THE SEMI-PALMATED SNITE. 



327 



appear very lively, performing their aerial evolutions over the marsnes, 

 sonaetimes at a great height in the air, uttering at the same time 

 a loud, shrill and quivering whistle, scarcely distinguishable from that 

 of the Yellow Legged Tatler, (something like ^ie-te-te, Hr-te-ie.) The 

 game loud and querulous whistling is also made as they rise from the 

 ground, when they usually make a number of circuitous turns in the 

 air, before they descend. At all times gregarious, in the autumn and 

 spring they sometimes settle so close together, that several dozens have 

 been killed at a single shot. While feeding on the shores or sand- 

 bars, they may be sometimes advantageously approached by a boat, of 

 which, very naturally, they have but little tear or suspicion, nor are 

 they at any time so shy as the common Snipe, alighting often within a 

 few rods of the place where their companions have been shot, without 

 exhibiting alarm until harassed by successive liring. 



SEMI-PALMATED SNIPE, OR WILLET. 



The Willet, as this well known and large species is called, inhabits 

 almost every part of the United States, from the coast of Florida to 

 the distant shores and saline lakes in the vicinity of the Saskatchewan 

 up to the 56th parallel of latitude, where, as they pass the summer, 

 they no doubt propagate there, as well as in the Middle States of the 

 Union. Their appearance in the north of Europe, is merely acciden- 

 tal, like the visit of the Ruft' in America, which has, indeed, no better 

 claim in our Fauna, than that of the Willet in Europe, both being 

 stragglers from their native abodes and ordinary migrating circuits. 

 From the scarcity of this species on the shores of Massachusetts Bay, 

 it is more than probable, that tlieir northern migrations are made 

 chiefly up the great valley of the Mississippi ; and they have been 

 seen, in the spring, 

 by Mr. Say, near 

 Engineer Canton- 

 ment, on the bank 

 of the Missouri. A 

 few straggling fam- 

 ilies or flocks of 

 the young, are oc- 

 casionally seen, 

 about the middle 

 of August, on the 

 muddy flats of Co- 

 hasset beach ; but 

 they never bieed in 

 this part of New 

 England, though 

 nests are found in 

 the vicinity of New 

 Bedford, 



The Willet probably passes the winter within tne tropics, or along 



