158 REMmiSCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN. 



good feeding grounds in this valley, but I never saw the 

 solitary or tlie jack snipe or judcock in those countries. 



• The snipe makes its nest of dried grass ; and lays four 

 eggs of a dirty olive colour marked with dusky spots. 

 When they are disturbed, more especially in the breeding 

 season, they soar to a great height, making a curious 

 bleating noise, and when descending dart rapidly down. 

 It is also a singular fact that when the female is sitting 

 on her eggs the cock has been seen to poise himself on 

 her wings, making sometimes a whistling and sometimes 

 a drumming noise. 



The food of the snipe is the same as that of the wood- 

 cock, and in general they are esteemed a more delicate 

 bird for the table than the latter. They are very fat 

 about Christmas. 



I once dined with a near neighbour of mine who 

 piqued himself on the honne chere of his table, and 

 amongst the delicacies was a snipe pudding, which I 

 found excellent. 



The three different species of snipes found in this 

 kingdom are the solitary snipe (very scarce), the full 

 snipe, and the jack snipe. They who delight in snipe 

 shooting are provided with high boots made waterproof 

 by a mixture of tallow, tar, and beeswax, the seams 

 being well rubbed over with it. The annoyance of these 

 boots to the wearer is their great weight, and the im- 

 pediment thereby experienced in springing from one 

 tuft to another, or in jumping over ditches. 



Snipes are to be found on our highest mountains, as 

 also on the low moors, fens, and morasses. About the 

 first week of April they begin to pipe, and many of them 

 breed in this country. The young are ugly and shape- 

 less (I have described one that I found when grouse 



