328 RURAL BIRD LIFE. 



heather on the drier portions of the moor, while at 

 others it is placed in the centre of the reed tufts in the 

 swamps, where to reach it means going up to the waist 

 in mud, slime, and water. It is a very unpretending 

 little home indeed, its materials being found close at 

 hand, and but little skill is displayed in forming them. 

 Little bits of reed and dry grass are used, if in the 

 swamp ; while if on the moor, portions of the heather are 

 used instead. The eggs of the Snipe, as usual, large for 

 the size of the bird, are always four in number, and in 

 shape of course much pointed, yet not so much as 

 those of the Sandpiper. They are olive-green in ground 

 colour, spotted and blotched with rich brown, and some- 

 times streaked round the larger end with much deeper 

 colour. The parent Snipe will display various alluring 

 motions should you disturb her, yet she often quits her 

 eggs silently at the first sign of your approach, and, 

 noiselessly gliding through the herbage, seeks a place 

 of safety, and leaves her eggs, trusting that their colour 

 will prove their shield. Sometimes, however, especially 

 if her eggs be near hatching, she will crouch low, and 

 remain silent and motionless upon them, and though 

 you approach her closely she moves not, except probably 

 to nestle still closer over her eggs, dearer to her than 

 her own life. During the whole period of incubation the 

 male Snipe strays but little from the vicinity of the nest, 

 and takes his turn upon the eggs while his mate recruits 

 her failing powers with food. 



Young Snipes have the beak nothing near so long as 

 their parents, and are covered with a downy garb of 

 brown. Both the old Snipes attend them, forage for 

 them, and protect them if need be from the prowling 

 Crow or Hawk. Should a human intruder appear upon 

 the scene, he would find, as is the case with all birds of 



