WILSON SNIPE 89 



this spot in close succession, and went off into the southwest. The migration 

 of the snipe may he mostly by night ; it certainly flies to some extent along 

 the coast by day. 



And Harry S. Swarth (1022) says: 



While the usual manner of occurrence was for a single bird to be flushed, 

 or perhaps two or three within a few square yards, there were times when 

 snipe were noted in small flocks, almost like sandpipers in their actions. 

 Groups of 10 or 12 individuals were seen circling about through the air in 

 close formation and wheeling or turning in perfect unison. At such times 

 almost the only thing to betray the identity of the birds was the call note, 

 uttered at frequent intervals. At no time, however, did birds flushed from the 

 ground depart in flock formation. 



On the ground the snipe moves about deliberately with bill point- 

 ing downwards. If alarmed it squats for concealment before jumping 

 into flight when hard pressed; the longitudinal stripes on its back 

 and head so closely resemble prostrate stems of dead grass that the 

 bird is difficult to distinguish. Mr. Skinner "saw one alight and 

 run rapidly along the ground for 20 feet, erect with head high, like 

 a running bob white." C. J. Pennock watched one standing on a 

 bare mud flat with " a continued up and down rythmic movement 

 of the entire body." E. H. Forbush (1925) writes: 



The snipe can swim and dive and uses both wings and feet under water in 

 its efforts to escape. Mr. Will H. Parsons writes that he shot one that fell 

 into a little clear streamlet where later he found it dead, under water, 

 grasping a rootlet in its bill. Later, on the Scioto River, as he relates, he shot 

 another whch fell into the river, and, turning, swam back toward the shore. 

 On seeing him approach it dived, and he saw it grasp a weed with its bill. 

 Wading in he secured the bird " stone dead." 



Voice. — Eliminating the winnowing flight notes, which are un- 

 questionably instrumental, the Wilson snipe has a variety of voca] 

 notes. The one most often heard is the familiar scaipe note, a note 

 of alarm and warning, given as the bird rises in hurried flight. This 

 note has been variously expressed in writing, perhaps best by the 

 word " escape ", which the snipe often does, unless the sportsman is 

 smart enough to say " no you don't," and prove it. On the breeding 

 grounds we frequently hear its loud notes of protest, uttered while 

 it is flying about or perched on some tree or post; these are in the 

 form of a loud clear whistle, like wheat wheat wheat wheat or more 

 subdued in tone like whuck whuck whuck whuck; they are always 

 rapidly uttered and usually consist of four or five notes. E. W. 

 Nelson (1887) refers to a similar note heard on the breeding grounds, 

 as yak yak yak yak in quick, energetic, explosive syllables. At the 

 time when the bird is uttering its note, it flies along within a short 

 distance of the ground with a peculiar jerky movement of the body 

 and wings as every note is uttered." 



