52 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



The Wood Snipe obtained by my father in Purnea and Maldah 

 were shot by him in 1882 in company with Mr. J. Shillingford, 

 Mr. G. Hennessy, and others, during a couple of tiger shoots held in 

 April and May in the two districts. 



My father told me that one day late in April when coming back 

 from a successful tiger shoot in Maldah the Hne was engaged in 

 shooting anything that might get up before the elephants as they 

 wended their way home to camp. In this way a few hog deer and 

 various birds were added to the bag, and whilst going past a number 

 of tiny swamps covered with dense sun grass, one of the line put up 

 and dropped a bird he thought to be a Woodcock. On search being 

 made for this, several more were put up and a good many shot, my 

 father himself securing four. Further on the same evening, whilst 

 working through similar places, others were disturbed and two more 

 shot, and following days yet others were brought to bag. 



The same year and in the succeeding month. May, whilst shooting 

 in Purnea a similar experience was met with and more of these birds 

 killed. I cannot now remember what was the actual number brought 

 to bag, but from what my father told me they must have been fairly 

 numerous, especially in Maldah. 



He described the birds as being very slow and oiclish in their 

 flight. They rose with a low croaking cry, fluttered heavily over the 

 grass and ekra in a fitful and undecided manner and then flopped 

 into cover again before they had covered a hundred yards. 



The Wood Snipe, not only in appearance but in flight and habits, 

 is far more like the Woodcock than is the Solitary Snipe. It may 

 not perhaps haunt forest and brake as does the Woodcock, but on 

 the other hand it is never found in the short grass and open swamps 

 frequented by the Solitary Snipe. Its favourite haunts seem to be 

 those described above by Major Wilson or, when in the plains, huge 

 fields of dense sun grass, ekra or elephant grass, which have in their 

 midst small pools and swamps hidden away by the rank vegetation. 

 In Maldah and Purnea they were found in tiny pools only a few yards 

 across, which were covered with coarse weeds and grass so high 

 and dense that they would have been unworkable except from 

 elephants. 



In flight, as may be seen from the descriptions already given, 



