SNIPE ON DARTMOOR.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."1 SIlt,—As one under the spell of the moor I read with much interest the article on " Autumn on Dartmoor" in your issue of November 18th. But I venture to doubt whether the writer is correct in stating that foreign snipe do not come in on the moor till late in October. It is, I believe, generally -agreed that jack-snipe do not breed in England, and that their presence shows that the foreigners are beginning to come in. For several seasons I have shot snipe on the moor, .and in one only have I failed to see a jack before the end of September; the usual time of their appearance is between the 15th and 20th, but two or three years ago I shot one on the 3rd. My impression is that the home-bred snipe usually begin to migrate in the second week of September and the foreigners to come in the third week, but that their movements are largely influenced by the weather. Certainly, as a rule, there are more snipe about at the end of September than at the beginning. Another question, When did the red grouse vanish from the moor P There are certainly none there now; were there ever any there P—I am, Sir, &c.,
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