American Game 261 



taken by a second growth of white birch and other 

 small timber. This bird is also found on the pine 

 plains, where the sweet-fern grows and the ground is 

 covered with a carpet of chick or partridge-berry, vines, 

 and fragrant winter-green ; there he loves to dwell, 

 especially if there be some dark, bushy ravines near 

 by to be used for cover in times of danger. In the 

 sweet-fern he will oftentimes lie for a dog equal to the 

 prairie-hen. In many sections the ruffed grouse is 

 becoming more plentiful. Canada grouse are nowhere 

 numerous, a few being found in the mountains in the 

 northern and northwestern parts. Quail or bob-white 

 are scarce. Repeated attempts have been made to 

 introduce them, but without much success, as the birds 

 cannot endure the winter weather. Woodcock arrive 

 from the south late in the spring. A portion of the 

 flight remain here to breed, and the others, after a short 

 rest, pass on to more northern localities. While nowhere 

 plentiful, they are to be found during the summer 

 months in favorable spots in nearly every town. The 

 native-bred birds begin their migrations southward 

 about September I, after the first cold autumn storm, 

 and the flight-birds from the north begin to arrive soon 

 afterward. There are but few breeding-grounds directly 

 north between the northern boundary of the state and 

 the St. Lawrence, which makes the flight into the north- 

 ern part light, unless there are heavy west winds that 

 bring the birds in from the big breeding-grounds west 

 of the St. Johns or the Richelieu river. They are 

 usually plentiful in the central and northern portions. 



Wilson's snipe are migratory ; they breed to a lim- 

 ited extent in the marshes around the Missisquoi bay of 



