342 THE PINTAIL SNIPE. 
this is undoubtedly the Snipe—in most of these localities, 
(except perhaps about Moulmein just towards the close of the 
season), not one Fantail being met with to every ten Pintail. 
Outside* our limits this species is common in Independent 
Burma and throughout the Malay Peninsula, and occurs, not 
only in the Siamese portion of the Peninsula, but also in 
Continental Siam, both at Bankok and far north at Zimmay. 
It has been recorded as common in Sumatra, Banka, Java and 
Borneo, and the whole of China, including the islands of For- 
mosa and Hainan; but in none of these localities does it appear 
to remain during the summer. It is also said by Taczanowski 
to be common in: the southern portions of Eastern Siberia 
and inthe Amoor and Ussuri regions; and here it has been 
presumed that the majority breed. Doubtless it occurs in 
Tonquin, Cochin China, Anam and Cambodia ; but of the Avi- 
fauna of these provinces I have no record. It has not been 
cbserved in either Eastern or Western Turkestan, and this 
helps to explain why it is so rare in the western half of Con- 
tinental India. 
ALTHOUGH it is possible that some few birds remain through- 
out the year within our limits in the Eastern Himalayas, the 
hilly portions of Assam, Chittagong, Burma, the Andamans,{ 
* Some difficulty exists in determining the real range of this species, because 
it was for long confounded with G. megala of Swinhoe. For instance, it has been 
recorded from the Philippines, but the Marquis of Tweeddale’s investigations 
make it certain that megala does occur there, and probable that our bird does not. 
It has been also recorded from Timor, but this seems clearly outside its range, 
and the bird that really occurs there (as also in Celebes, &c.) must be megala. 
Again the Pintail is said to occur in Japan; but here too the species that 
really occurs is most probably megala, plenty of which have been sent thence, 
while Schlegel says he has never seen sthenura from Japan. 
+ See the latter part, for instance, of the following interesting note. Mr. H. Fasson 
says :—‘‘ Snipe are common in Chittagong, but not extremely plentiful. Ten or 
twelve couple is an unusually large bag in a day’s shooting. One of the best 
localities for them is a large swamp, called Dum-Duma, near Fenna ; but through- 
out the district they more commonly occur scattered in twos and threes, 
especially in the marshy heads of valleys running up amongst the hills. They 
feed in the rice-fields in the early mornings and evenings ; but during the day have 
a rather strange habit of going up into the dry, thorny jungle that covers the hills, 
and lying there amongst the bushes. On one occasion, after walking up a lot of 
promising rice swamp without seeing a bird, a native, whom we asked, offered to 
show us Snipe, and forthwith took us, with beaters, a scramble up the steep 
slope of a range of hills covered with thorny jungle about four feet high. Out 
of this jungle, quite away from any springs or moisture, we put up five Snipe, 
the last one almost on the summit of the range, some 100 feet above the rice-fields. 
The Snipe, for the most part. come to the district about the latter part of August, 
and leave towards the end of March. At those times I have seen great numbers 
crowded together. Martin speaks of having seen three flights arrive at Penna on 
the 30th August 1878. They came flying in large flocks, about 100 yards above 
the ground ; and, after circling several times, all settled in patches of grass jungle 
surrounded by wooded hills. I believe, however, that a certain number of Snipe 
are to be found here all the year round. I have flushed Snipe up m the hill 
jungle, in June; and Jarbo, up at Rungumati in the Hill Tracts, shot half a dozen 
couple on the 31st July last—a bet had been made that no Snipe were to be found 
at that time of the year, but they were.” : pits 
+ We procured numerous specimens in the Andamans in June and July which 
bore no signs of immaturity. 
