GALLINAGO. 287 



p. 395 ; Jiume, IS. *. 11, p. ^Uo ; Utttler, , ^. iv, p. 

 v, pp. 214, 232 ; Hume $ Dew. S. F. vi, p. 459 ; Ball, S. F. vii, 

 p. 228 ; Leffffe, Birds Ceyl. pp. 821, 1218 ; Biddidph, Ibis, 1881, 

 p. 95 ; Scully, ibid. p. 588 ; Snarpe, Yark. Miss., Aves, p. 144. 



Gallinago gallinaria, Cripps, S. F. vii, p. 302 ; Hume, ibid. p. 483 ; 

 id. Cat. no. 871 ; Bine/ham, S. F. viii, p. 196 ; Scully, ibid. p. 355 ; 

 Vidal, S. F. ix ; p. 84 j Reid, S. F. x, p. 68 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. 

 p. 345. 



Gallinago cceleatis, Dresser, B. Ettr. vii, p. 641 ; Hume 8f Marsh. 

 Game B. Hi, pp. 359, 437, pi. (also pi. opp. p. 438) ; Butler, S. F. ix, 

 p. 428 ; Davidson, S. F. x, p. 320 ; Hume, ibid. p. 413 : Taylor, 

 ibid. p. 405 ; Gates, B. B. ii, p. 381 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 321. 



Gallinago gallinago, Sharps, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 633. 



Chdha (N.W.P. &c.), Bharak, (Nepal) H.; Chegga, Khada-Kuchi, 

 Beng. ; Cheryga, Assam ; Chck lonbi, Manipur ; Myuy-woot, Burm. ; 

 Clidha-charai, Uriva ; Tibud, Pan-ldwa, Mahr. ; Mor-ulan, Tarn. ; Muhu- 

 puredi, Tel. ; Kceswatmca, Cingalese. 



Coloration. Crown black, with a broad median buff or whitish 

 longitudinal band, and a whitish superciliary stripe on each side ; 

 a dark brown band on lores from bill to eye ; sides of head whitish, 

 streaked with brown ; chin white ; neck all round and upper breast 

 buff with dark brown streaks, broadest above; upper back and 

 scapulars velvety black, the broad rufous-buff edges of the scapulars 

 forming two longitudinal bands on each side; tertiaries irregularly 

 barred black and rufous buff; secondary-coverts dark brown with 

 whitish spots ; all primary-coverts, most of the larger secondary- 

 coverts, primaries, and secondaries blackish brown; all, except the 

 outer primaries, white-tipped ; secondaries mottled with white on 

 inner webs ; lower back black, with white fringes and bars to the 

 feathers; rump and upper tail-coverts rufous buff, broken up by 

 black bars and shaft-lines ; tail-feathers black, with near the ends 

 rufous cross-bands more or less mottled with black, tips buff; 

 lower breast and abdomen white, barred with brow T n on the flanks ; 

 lower tail-coverts banded buff and blackish ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries white, more or less barred with brown, but never 

 evenly. The median secondary lower coverts are never barred, and 

 the white on the axillaries in Indian birds always exceeds the 

 brown in amount. It is probable, as Sharpe suggests, that the 

 amount of white on the axillnries increases with the age of the 

 bird, but certainly the dark bars are broader and more prevalent 

 in European than in Indian skins. 



Bill rufous brown, paler at the base ; irides deep brown; legs 

 olive-green. Tail-feathers 14 or 16 in number. 



Length 10*5: tail 2'25 ; wing 5 ; tarsus 1'25 ; bill from gape 

 2'6. Females average a little larger than males and have longer 

 bills (2-4 to 2-7 in males, 2'5 to 2-9 in females ). Average weight 

 of males 4'15 oz., of females 4-27. 



Distribution. The Common Snipe breeds throughout the greater 

 part of Europe, Central and Northern Asia, but chiefly between 



