126 



SCOLOPACID^. 



broadly edged with yellow, and barred and spotted with chestnut brown ; the 

 yellow edges to the feathers forming four conspicuous lines on the back ; upper 

 tail coverts barred with alternate bars of dusky black and pale yellowish brown, 

 somewhat rufescent ; the under tail coverts pale yellowish fawn, also barred 

 with dusky or dark brown ; the middle of the abdomen is white, in some 

 specimens tinged with pale buffy fawn ; axillaries and flanks white, barred with 

 dusky or dark brown, but not so broadly, close and numerous as in Slenura; 

 under wing lining white, a few bars only on the edge of the wing ; a white 

 patch always conspicuous in the centre of the wing ; greater and lesser wing 

 coverts dusky or dark brown, barred with rufescent, and edged and tipped with 

 pale white or cream colour ; primaries dusky or dark brown, the first with its 

 outer web white; secondaries dusky or dark brown, broadly tipped with white ; 

 the outer edges of their inner webs white, and treated with dusky ; the inner 

 webs of the primaries also whitish basally and mottled minutely with dusky ; 

 tertiaries rufescent, barred with dark brown ; tail black at the base, with an 

 oval patch of rusty orange or ferruginous, then a subterminal narrow band, and 

 tipped with buffy or pale reddish yellow, in some specimens white ; legs pale 

 green ; bill terminally for one-third or more of its length deep brown, the rest 

 basally horny brown with a green and yellowish tinge ; its length from gape, 

 of males 2*39 to 27 ; at front 243 to 275 ; of females 2'62 to 3*0 at front, 

 rather flat at the tip. 



Length, Male. — 9 to ii inches; wing 4-9 to 5*5 ; tail 2*5 to 2*8. Females 

 larger. 



^a^. —Throughout India, Ceylon and Burmah as a winter visitant, also 

 Persia, Beloochistan and Afghanistan. Arrives in Sind about the beginning of 

 September and leaves in April, and with the Jack Snipe is tolerably abundant 

 everywhere. It is a very vigilant bird, and in consequence difficult to shoot, 

 especially in bogs and moist localities where rushes are present. In such 

 retreats, three, four or half-a-dozen may be seen at a time, walking leisurely, 

 with head erect, and constantly on the alert ; and at the first note of alarm, 

 they rise, and soon get out of gunshot. This species, it need hardly be men- 

 tioned, is held in much esteem for the table. 



^.i^S 



Gallinago gallinula. The Jud-Cock. 



