THE COMMON SNIPE. 



463 



Reeves — and, as the birds make a great noise about their affairs, and 

 in their eager combat trample down the grass on the little hills where 

 they love to resort, the fowler knows well where to lay his nets. 



The Ruff is chiefly remarkable for the peculiarity from which it de- 

 rives its name — the projecting ruff of long, closely-set feathers which 

 surrounds the neck and can be raised or lowered at pleasure. This 

 ruff belongs only to the adult males, and is assumed by them during 

 the short breeding season, 

 being in greatest perfection 

 about the beginning of June, 

 and falling off by degrees from 

 July to August and September. 



The Common Snipe is too 

 well known to need much de- 

 scription. Its habits, however, 

 are interesting, and deserve 

 some notice. 



This bird may be seen all 

 over England wherever damp 

 and swampy places are found. 

 When first flushed it shoots 

 off in a straight line for a 

 few yards, and then begins to 

 twist and turn in a strangely 

 zigzag fashion, and at last 

 darts away, thereby puzzling The Snipe {Nummius scolapacinns). 

 juvenile sportsmen greatly, and often escaping before its enemy has 

 got his aim. 



The male bird has a curious habit of rising to a great height in the 

 air, circling repeatedly over the same ground, and uttering continually 

 a peculiar cry like the words "Chic! chic! chic-a, chic-a, chic-a!" con- 

 stantly repeated. Every now and then the bird makes a downward 

 stoop, and then emits a very singular sound, something between the 

 bleating of a goat and the buzzing of a slack harp-string. How this 

 sound is produced has long been a subject of controversy, but I am 

 convinced that it is produced by the wings— at all events, that it is not 

 from the mouth. 



During a recent stay in the New Forest, I set myself to the elucida- 

 tion of this problem, and in company with two friends went toward sun- 

 set to an excellent cover near a large marsh, in which Snipes were al- 

 most as plentiful as sparrows. From this post we could watch the 

 Snipes to great advantage, and the birds would come circling over 

 our heads, piping and drumming vigorously. On several occasions, 

 when a Snipe was passing over us at so low an elevation that his i^ng 



