CHARADRIID^; ROSTRATULA 419 



Scebohm, Geogr. Distr. Charadt: p. 456 (1888) ; Nicolls and Eyltng- 

 ton, Sportstn. S. Afr. p. 130 (1892) ; Fleck, Journ. Ornith. 1894, p. 383 ; 

 Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 193 (1896); Bendall, Ibis, 1896, p. 176; Alex- 

 ander, Ibis, 1900, p. 455. 



Rostratula capensis, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 683 (1896) ; Woodward 

 Bros., Natal B. p. 189 (1899) ; Marshall, Ibis, 1900, p. 265 ; Oates, 

 Cat. B. Eggs ii, p. 08 (1902). 



Rostratula bengalensis, Beichenow, Vog. Afr. i, p. 237 (1900). 



" Golden Snipe " of some authors. 



Description. Adult Male. Grown and mantle dark ashy-grey, 

 slightly vermiculated with darker ; a median line of buff along the 

 crown bordered by a shade of blackish ; wing-coverts bronzy-yellow, 

 with incomplete black- edged spots of paler yellow ; the scapulars 

 and inner secondaries ashy, mottled with transverse spots of bronzy- 

 green, bordered by white and a longitudinal line of buffy -yellow ; 

 wing quills pale ashy-grey, with conspicuous spots of buff and a 

 certain amount of black along the outer webs of the primaries ; 

 inner primaries and secondaries barred and spotted with black and 

 white ; rump, upper tail-coverts and tail ashy, finely barred with 

 black and spotted with buff ; round the eye and extending back over 

 the ear-coverts a circle of white, below which is a darker band ; 

 chin whitish, becoming ashy-brown on the sides of the face and 

 neck and ending in an ill-defined cross band of black across the 

 upper breast ; rest of the lower surfaca white, except for a mottled 

 black patch on either side of the lower breast. 



Iris dark brown ; bill purplish-brown ; legs and feet dull slaty- 

 blue. 



Length about 9-75 ; wing 4-8 ; tail 1-4 ; culmen 1-65 ; tarsus 

 1-55. 



The female differs from the male, and is, on the whole, more 

 richly coloured ; the back and scapulars are of a rich bronzy-brown 

 with a metallic green gloss and a few transverse bars greenish- 

 black ; parapteral plumes, usually concealed by the scapulars pure 

 white ; a longitudinal streak of buff along the inside of the scapulars ; 

 wing-coverts bronzy metallic green, tranversely barred with blue- 

 green ; wing-quills and tail as in the male ; lores, neck all round, 

 and fore neck rich chestnut, paling on the chin and throat, bordered 

 below by a broad collar of black across the upper breast ; in other 

 respects resembling the male. 



Iris brown ; bill brown at the base, reddish-brown towards the 

 tip ; legs olive-green. 



Length (in flesh) 9-5 ; wing 5*5 ; culmen 1-9 ; tarsus 1-7. 



