154 BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 



Gosse gives an interesting account of this species. He says : 

 " Tliis beautiful and singular bird first fell under m}^ observation in 

 December. It was wading in the water of Crab Pond, picking from 

 the mud at the bottom with the beak, the water reaching not quite 

 half-way up the tarsus. It did not feel with the beak in the manner 

 of the Snipe, but struck at the prey that caught its e3'e as it walked 

 with the head erect. The statement of Cuvier that walking is pain- 

 ful to the bird, is as contrary to fact as to reason. This specimen 

 was walking in the shallow firmly enough, and even when shot in 

 one leg so as to break it, it stood for some time on the other in a 

 firm, erect attitude, the broken limb being held up and dangling. 



"Three were shot at Bluefield's Creek, on the ist of May, in the 

 evening, out of a large flock that were wading on the little bar at 

 the mouth, and were brought to me. One, which liad the wing 

 broken, was alive and otherwise unhurt. It ran actively enough, 

 without the slightest vacillation, taking long strides ; but when it 

 was on its belly it could not get on its legs without help, sprawling 

 about with opened wings ; it is quite likely, however, that this was 

 owing to one wing being rendered useless, for in attempting to rise, 

 I perceived it always tried to balance by opening and extending 

 horizontally the wings. ... It frequently stopped abruptly, essayed 

 to go on and stopped again, in that hesitating manner common to 

 the Plovers; and, like them, it often jerked the head up and down. 

 Its usual attitude when standing still was with the neck shortened 

 so that the head projected from between the shoulders, the beak 

 pointing obliquely downwards, and the hinder parts of the body a 



