THE BROWN-BACK 145 



marsh gunning, but for myself, my shooting 

 ability furnishes all the charm of uncertainty 

 needed. 



THE BROWN-BACK. DOWITCHER. 

 RED-BREASTED SNIPE. 



(Macrorhamphus griseus.) 



At certain seasons this is a common bird all 

 along the Atlantic coast line, choosing the long 

 stretches of sandy beach rather than the home 

 of Wilson's snipe in fresh water bog and salt 

 marsh. These birds are but little known in 

 New England save on the seashore, where dur- 

 ing the migrations they are for a few days 

 abundant, then are gone and nothing more is 

 seen of them until the next flight arrives. They 

 appear on our beaches on their northward jour- 

 ney sometimes during the latter half of April 

 though oftener late in May, and stay with us 

 but a day or so at most, returning to the south 

 more leisurely, generally in August. They 

 breed far away in the north and in their fall 

 migrations often follow the retreating sun into 

 the southern hemisphere, journeying southward 

 to Brazil. 



