.■ AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 67 



or perhaps more often, found singly than in company. 

 I was surprised to find some Jack Snipes in Cyprus 

 late in April; these birds when flushed uttered a 

 low hollow note, a very faint copy of the " drum " of 

 the Emu. I only once heard this note of the Jack 

 Snipe in this country, in the case of a bird flushed 

 by our river-side late in the month of March. One 

 of the Lilford gamekeepers, accustomed to shooting 

 in our valley, assured me that he had twice flushed 

 what he called a Black Snipe near Thrapston, some 

 years ago, after the commencement of the close 

 season. This in all probability was one of the dark- 

 coloured somewhat rare variety of Common Snipe 

 known as Sabine's Snipe [Gallinago sahini). This 

 variety was for a long time considered by ornitho- 

 logists as being of a distinct species, and curiously 

 enough, according to Mr. J. E. Harting (' Handbook 

 of British Birds,' p. 52), has never, or only once, 

 been recorded as occurring anywhere except in 

 England and Ireland. 



The Jack Snipe thrives well in captivity, and 

 becomes perfectly tame in a very few days, but it is 

 necessary to restrict his diet, as certainly three or 

 four times his own weight of small earthworms will, 

 if he can get them, be devoured and digested by this 

 little glutton in twenty-four hours ; and of course in 

 confinement " Jack" is not called upon for even the 

 very moderate amount of aerial and terrestrial exercise 

 that are naturally necessary in procuring his nocturnal 

 repasts when at liberty. 



The nuptial plumage of this little bird is exceed- 

 ingly bright and beautiful, but nevertheless most 

 admirably adapted for concealment in the localities 

 generally preferred. 



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