ON MOORS, COMMONS, AND HEATHS. 155 



The Snipe frequents the swampy parts of the 

 moor, and in April the male is famous for his 

 aerial flights. He may then be seen soaring high 

 up in the air and careering about in widening 

 circles as he goes ; then, when the zenith of his 

 flight is reached, he descends to the earth on 

 vibrating wings and expanded tail, making the 

 famous noise which is known to every countryman 

 as " bleating." How this noise is produced 

 whether by the vocal organs, or by the air 

 passing through the tail feathers, or by the 

 vibrating wings is still a matter of conjecture. 

 These extraordinary flights are confined to the 

 love season, and we may judge from them when 

 his nest is ready for inspection. This is made 

 among the heather, sometimes a considerable 

 distance from the swamps, but more frequently 

 it will be found among the rush tufts and the 

 cotton-grass. It is a simple hollow lined with 

 a few scraps of dead herbage. The eggs are 

 four in number, pear-shaped, and olive-green, 

 boldly and beautifully blotched with dark brown, 

 lighter brown, and gray, and sometimes streaked 

 with nearly black. Insects and worms found in 

 the swampy ground are the Snipe's favourite 

 food. This bird is remarkably skulking in its 

 habits, rarely seen on the wing except in the 

 love season, or when flushed, and is most active 

 at nightfall. So long as the swamps are not 

 frost-bound the Snipes linger on the moors. I 

 have known them do so right through the winter ; 

 but in severe weather they are compelled to 

 wander to more lowland haunts where food can 

 be obtained. Their journeys are always made 

 at night. 



