110 STUBBS: CERTAIN BREEDING HABITS OF THE SNIPE.
sound himself: in every instance, a second person had drawn his
attention to the phenomenon.
When drumming, the bird flies round in great circles, some-
times half-a-mile in diameter, and usually at an altitude of
between two and three hundred feet. Its course is, however,
not level. First of all, it flies upwards at an angle of about
thirty degrees, for forty yards or so, and then it plunges suddenly
at right-angles until it reaches its first level. During the plunge,
wings and tail are outspread, and the characteristic "drumming"
or "bleating" note is produced. The ascent occupies from five
to seven seconds, while the plunge lasts a second and a quarter.
Once, at Passingford Bridge, I timed a Snipe repeating these
evolutions without a break for one hour and three minutes.
There is no need here to go any deeper into the problem.
Dr. Philip Bahr, one of the latest to write at length on the
matter (P.Z.S., 1907, pp. 12-35,) convinced himself that the
sound is produced from the outspread tail-feathers. His theory,
however, does not fit all the observed facts—an objection that
can also be made to the statement that the drumming is purely
vocal. I have noticed, during the production of this sound, that
sometimes the feet are visible, projecting beyond the tail; yet,
on other occasions, they have been invisible, and were presum-
ably tucked forward below the breast in a most un-wader-like
manner.
It may be noted that the Snipe breeding in Essex are strongly
addicted to perching on tall trees or wooden fences, a habit that
has seldom come to my notice in other counties.
A Lunar Rainbow.—On Wednesday, 8th November 1916,
at about 6 p.m., after a wet day marked by many smart showers,
I was at Rainsford End, Chelmsford, taking shelter from one
of the showers mentioned, when I saw a complete Lunar Rainbow,
thrown on a black cloud in the west. The rainbow was faint,
as compared with a Solar Rainbow, but was nevertheless quite
clearly obvious throughout, and even the colours of the spectrum
were perceptible. I have never before seen one so distinct.
It disappeared five minutes later.—(Miss) Richenda Christy,
Orchards, Broomfield, Chelmsford.