BIRD-LIFE ON THE MOORS IN NOVEMBER. 129 



Silkswortb, co. Durham (lowland), where I have shot for 

 upwards of twenty years, we rarely see a Snipe during 

 ordinary weather ; but directly we have snow, down come 

 the Snipe from the hills. By walking round the little open 

 burns before breakfast on the morning after a snow-storm, 

 I can always find several Snipe ; and if these are killed 

 others take their place by next day, and so on during the 

 continuance of the snow. But on the first indication of a 

 thaw away they go at once. 



Snipe, as everyone who has followed the pursuit of Snipe- 

 shooting knows, are the most shifty and capricious of all 

 game-birds — here to-day, gone to-morrow ; sometimes sitting- 

 only on the highest and driest places, at others all congre- 

 gated in the bogs or along the edges of moss-hags. Then 

 the versatility of their "attitude" to'-vards the fowler is 

 equally noticeable, one day sitting close, while another they 

 spring at a couple of gun-shots' distance. It is sometimes 

 difficult to account for all their vagaries, though doubtless 

 there is a reason for each change in their haunts and habits. 

 The main factor, besides the weather, in influencing their 

 movements appears to be the moon. Snipe and Woodcock 

 being both night-feeding birds, it is, of course, well known 

 to sportsmen that they are only exceptionally found on feed 

 during the day. It is only the youthful enthusiast who 

 splashes about in water nearly knee-deep to find either the 

 one or the other. Both birds have a special antipathy to 

 being wet, and, as a rule, by day sit high and dry, though 

 no doubt plenty of water knee-deep may be found close at 

 hand. As a general rule, it is safe to state that Snipe will 

 lie best, and be found in the driest places, during the period 

 of full moon, especially if the nights be fine and fair. They 

 have then been able to feed abundantly all night, and conse- 

 quently are more apt to be resting and to lie close during the 

 day. But on dark nights when there is no moon, or in wild 

 weather when the moon is overcast, they are compelled to 

 feed partially by day, and at such times are more watchful 

 and wild. I have occasionally had opportunities of observing 

 Snipes while feeding, sometimes with their breasts quite half 

 immersed as they probed about in the shallow water. 



K 



