4 JOURNAL, BOMB AY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XX. 



Rosiratula is non-migratory and contains three species of which one, 

 the Common Painted Snipe, is found over most of India and Burmah 

 as well as China, Japan and Africa. 



Blanford's key to the genera is as follows : — 

 A. — Sexes similar in plumage, bill straight. 



(a) Tibia feathered throughout ; no longi- 



tudinal pale stripes ; occiput and nape 

 transversely striped Scolopax. 



(b) Tibia partty naked, longitudinal pale 



stripes on crown and scapular ... Gallinago. 



B. — Sexes different, bill curved downwards at 



tip Rostratula. 



The sportsman can always tell the Painted Snipes (Rostratida) at a 

 glance by its bright colouration, so different in every way from an 

 ordinary Snipe's plumage. 



The Woodcock he can tell, not only by its weight and size, but by 

 a fflance at the under surface of its tail feathers and if these have 

 silvery tips then the bird is a Woodcock. Again if the occiput and 

 nape are found to be barred, and not streaked, in the character of 

 their markings the bird is the same. 



SCOLOPAX RUSTICOLA. 



The Woodcock. 



Scolopaxrusticola. — Linn.,Sys. Nat., I, p. 243 (1766); Blyth,Cat., p. 

 271 ; Jerdon, B. I., in., p. 670 ; Stoliczka, J. A. S. B., xxxvn, 

 Pt. 2, p. 70 ; Beavan, Ibis, 1868, p. 391 ; Brooks, J.A.S.B., xliii, 

 Pt. 2, p. 253 ; Hume, S.F., n, p. 482 ; Anderson, ibid, in, p. 356 ; 

 G. Austin, J.A.S.B., xlv, Pt. 2, p. 200 ; Fairbank, S.F., v., p. 409 ; 

 Butler, ibid, p. 504 ; Hume and Davison, ibid, vi, p. 458 ; Ball, ibid, 

 vn, p. 228 : Laird, ibid, p. 470 ; Hume, ibid, p. 4s3 ; id. Cat. 

 No. 867 ; Bingham, S.F., vm, p, 196 ; Scully, ibid, p. 253 ; Hume, 

 and Marshall, Game B., in, p. 309 ; Williamson, S.F., x., p. 517 ; 

 Barnes, B. of Bom., p. 343 ; Seebohm Charadriidse, p. 502 ; Hume, 

 S.F., xi, p. 318 : Newnham, Bom. N. H. S. Journal, Vol. iv, p. 52; 

 Osmaston, ibid, Vol. xi., p. 473 ; Davidson, ibid, Vol. xn, p. 66 ; 

 Stuart Baker, ibid, p. 500 ; Evans, Ibis, 1891, p. 80 ; Meade-Waldo, 

 ibid, 1893, p. 204; Schufeldt, ibid, p. 653; Davidson, ibid, 1898, 

 p. 39 ; Finn., Indian Waders, p. 138. 



