314 mTr. r. swinhoe on the birds of china. [June 23, 



This is the Great Snipe of China. I found it on the marshes near 

 Peking in September. At the close of the same month it passes 

 down the coast, being found at Shanghai, Amoy, and Canton for a 

 few days only, and appareutly bound further southwards. At the 

 end of April and beginning of May it occurs in South China again 

 for a few days, and is then bound north. During the season of its 

 migrations, I procured it also in S.W. Formosa. It does not appear 

 to have been noted in Amoorland ; but Pallas' s Great Snipe from 

 Siberia will probably be the same as our bird. Pallas failed to 

 distinguish the Eastern from the Western Great Snipe. His name 

 therefore might with equal propriety be applied to either. 



289. Gallinago stenura, Temm. 

 G. horsfieldii, Gray. 



Abundant from Canton to Pekin. It moves about in flocks in 

 winter, but seems to breed in many places throughout China, north 

 and south. Chinese specimens are identical with those from Hin- 

 dostan and Java. 



290. Gallinago scolopacina, Bp. 

 Scolopaj: gallinago, L. 



S. biclava, Hodgs. 



This Snipe appears to be of very general distribution throughout 

 Asia. It is the only one of this genus noted by von Schrenck from 

 Amoorland. In North China it probably breeds ; but, as far as my 

 observations go, in South China and Formosa it is only a winter 

 bird. 



291. Gallinago btjrka (Lath.). 



G. brehmi, Kaup. 

 G. iiniclava, Hodgs. 



The same peculiarity of fourteen tail-feathers, with the long outer- 

 most one, occurs in the majority of my Snipes from Canton and 

 Pekin. This is the common Snipe of China, visiting the south in 

 large wisps during winter. Indian skins are identical with those 

 from China. It appears to be the Eastern representative of the fore- 

 going, which occurs more sparsely. 



292. Gallinago gallinula, L. 



Said by sportsmen to be abundant at Canton. I have never met 

 with it, and therefore know nothing of its movements. It may 

 retire northwards by an inland route ; but von Schrenck does not note 

 it from the Amoor, and it is not recorded as a Japanese bird. 



293. Rhynchea bengalensis, L. 



Scolopax capensis, Gm. 

 R. orientalis, Horsf. 

 R. sinensis, Lath. 



The Cape, the Indian, and the Chinese bird all appear to be the 



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