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SCOLOPACID^. 
THE COMMON SNIPE. 
Heather-bleater, 
Bcolopax gallinago, Linn. 
Is, from the nature of the country, much more abundant 
in Ireland than in Great Britain ; and is partially 
indigenous. 
Migration . — It breeds at suitable localities in all parts of the 
island, without reference to altitude ; equally in the low marshy 
tracts and in the bogs on the summits of lofty mountains. The 
numbers produced in this country, however, are but a mere frac- 
tion of the multitudes which inhabit the bogs throughout the 
autumn and winter. So early as the month of August, they 
sometimes appear from more northern latitudes, and are tempted 
to remain a few days before proceeding southward, which I am 
disposed to believe all that arrive at a very early period do. 
Circumstantial evidence in three years, at least, favoured this 
view. In the beginning of the month of August 1828, there 
was excessive rain. Which inundated an extensive tract — a mile in 
length — of low-lying meadows near Belfast (well known as the 
bog-meadows before they had been mown. Melancholy as 
was this prospect to the proprietor, it must have appeared to the 
snipe from on high a land overflowing with milk and honey,^^ 
as a great body of these birds, presumed to have been passing 
over on their southward migration, alighted and took up their abode 
for several days. The numbers vastly exceeded any tiling of the 
kind before seen by sporting friends who went in pursuit of them 
as well as myself. Dogs were not required, for the birds ad- 
mitted of a very close approach. Every step that we moved — 
and much of the promenade was knee-deep in water like the 
haunts of the snipe in the paddy or rice-grounds of India‘S — 
* The bird of India is, however, generally now eonsidered distinct from that of 
Europe. I have not myself had the opportnnity of comparing them. The beautiful 
“Painted Snipe” of India, well known in mnseums, is stated by a friend, who has 
killed many of them, to be the easiest of all birds to shoot. 
