this is undoubtedly the Snipe—in most of these localities,
(except perhaps about Moulmein just towards the close of the
season), not one Fantail being met with to every ten Pintail.
Outside* our limits this species is common in Independent
Burma and throughout the Malay Peninsula, and occurs, not
only in the Siamese portion of the Peninsula, but also in
Continental Siam, both at Bankok and far north at Zimmay.
It has been recorded as common in Sumatra, Banka, Java and
Borneo, and the whole of China, including the islands of Formosa
and Hainan ; but in none of these localities does it appear
to remain during the summer. It is also said by Taczanowski
to be common in the southern portions of Eastern Siberia
and in the Amoor and Ussuri regions ; and here it has been
presumed that the majority breed. Doubtless it occurs in
Tonquin, Cochin China, Anam and Cambodia ; but of the Avifauna
of these provinces I have no record. It has not been
observed in either Eastern or Western Turkestan, and this
helps to explain why it is so rare in the western half of Continental
India.
ALTHOUGH it is possible that some few birds remain throughout
the year within our limits in the Eastern Himalayas, the
hilly portions of Assam, ChitUgong.f Burma, the Andamans^
" Some difficulty exists in determining the real range of this species, because
it was for long confounded with G. megala of Swinhoe. For instance, it has been
recorded from the Philippines, but the Marquis of Twceddale's investigations
make it certain thai megala does occur there, and probable that our bird does not.
It lias been also recorded from Timor, but this seems clearly outside its range,
and the bird that really occurs there (as also in Celebes, &c.) must be megaia.
Again the Pintail is said to occur in Japan ; but here too the species that
realty occurs is most probably meeala, plenty of which have been sent thence,
while Sehlegel says he has never seen sthenura from |apan.
+ See the latter part, for instance, of the following interesting note. Mr. IT. Fasson
says:—"Snipe are common in Chiltagong, but not extremely plentiful. Ten or
twelve couple is an unusually large bag in a day's shooting. One of the best
localities for them is a large swamp, called Duiu-Duma, near Fenna ; but throughout
the distiict they more commonly occur scattered in twos and threes,
especially in the marshy heads of valleys running up amongst the hills. They
feed in the rice-fields in the early mornings and evenings ; but during the day have
a rather strange habit of going np into the dry, thorny jungle that covers the hills,
and lying there amongst the bushes. On one oeca-.inn. after walking up a lot of
promising rice swamp without seeing a bird, a native, whom we asked, offered to
show us Snipe, and forthwith took us, with beaters, a scramble up the steep
slope of a range of hills covered with thorny jungle about four feet high. Out
of this jungle, quite away from any springs or moisture, we put up five Snipe,
the last one almost on the summit of the range, some too feet above the rice-fields.
The Snipe, for the most part, come to the district about the latter part of August,
and leave towards the end of March. At those times I have seen great numbers
crowded together. Martin speaks of having seen three flights arrive at Fenna on
the 30th August iSyS. They came flying in large flocks, about 100 yards above
the ground ; and, after circling several times, all settled in patches of grass jungle
s mounded by wooded hills. I believe, however, that a certain number of Snipe
arc to be found here all the year round. I have flushed Snipe up in the hill
jungle, in June ; and Jarbo, up at Rungumati in the Hill Tracts, shot half a dozen
couple on the 3rst July last—a bet had been made that no Snipe were to be found
at that time of the year, but they were."
J We procured numerous specimens in the Andamans in June and July which
bore no signs of immaturity.
&c, the great majority of the Pintail Snipe are in all parts
of the Empire migrants. They begin to arrive during the
latter half of August* throughout Continental India and
Burma (and I may add the Malay Peninsula) ; but they are
somewhat later in the Indian Peninsular ; and even further
north and east, though some arrive earlier, the main army of the
birds docs not appear until September, and it is detachments
and divisions of this which mainly, I believe, later invade the
Indian Peninsula. And this accounts for the fact that, throughout
those parts of Continental India where they arc common,
alike in the hills and plains,J they are much more numerous
at the commencement and close of the season, and much less
so from the 15th of October to the 15th of March, whereas
this is just the period when they are uniformly most common
in the Peninsula. In Burma and the Malay Peninsula I
* A few notes bearing on this point may be quoted:—" Snipe appeared here
(tS miles from Gauhati), yesterday, the 1st of September, in great numbers. The
natives said they came a fortnight earlier, but yesterday was the first day I
saw them myself."
'* Pin tailed Snipe, first seen by me this year {1S79) at Khulna, District
Jessore, Lower bengal, on the 22nd August, when I bagged it, and thus obtained
my fust Snipe of the season."—//. V. A'ainej:
" G. sthenura conies in about the middle of August around Moulmein. A
register, kept by Captain Dodd, the Master Attendant of Moulmein. a keen
spoilsman, showed 1 lie 17th August as the earliest date on which he has shot
his first Snipe, during the last seven or eight years.
'• In iS;S, lie and I procured four couple between us on the 17th August."—
C. T. Bingham.
" Excessively common in Lower Pegu from the end of August to February, after
which period it becomes rare. I have shot specimens up to the end of April."—
Eugene W. Oates.
" L have shot the Pintail at Deesa, as early as the 24th of August. I sent you
the head, neck and tail of one shot on the 29th of that month."—E. A. Butler.
Writing from Klang, in Malay Peninsula, about 30 10' North Lat. under date
2nd of August, Mr. H. C. Syers, Superintendent of Police, says: "The Snipe
have not yet appeared, but we are expecting them every day as they come in by
the middle of Angust."
t i n the Southern Konkan they first arrive in October. The earliest date on
which I have ever shot them was the 2nd of October."—G. Vtdal.
"The Pintail is, I consider, our commonest Snipe in Belgaum, and it arrives
about the end of September or the beginning of October."—J. S. Laird.
" I have shot the Pintail all over Southern India (south of about the 120 North
Lat.); they come in about October or November just as the paddy crop is sown."
—Albert G. Theobald.
X "The Pintailed Snipe is exceedingly common in the valley of Nepal, in
winter, arriving at the end of August and migrating northwards about the beginning
of May ; it is most abundant in September and October, and again in March
and April."—J. Scully.
" In a paper elsewhere published (P. Z. S , 1865, pp 092-695), I have given some
particulars of the occurrence of this Snipe about Ranaekpore. where it is very
plentiful, more so than the next species, arriving in September, and being
replaced by that about the end of October or beginning of November."—
C. Beavan.
" G. sthenura is certainly the earliest to arrive in any numbers in Bengal. About
Calcutta, G. sthenura seems to disappear in December and January, doubtless
migrating further to the south-east," (really to the south-west). " 1 have lately in
those months examined bags of 30 to 50 birds without finding one specimen. It
abounds again, I believe, in February and March "—If. Blanford.