132 FEATHERED GAME 



formance but once, and then in the legitimate 

 shooting season. It was a bright October day 

 when a single Snipe, the sole dweller in the 

 marsh-land near by, entertained me in some- 

 thing after this manner: The bird mounted 

 upward fully one hundred yards, flying at great 

 speed in wide circles, then suddenly dropped 

 like a stone almost to the earth, his wings half 

 closed and moving rapidly. This was repeated 

 several times. The '' drumming" sound is sup- 

 posed to be due to the action of the air upon 

 the stiff wing quills in their rapid motion, and 

 the music thus produced is very like that made 

 by the small boy when '^ humming a nail." At 

 times a number of Snipe join together in this 

 performance. When this occurs they are apt 

 to be very wild and difficult of approach, so we 

 are told. 



The Snipe nests in some dry tussock in the 

 midst of the marsh, usually laying four eggs, 

 of a grayish green color, splashed with dark 

 brown spots. The young generally appear dur- 

 ing the latter half of June. A few of these 

 birds breed in the extensive marshes about the 

 Maine lakes, wandering into the tide-waters 

 late in September, but the best snipe shooting 



