LIMICOL^, 343 



I have an example collected at Sapporo in Yczzo, on the 27th of 

 January, by Captain Blakiston, who states that it frequents during 

 winter some spring-water creeks which remain unfrozen in the 

 severest weather (Blakiston and Pryer, Trans. As. Soe. Japan, 1882, 

 p. 114). Mr. Heine, the artist of the Perry Expedition, says that it 

 was not uncommon near Hakodadi, where it kept in the meadows 

 and marshy woods (Cassin, Exp. Am. Squad. China Seas and Japan, 

 ii. p. 227). There are six examples in the Pryer collection from 

 Yokohama; Mr. E-inger has obtained it at Nagasaki, whence he has 

 sent an example to the Norwich Museum. 



It has been obtained in Central Hondo in winter, and frequents 

 marshy places, the banks of streams, and soft boggy ground, but is 

 not found in the paddy-fields. It resembles the Woodcock in its 

 habits more than the true Snipe (Jouy, Proc. United States Nat. Mus. 

 1888, p. 317). 



The Japanese race of the Solitary Snipe has been described as a 

 distinct species under the name of Gallinago japonica (Swinhoe, Ibis, 

 1873, p. 364), but it appears completely to intergrade with its con- 

 tinental ally, and can only be regarded as subspecifically distinct 

 under the name of Scolopax solitaria japonica. 



348. SCOLOPAX MEGALA. 



(SWINHOE'S SNIPE.) 



Gallinago megala, Swinhoe, Ibis, 186], p. 343. 



Swinhoe's Snipe is a medium-sized bird (wing from carpal joint 5'6 

 to 5*2 inches). It has 20 tail-feathers, of which 12 (6 on each side) 

 are narrow (varying from '15 to '3 inch wide). 



Figures: Seebohm, Charadriidae, p. 479 (woodcut of tail). 



Swinhoe's Snipe appears to have been overlooked by Japanese 

 collectors, but it is doubtless a frequent visitor on spring and autumn 

 migration, as there are two examples in the Pryer collection from 

 the Yokohama market, and I have a third example from the same 

 locality obtained by M. Boucard's collector. 



Swinhoe's Snipe breeds in South-east Siberia, and winters in the 

 islands of the Malay Archipelago. 



