The Snipes. 491 



The Painted Snipe breeds at various 

 periods of the year, according to climate 

 and locality. I cannot do better than 

 quote what Mr. Hume has written on 

 this subject. He says : " Reviewing the 

 evidence now available, I should say 

 broadly that the majority bred once 

 during the height of the rains and once 

 during the middle of the cold season ; 

 but practically in one place or another 

 this species has been found breeding in 

 almost every month in the year ; and 

 while I have no doubt that they have two 

 broods a year, I think it possible that, 

 under favourable conditions, they may 

 have more." 



The nest is a pad of grass or rushes, 

 some six inches in diameter, placed on 

 the ground. The eggs are four in number. 

 They are generally oval in shape, some- 

 times rather pointed at one end or 

 pyriform. They have comparatively little 

 gloss. In colour they are buff, thickly 

 blotched, spotted and streaked with deep 

 black. These marks are frequently con- 

 fluent, and cover about half the surface of 

 the egg. The shell-marks, which are 

 faint and indistinct, are purplish grey. 

 The eggs are comparatively small for the 

 size of the bird and measure from 1*29 



