THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 915- 



Genus Rostratula. 



The genus Rostratula is perhaps more nearly allied to certain 

 of the Sandpipers than to the true snipe, and is certainly nearer 

 the former in anatomy. The bill is long, as in the Snipes, 

 but is curved gently downwards, and is swollen at the tip, and the 

 upper mandible does not overlap the lower as in Gallinago. The 

 retractile muscles are also absent, so that in the dry bill no pits 

 show, though both mandibl-es are grooved. The eyes, though 

 very large and snipe-like, are placed well forward ; the legs are 

 rather long and very sturdy, the toes long and the tibia naked for 

 some distance above the joint. 



The general plumage is more lax than in the snipes and the' 

 wings are broad, but rather short. The tail contains 14 feathers. 

 The sexes are quite different in plumage, whilst the windpipe of the 

 female Painter is longer than that of the male and curves into one 

 full loop. 



The genus contains three species, our Indian bird, which also 

 extends to Africa and two others which inhabit Australia and 

 South America respectively. 



The sportsman can confound the Painted Snipe with no other 

 bird ; for, as soon as it is in his hand, he sees that it is a snipe or 

 snippet of some kind with wonderfully painted plumage ; and there 

 is no other species of the Charadriidti'. which can compare with it 

 in colouration, though some of the Sandpipers in their rufous 

 breeding plumage are very handsome. 



Rostratula capensis. 



The Painted 8nipe. 



Scolopax capensis. — Linn., Syst. Nat., i., p. 246 (1766). 



Rostratula capensis. — Vieill, N. Hist. Nat., vii, p. 1 ; Sharpe,. 

 Oat. B. M., xxiv, p. 683 ; id., Hand. L., L, p. 167; Oates, Game 

 Birds, ii, p. 489 ; Finn., Ind. Waders, p. 155 ; Blanford,' Avi. 

 B. I., iii, p. 293 ; Stuart Baker, Jour. B. N. H. S., xii., p. 501 ; 

 Bourdillon, ibid, xvi, p. 10 ; Macdonald, ibid, xvii, p. 500 ; Oates, 

 Cat. Egg. B. M., ii, p. 68. 



Rhynchuea capensis. — Butler, Str. P., ix, p. 428 ; Legge, B. of 

 Ceylon, p. 800 ; Reid, Str. F., ix, p. 69 ; Hawkins, ibid, p. 172 ;. 



