THE COMMON SNIPE. 
267 
these birds coming in numbers to favourite night feeding-grounds^ 
such as the bog meadows already mentioned. When stationed 
on the ditch-banks intersecting them awaiting ^^the flying of 
wild-fowl — ducks^ wigeon^ teal^ &c.^ — one hears a continual concert 
kept up by snipes coming at the commencement of twilight from 
the higher grounds — their places of refuge for the day — and 
alighting all around, the call ceasing the moment they touch the 
earth. Tor an instant only in the twilight are they seen, and then 
with downward pointed bill, they have a most singular appearance, 
as they sometimes come falling apparently from the clouds closely 
around us. Notwithstanding their proximity, the flight being over, 
a perfect stillness reigns, until we fire a shot, which alarms them, 
and those very near us take wing. Should the moon show forth 
her silver lining to the night,” it is the signal for them to move 
about from one part of the meadows to another, calling all the 
while they are on flight. During moonlight, too, in particular, 
they feed much in some districts in stubble and other fields. 
When shore-shooting on moonlight nights, I have raised snipes 
from the edge of the flowing tide in Belfast Bay. The wild -fowl 
shooters state that during autumn and vdiiter numbers of snipes 
disperse themselves to feed every evening, but more especially by 
moonlight, over the extensive banks of Zoster a exposed by the 
retiring tide from either shore to the edge of the channel, along 
which also they may sometimes be observed feeding like ordinary 
shore-birds. One of my informants killed three at a shot on 
these banks by moonlight. They are not sought for here by 
shooters, but make known their presence by their peculiar cry 
when they rise on wing. Very rarely, a few remain during 
the day. About the little grassy pools on a low bank over 
which the tide always flows at extreme high water, these birds 
have frequently been noticed. Brom all the low-lying night 
feeding-grounds visited in the manner described, they com- 
monly take their leave very early in the morning, a few lazy ones, 
however, remaining until molested, when they fly direct to their 
upland or retired haunts. 
Food. — Manner of Feeding . — Moist localities, no matter where 
