106 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 
‘*In these vernal seasons of the year, when the air is 
calm and pleasant, it were an injury and sullenness 
against nature, not to go out and see her riches, and 
partake in her rejoicing with heaven and earth.” 
Description. ‘“ The snipe is eleven inches long, 
and seventeen in extent. The bill is more than two 
aud one-half inches long, fluted lengthwise, of a brown 
color and black toward the tip, where it is very smooth 
while the bird is alive, but soon after it is killed becomes 
dimpled, like the end of a thimble. Crown black, di- 
vided by an irregular line of pale brown, and another 
broader one of the same tint passes over eacheye. From 
the bill to the eye there is a narrow, dusky line; neck 
and upper part of the breast pale brown, variegated with 
touches of white and dusky; chin, pale; back and 
scapulars deep velvety black, the latter elegantly 
marbled with waving lines of ferruginous, and broadly 
edged exteriorly with white; wings, plain, dusky, all the 
feathers, as well as those of the coverts tipped with white ; 
shoulder of the wing deep, dusky brown; exterior quill 
edged with white; tail coverts long, reaching within 
three-quarters of an inch of the tip, and of a pale rust 
color, spotted with black; tail rounded, deep black, 
ending in a bar of bright ferruginous, crossed with 
narrow, waving lines of black and tipped with whitish ; 
belly, pure white; sides barred with dusky; legs and 
feet a very pale, ashy green ; sometimes the whole thighs 
and sides of the vent are tarred with dusky and white. 
The female is more obscure in her colors, the white on 
the belly being Jess pure, and the black on the back not 
so deep.” 
