xxvni SNIPE 25 s 



of a goat, and from which they have one of their Gaelic names, 

 which signifies the air-goat. 



About the end of July and first week in August the snipes 

 descend from the higher grounds, and collect in great numbers 

 about certain favourite places. They remain in these spots 

 for a week or ten days, and then disperse. The rest of the 

 season we have but few in this part of the country. Particular 

 ditches and streams near my house always afford me two or 

 three snipes ; and as fast as I kill these, others appear. 



Occasionally flights of jack-snipes come here ; generally 

 about the end or middle of October ; and last year I find, on 

 referring to my game-book, that on the 19th of October I 

 killed eight brace of jack-snipes in an hour or two, finding them 

 all in a small rushy pool and in the adjoining ditch. Usually, 

 however, I only find three or four during a day's shooting ; 

 but in this manner I kill a great many in the course of the 

 season, as there appears to be a constant succession of these 

 birds from October to March, when they leave us. The jack- 

 snipe never remains to breed here. I can scarcely call the 

 solitary snipe a bird of this country ; never having seen but 

 one in Scotland, and that was in Sutherlandshire. 



