CH. iv. SNIPE'S EGGS. 63 



taken in the bird, and that the action of the hen 

 snipe when disturbed from her nest being unlike 

 her usual flight, made him believe her to be the 

 jack snipe instead of the common one. The eggs 

 were certainly small for a snipe, but not smaller 

 than I have sometimes seen them. I have never 

 read any account of the jack snipe breeding in 

 Scotland that I considered well authenticated. 

 There is every probability that a few birds, un- 

 equal to the long flight of their migration, may 

 remain in this country during the summer. But 

 notwithstanding the eager search made for the 

 nest by egg collectors, it has never yet been found 

 in Scotland. I heard that the jack snipe had been 

 seen breeding near Tongue, but the gamekeeper 

 there says that this is not the case, and that pro- 

 bably the dunlin was mistaken for that bird. 



