1831 .] 
On some of the Scolopctcidce of Nepal. 
239 
and the plains of India. But I have not found any description of it in print ; it 
being clearly not the same with the great snipe of Shaw, {Gen. Zoology, xii. 
51.) The name, however, is an extremely good one, (Solitary Snipe,) and should 
be retained, if not pre-occupied : for the bird is eminently distinguished from the 
common species by his solitary habits. He measures, when fully grown, 12£ 
inches, of which the beak is fully 3 inches. His weight, varying with his condi- 
tion, is from 5 to 6 ounces, and upwards. He is, in Nepal, entirely migratory, 
appearing and disappearing at the same time with the woodcock. He is a very 
rare bird — more so, by much, than the cock ; and of course, than the common 
snipe. In manners, as in size, he is nearly equidistant from the cock and snipe. 
He is never gregarious, seldom being found within several acres of his mate even : 
and he never resorts to the open country, nor to the centres of woods. His 
favourite site is a swamp on the confines of a wood, provided the swamp he fringed 
with brushwood ; for if not so screened, he will not frequent it. He haunts, like- 
wise, the bushy rills that descend from most of our precipitous woods into the 
more level country, and when flushed, he will go up and down them ; but never 
follow them into the thick cover. If much alarmed he will ascend the mountain 
brow, and alight on a hare part of it, near the top, or scud away, with astonishing 
rapidity to another favourable site. His flight is exceedingly rapid and devious, 
like that of the common snipe : and like the snipes, his first flight is often a very 
long one. No bird of the kind is harder to kill. Judging from many specimens, 
and many circumstances, I infer, that the male differs from the female in being 
rather smaller, and more highly coloured, and not othenvise. 
The form of this species is very elegant, resembling that of the common snipe, 
and without that dumpiness of figure for which the woodcock is observable. Re- 
ferring to the particular account, given above, of the diagnostics of the common 
woodcock and common snipe, I cannot better describe the bill, legs, wings, and 
'ail* of this bird, than by observing, that they agree with those of the snipe, just as 
they disagree with those of the woodcock. And, as this bird has neither the 
Plumed tibia, nor the truncated hind toe nail, which belong so peculiarly to the 
genus Sc')loprt.v, he must be considered a snipe, without doubt, notwithstanding 
his solitary habits, and avoidance of the open country ; the more especially as his 
general appearance and colours are those of the snipe. Indeed, it is not easy to 
m ark clearly, the distinction in point of colouring between this and the common 
s P ( (ies of snipe ; the colours and their arrangement being, in both, essentially the 
sarne . There is, however, this one invariable distinction between them, in point of 
Colour , that, whereas the common snipe’s belly is entirely immaculate white ; the 
of the solitary snipe is, except a narrow portion down its very centre, cross- 
harred with dusky. For the rest, it can only be observed satisfactorily, on this 
head . that all the colours, including those of the bill and legs, are paler in this 
species. It may be particularly noted, that the conspicuous longitudinal lines of 
tlie ,)ack are, in this species, usually pure white, though, sometimes, rufescent white. 
possibly even it may be different from both my birds, which, in the last event, will 
he discoveries made here. 
. Iave just ascertained, that a large species of snipe visits the N'llgiri mountains, 
^ 1 'he woodcock, and that this species has been supposed identical with the Gallinago 
u ^ r of Shaw. I entirely doubt this identity; and believe, that the Nilgiri snipe 
tl] ^ , tbe satne with the solitary, or the scolopaceous snipe of this paper. But be 
dis f S may be as well here to add, that both the Nepalese species were 
Peuu s Vered before the NiI g ir » mountains were heard of as a sanatory retreat for Euro- 
> il ud of course, therefore, before the Nilgiri snipe was discovered. 
