ROSTRATULA OAPENSIS. 



PAINTED SNIPE. 



(Plate 16.) 



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



Bhynchaea capensis, Sharpe's ed. Layard-Birds of S. Afr., pp. 679, 855 

 (1875-84) ; Nicolls & Eglington, Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 130 

 (1892). 



Rostratula capensis, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., p. 683 (1896) ; 

 Woodward, Natal Birds, p. 189 (1899) ; Sclater, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., 

 m, p. 361 (1905) ; Sclater & Stark, Birds of S. Afr., iv, p. 418 

 (1906). 



Rostratula bengalensis, Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 237 (1900-1). 



Local Name. " Golden Snipe " of some authors (Sclater). 



Description. The Plate represents an adult pair — the female being 

 the bird on the left with the chestnut breast. Length about 

 9Jin. 



DiSTRiBTJTi03<ir. The Painted Snipe is found all over Africa, south of 

 the Sahara, including Madagascar. It is also found in Egypt, 

 southern Asia including India, as well as in China, Japan, the 

 Philippines, Borneo, and Java, and is apparently a resident 

 throughout its range. 



I HAVE shot this lovely little bird near Bloemfontein in the 

 Orange River Colony, and also near Potchefstroom, Trans- 

 vaal. It is a most unsporting httle bird and flies very slowly 

 in a straight line, without any of the quick twists of the 

 true Snipe. They always remind me more of Rails than Snipe. 



They are nowhere very common, but if a brace or so 

 be shot on any particular marsh their places are generally 

 filled by others within a week or so. 



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