SOOLOPAX. GALLINAGO. 165 



Scolopax rusticula. Woodcock. 



Scolopax Rusticola^ Linnceus, S. N. i. p. 243 

 (1766). 



Scolopax rusticula^ Nawm. viii. p. 361. 



Rusticola sylvestris, Macg. iv. p. 386. 



Scolopax rusticola, Hewitson, p. 348 ; Gray, p. 175 ; Yarr. 



ed. 2, iii. p. 1 j id. ed. 3, iii. p. 1 ; Gould, iv. pi. 77 ; 



Hurting, p. 50; Dresser, vii. p. 615. 

 The Woodcock, Yarr. ed. 1, ii. p. 583. 



EusMcula = a little Heath-cock in Pliny, H. N. x. 38, 54 ; rusticiittts = a 

 little countryman, in Cicero, Sest. 38, 82. Diminutive of rusticus = of or 

 belonging to the country, rus. Linnseus seems to have mistaken the word ; 

 cf. H. T. Wharton, ' Ibis,' 1879, p. 453. 



Common in winter throughout the British Islandsj more 

 especially in the west of England and in Irelandj much less 

 abundant in summer ; but it breeds regularly in many coun- 

 ties. A Palsearctic species, occurring also in winter in India 

 and Ceylon, and occasionally straggling to North America. 



Genus GALLINAGO, Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. & Birds in 

 Brit. Mus. p. 31 (1816). 



Gallindgo, from gallina = a Hen, feminine of an obsolete adjective gallmus, 

 from gallus = a Cock. The termination is adjectival, as if from *gaUmax, 

 like virago from *virax. 



Gallinago major. Gbeat Snipe. 



Scolopax major, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i. p. 661 

 (1788). 



Scolopax major, Nawm. viii. p. 391 ; Macg. iv. p. 364 ; 



Hewitson, p. 351 ; Yarr. ed. 3, iii. p. 18; id. ed. 3, iii. p. 34. 

 Gallinago major, Gray, p. 173 ; Gould, iv. pi. 78 ; Hurting, 



p. 51 ; Dresser, vii. p. 631. 

 The Great Snipe, Yarr. ed. 1, ii. p. 597. 

 Major — greater ; comparative of magnus = great, 



A straggler to the British Islands. Breeds in Northern 

 and North-eastern Europe, and migrates in winter to Africa, 

 occurring as far south as Natal ; also found in Northern Asia. 



