96 INDIAN SPORTING BIRDS 



abundant, and I rather think that, as the gentleman alkided 

 to suggests, the birds which were feeding freely on them were 

 acting abnormally in consequence of this abundance, as birds 

 often will, and this may have caused them to become diurnal as 

 well as indifferent to cover. 



The note of this bird is said to be like the noise produced 

 by blowing into a phial, expressed by the native name Iwne. 

 Wood Mason says the male squeaks in answer to the " low, 

 regular, hoarse, but rich purr" of the hen ; but Hume, who 

 considers the note to be the breeding call, heard no other, 

 and personally I have only heard what I call " swearing " from 

 captive birds, and noticed no difference. Yet there ought to be 

 some, as the female, according to Wood Mason, has a longer 

 looped windpipe, a peculiarity which is exaggerated in the 

 Australian painted snipe, which otherwise differs little from 

 ours. Our bird has an enormous range, being found nearly all 

 over Africa and southern and eastern Asia ; in fact, it is 

 one of the most widely distributed of the usually non-migratory 

 birds. 



It is curious that so remarkable and easily recognized a 

 bird should be so little distinguished by native names ; but it 

 is called Ohari in Nepal, and Mailulan by Tamils, while in 

 Ceylon the Cingalese distinguish it appropriately as Baja 

 Kaswatuwa, the king snipe. 



Next to the snipes the godwits may be considered. 



Blackballed Godwit. 



Limosa belgica^' Gudera, Hindustani. 



With the build of a miniature stork of a pigeon's size, 

 the legs, neck and bill all being long, and with the contrast 

 between its short, pied tail, black at the tip and white at the 

 base, with its drab plumage as it rises, this godwit is a con- 

 spicuous bird, and ought to be well known to sportsmen. The 

 size mentioned above is only approximate, for this is one of 



* csgocephala on plate. 



