5142 THe ZooLocist—NovemBeER, 1876. 
these two rejected ones is by even distinguished British collectors 
who are not aware of the very peculiar formation of the bill in this 
species. Of the other birds in the above list, the eagle owl— 
recorded instances of which have been generally escapes—and the 
harlequin duck—usually confounded with the young of the long- 
tailed duck—barely succeed in making good their footing. We 
are fairly surprised at the numerous mistakes Mr. Gurney dis- 
covered in criticising the occurrences of the spotted sandpiper, 
a very distinct species, and one which might reasonably be 
expected occasionally to be driven as a straggler to our coasts. 
Many of those recorded proved to be either the common sand- 
piper or the green sandpiper, and one was actually a spotted 
redshank. Out of twenty-six cases investigated no less than 
twenty break down, so that there are only six British spotted 
sandpipers which can pass muster. 
We have not time to comment upon the other short papers 
contained in Mr. Gurney’s book, which, on the whole, we may 
fairly welcome as a useful contribution to our ornithological lore. 
Murray A. MATHEW. 
Note on the Sabine’s Snipe (Scolopax Sabini). 
By Epwarp Herartr Ropp, Esq. 
AFTER the notice I sent to the ‘ Zoologist’ in February last 
(S. 8S. 4811) of the capture of another example of this snipe in this 
neighbourhood, and which, like the common snipe, had fourteen 
tail-feathers, instead of the supposed normal number of twelve,— 
a similar feature to the one | examined some years since, killed at 
Carnanton, near St. Colomb, by Mr. Brydges Williams,—I intended 
to have sent to the ‘ Zoologist’ a few remarks as to its specific value, 
having already done so in my “ Ornithological Summary for the 
year 1875-76,” which I sent, as has been my custom, to the Royal 
Institution of Cornwall, at their spring meeting in May last. 1 do 
not think that I can do better than send you a copy of the same 
paper for your use, as it embodies pretty well the great feature of 
the character of the dorsal plumage, as different from all the other 
snipes, as entitling it to specific value. 
The last year has been remarkable for Cornwall having given a 
second example of the curious species or yariety of snipe called 
