THE JACK SNIPE. 



679 



LYMNOCRYTTES MINIMUS* 



431. Lymnocryptes minimus (Briinn.)— THE JACK SNIPE. 



Scolopax Minima Briiimich, Orn. Bor., p. 49 (1764 — Christiansoe and 

 ex Brisson, Orn., v, p. 303, pi. 26, Fig. 2). 



■Scolopax Gallinula Linnaeus, Syst. Xat., ed. xii, i, p. 244 (1766 — Europe). 

 Gallinago gallinula (Linnaeus), Yarrell, in, p. 351 ; Saunders, p. 575. 

 Limnocryptes gallinula (L.), Hand-List (1912), p. 190. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter. — A narrow median 

 black line from base of upper mandible to crown where it expands 

 into a broad band extending on to nape, sides of feathers edged 

 pink-cinnamon ; above eye, from base of upper mandible to nape 

 •a light buff band, feathers above eye edged blackish forming an 

 eye -stripe ; feathers of nape and upper -mantle umber-brown 

 narrowly tipped white and with irregular black-brown 'markings ; 

 feathers of mantle and scapulars black glossed purple and green, 

 mantle-feathers mostly spotted and marked cinnamon or pink- 

 cinnamon on inner webs, those of 

 sides of mantle and scapulars with 

 broad margins of warm buff on outer 

 webs, scapulars with irregular streaks 

 or bars 'of cinnamon or pink-cinnamon 

 and mostly narrowly tipped white ; 

 lowest scapulars olive -brown faintly 

 tipped white, sometimes mottled buff ; 

 back and rump black, glossed violet - 

 purple, feathers narrowly tipped 

 white ; upper tail-coverts black or 

 brown-black edged warm buff or 

 pink-cinnaraon, some spotted same 

 .and faintly tipped white ; a 

 black-brown streak (feathers edged 

 pink - cinnamon) from lores to 

 eye, another from lower mandible 

 through ear-coverts to nape ; patch 

 below eye white streaked black- 

 brown ; under -parts white and ex- 

 cept for belly, vent and under tail-coverts, more or less suffused 

 pink-buff, sides of neck streaked brown-black, fore-neck and breast 

 mostly spotted same, giving a streaked appearance, feathers of 

 sides of belly with large black-brown spots, flanks irregularly 

 marked or mottled dusky, under tail-coverts sometimes streaked 

 centrally warm buff or dusky-brown ; axillaries white, sometimes 

 shaded or spotted dusky ; under wing-coverts white with dusky 

 bases ; tail-feathers dusky-brown edged at sides and some irregu- 

 larly marked pink-buff, two central pairs darker and with broader 



Half the tail of the Jack Snipe 

 (Lym n ocryptes m ini m u s). 



* Unfortunately Brunnich's name, which has been overlooked, antedates 

 Linnaeus's gallinula. — E.H. 



