1890.] THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



223 



in India, seem to feel the sun very much. In the early morning, par- 

 ticularly if there is a good breeze, they rise far out, and twist and turn 

 about in their flight in such a way as to make them quite as difficult 

 to shoot as any Snipe in this country ; but when the sun is high, and 

 the air gets hot, they lie closer, and fly decidedly straighter and more 

 heavily than Snipe do in the British Isles. 



For the table the Common Snipe is, in India, in no way inferior to 

 what it is in England. The Duck, I noticed, were decidedly not so 

 good at the end of January as they had been in November ; but I did 

 not observe any corresponding change for the worse either in this or 

 the following species of Snipe. 



THE JACK SNIPE. 

 Gallinago Gallinula — Linnaeus. 



This well-known little Jack Snipe is generally diffused throughout 

 India during the cold weather. Almost everywhere where I killed 

 any of the larger Snipe I also killed a Jack or two ; one Jack to eight 

 or ten of the larger species being about the average. The Jack, how- 

 ever, are generally found where there is a little cover, and as they lie 

 very close, some are very likely to be walked over. When a Jack does 

 rise, he gets up very close indeed, and is easy to bring to bag if not 

 fired at too quickly. Though a tiny bird he is most excellent eating. 



With the little Jack Snipe I must bring these notes to an end. 

 They are meagre, I am afraid, but my stay in India was too short to 

 allow of my laying up more than a small store of information. I can 

 only hope (against hope, 1 am afraid) that at some future time I may 

 see Katwara, Solah, Hersole, and the Null again, and become more 

 intimately acquainted with some at least of the many game birds 

 of India. 



REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 



CITY OF LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 

 HISTORY SOCIETY. 



November th. 1890. — Mr. J. A. Clark, President, in the chair. Exhibits : 

 Coleoptera : — Mr. Boden, Cicindela sylvatica, and campestris, Lina populi, Toxotus 

 meridianus, Chrysomela banksii, Elaphrus riparius, and other species from Herefordshire. 



