SmFE USING THEIR BILIS TO RISE WITH 203 



Snipe soon suffer in a severe frost, and get thin and 

 die ; but woodcock are stronger and better able to feed, 

 and so retain their condition ; and when the ground 

 gets too hard, they fly away to softer feeding-grounds, 

 as I have before stated. 



It is curious and interesting to watch these birds 

 feeding; and I have often done so when waiting for 

 duck-flights, etc. They rise by means of their bills, 

 which they place lightly on the mud ; bur if in their 

 flight they use it too energetically, they are at times 

 apt to be hampered by it at starting. On bogs and 

 moors it is not possible to see them rise, but as a rule 

 such ground is not too soft for them, and they are 

 therefore able to rise more rapidly than from off mud- 

 banks, etc. I have often seen a woodcock, and now and 

 again even a snipe, on bare spots, while my pointer has 

 ' set ' it, and have been much interested in watching 

 the former trying to make up his mind which side he 

 would make for, and then, suddenly placing his bill on 

 the ground, open his wings at the same time. 



Once, while so watching, I discovered why these 

 birds make so much noise when rising in covert. It 

 seems that they have little or no power of springing 

 into the air before Qrettino- on the winof, and their bill , 

 seems to be rather an encumbrance when rising out of 

 thick covert, unless it is placed on the ground for the 

 purpose of aiding the rise with the wings ; and their 

 bills being of such a length, rather serve to make their 

 heads somewhat over-heavy, and, if they were not 

 therefore placed on the ground and thus used as a 

 lever, the birds at times would be unable to rise 

 quickly enough. 



Jack snipe are very amusing, and are so often 



