46 A Book of the Snipe. 



whatever ; whereas the springing of a Full- 

 Snipe with his metallic cry would usually draw 

 one or two others from the ground to join him 

 for a moment in an aerial dance. 



The Jack-Snipe is a beautiful little bird. 

 There is upon the long feathers of his back a 

 violet bloom which would canonise M. Worth 

 could he work it into silks and satins for 

 human Jills to fascinate their Jacks withal. 

 This gloss, though never entirely absent, 

 becomes brighter as the spring approaches, not 

 attaining its full beauty until the Jacks have 

 departed for their northern breeding-grounds. 



From the gourmet'' s point of view they are 

 even more delicious than the Common Snipe, 

 having a delicate flavour, so subtle as to be al- 

 most an aroma, which is lacking in the larger 

 bird, excellent though that is. Jack-Snipe, 

 moreover, for some inscrutable reason, never 

 become thin, even in prolonged frosts. ** The 

 * old hand,' " therefore, says Colonel Hawker, 

 "keeps the Jack for his own eating, and sends 

 the fine-looking Full-Snipe to his friend ! '' 



A Jack-Snipe is the only bird I know of at 



