THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 267 



ordinary snipe and never in matted grass such as the Wood Snipe 

 inhabits. " 



"On March the 13th, 1890, when shooting with Mr. W. H. 

 Dobbie, I killed three Solitary Snipes all within a few yards of one 

 another." 



Hume found, in the stomachs of those he examined, small insects 

 and tinv grubs, in two or three were found masses of tiny black 

 coleoptera and in one some minute shells. In the one bird I have 

 examined there were numerous tiny shells and what looked like 

 the remains of some grey-coloured caterpillars. 



From the formation of the bill of birds of this sub-family one 

 would expect to find them all more or less addicted to boring in 

 the earth for their food. The bills of all Snipes are so constructed 

 that by elevating the end of the maxilla, or upper mandible, they 

 can be opened for about one-third of their length whilst the gape 

 itself is still kept closed. This enables the Snipe to thrust its bill 

 into the soft ground or slush in which it feeds and having found 

 its prey to grasp it without resorting to the great muscular effort 

 which should be necessitated by an attempt to force open the whole 

 bill from gape to tip. 



Knowing this fact, an examination of the bill of each species may 

 be found to be some guide to help us to ascertain the food on which 

 it principally subsists, for we shall find the nervous and muscular 

 structure of the bill most developed in those species which resort 

 most to boring in their search for food. 



In Gcdlinago solitaria Ave do not find the retractile muscles and 

 nerves very highly developed and there are not the strong terminal 

 pits which we see in the bill of the Common Snipe and, to a lesser 

 degree, in the Pintail and Woodcock. It is probable, therefore, 

 that the Solitary Snipe feeds principal^ upon such insects and 

 surface shells, etc., as it can obtain above ground, resorting to 

 boring for worms and similar food only when forced to do so by 

 the absence of any other. 



During the breeding season the Solitaiy Snipe bleats or drums 

 in much the same manner as does the Fantail. Hume observes : "In 

 May . . . the males are often to be seen and heard in the higher 

 portion of the hills soaring to a considerable height, repeatedly 



