so far from his being the first, he found, as it got light, three other people, all waiting, like himself, to begin as soon as it was light enough, each thinking he was going to be first and have it all his own way with the cocks.  Besides the gun, another mode of capturing the Woodcocks used till very lately to be, and perhaps still is, practised at Woodlands and some other places where practicable in Guernsey.  Nets are set across open paths between the trees, generally Ilex, through which the Woodcocks take their flight when going out “roading,” as it is called—­that is, when on their evening excursion for food; into these nets the Woodcocks fly and become easy victims.

Professor Ansted includes the Woodcock in his list, but only marks it as occurring in Guernsey and Sark.  There is one specimen in the Museum.

119.  SOLITARY SNIPE. Scolopax major, Gmelin.  French, “Grande becassine.”—­I have never been fortunate enough to shoot a Solitary Snipe myself in the Channel Islands, neither have I seen one at any of the bird-stuffers; but that is not very likely, as the shooter of a Solitary Snipe only congratulates himself on having killed a fine big Snipe, and carries it off for dinner, but, from some of the descriptions I have had given me of these fine big Snipes, I have no doubt it has occasionally been a Solitary Snipe.  Mr. MacCulloch also writes me word that the Solitary Snipe occasionally occurs.

It is included in Professor Ansted’s list, and marked by him as occurring in Guernsey and Sark.  There is no specimen at present in the Museum.

120.  SNIPE. Gallinago gallinaria, Gmelin.  French, “Becassine ordinaire.”—­The Common Snipe is a regular and rather numerous autumnal visitant to all the Islands, remaining through the winter and departing again in the spring, some few remaining rather late into the summer.  I am very sceptical myself about the Snipe breeding in the Channel Islands in the present day, although I was told one or two were seen about Mr. De Putron’s pond late this summer, and were supposed to be breeding there; however, I could see nothing of them when there in June and July, although, as I have said before, Mr. De Putron kindly allowed me to search round his pond for either birds or eggs.  Mr. MacCulloch, however, thinks they still breed in Guernsey, as he writes to me to say, “I believe that Snipes continue to breed here occasionally; I have heard of them, and put them up myself in summer.”  If they do, I should think the most likely places would be the wild gorse and heath-covered valleys leading down to the Gouffre and Petit Bo Bay, as there is plenty of water and soft feeding places in both; I have never seen one there, however, though I have several times walked both those valleys and the intervening land during the breeding-season, and I should think all these places were much too much overrun with picnic parties and excursionists to allow of Snipes breeding there now.  Should the Snipe, however, still breed