THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 5 



Scolopax rusticula. — Wharton, Ibis, 1879, p. 453 ; id, S.F. vm, 

 p. 500 ; Legge, B. of Ceylon, p. 806 ; Butler, S.F. ix, p. 428 ; 

 Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, p. 95 ; Scully, ibid, p. 588 ; Marshall, 

 Ibis, 1884, p. 424; Davison, S.F. x., p. 413; Oates, Birds 

 of B. B., ii, p. 380 ; St. John, Ibis, 1889, p. 176 ; Hume's, Nests arid 

 Eggs, 2nd Edit., in, p. 349 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. B. M., xxiv, p. 671 ; 

 Blanford, Fauna B. I., iv, p. 283 ; Dresser, Pal. Birds, p. 726 ; 

 Oates, Cat. B. Eggs of B. M., Vol. n, p. 66 ; Sharpe, Hand List 

 of B., Vol. i, p. 166 ; Oates, Game B., n, p. 428 ; Inglis, Bom. 

 N. H. S. Journal, Vol. xn, p. 500 ; Bourdillon, ibid, Vol. xvi, 

 p. 10 ; Fulton, ibid, p. 63 ; Rattray, ibid, p. 663 ; Ogilvie-Grant, 

 Bulletin, B. O. Club, clvi (1st Jan. 1910). 



Vernacular names. — Simtitar, Tutitar, Hin. ; Sim Kukra, Kumaun 

 and Nepal ; Chinjarole. Chamba ; Daodidap gadeba, Cachari ; 

 Simpoo-khlaw, Khasia ; Kangtruk, Manipur ; Wilati Chaka, Chitta- 

 gong ; Bumpal or Dhabhct, Chitral : Gherak, Drosh ; Chustruck, 

 Gilgit. 



Description. — Forehead and sinciput grey, generally with a dark 

 mark on the forehead. Occiput and nape with three broad trans- 

 verse bands of velvet black, divided by yellowish or rufous lines. 

 A deep rufous brown, almost black, line running from the base of 

 the bill to the corner of the eye ; a second similar line below eye 

 and posterior ear coverts; ear coverts and cheeks grey, with numerous 

 rufous-brown spots. Upper parts and wing coverts rufous grey with 

 numerous bars of brown and rufous ; the lesser wing coverts brown 

 and rufous only and the scapulars broadly black on the inner and 

 white, yellowish white or pale grey on the outer webs. The primary 

 coverts are rufous, with bars of grey, finely edged with dark brown. 

 The primaries and outer secondaries brown, the latter notched on 

 the outer webs with rufous, the notches being palest on the outer- 

 most feathers. The quills are also margined with pale rufous at the 

 tips. The inner secondaries are barred right across with alternate 

 bands, broad of brown and narrow of rufous. Rump and upper tail 

 coverts barred rufous and black or rufous and brown ; as a rule in 

 the longest coverts the terminal half is almost pure rufous. 



Tail feathers dark brown or black, notched or barred with rufous 

 and tipped grey above and broadly silver-grey below. 



Cnin white or nearly so, remainder of lower parts dull greyish 



