GALLINAGO SCOLOPACINA. 823 



Gallinago major is intermediate between the Pin-tail and the Common Snipe. It has sixteen tail-feathers, the four 

 outermost on each side being white and rather stiff, though but little narrower than the rest. Its bill is stout 

 and high at the base, like that of the Pin-tail. It may be recognized at once by the broad white tips of the 

 primary-coverts and outer series of lesser, median, and greater wing-coverts ; the edge of the outer web of the 1st 

 quill is white ; the cheeks are more spotted than in the foregoing two species, and the sides of the breast more 

 barred ; the barring of the under wing and the axillary plume is intermediate, the dark bands being broad, but 

 not so close as in stenura ; the coloration of the centre tail-feathers is almost that of the last-named species. 

 Dimensions of a Yenesay-valley example before me are — wing 5-7 inches, tail 2-4, tarsus 1*45, middle toe 1-35, 

 bill at front 1-4. A Petchora-river specimen likewise measures 5-7 inches in the wing. 



Gallinago ivilsoni, Temm., the American representative of the Common Snipe, appears to me almost undistinguishable 

 from it. The lateral tail-feathers are slightly narrower and without so much rufous ; the 1st quill is white on 

 the outer web, as in the present, and the axillaries are the same. An example measures — wing 5-4 inches, bill 

 at front 2-55. 



Gallinago australis, Latham, is the Australian representative of the present, but chiefly resembles G. major. Number 

 of tail-feathers sixteen, the four outer ones marked irregularly with white ; under wing-coverts and axillary 

 plume barred with blackish brown, like the Pin-tailed Snipe. A December example in my collection has the black 

 of the scapulars and upper back very strongly glossed with green, the feathers with broad margins of black and 

 rufous, and some central stripes of buff marked with black. The broad stripe over the vertex is buff. Bill 

 greenish black near the tip, and brownish along the culmen and margins, the intermediate stripe and the base 

 being greenish yellow ; legs and feet greenish yellow. Length 12-7 inches, wing 6-7, tarsus 1-6, bill at front 3-0. 



Found as far north as China and Japan. 



Gallinago macrodactyla, Bonap., is the South-African representative of the Common Snipe. It has sixteen rectrices. 

 The bill averages longer than in G. scolopacina ; toes likewise longer. A specimen before me measures — wing 5 - 2 

 inches, tarsus 1"43, middle toe without claw 1*43, bill to gape 3-0. Axillaries openly barred; the bands black- 

 brown ; dark portions of head, back, and scapulars intensely black ; three lateral tail-feathers narrow and stiff, 

 almost entirely white, the dark markings being scanty. 



Banges as far north as Abyssinia. 



There are other Snipes, five of which (G. gigantea, Natt., G. paludosa, Cm., G. nobilis, Scl., G. frenata, Bonap., and 

 G. paraguaice, Bonap.) are found in South America. 



Distribution. — The Common Snipe was said by Dr. Kelaart to have been seen by him at Nuwara Eliya, 

 and his statement is coupled with the remark that it is found in some of the highland districts. Layard did 

 not meet with it, nor did Mr. Holdsworth detect it while he was in the island, although he spent much time at 

 the Sanatarium. Kelaart's evidence cannot therefore be considered satisfactory, more particularly as he was 

 not an accurate observer of bh'ds. In 1873 I was enabled to publish, in the ' Proceedings ' of the local branch 

 of the Asiatic Society, an account of its first authenticated occurrence on the island. Two specimens were 

 shot by Major Meaden, of the Ceylon Rifles, at Tamblegam, in January of that year, while I was stationed at 

 Trincomalie ; and one of these, which was obtained on the 6th of that month, is the example alluded to above. 

 Both this gentleman and other sportsmen in the garrison informed me that they had met with it more than 

 once at the same locality ; so that I have no doubt it not unfi equently visits the north of the island in small 

 numbers, and, finding such good quarters in that part, it is not likely to wander either into the hills or the 

 southern half of Ceylon. 



It is distributed over Europe, the northern portion of Africa, more or less over the whole of Asia (retiring 

 chiefly to the north in the breeding-season) , and extends to Formosa and the Philippines. 



As regards India, we find that it arrives in the north-west in August, the 24th being Capt. Butler's 

 earliest date of its observed occurrence in Guzerat. It is, according to him, common in the plains, and likewise 

 occurs about Mt. Aboo. In Sindh it is abundant, Mr. Hume having met with it in all suitable localities ; and he 

 records it as plentiful in Cutch, Kattiawar, and other portions of this north-western region. In the Sambhur- 

 Lake district it is, says Mr. Adam, rarely met with ; but this is owing to the country being unsuited to it. In 

 Bengal it is very abundant, and in the neighbourhood of Calcutta it is exceedingly numerous. In Chota Nagpur 

 Mr. Ball notes that it occurs throughout the division, but not in abundance. In the district between the 

 Ganges and the Godaveri he records it from Bardwan, Maubhum, Sirguja, Gangpur, Sambalpur, Orissa, 

 Nowagarh, Karial, and Jaipur. In Furreedpore it appears in October, and leaves about the end of March 

 (Cripps). In the Bombay district it is not uncommon ; and in Khandala the Rev. Dr. Fairbank writes that it 



