The Snipes. 473 



overgrown marshes, and their pecuUar 

 courting commences. Rising into the air, 

 similar to our G. scolopachm, and des- 

 cribing large circles above the spot where 

 the female is sitting, it suddenly dashes 

 downwards with great noise (which is 

 most likely produced by the tail-feathers, 

 like that made by our species, and some- 

 what resembles the noise of a broken 

 rocket). As the bird approaches the 

 ground the noise increases, until it has 

 got within a hundred yards, when it 

 suddenly stops the sound and quietly 

 flies on, uttering a note something like 

 tiricj tiricj tiric. Courtship lasts until 

 the middle of June, and is mostly heard 

 or seen in the mornings and evenings, 

 but occasionally in the daytime, and even 

 at night in the clear weather." 



The eggs of this Snipe have not been 

 described, and it is doubtful if they have 

 ever been taken by any naturalist. The 

 extracts above quoted were written some 

 twenty years ago, and I believe that, 

 since that time, no further light has been 

 thrown on the breeding of this Snipe. 



The Pin-tail Snipe has the plumage 

 so similar to that of the Common Snipe 

 that it is unnecessary to describe it 

 separately. The points of difference 



