92 



GAME-BIBDS OF INDIA 



from the west, comes also in some numbers over and through the 

 eastern ranges. But the Fantail arrives later than the Pintail, so 

 that to the east the Pintail predominates enormously during the 

 early and late periods of its stay in India, that is to say, just after and 

 just prior to its migration. 



In this way a sportsman who shoots in Cachar in September may 

 find nothing but Pintail in his bag, whereas one shooting in the same 

 district in December may find but few Pintails and nearly all Fantails. 



Nidification. — Very little is known about the nidification of the 

 Pintail Snipe, though very recently Dresser has obtained its eggs 

 through Kussian collectors. 



Seebohm visited its breeding grounds when it commenced to 

 arrive in the first week of June, but he appears to have left before 

 it began to nest. 



Prjevalsky gives a good account of its breeding on the Ussuri 

 under the name of G. hetcrocerca. He says: — 



"In the latter half of April the birds choose their nesting localities 

 in the thinly overgrown marshes, and their peculiar courting com- 

 mences. Rising into the air similar to our G. scolopacina , and 

 describing large circles above the spot where the female is sitting, it 

 suddenly dashes downwards with great noise (which is most likely 

 produced by the tail feathers, like that made by our species, and some- 

 what resembles the noise of a broken rocket). As the bird approaches 

 the ground, the noise increases until it has got within a liundred yards, 

 when it suddenly stops the sound and quietly flies on, uttering a note 

 sounding something like Tiric, Uric, tiric. Courtship lasts until the 

 middle of June, and is mostly heard or seen in the mornings and 

 evenings, but occasionally in tlie daytime and even at night in the 

 clear weather." 



Gyldenstolpe says that " it probably breeds in Siam," but this is 

 hardly likely, although an odd bird or so may remain to breed in the 

 higher ranges of the hills to the north. 



I was fortunate enough to take an undoubtedly authentic nest of 

 this snipe on the 21st June, 1890, at Guilang in the North Cachar 

 Hills. Some Nagas brought me a pair of snipe, which they had 

 trapped in a wide ditch surrounding a deserted stockade, and on a 

 search being made in the banks of this ditch, a nest with four eggs 

 was discovered. The two birds appeared to be quite sound in every 

 way, but it is almost certain that one or both of them must have 



