I'm not up-to-date on the latest preferred naming of birds; so, I'm not questioning the current correctness of the name "Wilson's Snipe". However, this was the first time that I had heard our common snipe referred to by that name since I first birded in the Northeast in the 1940's. I looked over my collection of bird books and was amazed by the uncertainties of the experts over the years regarding how to name the common snipe. Here's what my books show:

(1914) Wilson's Snipe, Gallinago delicata, "Birds of Eastern North America" by Frank Chapman.

(1939) Wilson's Snipe, Capella delicata, "A Field Guide to the Birds" by Roger Tory Peterson.

(1961) Common Snipe, Capella gallinago, "A Field Guide to Western Birds" by Roger Tory Peterson.

(1985) Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago, "The Audubon Society Master Guide to Birding"

(2000) Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago, "Birds of North America" by Kenn Kaufman.

I could really expand my life list by including all the so-called scientific names.

Scott Warner
Brier, WA
swarner28 at msn.com