200 



If one wishes to hear the humming of both feathers at once, as 

 must be the case from the flying bird, this also can be managed by 

 a simple contrivance. One takes a small stick, and fastens at the 

 side of the smaller end a piece of burnt steel wire in the form of a 

 fork ; one binds to each point a side tail-feather ; one bends the wire 

 so that the feathers receive the same direction which they do in the 

 spreading of the tail as the bird sinks itself in flight ; and then with 

 this apparatus one draws the feathers through the air, as before. 



Such a sound, but in another tone, is produced when we experi- 

 ment with the tail-feathers of other kinds of Snipe. But in S. major, 

 cupensis, andfrenata are found four humming-feathers (surr pernio?-) 

 on each side, which are considerably shorter than in the species we 

 have been speaking of. Scolopax javensis has eight on each side, 

 which are extremely narrow and very stiff. 



Since in both sexes these feathers have the same form, it is clear 

 that both can produce the humming noise ; and by means of experi- 

 ment I have convinced myself that it is so. But as the feathers of 

 the hen are generally less than those of the cock bird, the noise also 

 made by them is not so deep as in the other case. Professor Nilsson 

 announces, that in the female of the Single Snipe a neighing noise 

 has been already observed. 



It would be interesting if travelling ornithologists would in future 

 make observations on the foreign species in a state of nature. It 

 ought to be found that these also have a neighing or humming noise, 

 but differing considerably from that of our species. 



Besides the significance which these tail-feathers have as a kind of 

 musical instrument, their form may give a very weighty character 

 in the determination of species standing very near one another, which 

 have been looked upon as varieties. 



To call attention to this subject, I have caused to be drawn the 

 tail-feathers of several species. They are the following : — 



Fig. 1. Scolopax (TelmatiaSy Boie) gallinago, L. 



Fig. 2. Scolopax {Telmatias) capensis. 



