Class II. C O M M O N S N I P E. 449 



concealed in the rufhes, &c. In the fummer they 

 difperfe to different parts, and are found in the 

 mid ft of our higheft mountains, as well as our 

 low moors : their neft is made of dried grafs ; they 

 lay four eggs of a dirty olive color, marked with 

 dufky fpots ; their young are fo often found in 

 England^ that we doubt whether they ever entirely 

 leave this ifland. When they are difturbed much, 

 particularly in the breeding feafon, they foar to a 

 vaft height, making a Angular bleating noife; and 

 when they defcend, dart down with vaft rapidity : 

 it is alfo amufing to obferve the cock (while his 

 mate fits on her eggs) poife himfelf on his wings, 

 making fometimes a whiftling and fometimes a 

 drumming noife. Their food is the fame with that 

 of the woodcock ; their flight very irregular and 

 fwift, and attended with a ihrill fcream. They are 

 mod univerfal birds, found in every quarter of the 

 globe, and in all climates. 



This fpecies weighs four ounces ; the length, to Descri?. 

 the end of the tail, is near twelve inches : the 

 breadth about fourteen: the bill is three inches long, 

 of a dufky color, flat at the end, and often rough 

 like fhagrin above and below. The head is di- 

 vided lengthways with two black lines, and three 

 of red, one of the laftpaffing over the middle of the 

 head, and one above each eye : between the bill 

 and the eyes is a dufky line: the chin is white : the 

 neck is varied with brown and red. 



The fcapulars are beautifully ftriped lengthways 



with 



