SNIPE 397 



began to look for the nest, but could not find it. Every 

 3'ear since I have put up three or four in different parts 

 of the marsh in the month of April ; but they always 

 seemed to be only feeding, as the places were generahy 

 very wet and no nest w^as to be found. On April 25 

 (1897) last, however, w^hile hunting a small piece of 

 rough sedge and rushes with my brother, I saw a Snipe 

 get up right at his feet, and, as usual when there is a 

 nest, fly away slowly and close to the ground. The nest 

 was easily found, situated at the top of a tussock, and 

 containing four typical eggs. We subsequently put up 

 several more Snipe, but they were obviously only feed- 

 ing, and we w^ere unable to find a second nest. So far 

 as I can make out this is the first recorded instance of 

 the breeding of this species in Kent." 



Mr. T. Hepburn, in his notes on the birds at Dunge- 

 ness, 1900, states that on May 13 he " disturbed a single 

 bird of this species by the side of a ditch. My com- 

 panion told me, however, that he had never heard of a 

 nest being found in the district." 



The melanistic type of this species, called Sabine's 

 Snipe {Gallinago sahinl, Vigors, Trans. Linn. Soc, 1825, 

 xiv., p. 557), has been procured in Kent. The Eev. J. 

 Pemberton Bartlett, in 1844, records " a good specimen, a 

 female, which was shot on the banks of the Medway near 

 Rochester, October 26, 1824." Mr. G. Dowker, in his 

 Birds of East Kent, 1889, states that a Sabine's Snipe 

 was obtained in East Kent some years ago and is in the 

 Eev. W. B. Delmar's collection. 



