SCOLOPAX SATURATA. 
neck. But our bird is distinguished from the Scolopax rusticola, and from the 
Scolopax minor, by the darkness and uniformity of its colour, and by the regularity 
and simplicity of its transverse bands. 
The Scolopax saturata is generally variegated with alternate bands of deep 
brown and chestnut. On the upper parts the bands are nearly regularly transverse 
in their disposition, but the brown bands are considerably broader than those of a 
chestnut colour. On the middle of the back, large patches of brown are irregularly 
scattered ; and the extremity of the tail is dark, and terminated by a narrow band of 
a sooty colour. The forehead is variegated witli small bands of deep brown and 
chestnut. On the back part of the head, and on the neck above, the tint is very 
dark inclining to black ; and three transverse chestnut bands exhibit the character of 
this section. A black line extends from the base of the bill to the anterior canthus 
of the eye. At the base of the lower mandible is a whitish spot. The throat,- the 
anterior part of the neck, and the breast, are marked with alternate bands of brown 
and chestnut, of equal breadth. On the abdomen, vent, and thighs, the alternate 
bands are pale inclining to yellowish-white; and in this peculiarity of a paler tint to 
the under parts, our bird agrees with the other Wootlcc-dks- The tail also has the 
same disposition as in the Scolopax rusticola and minor. The tail-feathers are tapering 
towards the extremity, and have a white band underneath, at the tip. The feet and 
the bill have a brownish colour, mclining to tawny. In size, our bird agrees with 
the American Woodcock. It is figured on the Plate, of natural size. 
A single individual only of the Scolopax saturata is contained in the Museum 
of the Honourable East India Company. This was obtained near the banks of a 
mountain-lake, many miles from a human habitation, in the forests of Mount Prahu, 
about 7000 feet above the level of the ocean. This part of Java, which is rarely 
visited even by the natives themselves, contains a great variety of rare and interesting 
animal and vegetable productions* Not only on account of its locality, but also on 
account of its nocturnal habits, in which it agrees with the other birds of the section, 
it is obtained with great difficulty/ It forms its nest on the earth, and remains con- 
cealed during the greatest part of the day. Its food is most plentifully supplied by larvae 
of insects, and by worms of every description, winch abound in the vegetable mould 
covering these elevated districts. 
