1907.] "bleating" OF THE SNFPE. 25 



sixteen tail-feathers. Of these the outer two are specialised, but 

 differ from those of G. ccelestis in that the inner web of these 

 feathers instead of being broader is narrower than that of the 

 other (text-fig. 6, B) ; they are, in fact, somewhat attenuated — a 

 process which, as we shall see later, reaches its extreme in the 

 Pin-tailed Snipe [G. stemtra) of India. The shaft is strong, but 

 not so strong as that of our species. The inner web is three 

 times as broad as the outer. Both feathers will produce a 

 bleat on experiment ; the sound is of a far higher pitch than 

 that of G. ccelestis, as might be inferred from the character of 

 the feathers, and is what is aptly described by the Americans 

 as "winnowing." The rami are shorter in comparison with 

 G. ccelestis, and make an acute angle with the shaft. The radii 

 of the outer web are rudimentary, of the inner web the distal 

 is but one-third longer than the proximal row ; the hamuli 

 are five in number, but are not so well hooked as those of 

 G. ccelestis. Of the two, the outer or eighth is moi'e attenuated 

 than the seventh pair. 



Regarding the habits of this species I have the following- 

 references : — 



Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, ' Water-Birds of N. Amei-ica,' 

 vol. i. p. 191: — " Capt. Blakiston noticed that this species per- 

 formed the same evolutions as the European bird, this usually 

 about sunset, but at times contintiing 1 i hours later. The noise 

 made on these occasions he compares to rapidly repeated switches 

 of a cane in the air, and this was rejDeated every half minute with 

 occasional longer intervals. The sound lasted about three seconds, 

 and was made as the bird descended rapidly in a vertical dii^ection, 

 being caused appai^ently by the quill-feathers of the wings. This 

 sometimes took place in the middle of the day, but only during 

 the love season." 



Again : — 



Au.dubon, ' Bixxls of America,' p. 343 : — " These birds are often 

 met with in meadows, or on low grounds, and by being on the 

 sjDot before sunrise, you may see both mount high in the air in a 

 spii-al manner, now with continuous beats of the wings, now in 

 short sailings, until more than a htondred yards high, when they 

 whirl round each other with extreme velocity and dance as it 

 were to their own music, for at this juncture, during the space of 

 5 or 6 minutes, you hear trolling notes mingling together, each 

 more or less distinct, perhaps according to the state of the 

 atmosphere. The sounds produced are extremely pleasing, though 

 they fall faintly on the ear, but I am well assured that they are 

 not produced simply by the beatings of the wings, as at this time 

 the wings are not flapped, but are used in sailing swiftly in a 

 circle not many feet in diameter. A person might cause a sound 

 somewhat similar by blowing rapidly alternately from one end 

 to another across a set of small pipes consisting of 2 or 3 

 modulations." 



From this we gather that this species performs its evolutions at 



