420 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 



I have no definite note of the date of the return migration, 

 nor have I heard of the bird being observed in winter. 



1050. Scolopax rusticula Linn. 



The Woodcock is an abundant winter visitor. Mariti 

 (1760-71) writes of it as one of the commonest birds iu the 

 island and much prized for food. In 1814 an officer in the 

 East India Company's Service visited the island in January 

 and writes of its abundance. It was not met with by 

 Sibthorp, as at the time of his visit it would have gone north, 

 and consequently its name did not appear in Unger and 

 Kotschy's list, nor does Miiller mention it, though Schrader 

 speaks of it as a fairly common winter visitor. It was of 

 course not seen by Lord Lilf ord, but he was told that forty 

 couple had been shot in the Papho district by two English 

 officers. No such bag can be expected — at any rate in one 

 day — at the present time, but the bird arrives in considerable 

 numbers at the beginning of November and leaves in early 

 March ; bitter weather on the Karamanian mountains, 

 will cause, as a rule, a marked increase in the numbers 

 at any time during the winter. It frequents the wooded hill- 

 sides and is often shot close to, or even in the gardens of the 

 towns. In the Karpas, the Papho district, and at Aghirda 

 wood near Nicosia excellent sport may still be had, but ten 

 couple to two guns in a day's march would be the utmost to 

 which any one may reasonably look forward. 



1052. Gallinago major (Gmel.). 



The Great or Double Snipe is a winter visitor, but is with- 

 out doubt constantly confused with the Common Snipe. 

 Indeed it does not seem to be, at the present time, known 

 to the local sportsmen. It appears to have been first noticed 

 by Lord Lilford (as the Scolopax media Steph. of Unger and 

 Kotschy's list is obviously a substitution for the Scolopax 

 gallinago of Sibthorp and is re-rendered by Miiller as Telma- 

 tias gallinago Boie) : he procured several specimens near 

 Larnaca in the third week in April. Guillemard obtained 

 others, and found it not uncommon in the marshes near 

 Famagusta as late as the end of May. 1887. No example 



