GALLINAGO NEMORICOLA 47 



the coverts edged and barred with fulvous, the primaries and 

 primary coverts tipped with a pale edging, inner secondaries barred 

 throughout with fulvous or fulvous-rufous. 



Colours of Soft Parts. — Irides dark-brown, bill horny-brown, more 

 or less tinged with green, the tip darker and the basal two-thirds of 

 the lower mandible yellowish ; legs dark plumbeous green. 



Measurements. — Wing 5'2.5 to 5'75 inches, bill from gape 2'4 to 

 2-65, tarsus 1-2 to 1-5. 



Eliminating the largest and the smallest birds the tarsus only 

 varies between 1.3 and li inches and the extremes both ways are 

 probably abnormal. 



Adult Female. — Does not differ from the male and is probably 

 about the same in size or very little bigger, though with a longer 

 bill. The two longest bills I have personally measured were 260 

 and 2'G.5 inches and both belonged to female birds. 



Young Bird. — Judging from a single specimen of a young bird in 

 the Indian Museum with a wing of 5'02 inches and a bill of 2'38 it 

 would appear that in young birds the darker colours predominate 

 over the paler more than in the adult. The dark bars on the lower 

 plumage are distinctly broader and more close together, and the 

 whole appearance in this specimen is far darker than I have seen 

 in any adult bird. 



Sharpe does not differentiate between the male and female, but 

 the average measurements of the British Museum birds, including 

 both sexes, are bigger than those I have handled. In the former 

 the wing is given as 5' 7 inches and the culmen as 2G5. 



The depth of the bill in those I have measured averages about 

 0"5 inches, the heavy base being very conspicuous when compared 

 with other Snipes' bills. 



The sportsmen will generally be able to recognise the Wood Snipe 

 by its comparatively dark plumage and rather squat heavy shape and 

 beak. 



Measurements. — "Length ll'O to 12'5 inches, expanse 18 to 19'75, 

 wing 5'4 to 57, tail from vent 2'5 to 29, tarsus 1'41 to 1"49, bill from 

 gape 2'41 to 202, weight 4'9 to 6"1 oz." (Hume.) 



Jerdon gives the weight as up to 7 oz. and Hodgson, amongst 

 some twenty birds weighed, obtained one of G'75 oz. 



