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GALLINAGO WILSONI (Bonap). 



WILSON'S SNIPE. 



Specific Character. — Bill long, compressed, flattened and slightly expanded 

 toward the tip, punctulated in its terminal half ; wings rather long ; legs moder- 

 ate ; tail short. Entire upper parts brownish black ; every feather spotted and 

 widely edged with light rufous, yellowish brown or ashy white back and rump 

 transversely barred and spotted with the same ; a line from the base of the bill 

 over the top of the head. Throat and neck before, dull reddish ashy ; wing 

 feathers marked with dull brownish black, other under parts white with trans- 

 verse bars of brownish black on the sides ; axillary feathers, under wing coverts 

 and under tail coverts and quills brownish black ; outer edge of first primary 

 white ; tail glossy brownish black, widely tipped with bright rufous, paler at the 

 tip and with a subterminal narrow band of black ; outer feathers of the tail paler 

 frequently nearly white, and barred with black throughout their length ; bill brown 

 (greenish grey in life) paler at base and darker toward the end ; legs dark brown 

 (light greenish grey in life). 



Total length about 10.50 to 11.50 inches ; extent, 16.50 to 17.50; wing, 5.00 

 to 5.60 ; tail, 2.25 ; bill, 2.50 to 2.60 ; tarsu,s 1.25. 



Habitat. — The whole of north and middle America, breeding from the 

 northern United States northward, migrating in the winter as far south as New 

 •Grenada. 



This bird is quite common in Ontario during its spring and fall migration, 

 occurring in low meadows and along the marshy banks of streams. Although 

 not nearly so common as in former years, it still returns to its old haunts or 

 " snipe beds," where it is eagerly sought by sportsmen, who generally think the 

 sport only second perhaps to that of woodcock shooting. 



It reaches here in Ontario early in April, remaining upon its feeding grounds 

 for a week or so, where it carries on its lovemaking and pairing. The female 

 sits upon a bog or soft part of a meadow, and while she clucks something like a 

 hen the male is performing gyrations in the air, swooping down to her, then 

 rising suddenly until he thinks she is satisfied of his prowess and beauty, which 

 she evinces by her contented cluck. 



As the male bird swoops down in the air, a peculiar rumbling noise is made 

 by fixing his wing feathers in a certain position as has been described of some 

 other birds. Towards the end of April all of these birds are mated and most of 

 them move northward to their breeding grounds ; a few, however, remain and 

 breed throughout Ontario. The nest is placed always on the ground, and three 

 or four eggs are laid, generally three. The ground colour of the eggs is light 

 brown covered with dark sepia coloured spots, smaller at the small end than at 

 the larger. The young are able to run as soon as hatched. It is said the snipe 

 will light on trees sometimes, but only when they are disturbed during the breeding 

 season. Its food consists largely of worms, larvae and small insects and snails. 

 The snipe has a peculiar flight ; when first flushed it rises with its peculiar cry 

 " scaipe," but three or four feet from the ground flying in a twisting zig-zag man- 

 ner, sportsmen generally expect three of these twists before it settles down to a 

 steady flight, and it is just after the third twist that the sportsman generally 

 tries his luck. It requires a steady shot to make a good bag. This bird is some- 

 times called the English snipe, but many good observers say that although tlvey 

 are much alike, the colours nre somewhat different ; besides, the English bird has 

 •only 14 feathers in its tail while the American snipe has 16. 



