days ; had it not been drained it would have been twenty times 

 worse now, what with railways and other enlightening processes 

 which accompany the progress of civilization. What has this to 

 do with Snipes ? it might be asked. But it has a great deal, as 

 in many places it has improved them from the face of the earth 

 entirely where they used to be in plenty. All I can say is they 

 have afforded us many a pleasant day, and sometimes in autumn 

 we could get from fifteen to twenty couple, besides a few Teal, 

 Plovers, and sundries. The best time for them was early in 

 autumn, when not only those bred there were to be found, but 

 others from the moors, when food begun to get scarce, as it then 

 does, came down to the flooded land. At such times acres and 

 acres got covered with shallow water, through which grass came 

 and rested on its surface. On this grass Snipes, Plovers, young 

 Ruffs, and various other birds walked about and fed. The Snipes 

 were awake and moving sometimes all day long, often four or 

 five together, and sometimes mixed with the Plovers and other 

 birds. 



Snipes lay in April, but it would seem they will soon lay again 

 if the first eggs are taken or destroyed, as one often meets with 

 young birds not able to fly in August, whilst the young of the 

 regular time should be able to fly in the end of June.* Young 

 Snipes are easily recognisable from the old in August ; they are 

 symmetrically marked, the edges of the back feathers being nar- 

 row and bright. They retain this plumage till the autumn, when 

 they begin to get new feathers on the back edged with broader 

 marks, being the plumage of the mature bird ; and gradually, as 

 winter advances, they get their winter plumage, resembling the 

 old bird, but they do not cast the wing feathers till the following 

 autumn. In August the old birds moult their quill feathers, and 

 they are often so much in the moult as to be unwilling and almost 

 unable to rise ; these are often taken for young birds but the dif- 

 ference is easily known ; the wing feathers of the young bird 



* I find notes of having found a nest with four eggs on the 19th April, and also a nest 

 at Sweethope Lake, on the 10th August, 1840, containing two eggs these probably would 

 never be hatched. 



