THE GREAT SNIPE. 
261 
in October 1827, and were killed by him right and left.’’^ They 
were noted at the time as larger than the common snipe, with the 
bill rather shorter ; as flying more slow and heavily than that 
species, and with the tail spread like an open fan. They were 
taken away by the late Earl of Errol, who was on a visit at Lyons 
at the time, to be preserved. The great snipe is believed to have 
been shot in the county of Kerry.* 
Mr. Lloyd, author of ‘ Eield Sports in the North of Europe,^ 
to whom this species is well known, never met with it in Ireland 
during his sporting tours, in the seasons from 1814 to 1822.t 
There can be no doubt that many of the birds which have been 
noticed were the true S. major ^ which must be considered a rare 
visitant to Ireland. I never could meet with one among the 
thousands of snipes exposed for sale during the autumn and 
winter in Belfast. 
Some of these birds visit England not uncommonly — perhaps 
annually — on their migration to or from the north of Europe to 
breed ; but more especially the young when moving southward 
in autumn. There is no positive notice of their occurrence in 
Scotland in the works of Fleming, Jardine, or Macgillivray. Mr. 
St. John states that he once only met with the species in that 
country; — in Sutherlandshire.t The great snipe is mentioned 
as having appeared several times in September 1815, in marshy 
ground at the island of San day. § As well remarked by Mr. 
Selby, The immediate direction of their latitudinal flight is 
much to the east of the longitude of the British Islands.'’^ In 
Mr. Yarrelhs ^ History of British Birds ^ much interesting in- 
formation on this species will be found. 
* Mr. R. Chute. f ‘ Sporting Review,’ October 1847, p. 259. 
i ‘Wild Sports,’ &c. p. 223. § Hist. Nat. Oread, p. 66 (1848). 
