OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 299 



continues into April. Birds which breed in the highest Arctic limits of the 

 European range of this species do not appear to pass our Islands at all ; those 

 that winter with us breed in Scandinavia most probably ; those that pass later 

 in spring through Central Europe nest in Northern Russia. Jack Snipes arrive 

 in India as a rule at the end of September or early in October, and leave later 

 than the Common Snipe, in April and May. Middendorff noted their arrival in 

 North Siberia on the 8th of June. The Jack Snipe frequents almost precisely 

 the same kind of haunts as its larger ally, but it is frequently found in much 

 smaller bogs. A few square yards of marshy ground, provided there is cover 

 and a snug corner in which to nestle, will content a Jack Snipe ; and haunts 

 that are tenanted one year are invariably filled the next, either by the same bird, 

 if it is fortunate enough to escape the sportsman, or by another individual that 

 in some strange manner only known to themselves becomes aware that the 

 eligible haunt is vacant. Jack Snipes migrate at night, obtain much of their 

 food by night, and change their ground — say when frozen out during continued 

 frosts — at the same time. It is always a mystery to me how these birds can 

 spot a tiny bog in the darkness when newly arrived in this country ; the sense 

 that guides them must be one totally unknown to man. The Jack Snipe at all 

 times is a very solitary species, but whether it migrates in company is entirely 

 unknown to me. If the birds do journey together (and Hume seems to infer that 

 they do) they must separate at once ; and though many may be flushed from one 

 bog, each seems concerned with its own affairs. It is a skulking bird enough, 

 and usually remains squatting close in the herbage, often behind a tuft, until 

 nearly trodden under foot. When put up it flies at first in a very unsteady 

 manner, but after going some distance the flight becomes steadier, and the bird 

 pitches again almost directly. It may be flushed time after time in this manner, 

 as it is one of the easiest birds to mark down. Much has been said about the 

 difiiculty of shooting Jack Snipe ; but if the gunner can only control himself, 

 and wait until the critical moment, when the zig-zag flight is changed into a 

 steadier course, and which usually happens when the bird is just a nice distance 

 from the gun, a moderate marksman should rarely miss. The Jack Snipe whilst 

 with us is remarkably silent, and never, so far as my experience goes, utters a 

 sound as it rises, nor is the whirr of its wings very perceptible. As Hume very 

 aptly remarks, the favourite haunt of a Jack Snipe is a corner ; the bird loves a 

 cosy nook in which to nestle, a sheltered secluded spot where the cover is ample 

 and where there is just enough bog to ensure a comfortable living. In such a 

 retreat a Jack Snipe will remain the entire winter through — unless it is shot, of 

 course. The food of this species consists of worms, insects and their larvse, 

 mollusks and crustaceans, and a considerable amount of vegetable substances, 

 such as small seeds, bits of green weed, club-moss, and grass. In the manner of 

 its search for food the Jack Snipe resembles its congeners. During the heat of 

 the day this Snipe keeps very close and sleeps ; but it has been shot, in the 



