THE COMMON SNIPE. 
381 
There are a few instances on record of the occurrence of the Woodcock in 
Tenasserim. 
It inhabits the whole of Europe^ North Africa, and the greater portion 
of Asia eastwards to Japan and China, and southwards to Ceylon and 
Burmah. It has not yet been recorded from Cochin China, Siam, or the 
Malay peninsula. 
The Woodcock frequents thick cover during the day and comes out more 
into the open at night, which is its usual time for feeding. Cover, water 
and soft swampy soil, into which it can thrust its long bill in search of 
worms, are indispensable to the Woodcock. The stragglers that visit 
Burmah will most probably be found on the banks of streams in the lower 
ranges of hills^ or where these join the plain. 
In the Himalayas the Woodcock breeds in June ; in Europe earlier, in 
April or May. The nest is merely a depression in the soi) ; and the eggs, 
four in number, are buff blotched with reddish brown. 
Genus GALLINAGO, Leach. 
727. GALLmAGO CCELESTIS. 
THE COMMON SNIPE. 
Scolopax gallinago, imw. Syst. Nat. i. p. 24:4, Attders. Yunnan Exped. p. 681. 
Scolopax ccelestis, Frenzel^ Besclir. der Vdgel und Hirer Eier in der Gegend 
von Wittenberg, p. 58. Gallinago scolopacinus, Bonap. Comp. List Birds 
Eur. and N. Amer. p. 52 ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 674 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, 
p. 686 ; id. 8. F. ii. pp. 294, 295 ; Parker, S. F. ii. p. 335 ; Hume, S. F. iii. 
p. 182 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 156 ; Butler, S. F. v. p. 212 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, 
p. 478 ; Hume 8f Dav. S. F. vi. p. 459 ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 820. Gallinago 
gallinaria (Gm.), Cripps, S. F. vii. p. 302; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 112; Bingha?n, 
S, F. viii. p. 196 ; Scully, S. F. viii. p. 355 ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 239. Gallinago 
ccelestis, Dresser, Birds Eur. vii. p. 641, pi. ; Hume ^ Marsh. Game Birds, iii. 
p. 359, pi. 
Description. — Male and female. Crown of the head black with a fulvous 
streak over the median line ; a blackish streak from the bill to the eye, 
above and below which the feathers are pale fulvous ; chin whitish ; throat 
and sides of the head and neck fulvous streaked with black ; breast and sides 
of the body fulvous barred with black ; abdomen and vent white ; under 
tail- coverts fulvous streaked with brown ; under wing-coverts barred 
indistinctly with black and white ; tail black, the end rufous mottled with 
black ; upper plumage black, edged and streaked with rich fulvous and 
chestnut ; wing- coverts black barred with fulvous ; quills dark brown, 
narrowly edged with whitish. 
