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NOTES ON WOODCOCK AND SNIPE.* 



By W. R Ogilvie Grant. 



Theee is a general impression, especially among sportsmen, 

 that two kinds of Woodcock are found in this country, — a larger, 

 light-coloured bird, and a smaller dark one. In Germany these 

 forms have received distinguishing names, and the larger is popu- 

 larly known among sportsmen as Waldschnepfe, while the other is 

 called Steinschnepfe and Dornschnepfe, 



Some have given it as their opinion that these forms represent 

 the different sexes; but it is evident that this is a mere 

 supposition, and it will be found that just as many of the 

 smaller, dark-coloured birds are males as females. Again, it has 

 been asserted by many that the larger form is our resi dent bird 

 and the other is an autumn migrant from North Europe ; but this 

 is entirely erroneous, as wherever the Woodcock is found both 

 forms occur. 



Having made a careful inquiry into the question, and had the 

 opportunity of examining a large series of specimens from the 

 different countries where the Woodcock is found, it appears to 

 me a fact, of which there can be no doubt whatever, that the 

 smaller dark birds are the young of the year,— that is to say, 

 that the dark birds, which came to this country last October and 

 will come this spring, are last year's birds. Every evidence 

 seems to support this theory. It is very easy to distinguish a 

 bird of the year from the old bird ; the back and wing-coverts in 

 the former are much more rufous, and are entirely devoid of the 

 bold, pale grey spots which characterize the adult and form a 

 distinct pattern on the back ; the grey ends of the tail-feathers, 

 too, have buff bases on the upper surface, whereas in the mature 

 birds they are uniform grey right up to the back cross-bar. 



With regard to being able to tell the sex of a Woodcock or 

 Snipe by its plumage, it is absolutely impossible. There is no 

 variation of colour to be found in male birds which cannot be 

 matched in birds of the other sex. 



Yarrell says that the " males have the forehead more inclined 

 to grey, with the chin white, and the space above and below the 

 decided dark brown mark from the beak to the eye is much 



* Reprinted from ' Land and Water.' Communicated by the Author. 



