Notes from Japan. 167 



rapidity even after a heavy dowupour of rain. It is there- 

 fore very difficult to understand how these Waders obtain 

 their nourishment, the nearest marsh-hmd or soft ground 

 being many miles distant. 



For a usually shy species, the parents display much concern 

 when their progeny are in danger. In one case, on June 6th, 

 while I was handling a young bird three-parts grown, the 

 female remained fluttering in the grass within a few paces 

 of me, feigning disablement, and uttering harsh cries of 

 distress, and seemingly quite regardless of her own safety. 

 I fancy this Snipe will remove its young if they have been 

 disturbed in any way, like a Woodcock, and the Japanese 

 collector declared that he had proved this to be the case. 

 Certainly the two apparently helpless young birds that I 

 found myself on May 26th disappeared in a very mysterious 

 manner. After having carefully examined them, I turned 

 my attention for a short time to another nest. Returning 

 to the spot five or ten minutes later, I failed to find either 

 of them again, although a very careful search was instituted. 

 Now considering the ground for some distance round was 

 tolerably bare of vegetation, their disappearance could, I 

 think, only be explained by the fact that they had been 

 removed by one of their parents. 



The eggs in my collection are not unlike those of 

 G.gallinago. They have a greenish-buff ground-colour, and 

 are sparsely blotched, chiefly round the larger end, with pale 

 greyish underlying and dark brown overlying marks. Size 

 1-6 X 1-2 in. 



70. ScoLOPAX RUSTicuLA Liun. Woodcock. 



Scolupax rusticola Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 347. 



Jap. : Bota-shigi. 



In the summer the Woodcock is seemingly a common 

 species in the non-coniferous parts of the Subashiri woods, 

 for a nest was found on May 17th and, later, three lots of 

 young birds. Returning late on the evening of June 2nd 

 I observed a Woodcock going through that peculiar pei'- 

 forraance known as " roding.'' This crepuscular flight was 

 continued until it Avas almost quite dark 



