THE BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER. 387 



This bird varies a good deal in colour according to age ; but there is 

 little likelihood of the Painted Snipe being mistaken for any other bird, 

 and it therefore seems unnecessary to describe the variations, which are 

 unimportant. The above descriptions are taken from adults. 



The Painted Snipe is a somewhat rare species in Burmah. Mr. Blyth 

 gives it from Arrakan. I observed it in Pegu only in the marshy plains 

 near the Canal, where it was not uncommon at the end of the rains ; but 

 Captain Wardlaw Ramsay procured it at Rangoon and Yeytho. Mr. 

 Davison did not observe it in Tenasserim ; but Capt. Bingham got it at 

 Moulmein, and he states that it occurs in the Thoungyeen valley. 



It is found throughout the southern half of Asia, ranging down to 

 Ceylon and down the Malay peninsula and Siam to the Philippines, Borneo, 

 Java and Sumatra. It is now generally admitted that the Painted Snipe 

 of Asia is identical with the one occurring over a considerable portion of 

 Africa and Madagascar. In the Australian region it is replaced by an 

 allied species, R. australis. 



The Painted Snipe is probably a permanent resident in Burmah ; but I 

 have observed it too seldom to be sure of the fact. It frequents marshy 

 ground where there is thick grass and cover, and is usually seen in small 

 flocks of four or five individuals. I have never met with the nest ; but 

 Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay found indications of the bird breeding in 

 September. In India it makes a small nest of rushes on wet ground, and 

 lays four eggs, similar to those of the Snipes. 



Genus LIM1COLA, Koch. 



731. LIMICOLA PLATYRHYNCHA. 

 THE BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER. 



Tringa platyrincha, Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 398. Tringa platyrhyncha, Jerd. 

 B. Ind. ii. p. G92 ; Hume, S. F. i. p. 244 j Bl. B. Burm. p. 156 j Armstrong, 

 S. F. iv. p. 343. Limicola platyrhyncha, Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 322 ; Dresser, 

 Birds Eur. viii. p. 3, pi. ; Hume $ Dav.S. F. vi. p. 461 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 113 j 

 Leyye t Birds Ceylon, p. 896 j Oates, S. F. x. p. 240. 



Description. Winter plumage. Lores ashy brown, surmounted by a 

 broad white band continued as a supercilium to the end of the ear-coverts ; 

 forehead, crown, hind neck, back and scapulars ashy brown, each feather 

 with a darker shaft-streak and indistinctly edged paler; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts blackish brown, the feathers edged paler; some of the latera 1 

 upper tail-coverts whitish ; tail brown, the feathers narrowly margined with 



