io6 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



The bird visits the tide, at times particularly 

 often, where there are woods on the rising grounds 

 that tidal rivers pass through. This takes place in 

 hard weather. When it is, as they say, " bitter 

 hard," he flights to the tide and feeds on the slub 

 when the tide is out. He will swallow shell-fish 

 then ; little creatures, very small at first, and soft. 

 Those of my readers that have wandered about on 

 the slubs hard slub, not soft will have seen any 

 amount of these that could be crushed by the finger 

 and thumb without much pressure. Directly a 

 change comes for the better, he is off again. So 

 partial to the holly for shelter is this bird, that a 

 holly-bush and a Woodcock go together. When out 

 shooting, the men always tap with their beating- 

 sticks any holly that they come near, and in many 

 cases to some purpose. 



The Great Snipe can only be considered as a 

 very irregular visitor from its northern home. It 

 differs from our common bird when flushed, for it 

 rises in silence, spreads its tail like a fan, and flies 

 rather heavily, without any erratic twistings such as 

 our well-known Snipe has. 



A northern sportsman first described the habits of 

 this bird in the nesting season. They are far more 

 like those of the Ruff than those of our Common 

 Snipe. Recent investigations have found some 

 Woodcock traits about them, very like tilting. The 

 places where it has been flushed from and shot in 

 this country, in many instances, have been where a 

 cock might have been expected. I should fancy that 



