A few individuals of this species, chiefly immature birds, visit our south and east counties yearly in autumn. Over the rest of the United Kingdom it is an exceedingly rare and irregular visitor. It breeds in Scandinavia and across Northern Europe, extending southwards into Russia, Poland, and North Germany; over the rest of Europe east of the Rhone Valley it is common on migration and during the winter months. It may be distinguished from the Common Snipe by its larger size, proportionately shorter legs and bill, and more boldly barred under parts. It has sixteen or more tail feathers. Length 10·5 in.; bill 2·3 in.; wing 5·5 in. [Illustration: WOODCOCK _Scolopax rusticula_] THE COMMON SNIPE Gallinago cœlestis (Frenzel) This bird is found wherever swamps, marshes, and damp meadows suitable to its habits are still left, and is a common resident throughout Great Britain, receiving large additions to its numbers from the Continent every autumn. Very early in April it begins to nest, making a fairly deep “scrape” in a damp spot, generally in some rough grass or other cover, and lining it with a few bents and leaves. The eggs, four in number, as is the case with all wading birds, are greenish olive, spotted and blotched, often spirally, with various shades of brown, and there are also a few black markings near the larger end. The young when first hatched are reddish chestnut, mottled with black and white. During the breeding season this species may often be seen “drumming” or “bleating.” This is a sound much like the “bleating” of a goat, and considerable doubt as to how it was produced has long existed, although a Swedish naturalist stated many years ago that it was brought about by the rapidly vibrating tail feathers as the bird descended at a certain angle through the air. This has recently been clearly proved as correct by an English observer, Mr. P. Bahr, who points out that the sound is produced by the two outer tail feathers, which during the flight are held out widely separated from the rest of the tail. The sound can be produced artificially by placing these feathers on a cork and rapidly whirling them round with a piece of string. During the breeding season it utters also a loud vocal “chip, chip,” when on the ground, while when suddenly flushed the alarm-note of “scape, scape” is well known. Its flight is very rapid and direct when once on the wing, but on first rising it flies in short zig-zags, offering a very difficult shot. Sometimes, however, it will “squat” on the approach of danger, and even on a bare patch of mud becomes almost invisible, so well do its colours harmonise.