GALLINAGO NIGRIPENNIS. 



ETHIOPIAN SNIPE. 



(Plate 14.) 



Gallinago nigripennis, Bonaparte, Icon. Faun. Ital., Ucc. PI., 43, p. 41 

 (1832) ; Sharpe's ed. Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 676 (1875-84); 

 Nicolls & Eglington, Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 130 (1892) ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxiv, p. 631 (1896) ; Woodward, Natal 

 Birds, p. 188 (1899) ; Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 236 (1900-01) ; 

 Sclater.Ann. S. Afr. Mus., m, p. 361 (1905); Sclater & Stark, 

 Birds of S. Afr., rv, p. 416 (1906). 



Local Names. " Black-quilled Snipe " of some authors ;• " Spook- 

 vogel " of the Dutch ; " Kue-Kue Lemao " of the Basutos 

 (Murray). 



DESCErPTioN. The bird figured is a male. The female resembles 

 the male. Length about 11 in. 



This bird is frequently confused with the Great Snipe, but it 

 can be easily recognised, as it has the outer tail-feathers white, 

 with obsolete spots or bars on them, while the three outer tail- 

 feathers of G. media are pure white without spots. 



DiSTREBTJTiON. The Ethiopian Snipe is confined to Africa and 

 extends from Abyssinia through East and Central Africa and 

 Nyasaland to the Cape Colony ; it has apparently not been met 

 with in West Africa except in Angola. 



This is the common Snipe of South Africa and is by 

 no means rare in suitable localities. Furthermore, once 

 a marsh tenanted by Snipe is found, it is nearly always 

 inhabited, for, as soon as the original tenants are killed, fresh 

 birds make their appearance and fill up the vacant quarters. 

 This bird is resident in South Africa, but like the ducks and 

 other water-fowl it is a partial migrant if its haunts become 

 affected by drought, and heavy rains will bring it to places 

 where it was tinknown before. 



33 F 



