SCOLOPAX. 493 



The Giant Snipe may be diagnosed from all the species of the genus which have, like 

 it, the bars on the head longitudinal and not transverse, by its barred primaries. There are 

 two forms of Giant Snipe which appear to be exactly alike in colour, but differ slightly in 

 size. Their respective distribution has not been very accurately determined, nor has it 

 been absolutely proved that they completely intergrade, but the following measurements of 

 six examples leave little room for doubt on the subject : — 



8. undulata. S. gigantea. 



inch. inch. 



Length of wing 6 to6| 6f to 7 



Length of bill 4 to i\ 4| to 5 



Length of tarsus \\ to 1-J 1\ 



Length of middle toe %\ 2f- 



Specifle 

 characters. 



The Cayenne Giant Snipe is only known with certainty from the mountains of Guiana. Geographi- 

 Buffon says that the Cayenne Giant Snipe is nocturnal in its habits, but differs from ti a on 1S 

 the Woodcock in being a bird of the swamps, avoiding the forests. 



SCOLOPAX UNDULATA GIGANTEA. 



BRAZILIAN GIANT SNIPE. 

 Scolopax undulata magnitudine majore (alse plus quam 160 millim.). 



Diagnosis. 



There cannot be much doubt that this bird completely intergrades with the preceding, Variations. 

 from which it only differs in size. 



Scolopax gigantea, Natterer,fide Temm. PL Col. no. 403 (1826). 

 Gallinago gigantea (Natt.), Gray, Genera of Birds, iii. p. 583 (1846). 

 Gallinago lacunosa, Lichtenstein, Nom. Av. p. 93 (1854). 

 Xylocota gigantea (Licht.), Bonaparte, Compt. Rend, xliii. p. 579 (1856). 

 Scolopax undulata gigantea {Temm.), Seebohm, Ibis, 1886, p. 131. 



Synonymy. 



Plates. — Temminck, PL Col. no. 403. 



Habits. — Undescribed. 



Eggs. — I have eggs of this species procured near Buenos Ayres with the bird by Mons. L. Hardy 



du Dressent, which exactly resemble those of the Woodcock in colour, but are twice the 



size. 



Literature. 



