— 93 — 



Length about 12 inches; legs 10 inches. Male, head, neck, 

 and under parts and rump pure white, with a slight pinkish 

 tinge on the under parts ; tail grey ; rest of plumage greenish 

 black ; bill black ; legs and feet pink. Birds which are not 

 fully adult have the crown and nape brownish or grey, and 

 the back and wings are browner, in which stage they resemble 

 the adult female. 



373. Oyster Catcher. Hcematopus ostralegus Linnaeus. 



HcBmatopus ostralegus. Shelley, p. 243. 



Not uncommon on the coasts of the Red Sea, on migra- 

 tion and has occurred on occasions in the Wadi Natrun, in 

 Lower Egypt. 



Length about 18 inches. Lower back, rump, base of tail 

 and greater wing coverts and bases of flight feathers, lower 

 breast, and abdomen white ; rest of plumage black. In winter 

 plumage the adults have a white collar on the fore neck, as do 

 the young birds, but the latter have the feathers of the upper 

 parts edged with buff ; bill vermilion in adults, orange in the 

 young ; legs and toes flesh colour in adults, grey in young birds. 



374. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticola Linnaeus. 



Scolo'pax rusticola. Shelley, p. 247. 



A few visit Lower Egypt during the winter months. 



Length about 14 inches. Upper parts reddish brown 

 vermiculated with black ; under parts pale brown barred with 

 darker coloured bars. Sexes similar in coloration. 



375. Full Snipe. Gallinago gallinago (Linneeus). 



Gallinago media. Shelley, p. 249. 



Very abundant in Lower Egypt from August, when it first 

 arrives, until April. It is less abundant in Upper Egypt. I 

 have heard of a nest and eggs of this snipe having been found 

 in the Delta, and, as I have several times seen snipe " bleating" 

 in April, it is possible that a few do nest in the country. 



Length about 10 inches. Upper parts metallic black, the 

 feathers bordered with buff ; a buff strij)e down the centre of 

 the crown and one of the same colour over each eye ; tail rufous 

 chestnut barred with black and mottled with white on outer 

 tail feathers ; under parts white washed with buff on throat 

 and breast and spotted with dark brown ; flanks barred with 

 blackish brown ; under wing coverts and axillaries white barred 

 with blackish brown ; the number of bars vary very considerably 

 in individuals. 



