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describedas drumming, bleating, scythe- 

 whetting, and neighing. As to how 

 the sound is produced opinions differ 

 still, although the question has been 

 discussed for more than a century. 



Probably it is part vocal and partly 

 produced by the wing feathers." 



SWINHOE'S SNIPE (GREATER 

 SPRING SNIPE). 



GALLINAGO MEGALA SWINHOE. 



Description. — Length 11| inches. 

 Upper parts are a mixture of black, 

 grey and reddish, with rufous spots. 

 Rump uniform brown. Throat, breast 

 and under tail coverts grey, spotted 

 with brown. Abdomen white barred 

 with black on flanks. 



There are twenty rectrices in the 

 tail, the first three external pairs are 

 acuminted, the next three pairs narrow, 

 while the central four pairs are moder- 

 ately broad. 



Distribution. — From the Philippines 

 to Eastern Siberia, Passes the Yangtse 

 Valley- on migration. 



Notes. — This bird is quite common 

 in Shantung — rarer in the Yangtse 

 Valley — in both the spring and the 

 autumn migrations. It frequents the 

 rice fields, water courses, the swamps, 

 and may be found in any place where 

 there is enough moisture to make its 

 food abundant. 



PIN-TAIL SNIPE, (LESSER 

 SPRING SNIPE.) 



GALLINAGO STENURA BP. 

 Description. — Length 11 inches. 

 Plumage is very similar to Gallinago 

 megala, but perhaps a little more 



