142 
Mr. H. Seebohm on the Genus Scolopax. 
were probably isolated, during a severe Glacial period, in at 
least three separate colonies—in West Africa, the valley of the 
Nile, and the plains of India. As there is reason to believe 
was the case with the Willow-Wren and its close allies the two 
Chiffchaffs, the central colony appears to have been the most 
altered—Snipes with pure white axillaries being most com¬ 
mon in Eastern Russia and Turkestan. The Willow-Wrens 
seem, however, to have been a more plastic race than the 
Snipes, and their differentiation appears to have been com¬ 
plete; although the present range of the Willow-Wren over¬ 
laps that both of the Eastern and Western Chiffchaff, the 
result is that, if cross-breeding takes place at all, it only pro¬ 
duces a barren hybrid, and the species remain distinct. We 
may fairly assume that, in the case of the Snipes, differentia¬ 
tion was not carried far enough, and that consequently the 
Palsearctic Region is peopled with a race of mongrels. 
The North-American Snipe is a summer visitor to the 
whole of the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific up to 
the Arctic Circle and down to the latitude of New York. It 
winters in Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and 
the extreme northern portion of South America. A few 
breed as far south as Maryland, and a few pass the winter as 
far north as Texas. 
27 . Scolopax major. 
The geographical distribution of the Great Snipe is speci¬ 
ally interesting as affording one of many other examples of 
migratory birds which have extended their breeding-range to a 
considerable distance, but, in consequence of their having con¬ 
tinued to follow their ancient“fly-lines/' have caused the line 
of migration to and from their more recently annexed breeding- 
grounds to be remarkably circuitous. The range of the Great 
Snipe extends in summer from Scandinavia to the valley of the 
Yenesay, but in winter is confined to the basin of the Medi¬ 
terranean and the continent of Africa. The Great Snipe is 
not even known to pass through Turkestan on migration, but 
apparently crosses valley after valley in Asia until it turns 
southwards in the company of the European members of the 
species. It breeds in suitable localities throughout the basin 
