80 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



GALLINAGO MEDIA. 



THE GEEAT SNIPE. 



Scolopax media, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supi}l. i, p. 292 (1787). 



Scolopax major, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i, p. 661 (1789) ; Secbohm, Chara- 



clriidx, p. 482. 

 Gallinago major, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 626 ; id. Hand-L. iii, 



p. 201; Oates, Cat. Eggs, B. M. ii. p. 60; Oates, Game-B. ii, p. 467 ; 



C. Donovan, J. B. N. H. S. xii, p. 782 ; Finn, In. Waders, p. 152 ; 



Stuart Baker, J. B. N. H. S. xx, p. 573 (1911) ; id. Ibid. p. 1155. 



Description. Adult Male. — " General colour above black, mottled 

 with sandy buff, with which the feathers are fringed and barred in 

 an irregular and wavy manner, so as to leave large patches of 

 black ; the scapulars with whiter and broader edges, so as to form 

 a double line down the back ; lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts 

 sandy buff barred with dusky brown, the end of the tail-coverts 

 white; wing-coverts blackish brown, the marginal series with ashy 

 fringes, the remainder .with conspicuous white tips, before which is a 

 black subterminal bar, the inner greater coverts also barred with 

 sandy rufous ; bastard wing and primary coverts blackish, tipped 

 with white ; quills dark brown, the secondaries tipped with white, the 

 innermost being barred with sandy rufous and resembling the back ; 

 tail feathers bright rufous, with black bases and black bars on the 

 terminal half of the feathers, scarcely visible near the tips ; the white 

 tip to the feathers gradually incresing in extent until the four outer 

 ones on each side are entirely white except for a little black near the 

 base ; centre of crown whitish, bordered on each side by a broad band 

 of black, slightly freckled with rufous, and followed by a broad 

 superciliary streak, ashy whitish in front and fulvescent behind ; 

 a dusky streak from the base of the bill to the eye ; sides of face 

 whitish, with numerous tiny blackish spots, and a dark patch below 

 the ear-coverts ; the hindneck and sides of neck sandy buff, streaked 

 with black, chin, breast and abdomen white ; the lower throat, 

 foreneck and breast pale sandy buff, with central spots of black 

 on the feathers ; the sides of the breast and flanks regularly barred 



