Class II. COMMON SNIPE. 6l 



dried grass ; they lay four eggs of a dirty olive 

 color, marked with dusky spots ; their young 

 are so often found in England, that we doubt 

 whether they ever entirely leave this island. 

 When they are disturbed much, particularly in 

 the breeding season, they soar to a vast height, 

 making a singular bleating noise, and Avhen they 

 descend, dart down with vast rapidity : it is also 

 amusing to observe the cock (while his mate 

 sits on her eggs) poise himself on his wings, 

 making sometimes a whistling and sometimes a 

 drumming noise. Their food is the same with . 

 that of the woodcock ; their flight very irregular 

 and swift, and attended with a very shrill %. 

 scream. They are most universal birds, found 

 in every quarter of the globe, and in all cli- 

 mates. 



This species weighs* four ounces ; the length, Descrip- 

 to the end of the tail, is near twelve inches ; the 

 breadth about fourteen. The bill is three inches 

 long, of a dusky color, flat at the end; the 

 head is divided lengthways with two black lines, 

 and three of red, one of the last passing over 

 the middle of the head, and one above each eye ; 

 between the bill and the eyes is a dusky line ; 



* This is the usual weight, but a snipe was brought to the 

 editor in January, 1811, which weighed more than five ounces. 

 Ed. 



TION-, 



