558 



COMMON SNIPE. 



down to the lofty table-lands of Yarkand, crosses the great central 

 ranges on migration, and is distributed in winter nearly to the 

 equator. A closely-allied species with i8 tail-feathers inhabits North 

 America. 



During the breeding-season the Snipe produces while on the 

 wing — especially towards evening — a drumming or ' bleating ' sound, 

 which appears to be chiefly due to the action of the wings, slightly 

 assisted by the expanded tail-feathers. In April, though exception- 

 ally in March, its slight nest in the side of a tuft of grass or bunch 

 of rushes is prepared ; the eggs — usually 4 in number and very 

 large for the size of the bird — being yellowish- or greenish-white, 

 blotched somewhat obliquely with several shades of brown : average 

 measurements i"6 by i"i in. The alarm-note, scape, scape, and chip, 

 chip, is as well known as the zig-zag flight of the bird on being 

 flushed ; when feeding, however, the Snipe may be approached 

 unawares, and will then try to escape notice by squatting ; occasion- 

 ally it perches on trees &c., though the fact has been dogmatically 

 disputed by persons of limited experience. As its food consists of 

 worms, insects and small molluscs, the Snipe often becomes very 

 thin during a continuance of frost ; its average weight is 4 ozs. 



A detailed description is rendered unnecessary by the wood-cut ; 

 tail-feathers 14 in number ; length of body 8 in. ; wing 5 in. It will 

 be more interesting to give a vignette of the so-called Sabine's 

 Snipe, now generally admitted to be a melanism and seldom found 

 outside the British Islands. The numerous variations in plumage 

 have led to the creation of several bad species. 





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