GAELIN-AGX). 291 



Marshall, -Ibis, 188J, p. 424 ; Hume, $. F. xi, p. 319; Sharpe, York. 



Miss., Aces, p. 144 ; id. Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 654. 

 Scolopax hyemalis, Eoersmann, Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscou, 1845, 



pt. i, p. 255, pi. vi. 

 Scolopax solitaria, Seebohm, Charadr. p. 475. 



Coloration. The colours of the upper parts much broken up and 

 mixed, and with white not buff streaks ; crown black spotted with 

 rufous, median band narrow, white ; supercilia and sides of head 

 white, speckled with black ; loral band and cheek-band below the 

 eye mixed black and rufous ; back and scapulars black, spotted with 

 rufous, scapulars with white or whitish borders ; wing-coverts 

 much barred with rufous and tipped white ; primary-coverts, 

 larger secondary-coverts, primaries and secondaries dark brown, 

 with narrow white tips ; lower back with white bars, becoming 

 buff spots on the rump; upper tail-coverts nearly uniform olive- 

 brown with white tips ; median tail-feathers black, with a broad 

 rufous subtermhial band, then a black bar and whitish tip ; outer 

 tail-feathers black at the base, white towards the end, with 

 irregular dark cross-bars ; chin and throat white, often speckled 

 dusky ; breast brown, more or less speckled and spotted with 

 white ; abdomen generally white in the middle, barred dark brown 

 on the flanks, sometimes barred throughout ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries banded dark brown and white, the white bands 

 slightly the broader. 



Bill plumbeous, black at tip, base of lower mandible yellowish 

 b'rO\vn ; irides dark brown ; feet dull olive or pale yellowish green, 

 soles yellowish (Scully). 



The tail-feathers vary in number from 1 6 to 24, 8 broader in 

 the middle and normally 5 (but the number varies from 4 to 8) 

 narrower lateral rectrices on each side. 



Length 12-25 ; tail 2'75 ; wing 6-5 ; tarsus 1*3 ; bill from gape 

 2-75. , : 



Distribution. Throughout the Himalayas from Afghanistan to 

 Assam, also in JNorth-eastern and Eastern Central Asia as far as 

 Japan and Eastern Siberia. In the winter individuals have been 

 shot at Kelat in Baluchistan, at several places along the base of 

 the Himalayas, on the Garo and Khasi hills, and near Dibrugarh 

 in Assam, and one straggler was once obtained at Benares, but this 

 Snipe has not been seen farther south. 



Habits, tyc. This large Solitary Snipe is a widely different bird, 

 both in structure and habits, from G. nemoricola ; it is found as 

 often in marshes in open country as ; near forest. It is even met 

 with not infrequently in the treeless Upper Indus valley and Tibet. 

 It feeds chiefly on insects and grubs, and has very much the flight 

 and habits of G. stenurai. It is undoubtedly found in the Hima- 

 layas at from 9000 to 15,000 feet or higher in the breeding season, 

 but the nest and eggs have not been described. 



u2 



