526 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



in the Snipe grounds across the Bombay Harbour you will get 

 more of the Pintail Snipe than of the other. 



In Guzerat, the Pintail is not nearly so common, but this 

 Christmas I found in a bag of nineteen couple of Snipe there 

 were five couple of Pintails, an unusually large proportion I 

 think in Guzerat. 



On the 1st December last, at Gorebunder, about 20 miles from 

 here, I caught two young painted Snipe, about half grown ; 

 they were unable to fly. Is this not rather late to see birds so 

 young ? 



The Bittern, I believe, is not an uncommon bird, but it is sel- 

 dom seen here. In eight years I have only seen three ; one I shot 

 on the 22nd October 1877 on the flats, half a mile from this club 

 close to the railway, and within 200 yards of the foras road 

 which crosses the flat from Bombay to Worlee ; the second I 

 saw, but did not get a shot at, on 12th January 1878 on the 

 Bhewundy tank ; and the third I shot on the 24th February 

 1878 at Panwell. 



J. D. Inverarity. 



Bombay ; 

 January 13^, 1879. 



Sir, — A fact connected with the breeding of Painted Snipe may 

 interest you. I was informed yesterday that there were some 

 Snipe seen in the bed of an almost dry river running past my 

 bungalow, and went down with my gun to get them. My in- 

 formant pointed to a spot almost as bare as the palm of my 

 hand, and incredulously I walked up to it, when up got a 

 Painted Snipe at my feet which I shot, and at the report of the 

 gun another rose close by, which I also knocked over. A lad, 

 who was with me, then pointed out to me what was evidently the 

 nest of the bird, (a lump of mud and slime trodden down in 

 the centre into a hollow) containing one egg, and on my return 

 another egg, precisely similar, was taken out of the female bird. 

 As neither I nor my brother officers, some of whom have had 

 long experieuce in the Deccan, were aware that this was a 

 breeding place for Painted Snipe, I think perhaps you may be 

 interested to learn the fact. 



C. Gubbins, 

 Aurungabad, Hyderabad Contingent, 



12th February 1879. 



Sir, —I hope that the five birds added to the Avifauna of Sind 

 and of India on the authority of Mr. Murray's unlabelled skins S. 

 F., VII, p. 114, will not be included in the list of the Birds India 



