412 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
as not only are they prevented from boring, but it 
appears doubtful whether they will take their food 
at all from a hard surface, which must consider- 
ably aggravate their suffering. 
Although the Common Snipe is as well-known 
and easily seen as the Woodcock I add a general 
description, in order that it may be distinguished 
from the probable species mentioned below. The 
beak is dark brown at the end, pale reddish brown at 
the base; irides dark brown; from the base of the 
beak to the eye darkish brown, over this and over 
the eye a light streak of pale buff; from the base of 
the upper mandible over the top of the head are two 
very dark bands, nearly black, and between these a 
streak of pale buff; cheeks buff, with a few darkish. 
brown spots; ear-coverts darkish brown; neck all 
round streaked dark brown and pale buff; middle of 
the back black, glossed in some lights with sap- 
sreen,—some of the feathers have rusty markings on 
the tips,—each side of the black is a streak of pale 
buff, outside this streak the feathers are much the 
same as those of the back, and there is a similar 
streak of pale buff outside again, but rather paler ; 
the lesser wing-coverts are very dull brown, tipped 
with very pale buff; primary quills dusky; second- 
aries the same, but tipped with white ; tertials black, 
marked and zigzagged with rusty; tail-coverts pale 
brown, zigzagged with dusky; tail-feathers, fourteen 
in number (differing in this from the Great Snipe 
