CHAPTER XXIII. 



BRIEF NOTES ON SOME OF THE GAME BIRDS 

 AND WILD-FOWL OF INDIA 



ALTHOUGH the snipe is, par excellence, the 

 L\. game bird of India, since he affords inex- 

 pensive sport to all sorts and conditions of men, 

 in suitable localities, all over the vast continent, 

 from Cashmere in the north, to Cape Comorin in 

 the extreme south, a multitude of other species 

 of game birds and of wild-fowl also inhabit the 

 country. Some of them merit a short description, 

 and a few notes upon their range, habits, and 

 capabilities from a sportsman's point of view; since 

 they offer more or less opportunity for the exercise 

 of their favourite sport to many lovers of small 

 game shooting in different parts of India. 



It is impossible, within the limits of a single 

 chapter, to deal otherwise than very generally and 

 briefly with even the more important of these ; but 

 in the hope that the novice may find them of 

 service, I will attempt to supply him with some 

 short notes upon the principal game birds and 

 wild-fowl of India. For weights and distribution 

 of these, and for other information also, I am 

 much indebted to Hume and Marshall's Game- 

 Birds of India. 



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