ii6 THE BIRDS OF BERKS AND BUCKS. 



commons in the vicinity of Reading and on the 

 southern borders of Berkshire. In the severe winter 

 of 1866-67, during the hard frosts which then prevailed, 

 Snipe were so tame as to sit on cottage door-steps, 

 and when disturbed did not fly far. 



They are sometimes killed by flying against tele- 

 graph wires, and in a similar way I have known Land- 

 rails, Redwings, Blackcocks, and Larks to meet their 

 death. On the 7th of December, 1867, I was shewn 

 a Snipe which had been killed in this way, near 

 Windsor, one wing being cut clean off, and a deep 

 gash on the head. 



The following is from a letter from Mr. Mackenzie : — 

 ' I saw a Snipe shot out of a flock of Larks at sixty- 

 three yards on the hills near Fawley, on the ist of 

 November, 1862. I saw a Snipe on the 20th of July, 

 1862, which is unusually early, or late, unless it 

 was breeding.' 



Jack Snipe {Scolopax gallinula). A beautiful and 

 v/ell-known species, but not so numerous as the last- 

 named, although, like it, a regular winter visitor. So 

 far as I am aware, no authenticated instance of its 

 breeding in Great Britain has ever been recorded. 



It reaches us in October, and remains until February. 

 In the neighbourhood of Chesham it is rare, but Mr. 

 Bryant Burgess told me of one which was shot near 

 there, at Missenden, in the month of February, 1842, 

 and of another which was killed near Slapton in 

 December, 1848. 



