70 THE WOODCOCK AND BRITISH SNIPE IN CEYLON, 



The example of the Common snipe, Gallinago Scolo- 

 pacinus, which I have the pleasure of bringing to the notice 

 of the Society to-day, and which furnishes the first 

 authenticated instance of its occurrence in this country, 

 was shot at the great snipe ground of Tamblegam, 

 near Trincomalie on the 6th of January last, by Major 

 Meaden of the Ceylon Eifles. On proceeding to that station 

 in October last> I was informed by more than one gentle* 

 man, of the existence during the last few seasons, in the 

 immediate neighbourhood of the port and at the above 

 mentioned place, of a different kind of snipe from the Pin- 

 tail. It was described to me as being about the same size 

 as that bird, possessing a white bar on the wing and 



t,aken, &c." {ante p. 6*7) are founded on remarks I once heard from 

 a gentleman concerning a reputed woodcock seen at Newera Eliya 

 some years ago, and which \\ ere to the effect, that " it was only a 

 large snipe/- It is not unlikely also that it is a straggler to the lower 

 country of Ceylon, as I have it on very good authority that a very 

 large snipe, which by the way I wish I had seen, was shot near 

 Galle last March twelve months. I append here Jerdon's description 

 of this species (Birds of India, vol. If I. p. 072). 



Top of the head black, with rufous yellow longish markings ; upper 

 part of back black, the feathers margined with pale rufous yellow and 

 " often smeared bluish ; scapula: s the same, some of them with zigzag 

 " markings ; long dorsal plumes black with zigzag markings 

 " of rufous grey, as are most of the wing coverts ; winglet and 

 " primary coverts dusky black, faintly edged whitish ; quills dusky ; 

 " lower back and upper tail coverts barred reddish and dusky ; tail 

 ' ; with the central feathers black at the base, chestnut with dusky tips, 

 " towards the tips ; laterals dusky with whitish bars ; beneath, the chin 

 " white, the sides of the neck ashy, smeared with buff and blackish ; 

 " breast ashy, smeared with buff and obscurely barred ; the rest of the 

 " lower plumage with the thigh coverts whitish with numerous dusky 

 " bars ; lower tail coverts rufescent with dusky markings ; under 

 wing coverts barred black and whitish. Bill reddish brown, pale 

 u beneath ; iris dusky brown ; legs plumbeous green. 



Length 12£ in. ; extent 18 in. ; wing 5| in. ; tail 2i in. : Bill at 

 front 2 5.-8th in. ; mid toe 1 10-1 6th in. 



