^ . rP.N.E.Z.C. 



14 BIRDS AND MAMMALS OF EAST SIBERIA [ Vol. V 



and not wholly constant; and as individuals cannot be distinguished 

 with certainty, it would seem unwise to subdivide either of the 

 species. 



Gallinago gallinago uniclavus Hodgson. 



The Eastern snipe was not seen by Koren anywhere along the 

 Arctic coast of Siberia. It bred commonly, however, along the 

 Kolyma River. The first one to arrive in spring was on May 30. 

 On June 13, 1912, a clutch of three nearly fresh eggs was found 

 at Nijni Kolymsk. 



Two adult males, both from Nijni Kolymsk, one shot May 30, 

 the other, June 13, 1912, were skinned. Compared with breeding 

 birds from western Europe, these two specimens are rather smaller 

 and much paler in color. The upper surface is very light — buffy 

 and brownish predominating over the black; on the under side of 

 neck and chest there is but little dusky spotting, and the drab-brown 

 ground color is much paler; the axillars are white, with only a 

 few dusky spots here and there. 



Thus the breeding bird of East Siberia appears to be quite differ- 

 ent from that of western Europe. This was suggested by Sharpe, 

 in the ' Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum,' who pointed 

 out the tendency of Eastern birds to show unbarred, white axillars. 



On migration, in the East, birds of this type are by no means 

 alone represented in the series we have examined. Thus in the 

 large series of specimens taken by Zappey near Ichang, China, 

 there is not a single skin that is wholly referable to the Siberian 

 form ; about one half of the specimens are typical Gallinago gallinago 

 gallinago (Linn.), the other half variously intermediate between the 

 two. On the other hand among five skins from Mengtsze, Yunnan, 

 four are wholly referable to the East Siberian form and one is an 

 extreme example of Gallinago gallinago gallinago. We also have 

 one extreme example of the East Siberian bird from the Riu Kiu 

 Islands, taken March 25. 



The appearance, commonly, of perfectly typical examples of G. 

 gallinago gallinago on migration in the East, does not of course 

 affect the case, as these undoubtedly come straight south from 



