COMMON SNIPE. 



607 



ground a little." The holes made with their bills, when thus 

 searching for food, are easily traced. In my own communi- 

 cation on the subject of Snipes, published in Mr. Loudon's 

 third volume, I described a peculiarity in the beak of all the 

 species of the genus Scolopax. The end of the beak of a 

 Snipe, when the bird is alive, or if recently killed, is smooth, 

 soft, and pulpy, indicating great sensibility ; but some time 

 afterwards it becomes dimpled like the end of a thimble. If 

 the upper mandible be macerated in water for a few days, the 

 skin, or cuticle, may be readily peeled off; and the bones thus 

 laid bare exhibit an appearance, of which the engraving here 

 introduced is a magnified representation. 



The external surface presents numerous elongated, liexa- 

 gonal cells, which afford at the same time protection, and 

 space for the expansion, of minute portions of nerves supplied 

 to them by two branches of the fifth pair; and the end of the 

 bill becomes, in consequence of this provision, a delicate or- 

 gan of touch, to assist these birds when boring for their food 

 in soft ground ; this enlarged extremity of the beak, which 

 it will be recollected is a generic distinction, possessing such 

 a degree of sensibility as to enable these birds to detect their 

 prey the instant it comes in contact Avith it, although placed 

 beyond the reach of sight. The food of the Snipe consists 

 of worms, insects, small shells with their animal inhabitants, 

 and minute seeds ; these last, perhaps, not picked up de- 

 signedly, but swallowed probably while adhering to the glu- 

 tinous surface of their more usual animal food. A Snipe that 



