445 
of the new Diet,, of Nat. His. I found the indication of an Egyptian 
species , which agreed very well with my Italian specimens , and 
thought better to adopt his appropriate name , than to coin a new one. 
Inhabits Italy during winter : never observed elsewhere but in 
Egypt. In the neighbourhood of Rome it is the mCrst common 
species, (the arquata is also common, but the phceopus extremely 
rare.) From the circumstance of its being entirely a winter bird, I 
am led to suppose that it may be found all over Europe, where it 
may have been taken for the young of N. arquata , which it resem- 
bles greatly ; but its pure white tail-feathers, and its beautiful arrow- 
shaped spots (instead of streaks) on the breast, together with its 
diminutive size, and shorter and smaller tarsi and toes, will always 
distinguish it. It comes to us in September and October, and departs 
in April. It is observed in large flocks in the damp meadows bor- 
dering on the Tyber, where they sometimes sit the whole day facing 
the wind. They sing loudly and incessantly, are very suspicious, 
and keep sentinels to warn them of danger. They are caught in 
great numbers in nets, being decoyed by imitating their whistle, or 
by showiag them a living, or even a stuffed specimen, of their own 
species, or of the Vanellus cristatus. Analogous to N. borealis; 
but the similarity is not quite so striking as that of the others. 
It is remarkable that all the European species of the genus Nur 
menius, have white rumps and white under wing-coverts, whilst 
each and all the American have the former uniform with the rest, 
and the latter rusty. 
Note 24. Scolopax wilsonii. I was the first to perceive that 
this species was distinct from S. gallinago , (See “ Observations on 
the Nom. of Wils. Orn. sp. 204.”) and intended to distinguish 
it by the very equitable name it now bears, but waited until it 
could be proved distinct from S. Brehmii, another European spe- 
cies. This was first done by Temminck. Our right, therefore, to 
impose a name on the species, cannot justly be disputed. 
Temminck is, however, mistaken when, judging from dried skins, 
he states that the American snipe is by an inch shorter than both 
the above mentioned European, for it is generally as large, and 
often larger. 
Note 25. That the authors of the “ Illustrations of Ornithology,” 
Vol. II. 56 
