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■an undulating band of dusky, the tips white. Adult with the bill 

 brown, darker toward the end, and about two inches in length— a 

 dusky band from the bill to the eye; the bands passing over the 

 head, meeting on the occiput, of a darker color ; chin dull white ; 

 neck, and fore part of the breast, pale reddish-brown, marked with 

 brownish-black ; upper parts black, variegated with waving lines 

 of pale reddish-brown ; the outer webs of the scapulars edged 

 with pale reddish-white — some of the feathers edged with more 

 pure white ; wings dark brown — -the outer web of the first white, 

 as are the tips of all, as well as those of the coverts ; tail black 

 — rounded, of sixteen feathers, with a broad band of bright ferru- 

 ginous near the end, and tipped with white ; upper tail coverts 

 pale red, barred with black ; sides of the body, under wing coverts 

 and lower tail coverts, barred with black — the latter with a pale 

 tinge of red ; lower part of the breast and abdomen white ; legs 

 and feet pale green. Length ten inches and a half, wing five. 



This species is well known to our sportsmen by the name of 

 " English Snipe," to which it bears a resemblance. It differs 

 from that bird, (Scolopax gallinago,) in being rather less, the plu- 

 mage brighter, and in having sixteen tail feathers. The number 

 of those feathers in the European species is said to be fourteen. It 

 arrives among us early in March, and after spending a short time 

 on the marshy grounds in recruiting, it passes on to the North to 

 breed. In the month of September it returns with its young, and 

 during autumn gets in excellent condition, and is highly prized as 

 game. It is usually found on the wet meadows and low boggy 

 grounds, where it is pursued by the sportsmen, and shot down in 

 great numbers. When flushed, it moves off in an irregular man- 

 ner, but having flown a short distance, its flight becomes more 

 steady. From the crooked and uneven mode of flying, when put 

 by the gunner, it requires an experienced hand to shoot it. Young 

 sportsmen are apt to be too eager, and fire before they well cover 

 the bird. I have noticed that most of dogs will draw on the Amer- 

 ican or Wilson's Snipe, more readily than on any other game. 

 Whether this arises from the bird possessing a stronger effluvia, or 

 from the moist nature of the ground it inhabits, I do not pretend to 

 say. It is generally distributed throughout the country, and from 



