286 CHABADRIID.E. 



bands, broad edges of scapulars, and bars and spots on wing- 

 coverts dull tawny buff ; a dark loral band to the eye and a 

 second band on the cheek below the eye ; sides of head, and the 

 neck all round dull brownish buff, with broad blackish shaft- 

 stripes ; primary-coverts, primaries, and secondaries dark brown ; 

 lower back and rump irregularly barred, whitish in front, then 

 brownish buff, the bars becoming rufous on the tipper tail-coverts ; 

 tail black, with a broad subterminal rufous bar and buff tips to the 

 broader median feathers ; outer rectrices brown with whitish tips ; 

 breast and abdomen white with dark brown cross-bars, less distinct 

 in the middle ; lower wing-covertf and axillaries banded dark 

 brown and white, the dark bars on the axillaries oblique, broader 

 than the white. 



Length 12; tail 2*2 ; wing 5*5; tarsus 1*4; bill from gape 2-5. 



Bill reddish brown, paler at the base beneath ; irides dusky 

 brown ; legs plumbeous green (Jerdon). Tail-feathers 18 normally, 

 4 on each side very narrow, the next two intermediate, the six in 

 the middle broad; quills broad and soft, the longest primary 

 exceeding the shortest secondary by less than 2 inches. 



Distribution. In the Himalayas as far as Dalhousie to the west- 

 ward and Sikhim to the east, probnbly farther in the latter 

 direction ; also in the hills south of Assam and in Manipur, 

 occasionally in Burma, even as far south as Tenasserim, and, as a 

 winter visitor only, in the hills of Southern India Coorg, Wynaad, 

 Nilgiris, Anaimalais, Shevroys, and probably others. In one case 

 this species is said to have been recognized in Ceylon. A very- 

 few specimens have been obtained whilst migrating, one at Calcutta 

 by Blyth, two at Eussellkonda by McMaster, one in Sirguja by 

 Ball, and probable occurrences have been recorded at Nasik and 

 Dharwar. 



Habits, tyc. In the Himalayas the Wood-Snipe is found through- 

 out the year, breeding at 7000 to 12,000 feet, and descending to 

 the lower hills and the Tarai in winter. It is a shy, solitary bird, 

 seldom seen, lying very close, usually in small isolated swampy 

 spots on the outskirts of forests, and flying slowly and heavily, 

 like a woodcock, when flushed. Grubs and insects have been 

 found in its stomach. The eggs have been taken by Mr. Mandelli's 

 men in Sikhim at about 11,000 feet ; they resemble those of 

 other Snipes in colour, and measure about 1*7 by 1*25. 



1484. Gallinago coelestis. The Common Snipe, Full or 

 Fantail Snipe. 



Scolopax gallinaoro, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 244 (1766); Anderson, 

 Yunnan Expf-d., Aves, p. 681 ; Keebohm, Charadr. p. 484. 



? Scolopax pallinaria, O. F. Miiller, Zool. Dan. Prodr. p. 23 (3776). 



Scolopax coelestis, Frenzel, Beschr. Voy. u. JEier Geg. Wittenb. p. 58 

 (1801). 



Gatlinago media, Leach, Syst. Cat. Mam. $c. B. M. p. 30 (1816). 



Gallinago scolopaciims, Bonap. Comp. List B. Eur. fy N. Amer. 

 p. 52 (1838) ; Blyth, Cat. p. 272 ; Irly, Ibis, 1861, p. 241 ; Jerdw, 



