THE AMERICAN SNIPE. 105 



dered by three yellowish-white streaks. Above the eye 

 a dusky-brown line ; neck and upper breast, pale dusky 

 brown, speckled with black and white ; chin dirty white. 

 Back black, bordered with two white lines. Scapulars 

 velvety black, richly marbled with ferruginous, and 

 broadly edged exteriorly with white. Wings dusky, 

 all the feathers tipped with white, quills brown, exterior 

 quills edged with white. Upper tail coverts, ferruginous, 

 tipped with whitish and spotted with black. Tail black, 

 ended with a chestnut bar, tipped with white. Belly pure 

 white ; flanks white with dusky bars. Thighs, vent, and 

 under-tail coverts white. Legs and feet pale green. 



It is worthy of remark that the American Snipe, 

 though neither webbed nor semipalmated, swims freely, 

 a fact which is, I believe, mentioned by no naturalist. 



On the first occasion which made me acquainted with 

 this fact, I was standing on the verge of a narrow brook, 

 of some six or eight feet over, in the act of loading both 

 barrels of my gun, which I had just discharged, when 

 a snipe flushed by another of my party, flew over my 

 head, and pitched on an open spot of muddy soil, within 

 six feet of me, evidently not observing me, as I stood 

 motionless. I watched its actions and movements, for 

 a few seconds, as it pruned its ruffled feathers, walked 

 daintily about, picked up a worm or two, and finally, to 

 my great surprise, took to the water, swam cleverly 

 across the brook and ensconced itself in a tuft of rushes, 

 whence I shortly afterward dislodged and shot it. 

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