220 
allen’s naturalist’s library. 
whole surface, while in others they are of good size, forming 
blotches, which are clustered round the larger end. Axis, i'5- 
1-7 inch; diam., i'o-i’2. 
THE JACK-SNIPES. GENUS LIMNOCRYPTES. 
Limnocryptes, Kaup. Nat. Syst. p. 118 (1829). 
Type, L. gallinula (Linn.). 
The present genus exhibits an important character in the 
breast-bone, which has two notches in the posterior margin 
instead of one, as in the ordinary Snipes and Woodcock. The 
tail has only twelve feathers, and is decidedly wedge-shaped, 
besides being uniform in colour. 
I. the-jack-snipe. limnocryptes gallinula. 
Scolopax gallinula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 244 (1766); Mac- 
gill. Brit. B. iv. p. 380 (1882) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. 
part XXX. (1895). 
Gallinago gallinula, Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 653, pi. 544 
(1877) ; Saunders, ed. Yarrell’s Brit. B. iii. p. 351 (1883); 
Seebohm, Hist, lirit. B. iii. p. 247 (1885); Saunders, 
Man. Brit. B. p. 559 (1889). 
Limnocryptes gallinula, B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 167 (1883). 
{Plate LXXXVII.) 
Adult Male. — General colour above black, with reflections of 
glossy-green and purple, and a few rufous markings on the back, 
mostly in the form of streaks ; the sides of the back orna- 
mented with a longitudinal band of ochreous-bufif from the 
sides of the mantle along the scapulars ; a second bufif band 
is not so distinct along the parapteral feathers and inner 
secondaries, being broken up by the black and rufous mark- 
ings of these feathers ; lower back and rump uniform black ; 
upper tail-coverts blackish, slightly freckled with rufous, and 
having broad margins of ochreous-buflf; wing-coverts blackish, 
with pale rufescent margins, less distinct on the marginal 
series, which are almost uniform ; the greater coverts uni- 
form dusky-brown, with pale fringes ; bastard- wing, primary- 
coverts and quills dusky-brown, with slight white tips to the 
