134 



WOODCOCK (WINTER). 

 Case 188. 



As will be readily seen by the specimens in 

 the present case the plumage of the Woodcock in 

 winter is considerably darker than in summer. 



The birds were shot in Glenlyon in Perthshire 

 in November, 1875. 



See " Eough Notes," Vol. IT., Plate 24. 



SNIPE. (WINTER). 

 Case 189. 



While punt-gunning one winter on a river in 

 the north of Scotland during severe frost I noticed 

 that Snipes were collected in numbers along the 

 banks where the mud was kept soft by the action 

 of the tide. As a novel proceeding I tried one 

 shot at them with the big gun, but the poor birds 

 were so tame that it could hardly be considered 

 sport, and fowl being plentiful on the water at the 

 time I left them alone, in hopes of renewing the 

 acquaintance on some future day. I however dis- 

 covered when the weather changed that I had lost 

 my chance, as after the breaking up of the frost not 

 a snipe could be found within a mile of the spot. 



I shall not readily forget a rather amusing 

 incident that occurred that evening. 



I was stopping at a first-rate hotel, which, as is 

 commonly the case in the Highlands, was situated 

 in a remarkably wild and, during winter, deserted 

 region. 



Having finished a capital dinner and being 

 tired of my own company I strolled into the kitchen 

 to see what was going on. Here I found the punt- 

 gun propped up on a couple of chairs in front of a 

 roaring peat fire with two or three keepers sitting 

 smoking beside it. As I noticed that several 

 sparks from a lump of peat with which one of the 



