817 
S C O L 
a bieating sound, something like that of an old goat, which 
is alternately repeated round the spot possessed by the female, 
especially while she is sitting upon her nest. The young will 
run off almost immediately after they are freed from the 
shell; but the parent bird attends them till their bills have 
acquired a sufficient firmness to enable them to provide for 
themselves. When undisturbed in its retreat, the snipe walks 
leisurely, with its head erect, and it keeps moving the tail 
at short intervals. It is, however, rarely observed in this 
state of tranquillity, being extremely watchful, and per¬ 
ceiving the sportsman, or his dog, at a great distance, and 
then concealing itself, or, as it happens more frequently, 
springing and taking flight beyond the reach of the gun. 
When first disturbed, it utters a feeble whistle, and generally 
flies against the wind. From its vigilance and manner of 
flyiDg, which is in a zig-zag direction, it is extremely difficult 
to shoot. It is very highly esteemed, and indeed very 
delicious'food, and though usually very fat, it rarely disagrees 
even with the weakest stomach. 
29. Scolopax gallinaria, or Finmark snipe.—The bill of 
this species is straight and tuberculate; the legs are yellow ; 
the head is grey, and the body is variegated.—It inhabits, as 
its trivial name denotes, Finmark. 
30. Scolopax gallinula, or jack-snipe.—The bill in this 
species is straight, tuberculate ; the body is variegated; the 
legs are greenish ; the lores are brown ; the rump is varied 
with violet.'—It is found in various parts of Europe, Asia and 
America, and is eight or nine inches long. The bill is black; 
the body is variegated with testaceous, black, violet, and 
glossy green; the head is of a pale yellow, and black lines 
reaching from the bill to the hind head ; the breast is spotted; 
the belly and vent are white. 
31. Scolopax Belgica.—This is an inhabitant of the 
Netherlands. Its bill is very straight, tipt with black; the 
head, neck and breast are ferruginous; the belly is white; 
the back, wings, tail and legs are black. It feeds on land 
insects. 
32. Scolopax obscura.—The bill of this species is straight 
and purple. The legs are of a flesh-colour; the head is 
cinereous; the quill-feathers are black-grey.—It inhabits the 
shores of the Caspian Sea. 
33. Scolopax fedoa, or American godwit.—This is found 
in and about Hudson’s bay, and is full sixteen inches long. 
The bill is tipt with black; the eye-brows are white; the 
lores are dusky; the cheeks and chin are white; the head 
and neck are varied with dusky and pale brown; the breast 
is marked with black lines; the belly is brown; the back 
and wing-coverts are varied with ferruginous and dusky; the 
quill-feathers are ferruginous without; the tail is marked with 
pale brown and black lines. 
34. Scolopax glottis, or green-shank.—This inhabits Asia, 
America and Europe, and is fourteen inches long. The bill 
is black, the lower mandible bends a little upwards; the eye¬ 
brows and lower part of the back white; the head, neck 
and back pale cinereous; the shafts of the feathers are 
spotted with brown; the quill-feathers are dusky, spotted 
within with white; the tail is white, with dusky lines ; the 
legs are very long. This species is sometimes found in small 
flocks, on our coasts in winter, as also in marshes and fens 
contiguous to the sea. Some few are supposed to remain 
with us all the summer, and to breed in our fens. The greater 
g art, however, retire northward to breed, and are found in 
weden, Russia and Siberia. Their flesh, like that of the 
rest of the genus, is well-flavoured and reckoned good 
eating. 
35. Scolopax calidris, or red-shank.—The bill is straight 
and red; the legs are scarlet; the secondary quill-feathers are 
white.—It inhabits Europe and America, and is twelve inches 
long. The bill is black towards the tip; the irides are of a 
reddish-hazel colour ; the head and neck above are cinereous; 
the back and shoulders are of a greenish-brown; the wing- 
coverts cinereous, mixed with dusky brown and spotted with 
whitish; the secondary quill-feathers, except the two inner 
ones, are white towards the tip : the primary ones are dusky, 
Vol. XXII. No. 1542. 
O P A X. 
the four or five inner ones are tipt with white ; the lines over 
the eyes are white; between the bill and the eyes is a dusky 
spot; the chin and throat with short dusky streaks; the body 
beneath and the rump are white, with small dusky spots; 
the tail-feathers have each 12 or 13 transverse black lines. 
There is a variety of this species of which the body above is 
grey, beneath it is white; the neck beneath and side of the 
breast spotted with blackish; the rump and tail are barred 
with black and white.—It inhabits China. The calidris 
is common in many parts of England, in the fens: it lays 
four eggs; is of a solitary disposition, mostly seen alone. 
36. Scolopax totanus, or spotted snipe; called also the 
red-legged godwit, or spotted red-shank.'—This is blackish, 
with white spots; it is white beneath ; the lines on the 
breast, and bands on the lateral tail-feathers, are blackish, and 
the legs are red.—It inhabits this country, and other parts of 
Europe; feeds on the smaller shell-fish and vermes. It is 
rather rare in this country. 
37. Scolopax limosa, or lesser godwit.—Bill a little bent 
back, red at the base; the body is of a grey-brown, varied 
with rufous, beneath it is white, the quill-feathers are white 
at the base, the first four without spots; the tail is white at the 
base.—It inhabits Europe, and is seventeen inches long. It 
is gregarious, and is but seldom seen in Britain. 
38. Scolopax Capensis, or Cape snipe.—The bill of this is 
straight, and with a line on the crown of a reddish colour; 
the band on the breast is black; the line on each side the 
back is white. Of this species there are said to be four other 
varieties:—-1. Olive-green; neck black; crown and throat 
ferruginous; the orbits, scapulars and belly white; quill- 
feathers and tail with tawny spots. 2. This is waved with 
cinereous, grey and black; the head and neck are rufous; 
the orbits, chin, scapulars and belly white; the pectoral 
band and eye-brows black ; wings and tail with yellow spots. 
3. White; head and neck black, wings and back green; 
primary quill-feathers spotted with red. 4. The upper part 
is marked with black spots and lunules; the back is blueish ; 
the wings are of a ehesnut colour; the lower part of the 
breast is black; the cheeks, chin and belly white; orbits 
and line on the shoulders yellow.—They are all found at the 
Cape of Good Hope. 
39. Scolopax Sinensis, or Chinese snipe.—This is variegated 
with blueish, brown, rufous aiffi black; the eye-brows, line 
on the crown, chin and belly white.—It inhabits, as its name 
imports, China, and is about ten inches long. 
40. Scolopax Madaraspatana, or Madras snipe.—The bill 
is reddish; the body above is varied with tawny and 
blackish; beneath it is white; the streak on the middle of 
the crown and each side the head black-brown; the throat is 
tawny, spotted with blackish.—It inhabits Madras. 
41. Scolopax Indica, or white Indian snipe.—Bill and legs 
black; the body is of a dirty grey, waved with brownish ; 
beneath whitish; the band across and beneath the eyes is 
grey.—It inhabits divers parts of the East Indies. 
42. Scolopax Iapponica, or red godwit.—The bill is a 
little recurved, yellowish; the legs are black, the body 
beneath reddish-rusty. In a variety of this species the head 
and neck are cinereous; the chin and belly are white.—It 
inhabits Europe and America, and is about eighteen inches 
long. Though,found in this country, it is by no means 
common. 
43. Scolopax aegocephala, or common godwit.—The bill 
is straight, reddish-yellow; the legs are greenish; the head 
and neck reddish; the three quill-feathers are black, with a 
white base.—This is found in many parts of Europe, Asia 
and Africa, as well as in this country. With us it continues 
the whole year, and resorts to the fens in spring for breeding. 
—In the winter it is found on our shores, particularly at the 
mouths of large rivers and inlets, where the mud and sand 
become bare at low water, where it feeds on insects. It is 
highly esteemed by epicures, and sells very high. It is 
caught in nets, to which it is allured by a stuffed bird in the 
same manner, and at the same season, as the ruffs and 
reeves. 
9 Y 
44. Scolopax 
