6o6 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



and less abundant than the foregoing species. An unusually 

 early appearance was on i8th August 1863, near Beverley, 

 where one was shot by the late T. E. Buckley. On nth 

 September 1886, Lord Walsingham killed an example on 

 Bluberhouse moor, and forwarded the specimen to Mr. W. 

 Eagle Clarke, with the observation that it was the first he had 

 known there ; the earliest of which I have had personal 

 knowledge was on ist October 190 1, at the Teesmouth. 



It is fairly generally distributed in suitable localities, 

 and resembles the Woodcock in its partiality for certain 

 haunts, but in many districts it is decreasing in numbers. 

 It is usually found singly, though I have occasionally flushed 

 several, probably new arrivals, in close proximity to each 

 other. It was very numerous in the winter of 1864-65 near 

 Beverley, and in the Tees marshes in the autumn of 1883 ; 

 on 23rd October 1900 I bagged four out of six which rose 

 from a small marshy tract at the same place where fourteen 

 Common Snipe and three Jacks were killed at one shot (see 

 Common Snipe, p. 603). In the winter of 1897 Mr. E. B. 

 Emerson shot eighteen Jacks, in a small bog on Swainby 

 moor, nearly all of which were males. 



The return migration takes place in April, odd individuals 

 sometimes lingering until the first week in May ; one was 

 seen in Cleveland as late as the 3rd of that month. The 

 Jack Snipe sometimes strikes the lanterns of our coast beacons 

 on dark and foggy nights when on migration, and at this 

 period often occurs in very unlikely situations ; in October 

 188 1 one was caught asleep on the beach at Redcar, having 

 evidently dropped exhausted after its flight across the sea, 

 and I have frequently flushed single birds from a small patch 

 of grass near the Tees Breakwater. The late Canon Atkinson 

 of Danby related {Zool. 1853, p. 4656) an instance of this bird's 

 habit of " lying close " for purposes of concealment, and 

 mentioned the fact of this usually silent species uttering a 

 slight note, a fact which is corroborated by Mr. F. Boyes 

 from his personal observation. 



