418 CHARADRIID^ ROSTRATULA 



The cause of this remarkable noise is obscure, but it is probably 

 made by the vibration of the webs of the outer tail-feathers as they 

 are rapidly drawn through the air. It is generally believed that only 

 the male " drums," but Ayres states that he shot a female bird in 

 mid-air while making a similar sound. 



Ayres found this bird breeding in the swamps near Potchef- 

 stroom in August, and on one particular occasion as late as April. 

 The nests are placed and formed in a tussock of grass, the centre of 

 which the bird treads well down, while the outer blades form a 

 shelter from the sun and cold^ winds. The eggs are an olive-buff 

 colour spotted and blotched, chiefly the obtuse end, with two or 

 three shades of dark brown ; they have a fair amount of gloss, and 

 measure about 1-75 x 1-25; the number in a clutch does not seem 

 to have been noticed. 



Genus II. ROSTRATULA. 



Type. 

 Rostratula, Vieill., Analyse, p. 56 (1816) E. capensis. 



Bill long and slender but not so long as in Gallinago, hardly 

 exceeding the tarsus in length ; not pitted at the end and with the 

 tip slightly decurved ; nostrils as in Gallinago, wings rather short 

 and rounded, the first and second primaries sub-equal and the 

 longest ; tails square, of ten feathers, outer feathers not narrowed ; 

 tarsus moderate, about equal to the middle toe and claw ; hind 

 toe present, anterior toes without webs. 



The Painted Snipes are not migratory, and have a curious 

 distribution, one being found in South America, one in Australia, 

 while the third is common to Africa and India. 



753. Rostratula capensis. Painted Snipe. 



Scolopax capensis, Linn., Syst. Nat. 12th ed. i, p. 247 (1766). 



Rhynchsea capensis, Grill, K. Vet. Akad. Handl. ii. no. 10, p. 53 (1858) 

 [Oudtshoorn] ; Gurney, Ibis, 1863, p. 330 [Natal] ; Layard, B. S. 

 Afr. p. 334 (1867) ; Shelley, B. Egypt, p. 250, pi. 11 (1872) ; Gurney, 

 in Andersson's B. Damaral. p. 313 (1872) ; Barratt, Ibis, 1876, p. 212 ; 

 Ayres, Ibis, 1877, p. 351 ; Wood Mason, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 745, pi. 47 

 [trachea] ; Shelley, Ibts, 1882, p. 366 [Shangani Eiver] ; Holub fr 

 Pelzeln, Orn. Siid-Afr. p. 294 (1882) ; Butler, Feildcn and Eeid, Zool. 

 1882, p. 425 ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 679, 855 (1884) ; 



