BAY SNIPE. 13 



two, by discharging both barrels into a flock. This number is 

 greater than I ever before heard of; but from ten to fifteen is 

 not unusual. 



" To the curious who are fond of speculating on anomalies, I 

 will mention a coincidence connected with an individual of this 

 species, that I am at a loss to account for. In the month of 

 November, 1840, a gentleman shot a Red-backed Sandpiper. 

 Not recognizing it in its winter dress, and supposing it to be 

 something unusual, he had the politeness to forward it to my 

 address. It being a very common species, and having in my 

 cabinet several duplicates in both spring and winter plumage, 

 I did not think it worth preserving. I threw it carelessly on 

 my table, where it remained for two or three weeks without 

 receiving further notice. At the expiration of that time, my 

 attention was again called to it, when I was somewhat surprised 

 to find it in as good condition as when I had first received it. 

 It having been shot about three weeks, and during the time that 

 it was in my possession kept in a room in which almost eveiy 

 day there was a fire, I decided, as a matter of curiosity, to keep 

 it in order to ascertain how long it would remain before decom- 

 position would take place. On several subsequent examina- 

 tions, I found no symptoms of decay, but discovered that the 

 breast and other fleshy parts began to shrink. Now at the ex- 

 piration of two years, it is perfectly dry and hard — the eyes 

 sunk in, or entirely dried up, a large portion of the breast-bone 

 bare, the abdomen much contracted, and at the same time all 

 the feathers are complete ; in other words, it is a self-presei-ved 

 mummy. The entrails were not removed, neither was it inject- 

 ed, nor artificial means of any kind resorted to. Had this oc- 

 cuiTed with an upland bird, especially when in poor condition, 

 I should not have thought it strange : but the shore birds, from 

 their being so excessively oily, are proverbial for spoiHng soon 

 after shooting." 



