252 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



as is commonly the case with waders, do not moult their 

 primaries at all in their first autumn. 



" John " (as my tame Snipe is christened) is exceedingly 

 sluggish, and I believe that all Snipe are naturally so 

 when undisturbed. He lives in a cage in the smoking- 

 room, and sits every evening on a board in front 

 of the fire. On being taken out of his cage and placed 



Fig. 3. — Preening his Feathers. 

 [Photographed by P. H. Bahr.) 



on the board his usual procedure is to give himself 

 a shake (this he always does after being handled), 

 and then eat two or three worms, after which he 

 retires as near the fire as he can get, and " suns " 

 himself for some httle time. He then has another worm 

 or two, preens his feathers (Fig. 3), and rests, either 

 standing on one leg or squatting down on the board. 

 Occasionally he varies this procedure by taking a bath. 



