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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 others have since been killed in this country. 



SNIPE, COMMON. 

 BLEATER. 



SCOLOPAX GALLINA&O, Lin. 



The Common Snipe 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, procuring its 

 food by plunging its bill into the mud. The flight 



p 



