THE SHORE BIRDS. 



205 



The Snipe, Gray Snipe, English Snipe, and Wil- 

 son's Snipe, as it is variously called, is another famil- 

 iar migratory bird that is common to our marshy 

 meadows, both a short distance inland from the ocean 

 and across the continent. It breeds in the northern 

 regions, as a rule ; but to assert that it does not re- 

 main south of New England and breed is absurd. 

 There was never a summer, I think, that these birds 

 were not seen on the Delaware meadows after the 

 annual spring flight 

 had gone north, 

 and I have found 

 them breeding or 

 with young birds 

 on more than one 

 occasion. Warren 

 gives instances of 

 its being found in 

 summer in Pennsyl- 

 vania. It may be 

 true that the ma- 

 jority of such over- 

 staying birds are English Snipe. 

 " crippled ;" but, in- 



jured or sound, they rear their young all the same, 

 and twenty years ago I suggested that such wounded 

 birds had brought into existence birds that were con- 

 tent on their northward migration to themselves nest 

 in the locality where they were born. 



The Dowitcher, or Robin Snipe, is a sea-coast or 

 salt-marsh bird that comes in the spring, goes north 

 to breed, and returns in early autumn. They do not 

 18 



