152 IN PAIRING TIME 



In treating of the reputation of the Woodcock as 

 a table bird, this writer states that "the world is full 

 of over-estimated birds as well as false reputations ; 

 but the truth is great it will prevail." Probably it 

 will; but not "on toast." In the meanwhile, what 

 has truth done that he should defend her ? 



In this glorified menu, illuminated, as it is, by 

 florid picturings of the beauties of Nature, the Snipe 

 could not fail to have a place. "These grotesque 

 birds," the writer says, " all belly and bill, were born 

 for the table a long bill to feed a dumpy, graceless 

 body, which, however, is as sweet as a nut, and 

 more juicy." Then follows a long rhapsodical 

 paragraph about the " silver moon " and similar 

 phenomena, with a hungry nominative gaping for its 

 verb from start to finish, and forced in the end to 

 swallow a full-stop for lack of more natural diet. 



But to return from this little excursion into the 

 natural history of natural history, by what canon is 

 the Snipe styled graceless and grotesque ? Shall we 

 call the Heron grotesque in respect to the Hobby? 

 the Coot graceless as compared with the Swallow ? 

 These are general terms presupposing some general 

 standard of excellence from which each deviates in 

 its way. But what ideal bird has become the 

 standard of comparison for forms so widely different ? 

 Place the Swallow beside the Coot in the water, and 

 say which is graceful ; or the Coot beside the Swallow 

 in the air, and say which is grotesque. Each is fitted 

 for its element, we say. Just so ; each has its own 

 standard. I am not able -to think of a Snipe in terms 

 of a Wagtail. That would indeed be grotesque. 

 But, taking a Snipe for what it is, one need not be a 



