070 SCOLOPAX GALLINAGO. 



grey and dusky. The elongated feathers of the back and 

 the scapulars are deep black, variegated with light red, 

 externally margined with reddish-white, of which there 

 are thus four longitudinal bands on the back. On the hind 

 part of the back and rump the feathers are barred with 

 dusky and light red, as are the upper tail-coverts, of which 

 the light bars incline to white. The tail is brownish-black, 

 toward the end irregularly barred or spotted with reddish- 

 white, succeeded by a curved narrow bar of black, the tip 

 light red, the lateral feathers much paler. The smaller 

 wing-coverts are black glossed with purple, and tipped with 

 reddish-grey ; the quills greyish-black ; the outer web of the 

 first white, its shaft brownish-white, the primaries slightly, 

 the secondaries largely tipped with white ; the inner secon- 

 daries banded like the back; the larger coverts similar to 

 their respective quills. The middle of the breast and the 

 abdomen are white ; the sides undulated and barred w r ith 

 dusky ; the axillaries white, with greyish-black bars ; the 

 lower wing-coverts greyish-dusky, margined with white. 

 The lower tail-coverts are pale red barred with dusky. 



Length to end of tail lOf inches ; extent of wings 16 ; 

 wing from flexure 5^; tail 2-fa; bill along the ridge 2-fa, 

 along the edge of low r er mandible %fa ; tarsus 1^- ; hind 

 toe -fa, its claw -fa ; second toe -j- 1 , its claw -fa ; third toe 

 l^r, its claw -fa : fourth toe 1, its claw -fa. 



Female. — The female is similar to the male, generally 

 has the dusky bars of the sides more extended, and is 

 considerably larger. 



Length to end of tail \\\ inches; extent of wings 17^; 

 wing from flexure 5-^ ; tail 2-fa ; bill along the ridge 21fa, 

 along the edge of lower mandible 2|4 ; tarsus 1-fa ; bare 

 part of tibia -fa ; hind toe -fa, its claw -fa ; second toe 1, its 

 claw -fa; third toe 1^, its claw -fa; fourth toe 1^, its claw -fa. 



Vakiatioxs. — Adult birds vary considerably in size, and 

 especially in the length of the bill. Individuals pure white 

 or yellowish-white, or white variegated with red and dusky, 

 or more frequently of the ordinary colours, with some white 



