SCOLOPACIN.E. 343 



backwards and outwards from the eye ; the general plumage fine 

 purplish-grey ; quills black ; the greatly elongated tertiaries and 

 scapulars dusky- slaty, drooping. 



Young birds have no black and want the white ear-tuft. 



The Demoiselle Crane is a common cold weather visitant to all 

 suitable portions of the region. It is perhaps more sought after 

 by shikaries than even the preceding. 



TRIBE, Longirostris. 



Bill more or less lengthened, slender, and feeble ; wings usually 

 long and pointed ; tail short ; tarsus moderately long ; toes moder- s 

 ate, the exterior one generally joined to the middle-toe by a short JL+ 

 web, and the hallux short and raised, absent in a very few. 



FAMILY, Scolopacidse. 



Bill typically long, slender, in many somewhat soft towards the 

 tip, in others hard throughout ; wings lengthened, as are the 

 tertials ; tail ?hort ; tarsus moderately long ; toes slightly united 

 by a very short web ; plumage brown, of various shades, above 

 white, more or less tinged brown or ashy beneath. 



SUB-FAMILY, Scolopacinse. 



Bill long, straight, rather soft, swollen at the tip, which is 

 gently bent over the lower mandible ; tarsus rather short ; tail 

 varying in the number of feathers. 



GENUS, Scolopax, Lin. 



Bill long, thin, more or less rounded, of soft texture, swollen at 

 the tip, and obtuse ; upper mandible channelled for the greater 

 part of its length, slightly bent downwards at the tips ; lower 

 mandible channelled only in the middle ; nostrils basal, longitudinal; 

 wings moderately long, very pointed ; first quill longest ; tail short, 

 of twelve soft uniform feathers; tibia plumed to the joint ; toes 

 free to the base ; tarsus short, stout ; hind-toe short. 



Scolopax rusticola, Lin. 



867. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 670 ; Butler, Deccan ; 



Stray Feathers, Yol. IX, p. 428 ; Murray's Yertebrate Zoology 



of Sind, p. 238 ; Game Birds of India, Yol. Ill, p. 309. 

 THE WOODCOCK. 



Length, 13'0 to 15*0 ; expanse, 23'0 to 25'5 ; wing, 7'2 to 8'0 ; 

 tail, 3-0 to 3-85 ; tarsus, T35 to T57 ; bill from gape, 2'8 to 3'3 ; 

 weight, 7 to 12^ oz. 



Bill fleshy-grey, dusky at tip ; irides dark-brown ; legs fleshy- 

 plumbeous. 



Forehead and crown ashy-grey, tinged rufous ; a dusky streak 

 from gape to eyes ; occiput, with four broad transverse bars of 

 blackish-brown ; the rest of the upper part variegated with ches- 



