66 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



I presume that the food of this little bird must 

 differ in some essential particulars from that of the 

 Common Snipe, as it will remain for weeks at springs 

 strongly impregnated with iron about which, we 

 never detect the borings of the latter, or indeed find 

 one except in extreme stress of weather. The Jack 

 Snipe may sometimes be found in the most dense 

 cover of high reeds and sedge, and quite as often on 

 bare ooze where there seems scarcely vegetation 

 enough to conceal a beetle. 



The "Jack" during his stay with us is almost 

 always in excellent condition, and always worth a 

 charge of powder and shot for the table, which is 

 more than can be said of the larger bird. On one 

 occasion I sprung a Jack Snipe, which instead of 

 pitching again within a short distance, as is the usual 

 practice of the bird, joined a flight of Peewits and 

 went out of my ken with them high in the air. 

 Many good retrieving dogs will refuse to carry a 

 Jack Snipe ; one of the best that I ever possessed, 

 on the contrary, would sit and bark at a dead or 

 w^ounded Woodcock, but never touch it except with 

 his paw, would bring a Common Snipe by the bill or 

 tip of the wing, but always took a Jack Snipe into 

 his mouth without biting it, and would come and, as 

 it were, spit it out at my feet, the bird having 

 entirely disappeared as he brought it. I have seen 

 many a young dog pick up a Jack Snipe by the 

 feathers, toss it up, and roll upon it, but never 

 attempt to carry or eat it. 



The epithet Solitary would be much more appro- 

 priately bestowed on the Jack Snipe than on the 

 species that generally bears it, as the former, though 

 it comes to us as a rule in small flights, is as often. 



