672 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



1st. Of rather large size, wings broad, full, and soft ; tail of 16 

 or 18 feathers ; the laterals slightly narrowed, Gen. Nemoricola, 

 Hodgson and Bonap. 



868. Gallinago nemoricola, Hodgson. 



Jeedon, Cat. 336— Blyth, Cat. 1606— Jerdon, 111. Ind. 

 Orn. pi. 9 — Neraoricola nipalensis, Hodgson. 



The Wood Snipe. 



Descr. — To[) of the head black, with rufous-yellow longish mark- 

 ings ; upper part of back black, the feathers margined with pale 

 rufous-yellow, and often smeared bluish ; scapulars the same, 

 some of them with zig-zag markings ; long dorsal plumes black 

 with zig-zag marks of rufous grey, as are most of the wing- 

 coverts ; winglet and primary-coverts dusky-black, faintly edged 

 whitish ; quills dusky ; lower back and upper tail-coverts barred 

 reddish and dusky ; tail with the central feathers black at the 

 base, chesnut with dusky bars towards the tip ; laterals dusky with 

 whitish bars ; beneath, the chin white, the sides of the neck 

 ashy, smeared with buff and blackish, breast ashy, smeared with 

 buff and obscurely barred ; the rest of the lower plumage, Avith 

 the thigh-coverts, whitish with numerous dusky bars ; lower tail- 

 coverts rufescent, with dusky marks, and the under wing-coverts 

 barred black and whitish. 



Bill reddish brown, paler at the base beneath ; irides dusky 

 brown; legs plumbeous-green. Length 12^ to 13 inches; extent 

 18; wing 5| ; tail 2| ; bill at front 2| ; tarsus If; middle toe 

 1\^. Average weight 5j to 7 ozs. 



This solitary Snipe or Wood-snipe is found in the Himalayas, 

 the Neilgherries, Coorg, and occasionally in Wynaad and other 

 elevated regions of Southern India and Ceylon ; it is q,lso said 

 to occur in considerable numbers in the Saharunpoor district, below 

 Hurdwar, and generally in the extensive swamps at the foot of 

 the Himalayas. It frequents the edges of woods near swamps, 

 and patches of brushwood in swampy ground. It is by no means 

 either common or abundant any where, and on the Neilgherries, 

 but few couples are shot in general in one season. It 

 flies heavily, and having a large expanse of wing is not 



