421 
came personally acquainted with him when he was last in London, 
a few weeks since. 
I have never yet seen proof that the Jack Snipe breeds in this 
country. I have found the old birds as late as the second week in 
April, but they left the ground afterwards. I have had the 
common Snipes eggs from 4 or 5 different counties, but never 
could get those of S. gallinula, and I am of your opinion that the 
eggs usually exhibited as those of the Jack Snipe, are in reality 
only those of the Purre. Some Yorkshire ornithologists have told 
me that a nest of the Jack Snipe, containing 4 eggs has been found 
in that county and that two out of the 4 eggs are still preserved in 
the collection of Col 1 Dalton. In his notice of Birds observed in 
Sutherlandshire, published in the 3" 1 volume and 4 th - report of the 
British Association Mr. Selby says at page G12. “ Scolopax 
gallinago abundant Scolopax gallinula is also said to breed near 
Tongue, but we did not meet with it.” — In the collection of eggs at 
the Jardin des Plantes in Paris are eggs labelled as those of the 
S. gallinula. When I was there in 1823 I obtained leave and had 
drawings made from this and several others that were rare and not 
likely to be met with in this country. From the drawing there 
made, the olive-coloured egg on the enclosed card is an exact copy, 
made for you, and as I find by your remarks that you look closely 
into eggs — you will perceive the Snipe character which pervades 
this representation. 
I have in a small collection of American eggs three examples of 
the egg of Perdix virginiana or Ortyx v — as it is now called — one 
of these I will send you by the first opportunity that occurs to me 
in the mean time the white egg on the paper is taken from one of 
these three, and may serve you as a point of comparison. I have 
no doubt the numerous white eggs you refer to are the eggs of this 
bird. Mr. Thornhill of Suffolk* turned out a large quantity — they 
strayed away and several have been shot, as I have been told, in 
different parts of Suffolk and Norfolk. This bird lays as many as 
1G eggs, and I remember 3 or 4 years ago Mr. Leadbeater the Bird 
* This no doubt refers to the Mr. Thornhill of Riddlesworth, who died in 
1S44. As mentioned by Mr. Stevenson (B. Norf, i. p. 437), that gentleman 
had a pair stuffed which were killed in Norfolk, but the fact has not been 
hitherto recorded that this Mr. Thornhill turned any out. As he and Yarrell 
were very intimate, the latter’s statement is very likely true. 
i i 2 
