334 SEMIPAL MATED SNIPE. 



young, are truly interesting. A person no sooner enter the marshes, than 

 he is beset with the Willets, flying around and skimming over his head, 

 vociferating with great violence their common cry of Pill-will-willet ; 

 and uttering at times a loud clicking note, as he approaches nearer to 

 their nest. As they occasionally alight, and slowly shut their long 

 white wings speckled with black, they have a mournful note, expressive 

 of great tenderness. During the term of incubation, the female often 

 resorts to the sea-shore, where, standing up to the belly in water, she 

 washes and dresses her plumage, seeming to enjoy great satisfaction 

 from these frequent immersions. She is also at other times seen to wade 

 more in the water than most of her tribe ; and when wounded in the 

 wing, will take to the water without hesitation, and swims tolerably well. 



The eggs of the Willet, in every instance which has come under my 

 observation, are placed, during incubation, in an almost upright position, 

 with the large end uppermost ; and this appears to be the constant prac- 

 tice of several other species of birds that breed in these marshes. Dur- 

 ing the laying season, the Crows are seen roaming over the marshes in 

 search of eggs, and wherever they come spread consternation and alarm 

 among the Willets, who in united numbers attack, and pursue them 

 with loud clamors. It is worthy of remark, that among the various 

 birds that breed in these marshes, a mutual respect is paid to each other's 

 eggs; and it is only from intruders from the land side, such as Crows, 

 Jays, weasels, foxes, minxes and man himself, that these affectionate 

 tribes have most to dread. 



The Willet subsists chiefly on small shell-fish, marine worms, and 

 other aquatic insects, in search of which it regularly resorts to the 

 muddy shores, and flats, at low water ; its general rendezvous being the 

 marshes. 



This bird has a summer, and also a winter, dress, in its colors differ- 

 ing so much in these seasons as scarcely to appear to be the same species. 

 Our figure in the plate exhibits it in its spring and summer plumage, 

 which in a good specimen is as follows : 



Length fifteen inches, extent thirty inches ; upper parts dark olive 

 brown, the feathers streaked down the centre and crossed with waving 

 lines of black ; wing-coverts light olive ash ; the whole upper parts 

 sprinkled with touches of dull yellowish white ; primaries black, white 

 at the root half ; secondaries white, bordered with bi-own ; rump dark 

 brown ; tail rounded, twelve feathers, pale olive, waved with bars of 

 black ; tail-coverts white, barred with olive ; bill pale lead color, becom- 

 ing black towards the tip ; eye very black ; chin white ; breast beauti- 

 fully mottled with transverse spots of olive, on a cream ground ; belly 

 and vent white, the last barred with olive ; legs and feet pale lead color ; 

 toes half-webbed. 



Towards the fall, when these birds associate in large flocks, they be- 



