Northern Observations of Inland Birds 257 



bill for his living. His tactile sense is highly developed, 

 and the nerves by which we ourselves see and smell 

 and taste find a highly developed centre in that probing 

 bill of his. Thrusting it into the mud he can feel the 

 presence of insects, can locate them exactly, and is able 

 to feed without withdrawing his bill from the earth. 

 The woodcock feeds in the same way, and it is noticeable 

 that in the case of both these birds, the eyes are set far 

 back in their heads, which gives them a very singular 

 appearance. The object of this is that the snipe and 

 the woodcock can see above them and behind them while 

 in the act of feeding— that is, while probing deeply into 

 the earth. The bill is often so far sunk that the feathers 

 of the face come in contact with the swamp, and thus 

 the position of the eyes serves still further to preserve 

 them from earthy matter. 



Anent the packing of snipe and their curious habit 

 of crouching when disturbed, a friend of mine, when one 

 day in pursuit of other game, perceived a snipe sitting 

 on the ground, and, I blush to record, shot it. On going 

 up, what was his surprise to find three snipe lying dead, 

 while two others rose as he approached. This experience, 

 I should think, must be almost unique. 



Normally the snipe rises upwind, or doubles immediately 

 into it, and as he rises he zig-zags rapidly. The primary 

 object of this is evidently to defeat a possible pursuer, 

 whether it be a charge of No. 5 shot or the Hghtning 

 stoop of the peregrine. Sheep double in the same way 

 when startled, their inherited instincts being to foil the 

 charge of bear or panther. 



A great many snipe nests are destroyed by flood waters, 

 as are those of the lapwing, but as in the case of the 

 lapwing, this occasions no wastage, as the hen bird 

 immediately nests again. Thus, during a wet season. 



R 



