find 
that I fell into an error in describing the shape of the spread tail as square 
when compared with that of the russet variety, and which appears from the 
specimens examined to have all a graduated rounded form of tail. On 
examining many other specimens it appears that the prevailing form is 
rounded, and not square; and my error arose from having at the time before 
me some specimens which proved accidentally to be square-tailed birds. I 
am convinced now that in the proportion of three-fourths, or even ten-twelfths, 
this rounded form is the typical form of our Common Snipe’s tail, and only 
a few show the square tail. It will thus appear that the rounded tail of 
the Russet Snipe is not a distinctive character. The square-tailed examples, 
however (several of which I have seen and examined), have, in addition to 
the extended outer and third tail-feathers beyond the second feathers, and 
which in fact gives this square form, a greater length of tail from the roots 
to the extremities by from two- to three-eighths of an inch, a difference 
very apparent to the eye.—Epwarp Herarte Ropp (Penzance). 
|The square-tailed form here referred to is probably the variety described 
by Kaup as Scolopaw Brehmii (‘ Isis,’ 18238, p. 1147). We are convinced 
that the so-called Russet Snipe is nothing more than a variety of the 
common species.— Ep. 
A Broop or WuHItTE SwaLLows.—White, or nearly white, varieties of 
the Swallow, Hirundo rustica, are not very uncommon, ‘They are generally 
obtained in autumn, and are almost invariably young birds. It is seldom, 
however, that a nest is found in which the entire brood is in this abnormal 
plumage. Prague papers state that Herr Hofmann, of Podebrad, in 
Bohemia, a well-known naturalist, has presented to the Crown Prince 
Rudolph a nest full of Swallows quite white. The parent birds which 
reared them, and which he has forwarded to the Prince, together with 
their exceptional offspring, have the usual colour of ordinary Swallows.— 
J. EK. Harrine. 
