THE TRUE SNIPES. 
2IS 
often of good size, and very distinct, 
diam., i-2-i-3. 
Axis, 1 7-1 '9 
inch 
II. THE COMMON SNIPE. GALLINAGO GALLIN.AGO. 
Scolopax gallinago, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 244 (1766); Macgill. 
Brit. B. iv. p. 368 (1852); Seebohm, Hist. Bnt. B 111. 
p. 241 (188s) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxxi. (1895). 
Gallinago calestis, Frenz. ; Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 641, pis. 542, 
543, fig. I (1880); B. O. U. List Bnt. B p. 166 (1883); 
Saunders, ed. Yarrell’s Brit. B. iii. p. 342 (1883) ; id. Man. 
Bril. B. p. 557 (1889). 
Adult Male. — General colour above black, with a J^ro^d line of 
sandy-buff along each side of the back, formed by the broad 
edges to the scapulars, which are blotched with black ; the lower 
back dusky-blackish; rump and upper tail-coverts tawny-rufous, 
barred across with dusky-blackish, the long tail-coverts white at 
the ends ; wing-coverts blackish-brown, the marginal ones uni- 
form, the median and greater series spotted with ashy-white at 
the lips ; bastard-wing and primary-coverts blackish with small 
white tips; quills blackish, the first primary whitish along he 
outer web, the secondaries conspicuously tipped with white, the 
inner secondaries barred with black, and resembling the scapu- 
lars ; tail-feathers tawny-rufous, black at the base, and tipped 
with white, before which is a wavy sub-terminal bar of dusky- 
blackish, the outer feather regularly barred with blackish; crown 
of head sandy-is.abelline along the centre, with a broad black 
band on each side, followed by an eyebrow of sandy-colour, 
whiter above the lores, across which, to the eye, is a broad black 
streak • sides of face white, with a blackish streak across the ear- 
coverts, which are narrowly streaked with dusky ; cheeks and 
chin white ; the throat and chest sandy-brown, mottled wath 
blackish spots and bars; breast and abdonien 
of body conspicuously barred with dusky-blackish , under tail- 
coverts^more rufescent and barred with blackish; under wing- 
coverts white, barred with dusky-blackish ; axillaries regular y 
barred with black and white ; lower primary-coverts and quill- 
lining ashy-grey. Total length, 10 inches ; culmen, 2 8, win,,, 
5'2; tail, 2-3; tarsus, r2. 
