232 Letters, Extracts fi^om Correspondence, Notices, S^c. 



quite down to the last peaked ring, which is more than double 

 the thickness of the others. Proventriculus externally granu- 

 lose. Stomach somewhat small and heart-shaped, '8 in. long by 

 •55 in. wide; contents, green juice and grit. Intestine thin, 

 12 inches long, and carrying the maggot-shaped csecal append- 

 age, which was '3 in. long, at 5 inches from anus. At 1 inch 

 from anus the true caeca occur ; these are from 1 to 1*1 inch 

 long, and vermiform. Gallmago media of Europe has fourteen 

 tail-feathers, and, as I learn from Temminck's ' Manuel ' (vol. iv. 

 p. 433), G. brehmi has sixteen. Our bird therefore cannot 

 be referred to this last. The rarer bird that I have met with 

 having only twelve, must, I suppose, be referred to the variety 

 G. delamottii of Baillon*. 



A Gallinago stenura, 6 (Nov, 24), has eight long thin lateral 

 rectrices, and ten median ones, the sixth from the middle on 

 either side being much thinner than the five proper ones, and 

 the total number of tail-feathers twenty. Five to seven is the 

 usual number of lateral feathers. The bill has the basal half 

 light olive, the apical deep brown. Legs similar to the fore- 

 going; head higher, with rounder forehead. Length 10 in.; 

 bill, from forehead, 2*15 in.; wing 5 in.; tail 2 in.; bare 

 part of tibia "4 in.; tarse 1*25 in.; middle toe and claw 1*5 in. 

 The caeca proper are placed 2 inches from anus, like small ears, 

 nearly '2 in. long, adovate, one slightly higher than the other. 

 About 7*5 in. from anus occurs the peculiar excrescence before 

 mentioned; it is "4 in. long. Intestine 17 inches long. Pro- 

 ventriculus smooth ; stomach small and heart-shaped. 



In Gallinago solitaria, Hodgson (G. megala, mihi), I found 

 the same short cseca as in G. stenura, but I appear to have 

 overlooked the excrescence on the intestine. These two last Snipes 



* We have never had the pleasure of inspecting an undoubted specimen 

 of the supposed G. brehmi ; but we should like to know in what way it 

 differs from the Amei'ican G. wilsoni, which also has sixteen rectrices. The 

 greater length of the externa] feathers, on which Sir William Jardine dwells 

 as a characteristic of the supposed G. brehmi (Contrib. Orn. 1849, p. 134 ; 

 and ibidem, 1850, p. 17), does not seem to us to be an important feature. 

 G. delamottii, with only twelve rectrices, may be, we think, founded on 

 specimens of the common G. media which, being obtained in the moulting- 

 season, have their tails imperfect. — Ed. 



