36 GAME-BIBDS OF INDIA 



GALLINAGO SOLITARIA. 

 THE EASTERN SOLITARY SNIPE. 



Gallinago solitaria, Iloihj. Gleanings in Science, iii, p. 238 (1831) ; Id. 

 J. A. S. B. vi, p. 491 ; Blyth, Cat. p. 272 ; Jerclon, B. of I. iii, p. 673 ; 

 Sloliczka, J. A. S. B., xxxvii, Part 2, p. 70 ; Blanford,tbid. xli, p. 73 ; 

 Hume (£• Hender., Ladak to Yarkand, p. 286; Prjev. in Boidetj, Orn. 

 Msc. iii, p. 91; Hume, Cat. 869; Scullu, S. F. viii, p. 353; Hume 

 d- Marsh., Game-B. iii, p. 333 ; Hume, S. F. ix, p. 283 ; ScjMij, 

 J. A. S. B. Ivi, p. 87; iTwwie, S. F. xi, p. 319; Fletcher, 'Asian,' 

 Feb. 1898 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. G54 ; Id. Hand-L. i, p. 166 ; 

 Blanford, Avifauna B. I., iv, p. 290; Gates, Cat. Eggs B. M. ii, p. 64 ; 

 Id. Game-B. of In. ii, p. 446 ; Finn, In. Waders, p. 142 ; Harington, 

 J. B. N. H. S. xix, p. 311 ; Stuart Baker, ibid, xx, p. 259 (1910) ; 

 B. L. Clarke, ibid, xxii, p. 805. 



Scolopax solitaria, Secbohm, Charadriidx, p. 475. 



Vernacular Names. Bon chaha, Hindi ; Bharka, Nepal ; Simpoo, 

 Khasia ; Daodidap gophu, Cacliari ; Boner kocha, Assamese. 



Description. Adult Male. — Crown black, spotted with rufous and 

 with a narrow white median band often much broken up with brown. 

 A broken supercilium narrowing behind the eye white, more or less 

 mixed with brown. Loreal streak dark brown, more or le.ss mixed 

 with rufous. Chin, sides of head and throat white, speckled with 

 dark brown and rufous, the centre of the throat almost pure white. 

 Neck all round rufous-brown, much mixed with white below, darker 

 and less mixed with white above, but having also dark brown or 

 black bars. Back and scapulars black with numerous broken bars 

 and spots of rufous, and the scapulars with broad white outer edges, 

 in some cases tinged with rufous. Lower back deep brown with 

 whitish tips and bars, rump with rufous spots, shorter tail coverts 

 dark brown with rufous bars and longer coverts almost uniform 

 olive-brown, rayed darker and with white bars at the tips. Median 

 tail feathers black, tipped whitish and with a narrow black and a 

 broad sub-terminal band of rufous ; outer tail feathers irregularly 

 barred black and white. Breast brown, more or less speckled and 

 spotted with white which forms into broad bars where the breast 

 and abdomen meet. Abdomen white, faintly barred at the sides ; 



