History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

106 BIRDS. PRESSIROSTRES. Scolopax.N. A. Vigors, Esq. Linn. Trans, xiv. 557-— Rare.Length 9 T 3 n inches. Bill 2 T 7 S inches, brownish-black the ; upper mandibleinclining to chesnut at the base. Tarsi 1^ inches. The plumage generally isbrownish-black the ;margin of the feathers chesnut, darkest on the back. Tailfeathersblack at the base, with ferruginous bands towards the tip. The absenceof white and the stripes of ferruginous yellow, so common to the otherspecies, serves to distinguish this new addition to the European Fauna. Twospecimens only have as yet occurred ; the one shot in Queen's County, Ireland,by the Reverend Charles Doyne, of Portarlington, 21st August 1822,and now in Mr Vigors's valuable collection at Chelsea ; the other on thebanks of the Medway, near Rochester, 26th October 1824, and preserved inthe collection of Mr Dunning of Maidstone Linn. Trans, ib.148. S. Gallinago.Common Snipe.— The tail of 14 feathers.A dark divided stripe on the crown.Gallinago minor, Will Orn. 214. Sibb. Scot. 18—Scol. Gal. Linn. Svst.i. 244. Perm. Brit. Zool. ii. 448. Temm. Orn. ii. 676 IF, Yonittan,y Fyniar ; G, Croman loin Common near marshes.Length 12, breadth 14 inches; weight 4 ounces- Bill upwards of 3 inchesin length, black, yellow, changing into brown towards the base. Tail dusky, witha tinge of green. Irides dusky. Lores brownish-black. The crown similar,but divided in the middle, and separated on each side from the lores by stripesof yellowish-red. Neck yellowish-red, with dusky streaks. Back black, thefeathers bordered with yellowish-red, most conspicuous on the scapulars. Chinand belly white. Quills 24, dusky under covers ; white, white.— with black bars. Inwinter the red on the plumage is paler, approaching to Nest of coarsegrass on a dry spot in a marsh. Eggs 5, greenish, with brown and grey spots.— Occasionally shifts its station after the breeding season.149- S. Gallinula. Jack Snipe.— Tail feathers 12. A darkundivided stripe on the crown.Gallinago minor, Will. Orn. 214.—Scol. Gal. Linn. i.Syst 244. Pe?m>Brit. Zool. ii. 451. Temm. Orn. ii. 678—Not uncommon in winter.Length 8^ inches ;weight 2 ounces. Bill an inch and a half long, like thepreceding. Legs pale greenish-dusky. Irides dusky. Lores dusky ; betweenwhich and the crown stwpeis a pale yellowish-brown one, divided over theeye. Cheeks yellowish-white; the ear-covers dusky. Back black, with astrong purple gloss, edged with yellowish-red. Four stripes of yellowish-redon the back, formed in consequence of one web being of a uniform light colour.Belly white. Quills dusky. Tail dusky, freckled near the end, withreddish-brown and white- This species is not known to breed in this countryIts visits are in winter. It differs from the preceding, in being a moresolitary bird, and more difficult to rouse from its haunts.STRAGGLER.1. S. grisea. Brown Snipe— Temm. Orn. ii. 679.—Grey Snipe —This specieshas the first and second toes united the length of the first joint, by a web.The tail-feathers are 12 in number, with black and white bands. The crown,neck, breast, and wing-covers, plain cinereous-brown.— This species, a nativeof North America, has twice occurred in Europe once in Sweden, and once;in England. Montagu, in his Orn. Diet., records the latter instance. It wasshot in the beginning of October, on the coast of Devonshire. It was poor,single, very tame, suffering the person who killed it to approach veryHe near.has added, in the Supplement, a figureof the individual.