4‘JO MR. II. STEVKNSON OX THE COMMON SNIPE. 
the otlier utterance, as he descends, is someMdiat similar to the 
bleating of a lamb, only in a deeper tone, and accompanied by a 
violent vibration of the wings.” The word littered, in the last 
paragraph, evidently shows that Yarrell had not then realised the 
fact that the drumming is not a vocal sound. 
hlr. J. E. Harting, wlio has devoted much observation to the 
drumming of Snipes, gives the ascending note as choolc, chook — 
the nearest approach I have met with to my rendering cliuka, 
cluika ; but though my ear is pretty acute as to such sounds, 
certain conditions of atmosphere, or other circumstances, may 
convey various impressions. 
The “ alarm ” note of the Snipe, so familiar to sportsmen when 
the bird is sprung suddenly from a marsh drain, or some sedgy 
“ rond,” or reed bed, on the Broads, is a quite distinct sound, and, 
strange to say, almost as variously rendered by naturalists. 
Selby gives it as chissick, chissick ; Seebohm as skaych ; and 
Macgillivray as tissick, titssick ; but most snipo-sbooters Avill, 
I think, liken it, as I have always done, to scape, scape ; which if 
a scolopacine abbreviation for escape — proves too often a fond 
delusion on the part of the Snipe. 
Apart, hoAvever, from the true vocalism of this most interesting 
species, is the humming, drumming, neighing, or bleating,*^ by 
which terms naturalists have been long accustomed, here and abroad, 
to render that strange sound of the Snij^e, always on the Aving, 
Avhich preludes the breeding season, and may be heard late into 
the summer. 
The early impression that this sound Avas simply vocal has, 
I think, Avith one exception (Mr. Seebohm), been abandoned both 
by British and foreign naturalists, and has resolved itself into 
three disputed questions. Is it due to the vibrating action of the 
Avings in the descending Higlit of the bird alone, to the Avings and 
tail combined, or to the still' outside feathers of the tail only 1 
Un these three suppositions I Avill quote various scientific 
authorities, continental and otherwise. 
* Which has also given this species (Yarrell, fourth edition, p, 3-M) the 
name of “Moor-larah” in Lincolnshire, “ Heather-hleater ” in lowland 
Scotland, the equivalent of “Air-goat” in the various branches of the 
Celtic language, “ Chevre volant” in France, and “ Ilinnnelsgeiss ” in 
Germany. 
