1869.] of Central, Western and Southern India. 191 



Family Scolapactd^;. 

 870. GallinagO Stenura, Temm. I have never met with this 

 bird in Western or Central India, though for two or three years I 

 examined every bird I shot, and I doubt if it occurs there. It is not in 

 Sykes's list nor in that of Dr. King. Beavan, Ibis 1868, noticed the 

 early arrival of the snipe in Burma which I can confirm from my own 

 knowledge. At Poona it never appears before the middle of October, 

 and then the birds are all G. scolapacina so far as I know. I believe 

 it will be found that the birds are almost as late on the Western 

 coast about Bombay, at all events sportsmen do not go out to shoot 

 them before October, and generally not before November, whilst 

 around Calcutta very fair sport may be had in September. This is 

 strongly in favour of G. stenura not occurring in Western India, for 

 it certainly is the earliest to arrive in any numbers in Bengal. About 

 Calcutta, G. stenura seems to disappear in December and January, 

 doubtless migrating further to the south-east : I have lately in those 

 months examined bags of 30 to 50 birds, without rinding one speci- 

 men. It abounds again, I believe, in February and March. 



Family Rallid^:. 

 Podica personata, Gray. I suspect I saw this bird on the 

 river at Beypiir. It is likely enough that this Malay form might 

 occur in Malabar, and unless this were the bird, I cannot conceive 

 what it could have been. It swam and looked something like a grebe, 

 but flew away when approached. It was certainly neither grebe nor 

 duck, and I suspect it was a Podica. 



