SCOLOPACINJ:. 347 



than they do. It is much addicted to remaining in one spot, 

 generally a corner, and if often disturbed or even shot at, returns 

 to the same spot. In some seasons considerable numbers are 

 met with ; at others they occur more rarely. 



GENUS, Rhynchcea, Cuvier. 



Bill shorter than in Gallinago, slightly curved downwards at 

 the tip ; wings rather short, broad, slightly rounded, beautifully 

 ocellated ; second quill longest, first and third sub-equal ; tail of 

 14 or 16 feathers, slightly rounded, short ; tarsus long ; tibia much 

 denuded. 



Rhynchcea bengalensis, Lin. 



873. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 677 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 15 ; Decca-n, Stray Feathers, Vol. 

 IX, p. 428 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 242 ; Game 

 Birds of India, Vol. Ill, p. 381 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central 

 India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 133. 



THE PAINTED SNIPE. 



CD . Length, 9'25 to lO'O ; expanse, 16'8 to 18'0 ; wing, 4'9 to 

 5-2 ; tail, 1-5 to T8 ; tarsus, T65 to 1*83 ; bill at front, 1'65 to 

 1-85 ; weight, 3'5 to 4'9 oz. 



$ . Length, 975 to 10'89 ; expanse, 18*0 to 19'25 ; wing, 5'25 

 to 5'6 ; tail, 1/6 to 2 ; tarsus, 175 to T96 ; bill at front, T8 to 

 2-05 ; weight, 4'4 to 6'42 oz. 



The bill is very variable, typically it is a pale fleshy-brown, 

 darker or purer brown towards the tip and with a greenish tinge 

 towards the base ; irides vary from hazel to deep brown ; legs 

 and feet usually greenish, but are also subject to variation. 



Upper plumage more or less olivaceous, the feathers finally 

 marked with zigzag dark lines, and the scapulars and inner 

 wing-coverts with broad bars of black, edged with white ; a 

 median pale buff line on the head, and another behind, and 

 round the eye ; scapulars with a pale buff stripe as in the snipe ; 

 wing-coverts mottled and barred with pale olive and buff; quills 

 olivaceous-grey, with dark narrow cross lines, blackish towards 

 base on the outer web, and with a series of five or more buff 

 ocelli on the outer web ; the inner web with white cross bands 

 alternating with the ocelli, and gradually changing to buff on the 

 tertials ; tail olivaceous-grey, with four or five rows of buff ocelli 

 on both webs and tipped with buff; chin whitish ; neck, throat, 

 and breast olivaceous-brown, with whitish spots or bars ; the lower 

 parts from the breast white, passing on the sides of the breast 

 towards the shoulder, and becoming continuous with the pale 

 scapulary stripe. 



The female is darker and plainer colored above ; the wing- 

 coverts and tertials dark olive with narrow black cross lines, the 

 outermost tertiaries white, forming a conspicuous white stripe ; 



