2i6 
allen’s naturalist’s library. 
Adult Female. — Similar to the male. Total length, 11-5 inches ; 
culmen, 3'o; wing, 5‘i ; tail, 2'2 ; tarsus, i'35. 
Young. — Differs from the adult in being more rufous, especi- 
ally on the throat and neck. The black markings of the back 
are more broken up and mottled with rufous bars, and the pale 
outer bands along tlie scapulars are not so wide. Mr. Seebohm 
states that young Snipe may be recognised by not h.aving a dark 
shaft-line on the light tips of the upper wing coverts, but I have 
found indications of the latter in quite young birds. 
Many ornithologists have supposed that there is a second and 
more rufous species of Snipe found in England, but I believe 
that the differences are merely individual, and, in the majority 
of specimens, the rufous colour is due to immaturity. The 
curious form known as Sabine’s Snipe is apparently only 
a melanism. It has been found chiefly in Ireland, and Mr. 
Barrett-Hamilton has written a very interesting paper on the 
subject in the Ir/s/i JVa^iira/is/ (or January, 1895. From this 
it appears that out of about fifty-five examples of “ Sabine’s 
Snipe ” in collections, no fewer than thirty-one have been ob- 
tained in Ireland, twenty-two in England, one in Scotland, 
while the form has only once been found on the continent of 
Europe. 
Characters.— The distinguishing features between the present 
species and the Great Snipe have been detailed under the head- 
ing of the latter bird. 
Range in Great Britain, — The Common Snipe is a plentiful 
migrant to all parts of the United Kingdom in autumn. It 
breeds in suitable localities in all three kingdoms, and in the 
north at considerable elevations. 
Range outside the British Islands. — The present species breeds 
throughout the northern and temperate parts of Europe, but is 
rarely met with north of 70° N. lat. ; while eastwards, it extends 
to Turkestan and East Mongolia, where a certain number remain 
to breed. Its southern breeding-range in Europe is said to 
be the marshes of Northern Italy. It is resident in Iceland 
and the Faeroe Islands, and is said to have occurred in South 
Greenland. In winter it visits China and Formosa, and the 
Philippine Islands, as W'ell as the Indian Peninsula, Ceylon, and 
the Ilurraese countries. At this season of the year it is also 
