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CHAPTER XVII. 



THE SNIPES OF CHINA. 



By F. W. Sttan, F.Z.S. 



QO much misapprehension seems to exist regarding the different species of snipes to be 

 •^ found in China that an incidental remark or two on the subject may not be out of place. 



Of true snipes we have five or possibly six species of which three — the common, 

 pin-tailed and Swinhoe's are very abundant; the other three — the solitary, the jack and 

 Latham's are scarce, the occurrence of the last being at present doubtful. In addition to 

 these the painted snipe, a very distinct and abnormal form, is found. 



There should be no difficulty in distinguishing any one of these different species, but 

 as a matter of fact the first three are frequently mistaken for one another. Perhaps the 

 simplest point by which to identify them is the tail which differs widely in each species ; 

 but there are other well marked easily noted points of difference ; these are appended in a 

 concise form and the short account of each which is here given will, I trust, be sufficient to 

 render their true identification easy. One word of warning may be fairly added. Snipes 

 in common with other birds are not turned out of machines like Waterbury watches, they 

 are not weighed and measured nor are their tail feathers counted before they are loosed on 

 the earth ; the result is a lamentable absence of regularity in some of these peculiarities. 

 The figures given are those of the average of typical birds in good condition, and if the 

 simple shooter kill a bird larger or smaller in measurement or more or less heavy or with 

 two tail feathers in excess of the average number he need not consider it a new species 

 nor point the finger of derision at the writer. 



l.-COMMON SNIPE; WINTER SNIPE: 



{Gallinago ca^lestis) FRENZEL; {Gallinago scolopacina) BONAPARTE; 

 {Scolopax Gallinago) LINNAEUS. 

 This is our winter bird, identically the common snipe of the British islands. It is 

 found throughout Europe and Asia. The birds which breed in the British inlands and 

 Northern Europe spend the winter in Europe generally and in Northern Africa; those whose 

 breeding grounds are in Central and Northern Asia pass southwards to India and Ceylon ; 

 whilst our birds, after breeding in Eastern Siberia, are in winter scattered throughout China 

 and Japan, the Philippines and Malay Peninsula. Thus although the common snipe is 

 plentiful enough in China in winter its numbers are largely increased diuring the spring and 



