. An illustrated manual of British birds . andearly in the morning, especially during breeding-time, the male per-sistently follows certain tracks along glades in woods—often called* cock-roads—uttering a deep as well as a whistling note ; similarroutes are also traversed by both sexes on their way to and fromtheir feeding-grounds. Worms, when procurable, are devoured inalmost incredible quantities, while beetles and other insects, smallcrustaceans, and even mussels, are also eaten ; and I have watched abird obtaining its food under circumstances which, if narrated,would not conduce to a taste
. An illustrated manual of British birds . andearly in the morning, especially during breeding-time, the male per-sistently follows certain tracks along glades in woods—often called* cock-roads—uttering a deep as well as a whistling note ; similarroutes are also traversed by both sexes on their way to and fromtheir feeding-grounds. Worms, when procurable, are devoured inalmost incredible quantities, while beetles and other insects, smallcrustaceans, and even mussels, are also eaten ; and I have watched abird obtaining its food under circumstances which, if narrated,would not conduce to a taste for trail. Few birds exceed 15 weight, though such are on record. The general colour of the upper plumage is reddish-brownvermiculated with black, and that of the under parts wood-brownwith darker bars. Externally the sexes are absolutely alike, butthe spring dress is paler than that of autumn ; there is, however,great individual variation. Total length i45 in. ; wing 8 albinisms are not uncommon. SCOLOPACID/E. 555. THE GREAT SNIPE. Gallinago major (J. F. Gmelin). The Great, Double, or Solitary Snipe as it is often called, is anannual visitor in small numbers to the eastern and southern por-tions of England ; its arrivals—chiefly those of young birds—being generally between the middle of August and the middle ofOctober. In the central and western districts it is far less frequent ;while as regards the spring migration only a single instance iscited by Stevenson—an adult, shot as it alighted on Yarmouthbeach. Two were killed near Glasgow on May i6th 1SS5, asrecorded by Mr. William Evans, who adds that, as far as he knows,only seven or eight authentic specimens have been obtained in thewhole of Scotland. Mr. Williams, the well-known taxidermist inDublin, states (Zool. 1889, p. 2,2)) ^^at one was shot in co. Galwayon October 12th 1888, being only the second example which hascome under his notice in Ireland, though at least a dozen largespecimens of the
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