38 SCOLOPACID^. 



the Caucasus. Colonel Sykes includes it in his Birds 

 of the Dukhun, and Mr. Blyth has obtained it in the vici- 

 nity of Calcutta. 



The beak is dark brown at the point, pale reddish brown 

 at the base ; irides dark brown ; from the beak to the eye 

 a dark brown streak ; over that, over the eye and over the 

 ear-coverts a broad pale brown streak, with a narrow 

 darker one along the middle line of the posterior part ; 

 forehead and top of the head rich dark brown, not divided 

 along the middle by a pale brown streak, as in the Great 

 Snipe and Common Snipe ; back of the neck greyish brown, 

 varied with dusky brown ; back rich dark brown ; inter- 

 scapulars and scapulars nearly black, tipped with reddish 

 brown, both sets having broad external lateral margins of 

 rich buffy yellow : wing-coverts dusky black, edged with 

 pale brown ; primary quill-feathers dusky black, secondaries 

 the same, but ending in a white point ; tertials brownish 

 black, spotted and streaked with rich reddish brown ; 

 upper tail-coverts brown, edged with buff; tail-feathers 

 twelve, greyish black ; cheeks, chin, and neck, greyish 

 brown, spotted with darker brown ; breast, belly, and vent 

 white ; legs and toes dark greenish brown ; claws black. 



The whole length eight inches to eight inches and a half. 

 The length of the beak one inch and a half; from the 

 carpal joint to the end of the first quill-feather, which is the 

 longest, four inches and three-eighths. 



Females are larger in size than the males, but not so 

 bright in their colours. In the plumage of winter the red- 

 dish brown parts are more inclined to ash grey. 



Young birds have not the brilliant green and purple re- 

 flections observable in old birds. 



