BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 371 



scribed by Wilson, who found it on the banks of the Schuyl- 

 kill, and named it in honor of his friend. It is common on the 

 sea coasts, but not confined to them ; it extends into the coun- 

 try, where it is called the upland plover, and is seen running 

 through the grass in search of insects : grasshoppers being its 

 favorite food. Its breeding range extends from the middle 

 states to the fur countries ; to these it returns in the month of 

 May, when its nests are made in various parts of the State. 

 They keep in small parties, and are always suspicious of dan- 

 ger ; when alarmed, they run fast, and make a sharp whistle as 

 they take wing to fly. Fearful as they are of man, they are 

 great friends to the cattle. They commonly find food in such 

 abundance, that they grow very fat, and their flesh is consid- 

 ered a great luxury. 



The Marbled Godwit, Limosa fedoa, is a visiter in this 

 State in the spring and autumn, on its way to and from the 

 north, where its breeding places are but little known. In Au- 

 gust they appear in large numbers, and many are shot for the 

 table, though their stay is very short, and their habits are shy. 

 The fowler has little chance of success, except he resorts to 

 stratagem, or alarms and confuses them by shooting one of the 

 number ; in which case they hover round the fallen, with many 

 complaints of what has been done. 



The Hudsonian Godwit, Limosa Hudsonica, is not common 

 here, though it abounds in its northern breeding places ; so 

 that the great proportion must travel and return over land, or 

 turn away to the northwestern shores. Audubon never saw it, 

 till he found it in the Boston market, where it is called the 

 goose bird. Dr. Brewer tells me that he doubts the existence 

 of L. fedoa in America, and suspects that the bird so called, 

 will turn out to be the adult of the present species. 



The Red breasted Snipe, Scolopax grisea, arrives on our 

 coast, from the south, in April, and spends three or four weeks, 

 never going far from the shores, and frequenting the flats and 



