THE JACKSNIPE. 



245 



very small bird, it is considered a delicate morsel for the 

 table ; hence the old French quatrain : 



Le be"casseau x est de fort bon manger, 

 Duquel la chair resueille 1'appetet, 

 11 est oyseau passager et petit, 

 Et par son goust fait des vins bien juger. 



During severe weather in winter, when its usual haunts 

 are frozen and covered with snow, it may be seen frequenting 

 the sides of open drains and ditches in search of its food, 

 which consists of insects of various kinds. 



There is no reliable record of this species having bred 

 in the British Islands. 



1 It is so called by the game-dealers in Paris. E. Holland, Faune Populaire de 

 la France, tome ii. p. 358. 



