GALLINAGO. 



241 



featliers forming four conspicuous lines on the back; upper tail- 

 coverts, barred with alternate bars of dusky black and pale yellowish 

 brown, somewhat rufescent ; the under tail-coverts pale yellowish fawn, 

 also barred with dusky or dark brown ; the middle of the abdomen is 

 white, in some specimens tinged with pale bufiy fawn ; axillaries and 

 flanks white, barred with dusky or dark brown, but not so broadly, 

 close and numerous as in Stenura ; under wing lining white, a few 

 bars only on the edge of the wing ; a white patch always conspicuous 

 in the centre of the wing ; greater and lesser wing-coverts dusky or 

 dark brown, barred with rufescent, and edged and tipped with pale 

 white or cream colour; primaries dusky or dark brown, the first with 

 its outer iveb 'white J secondaries dusky or dark brown, broadly tipped 

 with white ; the outer edges of their inner webs white, and striated with 

 dusky ; the inner webs of the primaries also whitish basally and mottled 

 minutely with dusky ; tertiaries rufescent, barred with dark brown ; 

 tail black at the base, with an oval patch of rusty orange or ferruginous, 

 then a subterminal narrow band, and tipped with buffy or pale reddish 

 yellow, in some specimens white ; legs pale green ; bill terminally for one- 

 third or more of its length deep brown, the rest basally horny brown with 

 a green and yellowish tinge ; its length from gape, of males 2*39 to 2' 7, at 

 front 2'43 to 2'75 ; of females 2'62 to 3'0 at front, rather flat at the tip. 



Length, Male. — 9 to 11 inches, wing 4'9 to 5-5, tail 2'5 to 2'8. 

 Females larger. 



Rah. — Throughout India as a winter visitant, also Persia, Beloochis- 

 tau and Afghanistan. Arrives in Sind about the beginning of Septem- 

 ber and leaves in April, and with the Jack Snipe is tolerably abundant 

 every where. It is a very vigilant bird, and in consequence diflicult to 

 shoot, especially in bogs and moist localities where rushes are present. 

 In such retreats, three, four or half a dozen may be seen at a time, walk- 

 ing leisurely, with head erect, and constantly on the alert; and at the 

 first note of alarm, they rise, and soon get out of gun-shot. This species, 

 it need hardly be mentioned, is held in much esteem for the table. 



•jallinago gallinuUi. 'I'lic Oud Cock. 



Gallinago gallinula, TAn. ; F. E. 884; Govld. B. Eur. pi, 322; 



Jcrd. B.IhcI. in. p. 676, No. 872; 8tr. P. vi. 459; Mvrnty, Hdbk., 

 ZooL, ^c, Sind, p, 214.— The JAfic Snmte m- .Jno-Cociv. 



.-51 7. 



