"It is very difficult to distinguish young birds from old ones, and I believe that the only characters of any value are the uniform black stripes along the sides of the crown. In old birds, not only are these black stripes mottled with rufous, but there are also numerous small spots of rufous-buff interspersed among the black feathers of the back; the black subterminal marks on the scapulars are also smaller in the young birds than in the old. A further sign of immaturity is, I believe, to be seen in the nearly uniform fulvous-brown on the throat and fore neck, these portions being more mottled with lines and arrow-head spots of black in the old birds. "From G. gallinago the present species is distinguished by the wire-like feathers in the tail and by the entire surface of the under wing-coverts being regularly barred with black and white, and the outer web of the first primary being whity-brown instead of pure white. Occasionally young birds of G. stenura have the whole of the breast and abdomen regularly barred with dusky." (Sharpe.) 122. GALLINAGO MEGALA Swinhoe. SWINHOE'S SNIPE. Gallinago megala Swinhoe, Ibis (1861), 343; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 24, 624; Hand-List (1899), 1, 165; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 29. Can-du-ro', Manila. Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere Exp., McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Cebu (Everett); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Eastern Siberia and Japan; in winter China south to the Moluccas. "Adult male.--Similar to G. stenura, and with wire-like outer tail-feathers, but these not so narrow and showing at least two distinct bars towards the ends; the tail-feathers twenty in number, of which the seven outer ones are attenuated, and only the six central ones show the characteristic broad subterminal band of rufous. 'Bill light yellowish brown for basal two-thirds, yellower on base of under mandible, blackish brown on apical third; feet light yellowish gray, with blackish brown claws; iris dark umber brown.' (Swinhoe.) Length, 240; culmen, 58; wing, 137; tail, 55; tarsus, 34. "Adult female.--Does not differ from the male. 'Legs and feet pale bluish gray, nails black.' (Everett.) Length, 267; culmen, 66; wing, 142; tail, 55; tarsus, 33. "Young birds.--As with G. stenura so with the present species, the young birds appear to be distinguishable by their more uniform dark brown throat and chest; the stripes on the sides of the crown are also black and not mottled with rufous spots." (Sharpe.)