3o8 
allen’s naturalist’s library. 
Range in Great Britain.— Some sixteen occurrences of this 
species have been recorded, and others, less genuine, have 
been noted. It is evident that stray individuals visit us occa- 
sionally in the autumn, and naturally most of them have been 
captured on our western coasts, though examples have been 
obtained in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Middlesex. In 1889 
Jioward Saunders knew of no specimens from Ire- 
land, but the occurrence of the species in that country 
was recorded in 1894 by Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, two examples 
having been procured in Queen’s co. and Tipperary respec- 
tively in November, 1893. The latter were supposed to 
belong to the western race, M. scolopaceus. I may remark 
that I have been unable to recognise the distinctions between 
M. griseus and Af- scolopaceus, for it seems to me that long- 
billed and short-billed examples of the Red-breasted Snipe- 
Tattler occur, just as they do with the Dunlins and other 
waders, and that specific differences founded on these charac- 
ters cannot be defined. . . , , . 
Range outside the British Islands.— The present species inhabits 
Arctic America, and breeds there, both long and short-billed 
forms being found in the north, and occurring together in their 
winter-homes in Texas and elsewhere in Central and South 
America. . ^ , 
Hahits.— Mr. Elliot describes this species as a tarne and 
unsuspicious bird, and one which is easily allured to its fate 
by means of decoy birds and an imitation of its note. Mr. L. 
W Nelson writes : — “ They are very demonstrative birds in 
their love-making, and in the last of May and first of June 
their loud cries are heard everywhere about their haunts, 
especially in morning and evening. Two or three males start 
in pursuit of a female, and away they go twisting and turning, 
here and there, over marsh and stream, with marvellous swift- 
ness and dexterity. At shoit intervals a male checl^^ his flight 
for a moment to utter a strident peel i 2 weei ; wee-loo, wee-loo ; 
then on he goes full tilt again. After they have mated, or 
when a solitary male pays his devotions, they rise fifteen or 
twenty yards from the ground, where, hovering upon quivering 
winces, the bird pours forth a lisping but energetic and fre- 
quently musical song, which can be very imperfectly expressed 
by the syllables peel-peel ; p'ee-ler-wee-loo ; wee-loo; p'ee-ler-wee- 
