§6 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



brown, almost black; the legs and feet are ordinarily greenish, often 

 pale olive-green or greenish-olive ; and as the season advances they 

 acquire a stronger yellow tinge, the legs of birds killed in April and 

 May being often a distinct yellow-green ; there is often a dusky shade 

 over the joints, and the claws are deep brown to black." (Hume.) 



Measurements.— " Length 9'0 to 10'3 inches, expanse 15'0 to 17'5, 

 wing 4-9 to 5-6, tail from vent 2-5 to 2-9, tar.sus 1-20 to 1-34, bill 

 from gape 2-39 to 2'67, at front 2-43 to 2-75, weight 3-3 oz. to 

 5"1 oz., average 4'15 oz." (Hume.) 



Adult Female. 



Measurements " Total length 10'5 inches, culmen 2'8, wing 5'3, 



tail 2-45, tarsus IS." (Sharpe.) 



The female does not differ from the male in colouration, but is a 

 rather larger bird. 



" In this species also the females do average slightly larger and 

 have longer bills than the males. 



"Length 92 to 12-5 inches, expanse 100 to 18-25, wing 49 to 

 5-71, tail from vent 23 to 3'0, tarsus 1-25 to 1-33, bill from gape 

 2-5 to 2-9, at front 2-62 to 3'0, weight 3'1 to 5'5 oz., average 

 4-27 oz." (Hume.) 



Mr. Stoney (in loc. cit.) gives the average weight of 135 Fantails 

 of both sexes as 3'513 ozs., which is a great deal less than Hume's, but 

 his weights appear to have been taken in the early part of the year, 

 when young and light birds would naturally have been rather in 

 excess. Later, in 1917, he has given further notes on the same 

 subject, and from these it would appear that the average weight of 

 308 birds weighed by him in 1914-15-16 was only 3'34, a trifle 

 lighter still. The weight of two exceptional birds he gives as being 

 5 and 5^ ounces respectively. 



Captain A. Boxall records shooting a snipe weighing 7 ounces at 

 Bangalore. 



" Young. — Differs from the adult in being more rufous, especially 

 on the throat and neck. The black markings of the back are more 

 broken up and mottled with rufous bars, and the pale outer bands 

 along the scapulars are not so wide." (Sharpe.) 



Nestling'. — Pale fawn tinged with rufous above and fading almost 

 to white on the under parts. Upper parts mottled with deep brown, 



