144« Descriptive and Historical Notices 



When I notice (about the second week in March) the /Ra- 

 nunculus Ficaria, and the ^lola odorata in blossom, I am then 

 confident of finding diversion in the pursuit of snipe-shooting, 

 By attending to these coincidences, a Norfolk sportsman will 

 rarely be disappointed in his expectation of amusement at this 

 time of the year, if (as before observed) a west or south-west 

 wind should prevail. I have noted their return, in some years 

 (as in 1825), as early as the last week in February; and, in some 

 years (as in 1826), the arrival of the greater body has been 

 as late as the last week in March. The usual time, however, 

 for their principal remigration may be stated to take place 

 from about the 14th of March to the end of the month. 



The greater proportion of these spring visitants soon take 

 their departure for the more northern latitudes, which is expe- 

 dited by the same south-west wind which brought them here, and 

 equally retarded by a wind blowing from the opposite quarter. 

 Many remain to breed upon our Norfolk marshes, for which 

 purpose they select such as cattle have been depastured upon, 

 in preference to those marshes which are reserved for mowing. 

 The period of pairing commences early in April, at which 

 time the male snipe serenades his mate with two distinct notes, 

 differing as widely from each other as from the cry they utter 

 at other times. The one note may be compared to the repe- 

 tition of the word " tinker, tinker," uttered in a sharp shrill 

 tone, as the bird ascends in his flight : the other, uttered as he 

 descends, is somewhat similar to the bleating of a lamb, only 

 in a deeper tone, and accompanied with a violent vibration of 

 the wings. 



The nest is formed not unlike that of the lapwing, being 

 composed of coarse grass. The female generally lays four 

 eggs (rarely five), placed with their small ends together in the 

 centre of the nest. The eggs are smaller than those of the 

 lapwing, of a green colour, marked with spots of light and 

 darker brown. I cannot state with accuracy either the period 

 of the incubation of the common snipe, or the exact time 

 when the young are excluded from the egg. As a sportsman, 

 I can only inform you that I have this year killed young 

 snipes, strong upon wing, as early as the last week in May ; 

 but in other years seldom before the 6th of June. 



The Jack Snipe has been known (though very rarely) to 

 breed on our marshes. I have not had an instance of the 

 Solitary Snipe's nest being found in this county. 



In the latter part of July, or early in August, the snipes, 

 old and young, quit their breeding marshes in common with 

 other fen birds, and betake themselves, in family parties of six 

 or seven in a flock, to marshes which have been recently mown. 

 In the latter part of August, we have a much greater number 



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