FEEDS ONLY BY NIGHT. 221 



the sportman first catch sight of each other ; and (except 

 whilst casting a side-long glance at the enemy, when it 

 gradually raises up its short and light-coloured tail, till 

 the latter stands nearly at right angles with its body) in 

 this posture it continues until it becomes alarmed, or 

 tired, when it hurriedly draws up his legs, in preparation 

 to spring from the ground, and at the next instant takes 

 wing arid flies away. 



Thus it rests during the daytime, and it is not until 

 the approach of evening that hunger compels it to rouse 

 itself from its lethargy, and to look out for food. This it 

 seeks only in wet and moist places. Sometimes, at night- 

 fall, it has been observed to fly to an open spot, free from 

 grass, on a foraging expedition. Here it marches to and 

 fro with its legs, and neck outstretched, searching for 

 food. Probably it again rests during the darkest period 

 of the night, and at early morning recommences feeding. 



The Solitary Snipe is believed to be polygamous. Like 

 the Capercali and the Black-Cock, it has its pairing- 

 ground, where affairs matrimonial are carried on. " I was 

 already an old sportsman of thirty years' standing," says 

 M. Greiff, " before it came to my knowledge that these 

 birds had their ' Lek-stalle ' on a morass, where there was 

 a good ' Orre-Lek.' I had heard their cry, during 

 a whole spring, but not seeing anything, I concluded it 

 was occasioned by frogs. At last, however, I discovered 

 that it proceeded from Solitary Snipes, which looked like 

 so many large rats as they ran about amongst the tussock. 

 The cry commenced with a sound resembling the smack 

 of the tongue, and was followed up by four or five others 

 still louder, and finished with a sugning or sucking-in of 

 the breath, as it were, during which time the bird swelled 

 itself out in the manner of a Peacock, and flapped its 



wings." 



Again : " As the Solitary Snipe only inhabits wet and 



