THE COMMON SNIPE. 
201 
Snipe; and as they Avere ahvays very fat, I thought tliat 
accounted sufficiently for their somewhat heavy flight, not 
knowing the heavy flight to be a peculiarity of the larger 
species. As far as can he remembered, all occurred in the 
early part of the season, but it was seldom that any mention 
of their extra size was made in my note-book. 
THE COMMON SNIPE. 
Scolopax gcdlinago. 
SNIPPACK — GOWK — HORSEGOWK. 
Judging from the very large numbers of Snipe which breed in 
every part of Shetland, it seems probable that those which 
occur in the low grounds in autumn and winter are home- 
bred birds, and that no accessions arrive at those seasons, as 
they are known to do elsewhere. More than this, it is not 
unlikely that we even have birds to spare, and that a consi- 
derable migration must take place in autumn; otherwise one 
would think a single season would be sufficient to overstock the 
whole group of islands. 
The Common Snipe begins laying early in May, but fresh 
eggs may be found even as late as the middle of August. 
Every peat bog or moist meadow may be regarded as a breed- 
ing ground, yet the nests are also found upon the highest hills, 
not less upon the steep sloping sides than upon the tops ; but 
in no case far from water, whether it be in the form of a loch 
or of a mere stream trickling over the surface of the stones. 
The nest is by no means so flimsy and so carelessly constructed 
as it is usually represented to be, a tolerably thick layer of 
dry grass or of bits of fern being neatly arranged low down 
among the herbage, forming a cavity shaped like a deep saucer, 
and measuring four inches across. It is generally well con- 
cealed, so that when the bird sits close, as she usually does 
until almost trodden upon, it is difficult to discover. I have 
only once found as many as five eggs in a nest, and this was 
