GRALLATORES. 409 



supposed to cross the land to Saskatchewan, where they breed. 

 (Aud.) They return from the North in August, remaining in 

 New York until their removal, in November, to their wintering 

 places South of the United States. They feed on aquatic in- 

 sects, leeches, small marine mollusks, crabs and worms. 



The RING-TAILED MARLIN, Lwiosa Hudsonica, called in Bos- 

 ton, the Goose-bird, is sixteen inches long, and breeds in high 

 northern latitudes. 



The SNIPE, or WOODCOCK, Scolopax, common species, S. 

 Wilsonii, Wilson's Snipe, is about eleven inches long, and much 

 sought by the younger gunners, and sometimes, by the keenest 

 sportsmen. Its summer range is considerably beyond the north- 

 ern boundary of the United States. It resembles the Common 

 Snipe, of Europe, S. gallinago, and is sometimes called the Eng- 

 lish Snipe, but is, in fact, a different species. It breeds from 

 Virginia northward, it does so abundantly in New York. It 

 resides in Kentucky and the Southern States, during the winter. 

 In flying early in the spring, it soars high in the air, making a 

 remarkable booming sound ; its notes are said to differ from those 

 of the Common Snipe, of Europe. It is fond of marshy, swampy 

 places, and selects such for breeding. On the back, the brown- 

 ish black feathers are edged with cream color, and barred 

 minutely with reddish brown; the throat and breast are buff, 

 spotted with brown and gray. 



The GREAT SNIPE, of Europe, S. major, has a tail composed 

 of sixteen feathers, (the normal number is fourteen.) Sir 

 Humphrey Davy, in noticing the breeding of this species in the 

 great royal decoy, near Hanover, says that they require solitude 

 and perfect quiet, and their food being peculiar, they need a 

 great extent of marshy meadow. They feed on the larvas of 

 Tipula, (Father Longlegs,) or kindred flies, and, according to 

 the same author, their stomach is the thinnest among the tribe 

 of Snipes. The nest of the Great Snipe, like that of the Common 

 Snipe, is usually placed on the borders of a swamp, and on a 

 tuft of grass, or a bunch of rushes,- often it is found near wil- 

 low-bushes. The eggs are three or four, yellowish olive brown, 

 with great spots of reddish brown. Two other Snipes, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Gould, exceed this in size, -one found in the hilly 

 districts of India, the other in Mexico. 



The AMERICAN WOODCOCK, Rusticola minar, was separated 

 by Nuttall from the genus Scolopax. It has a straight and 

 knobbed bill, slightly drooping at the tip. 



