252 GAME BIRDS. WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



heard Snipe flying about the meadows on moonht nights, 

 and have heard them apparently coming in during a storm at 

 night. Wet weather which soaks the marshes makes favorable 

 conditions for Snipe; hence they are not likely to appear in 

 such numbers during a dry September as in a wet one. Dry 

 seasons make favorable conditions in the interior for shore 

 birds generally, but not for Snipe and Woodcock. Like the 

 Woodcock, Snipe cannot live long where the ground is frozen, 

 and, therefore, sudden drops in autumn temperature north of 

 us start them along. Like the Woodcock, also, a few birds 

 remain in winter in Massachusetts near unfrozen springs. I 

 have found the Snipe in January near Worcester, and several 

 instances are known where they have wintered near Lynn and 

 on Cape Cod; but most of the birds seen here are migrants. 

 The habits of this bird are too well and widely known to 

 need much mention here. Snipe are attracted to burnt ground 

 or to meadows where the grass has been mowed. In the south 

 they sometimes frequent plowed lands, and even seem to 

 follow the plow in search of worms and grubs. They fre- 

 quent meadows also where hogs have rooted, and sometimes in 

 the north large numbers are seen about market gardens, all 

 of which indicates that they prefer land where worms and 

 insects are abundant and easily accessible. Wherever they 

 find a liberal supply of food they congregate, and many may 

 be found in such spots, while few will be seen on ground 

 apparently equally attractive but not supplied with food. 

 The birds continue feeding in light rains, and congregate 

 together, but when the rains continue heavily, and the grounds 

 become flooded, they fly to higher land, where they are very 

 restless and wild. A meadow with deep, moist, black loam or 

 mold, with very little sand, seems to be most attractive to the 

 Snipe. Their food consists largely of insects, including grass- 

 hoppers, locusts, cutworms and beetles, with such others as 

 may be picked up from cultivated fields and marshes. Earth- 

 worms, leeches, seeds of smartweed and other plants, together 

 with roots and other vegetable matter, have been found in 

 their stomachs. Enough is known of their food habits to 

 place them among the beneficial species. 



