CHAPTER LXXXVIII 



SNIPE 



These grotesque birds, all belly and bill, were born for the 

 table — a long bill to feed a dumpy, graceless body, which, 

 however, is as sweet as a nut, and more juicy. 



Rarely at Christmas-time, but more commonly when the 

 young reed and lily leaves and gladen spikes are just peep- 

 ing above the bistre water in the dikes — when March, the 

 wind carrier, is with us again — when one hears, high up in the 

 blue sky, the drumming of the courting snipe, the male bird, 

 Avho flies up to the pale silver crescent of the moon, and, 

 turning on his side, drops in the blue liquid air, drumming 

 as he descends for a short flight ere he gathers himself 

 together and ascends with a coarse chucking voice ; flying 

 round and round over the moonlit grassy marshland, his 

 flight extending a quarter of a mile, courting his sober, 

 serious mate with the long bill and solemn mien. And 

 the origin of that noise is still wrapped in mystery; but 

 methinks it is a vocal sound, a voice propagated through 

 the closed sieve-like membrane wrapped round his long 

 mandibles. Nor do I think his wings and tail take part 

 in the strange music, as is always suggested. Indeed, 'tis 

 easy to imitate the snipe's drumming by closing the mouth 

 and covering the nostrils with a handkerchief, whilst utter- 

 ing a drumming sound away down the larynx. 



" Summer lambs," the fenmen call them, on account of 

 these strange bleatings, noises always uttered by the cock- 

 bird. At this season, too, they delight in playing over the 



sere reeds ; and the fenman's heart is gladdened, for 'tis, he 



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