Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XV.djvu/141

 SNIPE SNORRI STURLASON 133 are dark ashy, pale reddish, and black, with rump and upper tail coverts white; under parts pale ferruginous, with spots and bands of brownish black ; the quills brownish black, Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago Wilsonii). the shaft of the first primary white; the young are dull white below, marked with ashy ; the plumage is more gray in winter, and more red in summer. It occurs over temperate North America, in large flocks, occasionally going inland in autumn on the return from the north, where it goes to breed; the flight is rapid and strong, accompanied- by a single mellow " weet;" the call note is a whistle; the flesh is not so good as that of the common American snipe. In gallinago the tarsus is shorter than the middle toe, and there is no web. The American or "Wilson's snipe (G. Wilsonii, Bonap.) is about 10^ in. long, with an alar ex- tent of 17 in., the bill 2-J- in., and weighs 3 oz. ; above the feathers are brownish black, spotted and edged with yellowish brown or ashy white ; a black line from base of bill over top of head; Common European Snipe (Gallinago media). throat and neck before reddish ashy, under parts white, quills and tail like back, the latter widely tipped with bright rufous, with a nar- row subterminal black band. It occurs over temperate North America, going in summer as far as Nova Scotia, where it breeds in June in the elevated moss-covered marshes ; the eggs are yellowish olive, spotted with brown ; they return to the south in October, and are very fond of the rice fields ; they rarely visit the sea- shore, and never the interior of woods; the cry resembles the syllables u wau-aik." They are fond of leeches and other food not gen- erally coveted by man, though most epicures, ignorant of this, are in the habit of cooking and eating them, contents of intestines included. The great or double snipe of Europe (6*. major, Steph.) is 11 or 12 in. long, varied with black and bright reddish above, the red arranged longitudinally, and whitish red below; the shaft of the first quill is whitish ; it inhabits N. Europe. The common snipe of Europe (G. media, Steph.) is 10 or 11 in. long, with two blackish longitudinal bands on the head, the neck spotted with brown and fawn color, the mantle blackish with two longitudinal fawn- colored bands, the wings brown waved with gray, quill shafts brown, and lower parts white waved with blackish on the flanks ; it flies very high, with a shrill cry ; from its wavering flight it is generally difficult to shoot; its flesh is delicious. In rhynchcea the bill is shorter and more curved, the first three quills equal and longest, the tertials as long as the quills, and the tail very short; the species are adorned with bright yellow ocellated spots on the quills and tail ; they occur at the Cape of Good Hope, in the East Indies, and Australia. The Cape snipe (R. Capensis, Cuv.) is 10 in. long, varie- gated with black and cinereous; around the eye, a little way down the neck, pectoral band, and abdomen, white. SNOHOMISH, a N. W. county of Washington territory, bordering W. on Puget sound and E. on the Cascade mountains, and drained by several streams; area, 1,500 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 599. Extensive forests skirt the streams, and lumber is the chief source of wealth. Coal is found in various places. Along the sound are extensive cranberry marshes, and in the interior large tracts adapted to agriculture. The chief productions in 1870 were 1,290 bush- els of oats, 1,415 of barley, 11,680 of potatoes, and 857 tons of hay. The value of live stock was $25,305. Capital, Snohomish City. SNORRI STURLASON, or Snorrc Stnrlnson, an Icelandic historian, born on the shores of Hvammsfiord, a bay on the W. coast of Ice- land, in 1178, murdered at Reykholt, Sept. 22, 1241. He was of distinguished family, was carefully educated, and became proficient in Greek and Latin. Though originally poor, he became by marriage the wealthiest man in Iceland; and his legal attainments, bravery, and eloquence obtained for him the highest po- sitions in the field and in the althing or legis- lature. His residence was a fortified strong- hold, and he appeared in the national assembly with a retinue of hundreds of armed follow- ers. Traces of his sumptuous abode at Reyk-