THE STILT-WALKERS. 35 



the stump of an alder-tree or willow. The eggs, which are comparatively large, and usually four in 

 number, are lustreless, and of yellowish or greenish white, spotted with grey and various shades of 

 brown. The young are hatched by the mother in fifteen or sixteen days, and when they quit the 

 shell are covered with chequered down ; this is moulted in about eight or ten days, and in a few 

 weeks they are able to fly. The parents tend their little family with great care, and feed them until 

 their bills are strong enough to enable them to provide for themselves. Sir Humphry Davy states 

 that if the young are molested, the old birds at once commence a loud drumming sound over the 

 head of the intruder, as though to divert his attention from their beloved charge, and thus allow the 

 latter time to seek concealment ; which they at once do, hiding themselves completely from view 

 with most admirable instinct. 



The MOOR SNIPES (Philolimnos) are recognisable by their short high beak, with narrow 

 culmen and broad tip ; their graduated tail, composed of twelve feathers, and pointed at its centre : 

 their very muscular stomach ; and the brilliant metallic gloss upon the plumage of the back. 



THE JACK SNIPE. 



The Jack Snipe {Philolimnos gallinuld) is only about nine inches long and fifteen broad ; the 

 wing measures four inches, and the tail absut one inch and two-thirds. In this species, the bridles, a 

 stripe below the cheeks and the head, are brown, with two lines above and below the eyes of reddish 

 yellow ; the blackish blue mantle-feathers have a beautiful green and purple sheen, and are decorated 

 with four reddish yellow stripes. The throat, breast, and sides are grey, lined and spotted with brown ; 

 the rest of the body is white. The quills and tail-feathers are pale black ; the latter edged with reddish 

 yellow. The sexes are almost alike in colour ; during the spring the plumage of the female is of a 

 reddish hue upon the wings, and that of the young less resplendent and glossy. 



Russia and Western Siberia may be regarded as the strongholds of this small bird, which makes 

 its appearance later and departs earlier than the Common Snipe. It breeds in the northern parts of 

 Europe and Asia, and is very generally diffused throughout India. In England it is but rarely seen 

 in the summer, and appears in one particular spot year after year. The Jack Snipe prefers thick- 

 coverts, and compared with those of its kind already described is usually but seldom seen, although 

 in some localities it is occasionally tolerably numerous. At the commencement of March, it generally 

 quits its winter quarters, and returns under cover of the night to its native haunts. This Snipe is 

 usually found in pairs, and seeks its food on marshy ground ; but at other times conceals itself 

 among the neighbouring long grass and rushes. If disturbed, it delays taking wing until the enemy is 

 almost treading upon it, and has actually been caught when just rising, by having a hat put over it. 

 When flushed, the Jack Snipe does not utter any note. 



The SANDPIPERS (Tringce) are known by their slender body, moderately long neck, small 

 head, long pointed wings, in which the first quill exceeds the rest in length, and a moderate tail, 

 either rounded or doubly incised at its extremity. The beak is either "longer than, or as long as, the 

 head, slender, compressed at the sides, with the culmen near the tip slightly depressed and enlarged. 

 The slender bare foot is furnished, in most instances, with four toes ; of these the three placed in 

 front are long and entirely disunited, while the very small and delicate hind toe is raised too high 

 to reach the ground. The thick compact plumage is principally a mixture of greyish brown and 

 reddish yellow, but varies considerably according to the season, and age or sex of the bird ; in the 

 winter it is ashy grey above, white shaded with grey beneath. The colour of the sexes is nearly alike. 

 Sandpipers are met with in all portions of the globe, but principally frequent its northern parts. 



