THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 573 



length and very narrow ; this forms a circle at the extremity of the 

 larger end. 



They are of the usual pyriform shape, and do not differ in texture 

 from the eggs of Gallinarjo coelestis. 



They measure 1-56" x 1-11", 1-56" x 1-13", 1-58" x 1-15", 

 and 1-56" x 1-09". They were taken at Pokkodski, Kolyma on 

 the 22nd June 1905. 



Gallinago major. 

 The Great Snipe. 



Scolopax major. — Gmelin, Syst. Nat., i, p. 661 ; Seebohm, 

 Charadindon, p. 482. 



Gallinago major. — Sharp, Cat. B. M., xxiv, p. 626 ; id, Hand- 

 book, iii, p. 201 ; Oates, Cat. Eggs, B. M., ii, p. 60 ; Oates, Game- 

 Birds, ii, p. 467; C. Donovan, J. B. N. H. S. Journal, xii, p. 782. 

 Finn, Indian Waders, p. 152. 



Description. — Adult male. — " General colour above black, mottled 

 with sandy buff, with which the feathers are fringed and barred in 

 an irregular and wavy manner, so as to leave large patches of black ; 

 the scapulars with whiter and broader edges, so as to form a double 

 line down the back ; lower back, rump and upper tail coverts 

 sandy buff barred with dusky brown, the end of the tail coverts 

 white; wing coverts blackish brown, the marginal series with ashy 

 fringes, the remainder with conspicuous white tips, before which is 

 a black subterminal bar, the inner greater coverts also barred with 

 sandy rufous ; bastard wing and primary-coverts blackish, tipped 

 with white ; quills dark brown, the secondaries tipped with white, 

 the innermost being barred with sandy rufous and resembling the 

 back ; tail feathers bright rufous, with black bases and black bars 

 on the terminal half of the feather, scarcely visible near the tips ; 

 the white tip to the feathers gradually increasing in extent until 

 the four outer ones on each side are entirely white except for a 

 little black near the base ; centre of crown whitish, bordered on 

 each side by a broad band of black, slightly freckled with rufous, 

 and followed by a broad superciliary streak, ashy whitish in front 

 and fulvescent behind ; a dusky streak from the base of the bill to 

 the eye ; sides of face whitish, with numerous tiny blackish spots, 



