254 ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



prove that it was produced by the vibration of the 

 stiff webs of the outer tail-feathers. This theorv, 

 in its turn, was partly discredited, and, as Mr. J. E. 

 Harting and others have now shown, the sound 

 proceeds mainly from the action of the wings. 



Another striking peculiarity of the Snipe 

 family, which, however, thev share to some extent 

 with the Woodcock and others, is the bill. This is 

 a delicate piece of mechanism, the nerves reaching 

 to the extreme tip. Bv no instrument less sensitive 

 could these birds, feeding often by night, find their 

 prey hidden in the mud of the swampy reed-beds. 

 A Jack Snipe which I kept alive for some time was 

 provided with a shallow leaden tank filled to the 

 depth of several inches with soft mud. Into this a 

 quantity of small worms were placed daily, which 

 soon wriggled out of sight, and in the morning the 

 surface of the mud was completely perforated with 

 small holes, and ever}^ worm extracted. As it 

 became a somewhat serious business to provide a 

 fresh supplv of worms daily — the voracity of my 

 small guest was something extraordinary — I en- 

 deavoured to supplement his diet with narrow, 

 worm-like shreds of raw beef, also hidden in the 

 mud. But in no case did the Snipe's discriminat- 

 ing bill allow him to be deceived. In the morn- 

 ing the beef was still buried in the mud and the 

 worms alone taken. 



To return to the ideal snipe-ground amid the 

 Kerry hills. All through the summer and early 

 autumn months, comparatively few birds may be 

 flushed by the trout-fisher as he returns from the 

 lake by the side of the stream. But one day, in 



