THE COMMON SNIPE. 267 



these birds coining in numbers to favourite night feeding-grounds, 

 such as " the bog meadows " already mentioned. When stationed 

 on the ditch-banks intersecting them awaiting "the flying" of 

 wild-fowl — ducks, wigeon, teal, &c, — one hears a continual concert 

 kept up by snipes coming at the commencement of twilight from 

 the higher grounds — their places of refuge for the day — and 

 alighting all around, the call ceasing the moment they touch the 

 earth. For an instant only in the twilight are they seen, and then 

 with downward pointed bill, they have a most singular appearance, 

 as they sometimes come falling apparently from the clouds closely 

 around us. Notwithstanding their proximity, the flight being over, 

 a perfect stillness reigns, until we fire a shot, which alarms them, 

 and those very near us take wing. Should the moon " show forth 

 her silver lining to the night/' it is the signal for them to move 

 about from one part of the meadows to another, calling all the 

 while they are on flight. During moonlight, too, in particular, 

 they feed much in some districts in stubble and other fields. 

 When shore-shooting on moonlight nights, I have raised snipes 

 from the edge of the flowing tide in Belfast Bay. The wild-fowl 

 shooters state that during autumn and winter numbers of snipes 

 disperse themselves to feed every evening, but more especially by 

 moonlight, over the extensive banks of Zostera exposed by the 

 retiring tide from either shore to the edge of the channel, along 

 which also they may sometimes be observed feeding like ordinary 

 shore-birds. One of my informants killed three at a shot on 

 these banks by moonlight. They are not sought for here by 

 shooters, but make known their presence by their peculiar cry 

 when they rise on wing. Very rarely, a few remain during 

 the day. About the little grassy pools on a low bank over 

 which the tide always flows at extreme high water, these birds 

 have frequently been noticed. From all the low -lying night 

 feeding-grounds visited in the manner described, they com- 

 monly take their leave very early in the morning, a few lazy ones, 

 however, remaining until molested, when they fly direct to their 

 upland or retired haunts. 



Food. — Manner of Feeding. — Moist localities, no matter where 



