8 SNIPE.
find under date of January 1st, 187:!, when two birds bagged on the Holmes Marshes in the enst of
Norfolk turned the scale at or. : when tested in the scales one against the other there was not the
weight of a feather between them. Snipe at the time were exceedingly scarce in the district; I learn
by my notes that not a bird had been seen for over a mouth. In NOVOOIIHT 1880, a Snipe shot near Lancing,
in Sussex, is recorded as 5 J oz. ; there are also several entries of this weight during former years. In the early
part of the season Snipe are often sourly and in poor condition, the young are also not un frequent ly
light. In a list of birds bagged between the 16th and 30th of September, 1879, in the east of Norfolk,
the weights vary from 3 to 5 ojt. If the weights of Snipes were regularly taken by sportsmen at tho
commencement of a frost, I believe the average of the birds would be found much heavier than is usually
allowed. While passing through the market of a town on the east wast during the severe weather in
November 1879, 1 was requested by a game-dealer to inspect bis stall, which contained a pile of fruin
three to four hundred Snipe. Tho salesman then pointed out a smaller heap, all of which lie declared
would go three to the pound. I tried a few birds in the scales and found his assertion perfectly correct ;
there were at least thirty Snipe of Ibis weight.
Though statements to the effect that this species occasionally alights on trees have appeared in print,
I never met with a chance of recording a single instance of the fact. During spring in the Norfolk
marshes 1 have repeatedly seen Snipe quietly resting on the notice-boards that warn trespassers to beware,
paying little or no attention to bonis quanting past at the distance of thirty or forty yards. On more
than une occasion in May 18S3 a bird was watched settling for a few minutes on the thatched roof of
a liont-house ; set end instances have also come under my observation, about the broads and river-sides
of tho eastern counties, where the stakes employed to dry the ccl-nels, and even the empty nsh-trunks,
were resorted to. When shooliug during the summer of 1800 in the marshes near live, I often nolieed
a Snipe jierehed on a peat and rail fence running across a gravel-pit that contained largo pools of shallow
water as well as rank vegetation.
The snares or springes formerly sot for Snipe have been so frequently alluded to, that no LLOSIIIplh•
is necessary. Twenty years ago I repeatedly saw large baskets of birds taken by these means sent up
to market from Komney Marsh in Kent; this method of capture, however, I believe is now hut little
followed. In Pevensey Level Ducks and Teal os well as Snipe wore often taken by means of small steel
traps placed in the open grips and sialics frequented by the birds.
Unfortunately for the interests of sport, Snipes are exposed to much unlawful persecution, every
la/v vagabond who can command an old tnu-ket waging at the time of frost and snow a war of extermination
against tho luckless birds, utterly regardless of license for either gun or game. The numbers killed by
flight-shooters, professional punt-gunners, and loafers would appear incredible to those who have not
closely watched the proceedings of those worthies. In the south of .Scotland I well remember that a small
boy, who was employed as a herd to scare the Wood-Pigeons from the turnips, killed regularly for a lime
one or two cotqde a day. Tho laddie was furnished with a gun and a supply of powder, with strict
injunctions to discharge his piece whenever the flock of Dons threatened an attack. The strange
feathered creatures that dropped at two or three springs on the outskirts of the links near the Hold on
which he was posted excited the curiosity of this precocious youngster; and having procured a ehnrgo
of shot, be waited patiently concealed in the long grass with the barrel pointed till the unknown settled
by the waterside, when a successful shot was made. I shall not readily forget the grin of delight with
which the urchin produced bis first prize (which he had previously described as " a boastie wi' a hmg
neb") for i do n I ill cation.
Every sportsman must have remarked that though the marshes occasionally bore evidence to the
fart that Snipe had recently been present in numliers, scarcely a bird would be flushed during a long
S N I P P
day's tramp. When working quietly homewards in n punt at dusk, or waiting for fowl at flight, I have
frequently seen Snipe, after hovering for a time in the air, settle quietly down and commence boring along
the edge of some open pool; here the birds would collect iu small parlies on ground I was well aware
bad been entirely deserted by day. Wind and weather have an influence on Snipe that we can scarcely
expect to fathom; though the greater part of their movements may be understood and anticipated, they
undertake at times a change of quarters that is utterly unintelligible.
The large flights of Snipes that cross the North Sea now and then lose several of their numbers
through coming iu contacl with the lamps of the light-ships. I was informed by the crews of some of
tho vessels that this species had been frequently taken on board, though during the two seasons of 1872
and 1873 only one bird fell disabled on the floating lights off the Norfolk coast.
Though feeding, as a rule, on inland marshes, I have frequently mot with Snipe resorting, even in
open weather, lo saltwater mud-banks. A few are now and then to bo seen on Dreydon flats in autumn,
and both full birds and Jacks arc not uncommonly flushed on the saltings in Shnreliam Harbour. Tho
small grassy islands at the head of the Cromarty Firth near Dingwall possessed some years ago groat
attraction fur Snipe at low water. During July anil August IsliS 1 repeatedly put up from lifty to one
hundred birds by simply following the rising tide in a hunt. Snipe being of little value so early iu the
season, and the weather too hot to allow of their keeping beyond a day, I seldom molested them; on
one or two occasions ten couple were bagged; twice that number could, however, have been obtained
with the greatest case.
During protraeted frost Snipe at times are forced to betake themselves to situations where, under
ordinary circuinstances, they would seldom if ever be expected. While the train was entering the
station at Tain iu Itoss-shire one evening iu March 18011, I noticed a Snipe spring from the side of the
line and, rising straight iu tho air, strike the lelegraph-w ires with such force that it fell disabled to the
ground. As I was returning from -hooting in the neighbourhood my gun was at hand, and proceeding
at once to the spot, four and a half couple of Snipe wore bagged during the few minutes of daylight that
remained. The birds rose from a small brick DRAIN of water that ran from the station, two or three
escaping through Hying off in a line with the telegraph-wires; the station-master happening to lie
present, 1 declined lo tire lest some damage might be laid to my charge. On the journey from Dingwall
during the early part of the afternoon, I had noticed Snipe flying up more than once from the vicinity
of the huge iron pumps employed to supply the engines. On the shores of the Highland llrths where
the tide was perfectly salt, I have also watched these birds busily engaged in searching for food. While
punl-giinning one winter on a river in the north of Scotland, I noticed that Snipe wore collected in
numliers along the hanks where the mud was kept soft by the action or the tide. As a novel proceeding,
I tried one shot at them with the big gun; the birds, however, wen1 so tame that it could hardly be
considered sport, and fowl being plentiful on the water at the time, I left them in peace, hoping to renew
the acquaintance on some future occasion". During the day the puntmati knocked over three or four
birds with the setting-pole, and these as well as eight eonple stopped by the shot of the punt-gun wore
in fairly good condition, having apparently suffered bill little from the severity of the weather.
A ridiculous mishap that occurred the same evening shall bring to n close the notes on Srohjmx
goWin»;•ƒ•'. 1 wns stopping at a most comfortable hotel, which, as is commonly the cast- in the Highlands,
was situated in a remarkably wild and, during winter, deserted region. Having finished a capital dinner,
and being tired of my own company, I strolled into the kilclien to see what was going on. Here 1 found
the punt-gun propped up on a couple of chairs iu front of a roaring lire, with two or Ihrec keepers