209 
during its progress to and from the northern dis- 
tricts, in which it breeds. In the western Continent 
it frequents the sand-bars and mud-flats at low 
water, in search of food, and being less suspicious 
of a boat than of a person on shore, is easily ap- 
proached. The Brown Snipe is said to be well 
known in the fur countries, and to have an exten- 
sive breeding range from the borders of Lake 
Superior to the Arctic Seas. Montagu first re- 
corded its occurrence in England, having obtained 
a male which was shot on the coast of Devonshire ; 
and other individuals have since been killed in this 
country. 
SNIPE, COMMON. 
BLEATER. 
ScoLOPAX GALLINAGO, Lin. 
This species is generally distributed in Great 
Britain and Ireland, residing in marshy places, 
moors, and wet meadows. In summer it leaves its 
southern haunts and breeds on the heaths and 
moorland, where it forms a slight nest in a hollow. 
It lays four eggs of a greyish yellow colour, tinged 
with greenish blue, and irregularly patched with 
dark brown and brownish grey spots. In winter 
it betakes itself to the lower parts of the 
country. It feeds chiefly at night, procurmg 
its food by plunging its bill into the mud, 
P 
