238 



SCOLOPACID^. 



Hah. — Throughout the greater part of India; rare in Sind. Occurs 

 in Rajputana, Kutch, Kattiawar, N. Guzerat^ Deccan, the Nizam's 

 dominions, where it is rare ; also in Assam, N. W. and Central 

 Provinces, Central India, Khandeish and Oudh. Occurs also in 

 Afghanistan and Beloochistan, and probably also in Persia. In the 

 Deccan, about the Sattara and Belgaum districts, as well as in the 

 Concan and South India, it is said to be fairly common, arriving about 

 December. 



Tribe, LONGIROSTEES.— ftw. 



A family of wading birds, in which Cuvier includes the snipe, 

 godwits, ibises, curlews, phalaropes, &c., at the end of which come the 

 avocets. These are nearly all migratory birds, and associate in flocks 

 during winter. The characters by which this tribe is chiefly distinguished 

 are the long slender bill, and long and pointed wings ; the hind toe is 

 usually present, but wanting in some. 



Family, SCOLOPACID^. 



Bill long, straight, compressed, soft, the point enlarged; the mandibles 

 furrowed for half their length ; upper mandible slightly longer than the 

 lower; nostrils lateral, situated basally in a groove and covered by 

 membrane; feet moderate, slender, three toed, not webbed ; hind too 

 present; plumage varied and rich. 



Gen. Scolopax. — Linn. 



Characters same as those of the Family ; lower mandible channelled 

 only to the middle; wings long, 1st quill longest; tibia feathered to the 

 knee. 



B. Eur. pi. 319; 

 ZooL, S)-c., Bind, 



Scolopax rusticola, Linn.; p. E. 885; Ooiild. 

 Jerd. iii. 672; Sir. F. vi. 459; Murray, Hdbk., 

 p. 213.— The Wood-Cock. 



The peculiar shape of the head of this esteemed bird is almost a sufli- 

 cient character to identify it among others. The head is more obtusely 

 triangular than round ; the eyes are placed above its middle, near the 

 top, and the ears are nearly on a level with the corner of the mouth. 



