SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 



The mother Woodcock has a curious and inter- 

 esting habit of flying- ofif, when disturbed, witli a 

 voung chick grasped between her feet or between 

 her thighs. If she has an o]5portunity, she will 

 convey all her babies, one at a time, to a place ol 

 security. 



At courting time, and all through the |)oriod of 

 incubation, the male indulges in a curinus aerial 

 dance. Soon after sunset he whirK up in spirals. 

 chirping and twittering, to a height of tifty or 

 sixty feet, then circles horizontally and descends, 

 giving voice to his ecstasy in a continuous "cheep- 

 ing" until he reaches the ground where he struts 

 like a tiny turkey-gobbler, with droo])ing wings 

 and upright s]iread tail, changing his notes to a 

 series of rather hard f^aiks. On moonlight nights, 

 I have listened to this serenade until after i; 

 o'clock. 



A dish of angleworms can hardly be con- 

 sidered appetizing; but, transmuted in the Wood- 

 cock's interior machinery ( he is really one 

 hundred per cent, angleworm), there seems to 

 be no difference of opinion among epicures when 

 the bird is brought to the table on toast. 



The \\'oodcock's diet includes also in con- 

 sideralile quantities such harmful insects as the 

 crane fly (" leather-Jacket '), and various species 



Jf lloto by H. K. Jub CuurtLsy uf Outiiig Pub. Co. 



WOODCOCK ON NEST 



Its nest is a depression among fallen leaves 



of more or less destructive grasshoppers. To 

 this extent its feeding habits are of distinct 

 benefit to man. R. I. Brasher. 



WILSONS SNIPE 

 Gallinago delicata (Ord) 



A. O V. Xumher 230 See (.nlor Tlate 



Other Names. — Coinmon Snipe; English Snipe; 

 American Snipe; Meadow Snipe; Marsh Snipe; Bog 

 Snipe; Gutter Snipe; Jack Snipe; Shadbird ; Alewife- 

 bird ; Shad Spirit. 



General Description. — Lcngtli, \2 inches. Color 

 above, mainly brownish-black; bill long and slender, 

 upper section overlapping under. Seldom found away 

 I'riim fresh-water marshes. 



Color. — Ground color of head, neck, throat, and 

 hrcast, pale broivnisb-v.'hitc : sides of head, neck, and 

 breast, spotted ivith pale and dark brown: two dusky 

 stripes from bill over crown to back of head ; another 

 from gape to eye and extending a little behind and a 

 small patch on cheeks; back and shoulders, brownish- 

 black mi.\ed with chestnut and brown ; shoulder-feathers, 

 broadly edged with brownish-white, formin.g two longi- 

 tudinal stripes on each side ; wing-coverts, brownish, 

 feathers edged with whitish, secondaries with brown 

 spots coalescing along shaft ; primaries and their cov- 

 erts, dusky-brown, the outer one white-edged ; upper 

 tail-coverts, brown with narrow black bars; tail- 

 feathers, black at base, then briijht rnjons leith a 



narro-ic siibternitnal black bar and white-tipped ; abdo- 

 men, white: sides of body, shaded ivith brown, barred 

 witli numerous traverse streaks of dusky; under tail- 

 coverts, rufous with dusky bars; hill, brownish flesh- 

 color, dusky on ridge and tip ; feet, greenish-gray ; iris, 

 brown surrounded by white rin.i.; interrupted in front 

 and behind. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: .A grass-lined depression 

 in marshy .ground. Eggs : 3 or 4. grayish-olive, spotted 

 and streakeil with chestnut, burnt umber, and black. 



Distribution. — North .Xmerica and northern Soutli 

 .'\merica ; breeds from northwestern .Alaska, northern 

 Mackenzie, central Keewatin, and northern Ungava 

 south to northern California, southern Colorado, north- 

 ern Iowa, northern Illinois. Pennsylvania, and New 

 .lersey ; winters from northern California, New Mexico. 

 .Arkansas, and North Carolina through Central .America 

 and West Indies to Colombia and southern Brazil ; 

 remains in winter casually and locally north to \^'ash- 

 ington, Montana, Nebraska. Illinois, and Nova Scotia : 

 accidental in Hawaiian Islands, Bermuda, and Great 

 Britain. 



As its scientific name implies, the Wilson's one comes to know it well. Sjiortsmen, naturally, 



.Snipe is truly a delicacy, and in many more are fond of it, and refer to it familiarly as " Jack 



ways than from the culinary standpoint. Every Snipe." 

 phase of its life assumes a peculiar interest, when In the breeding season its ways are most sin- 



