90 AMERICAN GAME. 



. Still, as extreme cold prevents it from obtaining sub- 

 sistence, extreme heat would appear to be still less con- 

 genial to its tastes or temperament ; for, whereas it lingers 

 in the north until autumnal frosts seal up the marshes 

 and the soft stream margins against its probing bill, it 

 flies from its winter quarters in the rice-fields of Carolina', 

 and Georgia, and the farther morasses of Texas and New 

 Mexico, the instant that opening spring admits of its 

 return to the fresh meadows and pure rivulets of the 

 north-east. 



The winter quarters of this bird, then, are fairly ascer- 

 tained, ranging from Carolina southward until almost the 

 northern limits of the Tropics ; thence, so soon as the 

 blue-bird begins to pipe in the apple-tree, the shad to 

 appear in the rivers, the willow-buds to turn yellow, and 

 the frogs to croak and chirrup, with us to the northward, 

 the snipe is seen everywhere, hurrying, according to the 

 progress of the season, singly, in whisps often or twelve, 

 or in huge flights, ever, ever, northwardly. In Mary- 

 land, in Delaware, in southern Pennsylvania and New 

 Jersey, he is wont to appear from the 1st to the 20th of 

 March ; in New York and New Jersey northward, from 

 the 15th of March to the 20th of April, remaining for a 

 longer or shorter period' according to the steadiness of 

 the weather, the state of the ground as regards wet or 

 drought, and the geniality of the season. In mild, soft, 

 temperate, moist seasons, with a prevalence of westerly 

 weather, he will linger with us into the lap of June ; and. 



