THE JACK SNIPE. 
205 
swan or eagle, wliicli, if held tightly in the hand, will produce 
much the same noise by its tremulous motion as the edge cuts 
the air. I am hence led to conjecture that the sound is caused 
by the bird setting its wings rigidly at the conclusion of its note, 
and letting itself shoot ahead with its previous impetus.” We 
many a time spent an hour, on the side of Vallafjeld, motion- 
less in the heather, studying the Avays of the Snipe, with the 
aid of a telescope, and then tried our great eagle’s feathers, bor- 
rowed for the purpose, with the sound fresh in our ears. The 
result was convincing. — E d.] 
THE JACK SNIPE. 
Scolopax gallinula. 
The apparent certainty that if the Jack Snipe bred anywhere 
in the British Islands, Shetland would be one of the favoured 
localities, formerly led me to entertain great hopes of being 
able at length to see it in its breeding haunts ; nor were these 
hopes diminished by repeated assurances from the better class 
of the inhabitants, not only that the bird remained throughout 
the summer, but that the eggs were often found. I was greatly 
disappointed, therefore, on making the discovery that although 
the Dunlin is known as the “ Plover Page,” it is also called the 
“Jack Snipe” by those who have seen that species mentioned in 
books. I have never seen it later than the middle of April, the 
veiy first sunny day about that time seeming to be quite sufficient 
to drive every bird of its species from the islands. It is not 
very regular in its visits ; indeed, a whole season sometimes 
occurs without one being seen, but usually it is very abundant, 
especially after long-continued snow. At such a time it is to 
be met with plentifully near high-Avater mark, no matter Avhat 
the state of the tide may be, feeding among the drift quite 
openly, and taking little if any notice as one walks leisurely 
along filling the bag with its neighbours, the birds feeding fifty 
or a hundred yards apart. At Avffiatever time they are shot, they 
