GALLINAGO 71 



" In the summer of 1904, in the Fens of Cambridgeshire, I began 

 to observe the Snipes in the act of bleating through a strong prism 

 binocular. I had read none of the literature on the subject, and so 

 had no preconceived ideas. The observations I made then I have 

 had ample opportunities of confirming. 



I find that ordinarily the bird flies up to a height of 60 — 100 

 feet above ground, in windy weather going higher, with its tail held 

 in the ordinary position of flight, then turning, it spreads its tail 

 like a fan, the ttvo outer tail feathers being spread out well in front of 

 the other twelve and held firmly there. Immediately the birds begin 

 to descend the bleat is heard (making due allowances for the time 

 it takes for sound to travel). While descending the bird makes 

 tremulous motions with its wings from the radiocarpal joint. The 

 descent is made from 30 — 40 feet and occupies two to three seconds, 

 the bleat lasting the same time. The bird does not drop head fore- 

 most through space, but at an angle of from 45^ — 60 witli the horizon. 

 The tail as a whole is not vibrated, but it is quite easy to see the two 

 outer tail feathers with a strong glass vibrating to such an e.xtent 

 that their terminal portions become indistinguishable. Snipes begin 

 to bleat in March, but if the weather is mild, in February, and 

 continue to the end of May, though I heard one last year in Sutherland 

 still bleating on June 25th. 



" At the beginning of the breeding season they may be seen 

 bleating in pairs ; but later on, when the hen is sitting, the cock bird 

 may be seen performing alone over the marsh where the nest is 

 placed. Under favourable conditions many bleat together, circling 

 round the same spot for hours. On April 12th of last year I had the 

 good fortune to hear no less than twelve birds bleating together, a 

 concert which they kept up all through the night. Every now and 

 again, as if by common consent, there would be a lull and all the 

 birds would settle, but directly one began again all the rest immedi- 

 ately joined in the chorus. 



" Snipe bleat best in the early morning and in the evening, 

 especially when the weather is dull and damp. It may be of interest 

 to note that last spring I saw a specimen of the melanistic variety 

 (Sabine's Snipe) bleating. 



" Once having convinced myself that the two outer tail feathers 

 are invariably spread out beyond the others — a fact which is now 

 obvious to me with the unaided eye — it seemed to me that the two 

 outer tail feathers must bo the active agents in causing the bleat. I 

 accordingly procured several tails of the Common Snipe, and, taking the 

 two outer tail feathers, pierced the shaft with a pin to which I firmly 

 bound it with cotton and inserted the feathers into a cork at the end 

 of a stick some six inches long. A hole is bored at the other end of 

 the stick and a long string attached. This is whirled round the 



