down on the ground, but stands with its neck drawn in, the beak stuck out in front, immovable 

 as a statue until flushed. When in search of food in the evening, it wanders about amongst 

 the grass with outstretched neck, flies now and then a short distance, but usually traverses most 

 of the distance on foot. With its soft pointed beak it easily finds all sorts of insects in the soft 

 ground, probing here and there in search of food, which consists of small insects ; and in places 

 where it is common these probe-holes are to be seen everywhere. In its stomach I have generally 

 found insect larvae, small slugs, worms, &c, always more or less mixed with small stones, and 

 sometimes with small pieces of grass bents, which, however, do not seem to form any portion of 

 its food. As I have formerly stated, the intestines of specimens of this bird shot during the day- 

 time are usually empty, as is also the case with the common Snipe and Woodcock. 



"During the pairing-season the habits of this bird are very peculiar; for it has a so-called 

 ; Leg ' or ' Spil,' like some of the Grouse tribe, a sort of meeting-place, where they collect to 

 ' drum,' and often to engage in combat for the possession of the females : and in this respect it 

 differs widely from its allies ; for it does not indulge in aerial evolutions, but remains on the 

 ground. Though its habits are so peculiar at this season, they are, comparatively speaking, 

 seldom observed, as its note, or song as it may be called, is very low in tone. This also is 

 the only time when individuals of the Double Snipe collect together in small numbers. The 

 drumming-place (Spil-plads) is usually in some damp place in the marsh where there is water 

 between the tussocks ; and the number of pairs resorting to the same drumming-place is usually 

 eight or ten, frequently less, and sometimes more. In a large morass at Fokstuen, in the Dovre, 

 where many birds which frequent the fells breed, especially Totani, Tringce, and different Water- 

 fowl, I have known the ' Spil ' to consist of twenty pairs, and even more. Here the ' Spil ' or 

 drumming-season commences late in May, soon after the birds arrive, and lasts until the end 

 of June, or until the females commence incubation. As soon as the dusk commences to set in, 

 and whilst it is still tolerably light, the ' Spil ' begins, and is continued throughout the night 

 until the early morning. The male bird utters a soft, almost warbling note, which is accom- 

 panied by a peculiar snapping sound caused by striking the mandibles together several times 

 in quick succession; and he then runs about in the grass in front of the females, jumps 

 every now and again on a tussock, puffs out his feathers, and drops his wings. If a person 

 approaches one of these drumming-places he can hear at some distance the low note bip, bip, 

 bipbip, hipbiperere, biperere ; and when within about a hundred paces, if the night is still, 

 he begins to hear other peculiar sounds, which sometimes remind one of the distant cry of 

 the common Sandpiper, and sometimes of that of the Redshank, and intermingled with these a 

 peculiar hissing or piping note which seems almost incomprehensible. On approaching closer, 

 the snapping sound is heard clearly, and the other whistling notes seem to become a regular song 

 in short stanzas with variations, some of which are exceedingly well executed. When uttering 

 these notes the bird is usually perched on a tussock, from which it occasionally jumps down and 

 ascends another in the immediate vicinity ; but as a rule it sits for long immovable on the same 

 place, never, like the Golden Plover, on the highest tussock or mound it can find, but always on 

 one of the smaller ones. Here it sits with the beak depressed without turning its head ; and 

 when the drumming commences it is begun by a whistling note or two ; then comes the snapping 

 note with five or six notes in rapid succession, and then a hissing sound, followed by a note 



