H. WORMALD : A SNIPE AND ITS HABITS. 253 



and very rarely he will hover round the room. His 

 attitudes while sunning himself are very extravagant. 

 He leans right over to one side and spreads his tail out into 

 a fan, the outside tail-feathers nearest the fire only being 

 extended beyond the rest. This is curious, for while 

 bleating both outer tail-feathers are extended far beyond 



Fig. 4. — Giving his Feathers a shake. 

 {Photographed by P. H, Bahr.) 



the rest. He also raises the wing nearest the fire to get 

 all the heat possible under the feathers. He continues 

 in this attitude for a few minutes, then gives his feathers 

 a shake (Fig. 4), turns round, and " suns " the other 

 side. 



The bill of the Snipe is known to be extraordinarily 



