498 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 



68. Philohela minor. American Woodcock. 



Very rare summer resident. Winnipeg : rare; only two pairs killed, 

 and under a dozen birds seen altogetber in 4 years (Hine). I saw one 

 specimen of the woodcock at York Factory, in the eud of August last. 

 This bird is not uncommon in Manitoba, although the fact is not gen- 

 erally known (Bell, 1880). Oak Point: 1885, first seen May 13; rare; 

 one was shot (Small). Rare summer resident; I shot ten birds in 5 

 years near Portage la Prairie; in 1886 1 found a pair breeding near 

 Winnipeg ; arrive about the end of April, depart in September (Nash). 



69. Gallinago delicata. Wilson's Snipe. Common Snipe. 



Abundant summer resident of sloughs and swamps; abundant at 

 Mouse River, on the boundary, in September (Coues). Dufferin : 

 Arrived between April 15 and 20 (Dawson). Winnipeg : Summer resi- 

 dent; abundant (Hine). Red River Settlements, April 29 (Blakiston). 

 Snipe found above Split Lake, and in many places along Nelson River ; 

 common in Manitoba (Bell). Ossowa: Common; breeding; 1885, first 

 seen, three, on May 5 ; m xt seen May 8, when it became common 

 (Wagner). Oak Point: 1885, first seen, one, on April 26; next seen, 

 April 26; is common here (Small). Portage la Prairie: Common sum- 

 mer resident; abundant in spring and autumn migrations; I have, in 

 August, frequently seen wisps containing from twenty to thirty birds; 

 arrives in April; departs in October (Nash). Common all along the 

 route of 1881 ; specimens shot at Swan Lake, Red Deer Lake, and Fort 

 Pelly (Macoun). Carberry: Abundant; summer resident; breeding; 

 Boggy Creek and various parts of the Big Plain; Rat Portage 

 (Thompson). Two Rivers : 1885, first seen, April 6 ; somewhat ran- . 

 I believe it breeds here (Criddle). Dalton : 1889, first seen, one, on 

 April 8; next seen, on April 12, when it became common ; breeds here 

 (Youmans). Shell River: 1885, first seen, one, on May 4; next sten, 

 three, on May 8; a transient visitor, passing north ; not remaining to 

 breed (Celcutt). Qu'Appelle: Common summer resident; breeds; 

 arrives April 20 (Guernsey). 



Snipe are now (May 5, 1882) quite numerous; they frequent the 

 dami) rather than wet places. Their principal amusement on cloudy 

 days seems to be dashing across the sky at a height of 200 or 300 

 feet and uttering a loud vibratory note, which is repeated, with lessen- 

 ing intervals, a dozen or more times; during the production of the 

 sound the bird's wings seem to be rigidly set, but the tips appear to 

 vibrate, and, at the same time, the course is obliquely downwards. As 

 soon as the serenade is over the snipe wheels about, regains his eleva- 

 tion, and repeats the performance indefinitely. Having vented the 

 feelings which prompted these actions, he descends to a much lower 

 level by one or two long slanting gyrations, and then regains the earth 

 by half closing his wings and dropping downwards into the grass. 



