66 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



NOTE ON THE NIDIFICATION OF GALLINAGO STENURA. 



By Frederick Lewis, F.L.S. 



'^ I "'HE question has been raised from time to time in Ceylon if 

 -*- the Common Pintail Snipe ever breeds here, and I propose 

 in this note to record what instances have come under my personal 

 observation. 



The first instance I have is that some years ago, towards the end 

 of the north-east monsoon, I flushed a snipe in a paddy field in the 

 Pussellawa district and shot her. I noticed that her flight seemed 

 to be slower than usual with snipe, and on picking her up and 

 slightly pressing the abdomen with my thumb an egg, not fully 

 formed, was extruded. On opening the body, which under these 

 interesting circumstances I did, I found two more eggs, of which 

 the smallest was barely half an inch long. 



In none of the eggs was the shell formed, and therefore obviously 

 I could not obtain any details as to colouring. 



The second instance is more interesting. I was snipe-shooting 

 with a friend at a place called Morahella, a few miles from the 

 town of Balangoda, in the Province of Sabaragamuwa, when a 

 snipe got up within a few yards of my companion, who shot it. 

 He remarked, the same as I did, how slowly it left the ground, 

 and we examined the place, as the field was nearly dry. 



We found a nest of a few very flimsy materials, hardly worthy 

 of the name of a nest, and in it were three eggs of a dull stone 

 colour, broadly blotched with blackish sepia markings. 



My companion took the eggs home to England with him, so 

 unfortunately I could only depend on my notes for reference. 

 On discussing the question a few days ago with Mr. E. Kynaston 

 of Yatiyantota, he described an experience very nearly identical 

 with my own, and has been kind enough to send me the two eggs 

 he obtained. It will be observed that the sizes of the eggs Mr. 

 Kynaston has kindly sent me represent — 



First ... ... 1-34 inch by -97 inch 



Second ... ... 1*40 inch by '98 inch 



which rather closely approximate the size of the egg of the 

 PdintedSii'i^e {RijstrcUula capensis*), that is 1*36 inch by "98 inch, 



* The Painted Snipe is named RhyncJusa capensis and the Common Snipe 

 Oallinago xcolopac'i iia in Legge's '• Birds of Ceylon." 



