THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 595 



Another oviduct egg was also once obtained in Cachar from a 

 Pintail snipe. I think this was in August 1887 or 1888, but am 

 not sure of the date and the shell being still soft, the egg was 

 not preserved. 



Gallinago megala. 



Sivinhoe's Snipe. 

 Gallinago megala. — Swinhoe, Iho., 1861 ; Legge, B. of C, 

 p. 817; Oates, Game Birds, ii, p. 475; Sharpe, B. M. Cat., xxiv, 

 p. 624; id., Hand-list, Vol. i, p. 165. Dresser, Bulletin, B. O. XL, 

 No. clvi. Indian Field, 8th October, 5th, 12th and 16th 

 November 1903. 



Scolopax megala. — Seebohm, Geogr., Dist. Charadr., p. 479. 

 Description. — Adult male. — Swinhoe's snipe is in colouration 

 undistinguishable from the Pintail Snipe, but can always be identi- 

 fied by an examination of the tail. This in Swinhoe's snipe 

 contains only 20 tail feathers, whereas the Pintail Snipe normally 

 has 26 tail feathers and practically never less than 22. Even, 

 however, when the tail is imperfect discrimination is easy for 

 whereas the outer tail feathers of the Pintail are hardly broader 

 than a pin those of Swinhoe's snipe are never under 2". Again 

 the Pintail has 8 or 10 of the central feathers non-attenuated 

 whereas Swinhoe's has only the 6 central ones showing no 

 attenuation. 



" Bill light yellowish brown for the basal two-thirds, yellower 

 on the base of the upper mandible, blackish brown on the apical 

 third ; feet light yellowish grey, with blackish brown claws ; iris 

 dark umber-brown " (Swinhoe). 



" Total length 9-5 inches, culmen 2-3", wing 5-4", tail 2-15", 

 tursus 1-35" " (Sharpe). 



Two adults in the Calcutta Museum from Foochow have wings 

 of 5*42" and 5-45", respectively. 



Adult female. — Similar to the male, but rather larger, " legs and 

 feet pale bluish grey, nails black" (A. H.Everett). A bird sent 

 me from the Shan States has the legs rather bright yellowish grey. 

 The wing measures 5-64" and the skin is almost certainly that of a 

 female. 



