182 MALAYAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



to record ; and then, 1 believe, their presence was due to the paddy 

 being scattered about in patches and much mixed up with reeds and 

 coarse herbage. 



Their favourite ground is where the jungle has been burned, and 

 the vegetation, just beginning to spring up, shows in green shoots 

 above the blackened soil. Another sure finding-place is rough 

 land, with bushes, small pools of water, and moist places scattered 

 here and there ; but everywhere it will be found that during the 

 intense heat of the day the Snipe avoid the open country, and seek 

 shelter from the sun under thick bushes, or in the shade of high 

 jungle. They then lie very close, and when flushed rise with a list- 

 less flight, not unfrequently settling again after flying eighty or a 

 hundred yards ; but of course this is not the case in districts where 

 they are much shot at and disturbed. 



Though undoubtedly, as a rule, the Malay Snipe are not so wild 

 nor so active on the wing as is the European species, still they 

 afford excellent sport, and are by no means easy to shoot, particu- 

 larly during the early morning, when, revived by the cool night air, 

 they dart aud twist along at a great pace ; also among bushes it 

 requires very quick and straight shooting to make anything of a 

 bag. 



As soon as the sun gets low they leave the covert and scatter 

 themselves all over the country in search of food ; often on moon- 

 light nights, when out in the jungle after pig, on crossing open 

 pieces of ground where, during the day, not a bird could be found, 

 I have heard Snipe rise, squeaking on all sides. One most keen 

 sportsman of my acquaintance sallied forth on one of these very 

 bright nights ; but, though the Snipe swarmed, he returned without 

 having done more than frighten them — not to be wandered at, 

 considering how deceptive is the light of even the most brilliant 

 tropical moon. 



During droughts, when the ground is parched and cracked by 

 the heat, the Snipe probe the buffalo-dung, perforating the heaps 

 with thousands of small holes in their search after the worms which 

 collect beneath. 



I think that there can be little doubt that Province Wellesley, 

 opposite the island of Penang, is by far the best Snipe-ground in 



