82 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



The first record of its occurrence in India is that in the B.N.H. 

 Society's Journal, vol. xii, p. 782, by Capt. Donovan. 



This gentleman recorded that on the 5th September, 1899, he 

 shot a bird near Madras weighing over 8 ozs., and with a wing 

 of about 6 inches in length, which he sent to the Madras Museum 

 for identification. The Museum authorities pronounced the bird 

 to be GalUnaga iicmoricola, and then, as it was far advanced in 

 putrefaction, threw it awa>'. 



Fortunately, before sending the bird away, Capt. Donovan 

 carefully examined it and made copious notes. The main features 

 noticed by him in his examination of the bird v/ere : — 



(1) Its outer tail feathers were soft, 



(2) Not attenuated, 



(3) Were white with only two or three bars near their bases 

 on the outer webs, and 



(4) In addition to this the snipe had conspicuous white tips to 

 the wing-coverts. 



These points are ample for the purposes of identification, and 

 there cannot lie the least doubt but that the bird shot by Capt. 

 Donovan was a specimen of the Double or Great Snipe {GalUnago 

 media). 



A second specimen was obtained by Capt. Boxwell at Bangalore 

 on the 28th October, 1910. This bird weighed only 7 ozs., and was 

 shot from a patch of mud beside a stream. 



A third bird was killed by Mr. G. L. Peters near Arkonam 

 (Madras) on the 30th March, 1913. 



So far these three are the only records of the Great Snipe's 

 occurrence in India; but there is no reason why it should not be 

 found more frequently, and it is curious that it should be first 

 recorded from the extreme S.E. It has been obtained at Fao 

 in Southern Persia by Camming, and in its western range it 

 migrates very much further south than the latitude of this place ; 

 indeed it has been obtained as far south in Africa as Cape Colony 

 itself. Here in India we should expect to meet with it occasionally 

 in any part of Baluchistan, Sind or Northern Bombay, and less often 

 in other parts of Western and Southern India. 



Nidification. — Its breeding season varies according to the latitude. 



