JACK SNIPE 281 



zag manner that characterises the flight of the preceding 

 species. 



Voice. In Lapland in the spring-season the drumming 

 of the Jack Snipe has been compared to "the cantering of 

 a horse/^er a hard road " (Wolley). At other seasons, 

 appears to be remarkably silent, though occa- 

 /nally it gives utterance to a short note softly produced, 

 and only heard at very close quarters. 



Food. Small worms, grubs, caterpillars, and insects, 

 form the staple diet ; particles of sand are also swallowed. 

 Like its congeners, the Jack Snipe frequently changes its 

 quarters for feeding-purposes, but seems to depend but little 

 on the light from the moon to aid it on its nocturnal 

 flights. It is a hardy little bird, usually plump and in 

 good condition, even during severe frosty weather. 



Nest. The nest is built on or near marshy ground, 

 amid grasses of which it is largely composed and other 

 herbage. The eggs, usually four in number, are of a light 

 olive ground-colour, marked with dark brown spots and 

 streaks, and are very large in proportion to the size of the 

 bird. 



Incubation takes place during the month of June. 



Geographical distribution. The Jack Snipe breeds in 

 Lapland, Scandinavia, Northern and Arctic Kussia, as 

 well as in Siberia. On migration in autumn and winter 

 it spreads over the European Continent to North Africa, 

 while it occurs over Temperate and Southern Asia and 

 as far east as Japan. 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. Top of head, blackish- 

 brown, limited on either side by a conspicuous light buff 

 line, which curves from the base of the beak over the eye 

 to the hind-neck ; immediately above the eye is a shorter 

 dark streak ; face, greyish, marked with two dark lines, 

 the upper extending from the beak to the front of the 

 eye, the lower from the beak to the ear ; throat, neck, 

 and breast, streaked and spotted with shades of grey and 

 brown ; flanks and under tail-coverts, striped with brown 

 and white; abdomen and lower breast, white; the mark- 

 ings on the back and wings closely resemble those of the 

 Common Snipe, but in the Jack Snipe there is a large 



