Family CHARADRIIDyE. Genus Scolopax. 



Subfamily Scolopacinm. 



GREAT SNIPE. 



SCOLOPAX MAJOR— (?OTf/z'«. 



Geographical Distribution. — British . Rare straggler 

 chiefly on autumn migration, and most frequently observed in the 

 eastern and southern counties. Very rare in Scotland, perhaps 

 not more than a dozen authentic instances, two of which were in 

 May — a fact which more likely proves the bird occasionally to 

 winter with us than to wander here in spring. In Ireland it is of 

 even rarer occurrence still, probably not more than three examples 

 having been recorded. Foreign : Western Palsearctic region ; 

 Ethiopian region in winter. Breeds more or less frequently in 

 Holland, Denmark, North Germany, Poland, throughout Scandi- 

 navia, and Russia south to about lat. 50°, and north to the coast. 

 In West Siberia it is found as far north as lat. 67^° in the valley 

 of the Obb, but only to lat. 66J^° in the valley of the Yenesay, 

 which appears to be the eastern hmit of its range. Passes the 

 remainder of Europe (east of the Rhone valley), the Caucasus, 

 and Persia, on migration, a few wintering in the basin of the 

 Mediterranean, but the majority passing on to South Africa for 

 the cold season. 



Allied Forms. — Scolopax megala, an inhabitant in summer 

 of South-east Siberia and the north island of Japan, passing China 

 on migration, and wintering in the Malay Archipelago. Distin- 

 guished from the Great Snipe by having twenty tail feathers 

 instead of sixteen, the outermost being narrow and banded with 

 brown, instead of being broad and pure white for at least the 

 terminal half. S. australis, an inhabitant of Japan in summer, 

 passing the coast of China and the Philippine Islands on migra- 



