474 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



between the two species may be thus 

 summarised : — ■ 



Common Snipe. — The outer web of the 

 first primary white ; the outer secondaries 

 tipped with white to the extent of one- 

 tenth of an inch, and frequently more; 

 the under wing-coverts irregularly barred, 

 and with a central patch wholly white ; 

 the outer tail-feathers soft and not much 

 narrower than the others ; the bill about 

 2*75 in length from the forehead to the 

 tip. 



PiN-TAiL Snipe. — The outer web of the 

 first primary brown like the inner ; the 

 outer secondaries with very narrow white 

 tips or none at all, never broader than 

 the thickness of an ordinary small pin ; 

 the under wing-coverts very regularly 

 barred throughout, without any plain 

 white central patch ; the outer tail-feathers 

 extremely narrow and stiff, the outermost- 

 being about one-twentieth of an inch 

 wide near the tip ; the bill generally less 

 than, and seldom exceeding, 2*5 in length, 

 from the forehead to the tip. 



With the exception of the bill, the 

 dimensions of the two species are much 

 alike, except that the total length varies 

 of course in the same way as the bill. 



