SCOLOPAX RITSTICULA 3 



(THE WOODCOCK.) 



Scolopax rustieola, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 243 (1766); Gould, 13. of Eur. iv. pi. 319 (1837) ; 

 Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 271 (1849); Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. p. 135 (1852); 

 MiddendorfF, Sibir. Reise, p. 223 (1853) ; Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1854, xiv. 

 p. 266 ; Jerdon, B. of Ind. iii. p. 670 (18G4) ; More, Ibis, 1865, p. 437 ; Godman, Ibis, 

 1866, p. 101 ; Shelley, B. of Egypt, p. 247 (1872) ; Legge, J. A. S. (Ceylon Branch) 

 p. 64 (1873); Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. iv. pi. 77 (1873); Hancock, B. of Northumb. 

 p. 102(1874); Anderson, Str. Feath. 1875, p. 356; Blanford, Zool. Persia, p. 782 

 (1876) ; Fairbank, Str. Feath. 1877, p. 409 ; Butler, t. c. p. 504 ; Dresser, B. of Europe, 

 pt. 61, 62 (1877); Blakiston & Pryer, Ibis, 1878, p. 221; Hume, Str. Feath. 1878 

 (B. of Tenass.), p. 458 ; Ball, ibid. 1878, vii. p. 228; Hume, ibid. 1879 (List Ind. B), 

 p. 112. 



Scolopax rusticula, Linn.; Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 407; Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 472; 

 Schelgel, Mus. P.-B. Scolopaces, p. 2 (1864); Von Heuglin, Orn. N.Ost-Afr. p. 1208 

 (1873); David & Oustalet, Ois. de la Chine, p. 473 (1877); Seebohm, Ibis, 1879, 

 p. 26 ; Wharton, t. c. p. 454. 



Scolopax indicus, Hodgs. Journ. As. Soc. B. vi. p. 490 (1837). 



La fiecasse, Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. ; Waldschnepfe, German; Houtsnip, Woudsnep, Dutch; 

 Gallinhola, Portuguese ; GalUneta, Andalucia ; Chocha, Spanish ; Sou-mirh, Morocco 

 (Drake) ; Ilimar el hedjel, lit. " the Donkey of the Partridge," Moorish (Irby). 

 Szalonka, Transyl. (Danford) ; Hodo-shigi, Japanese (Blakiston) ; Yelji, Asia Minor 

 (Danford) ; Sim-titar, Tutatar, Hind. ; Sim-kukra, Kumaon (Jerdon). 



Adult male, very fat (AVales, November). Length 13-9 inches ; wing S - 0, expanse 24 - 5 ; tail 3 - 6 ; tarsus L46; middle 

 toe 1-46 ; bill at front 2-93. Weight 12| oz. 



Adult, presumed female (Bliootan). Length 14'25 inches ; wing 3 - ; tail 3 - 3 ; tarsus 1*41; middle toe 1*41 j hind 

 toe 0-43 ; bill at front 3-27. 



Female (shot from the nest, Himalayas). " Length 13 - 2 inches ; wing 7*5 ; tail from vent 3'3 ; tarsus l - 5 ; bill 3-3." 

 {Anderson.) 



Male in course of migration, " not fat, but in fair condition " (Karachi). " Length 13| inches ; wing 7f ; tail 3| ; bill 

 at front 3*0 ; expanse 24-0. Weight Soz. 9 dwts." (Butler.) 



Presumed nude, excessively fat (Wales). Wing 8-0 inches ; tail 3'5 ; tarsus 1 '45. Weight 144 oz. 



Adult female, December (Wales). Length 1 3-S inches ; wing 7 - 8 ; bill at front 3-0. Weight 11 j oz. The bill is larger 

 in the female than the male. 



Obs. The enormous variation in the weight of the Woodcock is entirely dependent on the condition of the individual, 

 as 1 have endeavoured to show by the above data. It becomes so fat that the entire body is encased in an 

 unbroken coat of grease, and it then of course reaches its maximum weight. Jerdon gives the average as 9 to 

 10 oz., and the extreme range 7 to 14 oz. or more. 



* Mr. Wharton (loc. eit.) clearly demonstrates that rusticida is the correct orthography, it being the Latin in classical 

 times for some kind of Partridge or Grouse. Rustieola is a meaningless word. 



