SCOLOPAX. 



505 



only halfway across the continent. To the northern half of its range it is only a summer Geographi- 

 visitor, but in the southern half it is a resident, whose numbers are largely increased tion> ' 

 during winter. There can be little doubt that it is the result of an ancient western 

 emigration from the Old World or from the Azores. 



It is for the most part a forest-bird, and almost exclusively nocturnal in its habits. 



SCOLOPAX ROCHUSSENI. 



MOLUCCAN WOODCOCK. (Plate XX.) 



Scolopax rectricum apicibus subtus colore argenteo : primariarum pogoniis internis fasciatis : Diagnosis. 

 pectore non fasciato. 



It is not known that examples from one island of the Moluccas differ in any way from Variations, 

 those of another. 



Scolopax rochussenii, Schlegel, Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierh. 1866, p. 254. 



Neoscolopax rochusseni [Schlegel), Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Genov. xviii. p. 331 (1882). 



Synonymy. 



Plates. — Hitherto unfigured. 

 Habits. — Undescribed. 

 Eggs. — Unknown. 



Literature. 



Specific 

 characters. 



The Moluccan Woodcock, like all the four true Woodcocks, possesses both the transverse 

 markings on the head and the silvery tips to ihe under surface of the tail-feathers. The 

 absence of bars on the breast' and the presence of rudimentary bars on the margin of both 

 webs of the primaries serve to distinguish it from the other Woodcocks. Its unbarred 

 breast shows its relationship to 8. minor, and its barred primaries to 8. rusticola. 



It is only known from the small group of islands from which its vernacular name Gcographi- 



■ ■> • -i -i n • • , , i • i cal distribu- 



is derived, and where it is doubtless a resident. tion. 



It is very different from our Woodcock, but is probably the result of an emigration 

 of a party of that species from Japan. 



Although its habits are undescribed we may fairly assume it to be a forest-bird, as the 

 islands which it inhabits are said to be covered with wood to the sea-shore. It is very 

 rare in collections. The type in the Leyden Museum came from the island of Obi, 

 and I have an example in my collection which was sent to Mr. G. A. Frank, of Amsterdam, 

 with a collection of birds from Ternate. 



3t 



