AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 63 



the more remote portions of the marsh beaten over 

 by a companion or two; a "rocketting" Snipe gives 

 a very pretty shot, and is very much more easy to kill 

 than may be generally supposed. 



In many parts of the south of Europe Snipes are 

 always more or less wild from the constant scouring 

 of their haunts by Marsh-Harriers, which birds, 

 though quite unable to capture an unwounded Snipe 

 on wing, are marvellously quick at picking them up 

 from the ground, and keep them in a constant state 

 of restlessness. A Falcon, on the contrary, high in 

 air will sometimes make Snipes lie very close. A 

 good many young Snipes are taken by Merlins, and 

 in Epirus it was rather the rule than the exception 

 to lose slightly wounded birds through the attentions 

 of these little robbers or the Harriers just mentioned. 



For the most interesting details of, and excellent 

 advice upon. Snipe-shooting in India, I heartily 

 recommend to my readers the fascinating work 

 entitled ' Letters on Sport in Eastern Bengal,' by 

 Mr. F. B. Simson, whom I am proud to claim as a 

 Northamptonshire man and fellow ornithologist. 



The food of the Snipe consists principally of earth- 

 worms, but in August we have often found the 

 throats of young Snipes crammed with minute flying 

 insects. In common with most wading birds, our 

 Snipe is exceedingly voracious, and rapidly gains and 

 loses flesh. 



I once, and once only, weighed a Snipe that 

 pulled down 6 oz. fair weight; with this solitary 

 exception few have, in my experience, reached 5^ oz. 

 I am inclined to consider from 3J to 4J oz. as about 

 the average weight of English Snipes in winter. 

 In Epirus I never weighed one that pulled down 



