33^ PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS : ZOOLOGY 



"The Snipe, when drumming, is said to be calling for water, but I for- 

 get the exact name used for the bird. I often searched for the nest among 

 the tall grass and herbage on the boggy banks of canadas where I flushed 

 Snipe, without success, but on the 23d November, when galloping home 

 with a companion through some low paja near the Sauce on Sta. Ade- 

 laida, a Snipe fluttered from under my horse's feet ; this was thirty yards 

 at least from the river and quite dry ground. The nest was in a tuft of 

 paja, formed of a few grass-blades, and contained two fresh eggs. By 

 Christmas all, or nearly all, the Snipe had disappeared from the neighbor- 

 hood, the country having become excessively dry. A very few put in an 

 appearance about the end of February and early in March, but it was not 

 until early April (after a heavy rain-storm) that we saw any great number. 

 All through that month and in May they were rather numerous, although 

 more plentiful on some days than others. Their habits at that season 

 almost exactly resembled those of our bird. The cry on rising was ' quirk, 

 qneak,' or ' quir-eak.'' 



"It seems just possible that some of these Snipes which visited us in 

 autumn may have bred at that season. At all events I noticed that in 

 May, while most of the birds remained more or less wild, as autumn Snipe 

 are, some were tame and behaved exactly as others did in the spring. 

 In the early part of May we had some very fine warm weather, and it was 

 on the I St of that month that I first noticed Snipe drumming in the autumn 

 just as they did in spring ; I observed this during the day as well as at 

 sundown for a fortnight afterwards, but in the cold period which followed 

 I did not notice them, and I left about the end of the month. In the first 

 week I saw two or three supposed pairs, and on the 8th I observed one 

 pair especially, where the Sauce ran swiftly through low green banks, 

 sheltered by higher banks, tall paja, &c., and was studded with green 

 islets. The pair, on being disturbed, settled on the short green turf in 

 full view, the male rising again, but the female remaining on the ground 

 uttering a loud chiik cJiitk cJiiik continuously (rather like the alarm-call 

 of a hen Partridge which has small young in the grass) for some time, 

 then rose and flew a few yards with upraised wings, and, alighting again, 

 continued calling. When on the wing her note was a rapid titka tuka. 

 Meanwhile the male was drumming loudly overhead. I could also that 

 afternoon (had I been so inclined) have shot a few other Snipe on the 

 ground, but at the same time the rest of the birds seen (a considerable 



