During the breeding-season the Snipe has a rapidly-repeated note, ' tyip- 

 tynp, tyip-tyup! which is common to both sexes, and is usually accompanied 

 by much bobbing of the head. The male has also a curious aerial performance 

 known as drumming, which takes place in the pairing-season, and often 

 when the female is sitting. He flies high in the air, wheeling round and 

 round in large circles, ascending gradually with rapidly-beating wings for 

 a few moments, and then swooping downwards with his wings half open 

 vibrating rapidly, the tail being spread out like a half-opened fan, and it is 

 during this downward movement that the curious drumming sound is heard. 

 It is most easily described as resembling the bleating of a goat, and ascends 

 slightly in tone towards the end of the bleat. Great difference of opinion exists 

 as to the method of producing this sound. Some writers say it is made by 

 the wings, others that it is a vocal production, while some state that the sound 

 is produced by the air rushing through the feathers of the tail like an yEolian 

 harp. Though the Snipe is essentially a ground bird, it is occasionally seen 

 to perch upon trees, and usually chooses the topmost twig. 



The breeding-season commences about the beginning of April, and eggs 

 may be taken from the middle of that month till late in May. The nest is 

 generally a mere depression in the middle of a bunch of rushes or coarse 

 grass, and is lined with dry grass ; more rarely it is found among heather. 

 Though the bird is fond of water and always frequents the swamps, its nest 

 is usually placed on some tolerably dry piece of ground. The eggs, which 

 are usually four in number, vary in ground-colour from pale buff and pale 

 brown to pale olive or greyish green, and are blotched, spotted, and sometimes 

 streaked with rich dark brown and with pale brown and grey undermarks. 

 On many eggs the blotches are chiefly on the large end of the egg, often in 

 a zone, and many of them confluent ; some specimens have most of the streaks 

 placed obliquely, and a few very dark brown streaks and hair-lines on them, 

 the undermarks being usually large and fairly conspicuous. They vary from 

 r6 to 1*5 inch in length, and from r2 to ro inch in breadth. 



Young in down are bright chestnut brown, spotted with white, and marked 

 with black on the upper parts. 



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