THE SNIPE 167 



great flights of these birds arrive on our coasts from 

 Norway and Sweden, but it is said that even during 

 migration these Snipe never travel in flocks, but always 

 either singly or in pairs. In its feeding habits the Snipe is 

 nocturnal. Its food consists of worms, insects, and also 

 of delicate plant roots. It is supposed to be able to 

 swallow the morsel without withdrawing its bill from the 

 soft ground. To the northward of Scotland the Snipe 

 has a wide range. In the Faroes it is found nesting, and 

 in Iceland it is fairly plentiful. In Scandinavia and in 

 Denmark it is common. It extends its range considerably 

 beyond the Arctic Circle, and is found in most of the 

 northern districts of Russia. At the approach of winter 

 many Snipe migrate south to the Mediterranean region 

 and along the Red Sea. From here they make their way 

 through Persia and India, and are found also in Ceylon 

 Burmah, China, and Japan. The Jack Snipe, which is found 

 in Great Britain during the months of winter, is held not 

 to nest in these Islands, though I hear that in 1914 an 

 authenticated case of its nesting in Sutherland is on record. 

 Descriftion. — ^The bird may be distinguished from 

 the Great Snipe by the tawny, " rufous colour of its outer 

 tail feathers. The tail feathers usually number from 

 fourteen to sixteen, but sometimes only twelve. The 

 crown of the head is marked by a median and two lateral 

 lines of buff. Lores dark brown. Back and sides of the 

 neck buff, lined with dark brown. Interscapulars and 

 scapulars black, edged with yellow. The feathers along 

 the outer border of interscapulars have the outer web 

 rich buff forming a conspicuous longitudinal band. 

 Wing coverts dark brownish grey tipped with white 

 and buff. Major coverts and secondaries dark grey 

 narrowly tipped with white. Primaries dark grey. Tail 

 feathers have basal portion black, succeeded by a yellow 

 band. There is a sub- terminal band of black and terminal 



