io8 THE BRITISH NATURE BOOK 



It is distinguished by its brown back and white under parts. A graceful 

 bird on slender legs, often seen running along the edge of a lake or stream. 

 When disturbed, it flies away, just skimming the surface, uttering " Peep- 

 peep," showing white margin to the inside of wings and round tip of tail. 



The nest, a depression among the pebbles or shingle near a stream or lake, 

 lined with grass, etc. The eggs (four) are buff-white, with dark brown and grey 

 spots and blotches, pear-shaped ; about the size of a Blackbird's, but of course 

 very different in shape. 



Sandpiper, Green. Easily distinguished from the others by its larger size 

 (9.5 inches), the bronze-green upper surface, and the dull black underwing 

 and axillaries, the latter having white bars. [The rare WOOD SANDPIPER is 

 smaller (3^ inches), and is distinguished by the white underwings.] Does 

 not breed, so far as is known, in Great Britain, but is a winter visitor and bird 

 of passage. The bird has a strong smell, like the woodpeckers. 



Sandpiper, Purple. This bird is much like the Dunlin (which see), but has 

 yellow legs. In breeding plumage, the male has a purple gloss on the black 

 upper parts. It appears as a winter visitor, young birds arriving during Septem- 

 ber, the adults in October. It does not breed in the British Isles ; prefers wild, 

 rocky coasts more than sandy shores. Its note is " Weet-wit," or " Tee-wit." 



Snipe, Common (see notes on JACK SNIPE in the preceding group). Is 

 smaller than the Woodcock (which see), possesses a long bill, flat head, and 

 neat, " compact " body, beautifully coloured so as to resemble the foliage 

 and soil of its haunts. 



The long beak is used (a characteristic common to all the family) for thrust- 

 ing into the earth in search of worms, and possesses this remarkable feature 

 the end of the upper jaw is movable, capable of being raised up and brought 

 down on the lower jaw without moving the rest of the bill. It is, in fact, a sort 

 of " upper Up," and is an instrument of great grasping power. Its purpose is 

 obvious. When the bill is thrust into the ground after a worm, to open the 

 whole beak and close it would fill the mouth with dirt ; but the bird is thus 

 able to keep its bill shut and open just the extremity to secure its prey. The 

 feeding haunts of these birds may be found by noticing the neat holes which 

 they have made in the ground. In colour the Snipe is distinguished by the 

 three stripes of yellow on the crown from front to back, and four stripes along 

 the back. The upper parts are of a black and buff variegated pattern, with 

 grey on the wings, the under parts being whitish with shades of grey. 



The bird may be recognized by its peculiar twisting flight, as well as by its 

 alarm cry of " Scope-scope." 



Its food consists of worms, insects and their larvae ; in winter, when the 

 ground is frost-bound, it seeks the coast, where it finds food in the sand or mud 

 of the sea-edge. 



The nest is a cup-shaped hollow in the ground in a marshy spot, often under 

 a tussock of grass, in rough pasture land near water ; it is lined with dead 

 grass. 



