EUROPEAN SNIPE 81 



so dark was their downy plumage. Their mother realized that danger was near, 

 for she led them quickly away, but never turned to see whether, her children 

 were following her. They kept their position close behind her, although the 

 pace for them was a quick one, and they were soon lost to sight behind a 

 ridge. One realized how wonderfully obedient the chicks were : they were 

 left in the rushes at the approach of danger, their mother having evidently 

 enjoined them to remain concealed and without movement until she returned 

 for them. 



Behavior. — An interesting account of the habits of a tame snipe, 

 reared in captivity, is published by Hugh Wormald (1909) to which 

 I would refer the reader. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Breeding range. — Much of Europe and Asia. From Great Britain 

 and Scandinavia (up to TO N.) throughout northern Europe and 

 Siberia. South, mainly in the mountains, to the Pyrenees, Alps, 

 northern Italy, southern Russia, Turkestan, Yarkand, and south- 

 eastern Mongolia. A few breed in the Azores, northwestern Africa, 

 and India. Replaced by allied forms in Iceland, the Faroes, in 

 tropical Africa, and in northeastern Asia. 



Winter range. — Great Britain, the Mediterranean basin, Madeira, 

 Canaries, Azores, Africa (south to Senegambia on the west and 

 Abj^ssinia on the east), Arabia, Sokotra, southern Asia, Japan, 

 Borneo, Formosa, and the Philippine Islands. 



Casual records. — The only North American record, a specimen 

 said to have been taken in Canada, is very doubtful. This and the 

 Greenland and Bermuda records are probabty referrable to the 

 Iceland form, faeroeensis. 



Egg dates. — Great Britain : 70 records, March 3 to August 21 ; 

 35 records, April 29 to May 25. Iceland : 16 records, May 10 to June 

 6; 8 records, May 2G to June 3. 



CAPELLA GALLINAGO DELICATA (Ord) 



WILSON SNIPE 



HABITS 



The above species, with its several varieties, enjoys a world-wide 

 distribution and is universally well known. The American sub- 

 species is widely distributed from coast to coast and occurs more or 

 less commonly, at one season or another, in nearly every part of 

 North America. It was formerly exceedingly abundant, but its 

 numbers have been sadly depleted during the past 50 years by exces- 

 sive shooting. Alexander Wilson first called attention to the char- 

 acters, size, and number of tail feathers, which distinguished our 

 bird from the European. But they are so much alike that it seems 

 best to regard them as subspecies, rather than as distinct species. 



