longest ; tail short, composed of 12 soft feathers ; tarsus short and 
strong. Scolopax is about 15 inches; wing expanse 25 inches ; 
colour of the plumage is a mixture of chesnut, ash and yellow ochre, 
with zigzag lines and irregular spots of black ; under neck has cross 
bars of brown ; quills barred with black and ferruginous ; tail black ; 
legs livid ; typical Wood-cock feathers must be well-known. These 
birds appear to be seldom “at home,” except in their native haunts, 
dark secluded forests, marshy, water-logged, nooks and corners, 
where they are occasionally met with. 
(868) GALLINAGO NEMORICOLA, /Vo0d Snipe, is perhaps more 
difficult to find than Wood-cocks, as it leads a solitary existence, in 
deep forest recesses. This bird has the tibia bare, a little above the 
knee. Nemoricols is about 13 inches ; wings broad and soft. They 
are found more readily on swampy lands at a lower elevation. 
Plumage, above, back black, feathers bordered with chesnut ; zigzag 
markings of reddish grey about scapulars, back and wing coverts ; 
quills darkish ; tail dark with whitish bars; breast ash and buff 
faintly barred ; under parts are more whitish ; lower tail coverts 
chesnut ; more or less zigzag lines, streaks, and bars predominate 
over greater parts of the plumage of Wood Snipe. As it is a rare bird 
to meet, this general description will suffice. 
(869) GALLINAGO soLITARIA, Himalayan Solitary Snipe, visits 
our forests in winter ; descending from higher altitudes in Sikkim 
and the Singalillas. It spends a lonely existence, wherever found, 
social advantages are scrupulously avoided. In habits it is not 
unlike the last two species. When one finds them on rare occasions, 
probing the soft soil, cautiously, with their sensitive bills, they 
remind one of wise treasure hunters. It is no easy matter to find 
their eggs. They usually retire beyond Jongri to breed. Occasion- 
ally a single pair or two, at this season of the year, are met with, in 
secluded corners at a lower altitude, near Sandakphu and Phalut. 
They generally seek shelter in dense forest undergrowth. Solitaria 
is 124 inches in length, extent 20 inches; plumage differs a good 
deal. The specimen before me is much darker than usual, as it was 
secured from a high altitude ; upper plumage is snipe like ; but more 
spotted and barred chesnut; buif stripes on the shoulders ; 
secondaries and tertiaries broadly barred dark brown and rufous ; 
tail dark banded with ashy rufous ; breast olive brown, with white 
and brown bars and white strokes: underparts whitish. The 
chances of meeting the bird, are small, so that more minute details 
in colour of markings, will obviously be neglected. 
The remaining species of snipe are plentiful in the plains, 
32 
