SABINE’S SNIPE.
Scolopax Sabini, Vigors.
T h e occasional occurrence of this rare and singular species of Snipe in our island, teaches us that we have
yet much to learn respecting the native localities o f many of the feathered tribes, for we know of no instance
o f its having been killed in any other part o f the globe than the British Islands; still it is very evident that
these islands are not its native home, and that those that have been killed here are merely stragglers from
some unknown region. The first example o f this bird was killed in Queen’s County, Ireland, in August
1822, and was sent to Mr. Vigors the same day ; it was described by him under the above title in the 14th
vol. of the Transactions of the Linnean Society, and is now contained in the Museum o f the Zoological Society,
to which institution it was presented by Mr. Vigors with the whole of his fine collection. A second example
was shot on the banks o f the Medway, near Rochester, in October, 1824. Besides these, Mr. Selby informs
us that he has “ received a fresh specimen o f this rare Snipe from Morpeth, possessing all the characteristics
o f Mr. Vigors’s bird; ” and we ourselves know o f another example having been killed in Ireland.
As we are indebted to Mr. Vigors for our knowledge o f this species, we deem it but just to quote his own
words in pointing out its distinctive characters. “ It is at once distinguished from every other European species
o f Scolopax by the total absence o f white from its plumage, or any o f those lighter tints o f ferruginous yellow
which extend more or less in stripes along the head and back of them all. In this respect it exhibits a
strong resemblance to Scolopax saturata o f Dr. Horsfield, from which, however, it sufficiently differs in its
general proportions ; and I find no description o f any other extra-European species o f true Scolopax which at
all approaches it in this character o f its plumage. In the number o f its tail-feathers, again, which amount to
twelve, it differs from Scolopax major, which has sixteen, and Scolopax Gallinago, which has fourteen ; it
agrees, however, in this point with Scolopax Gallínula, which also has but twelve; but it can never be confounded
with that bird from the great disproportion between the essential characters o f both, the bill alone
of Scolopax Sabini exceeding that o f the latter species by one third of its length. In the relative length and
strength o f the tarsi it equally differs from all. These members, although stouter than those o f Scolopax
Gallinago, fall short o f them by A th s o f an inch ; they are much weaker, on the other hand, than those of
Scolopax major, although they nearly equal them in length.” O f its habits, mode o f nidification, &c., we
know nothing; but in these respects it doubtless bears a close resemblance to the other members o f the genus.
Top o f the head and back black, the latter being transversely barred with chestnut; whole o f the under
surface dusky black, thickly barred with dull chestnut; quills blackish brown; tail o f twelve feathers, black at
the base, chestnut at the tip barred with narrow lines of black ; bill dusky black, the base o f the upper mandible
pale chestnut; legs dark olive green.
COMMON SNIPE.
Scolopax Gallinago, Linn.
Le Bécassine ordinaire.
A l th o u g h the contrary has been long recorded by naturalists, we conceive that the natural range o f the
Common Snipe is comparatively limited, and that the Snipes from India, Africa, and North America, that
have been regarded as identical with our bird, will be found, on examination, to be specifically distinct; in the
character of their plumage they are indeed somewhat similar, but they nearly all present a different form in
the feathers o f the tail, and also a difference of number.
The Common Snipe is strictly indigenous in our islands, although the great mass retire northwards to
breed, leaving a few scattered over our extensive moors and marshy districts, where they perform the task of
incubation: these few have their numbers augmented in autumn by the return o f those which had retired to
northern latitudes, whence they are now driven with their young by the severity o f the climate and the
impossibility o f acquiring food. On the Continent it inhabits the same situations as in Great Britain and is
equally abundant. Its habits, manners, mode o f life, and flight are so universally known that a detailed
account o f them is perfectly unnecessary, neither need we say anything about the excellency o f its flesh as an
article o f food. The nest is usually formed by lining some small depression o f the ground, under a tuft of
grass, heath, or rushes, with dried grasses and similar materials; the eggs are four in number, long and
pointed, of an olive green blotched with different shades o f reddish brown. The young quit the nest almost
immediately after their exclusion from the shell, and run nimbly about after their parents while yet covered
with a particoloured dress o f brown aud buff. The sexes offer so little difference in the markings o f their
plumage, that it is impossible to distinguish them by this means.
In the adult bird the top o f the head is brown, divided by a longitudinal central stripe o f yellowish white ;
a similar stripe of yellowish white runs from the base of the beak above the eye, followed by a stripe o f brown
from the base o f the beak to the e y e ; chin white; sides o f the neck and chest tawny yellowish white, numerously
spotted with dark brown; back and scapularies fine black barred with brown, and with longitudinal
stripes o f rich buff yellow on the outer edges o f the feathers; wings dark brown, each feather being spotted
and edged near the tip with yellow; primaries dark brown, the outer web o f the outer quill being white;
under surface white, barred on the flanks with brown; tail consisting o f fourteen feathers which are black for
two thirds of their length from the base, the rest reddish brown with a.bar o f black and tipped with reddish
brown ; legs and feet greyish olive ; beak yellowish brown becoming redder at the base and darker at the tip.
We have figured a male of both species o f the natural size.