S^IPE-SHOOTING. • 825 



the British Islands, viz , the common snipe, {S. gallinago,) 

 the great snipe, (Scolopax major,) the jack-snipe, [S. galli- 

 nula,) Sabine's snipe, {S. Sahini,) and the brown snipe. {S. 

 grisea.) 



The Jack-Snipe. — This bird is smaller than the common 

 snipe, being only from eight inches to eight inches and a half 

 in length, and is distinguished from that bird by several other 

 peculiarities. It is more decidedly a winter visitant than 

 the common snipe, and is more solitary in its habits. It 

 rarely spends the summer in Great Britain. It frequents 

 and feeds on bare boggy grounds, and when not searching 

 for food, selects sheltered situations among strong rushes or 

 coarse long grass, and the luxuriant vegetation common to 

 moist ground. In such situations this bird is remarkable for 

 its sluggish habits, seldom taking wing until almost trodden 

 upon, which has acquired for it in France the cognomen of 

 BScassine sourde, or Deaf snipe, as if it were deaf to the 

 approach of an enemy ; and instances have actually occurred 

 in which the jack-snipe has permitted itself to be picked up by 

 hand before the nose of a pointer. Its flight is more direct 

 and without the twistings and evolutions of the common 

 snipe, and more resembling that of a woodcock, when flying 

 in open space, the wings being considerably bent, and form- 

 ing an acute-angle with the body. It seldom flies to any 

 distance, but drops in the first miry spot that presents itself, 

 from whence it is roused with even more diflSculty than at 

 first. It utters no alarm-cry when it rises, nor has any 

 note belonging to it been detected. Though generally dis- 

 persed over the British islands in winter, it is considered 

 to be less numerous as a species than the common snipe. It 

 appears to have particular attachment to certain localities, 

 so much so, that a sportsman shooting for years in succession 

 on the same ground, knows exactly where to look for any 



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