TION. 



64 JACK SNIPE. Class II. 



feeds on small snails ; is much less frequent 

 among us, and very difficult to be found, lying 

 so close as to hazard being trod on before it 

 will rise : the flight is never distant, and its 

 motion is more sluggish than that of the larger 

 kind. 

 Descrip- Its weight is less than two ounces, inferior by 

 half to that of the snipe ; for which reason the 

 French call them deiLv pour im, we the half 

 snipe. The dimensions bear not the same pro- 

 portion ; the length of the snipe being twelve 

 inches ; this eight and a half. The t>ill is an 

 inch and a half long ; the crown of the head is 

 black, tinged with rust color ; over each eye is 

 a yellow stroke; the neck varied with white, 

 brown, and pale red. The scapular feathers 

 are narrow, very long, brown, and bordered 

 with yellow. The rump a glossy bluish pur- 

 ple; the belly and vent white ; the greater quil 

 feathers dusky; the tail brown, edged with 

 tawny, consisting of twelve pointed feathers;, 

 the legs are of a cinereous green. 



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