NORTHERN OCEAN 391 



Jack Snipes/ Those birds visit Hudson's Bay in jacks Snipe. 

 Summer in considerable numbers, but are seldom seen to the 

 North of Whale Cove. They do not arrive till the ice of the 

 rivers is broke up, and they retire to the South early in the 

 Fall. During their stay, they always frequent marshes near 

 the sea coast, and the shores of great rivers. In manner and 

 flight they exactly resemble the European Jack Snipe ; and 

 when on the wing, fly at such a distance from each other, that 

 it is but seldom the best sportsman can get more than one or 

 two at a shot. Their flesh is by no means so delicate as that 

 of the English Snipe. 



Red Godwaits,^ usually called at the Northern settlements RedGodwait. 

 in Hudson's Bay, Plovers. Those birds visit the shores of 

 that part in very large flocks, and usually frequent the marshes 

 and the margins of ponds. They also frequently attend the 

 tide, like the Esquimaux Curlews ; fly down to low- water- 

 mark, and feed on a small fish, [426] not much unlike a 

 shrimp ; but as the tide flows, they retire to the marshes. 

 They fly in such large flocks, and so close to each other, that 

 I have often killed upwards of twelve at one shot ; and Mr. 

 Atkinson, long resident at York Fort, actually killed seventy- 

 two at one shot ; but that was when the birds were sitting. 

 Near Churchill River they are seldom fat, though tolerably 

 fleshy, and are generally good eating. They usually weigh 

 from ten to thirteen ounces ; the female is always larger than 

 the male, and differs in colour, being of a much lighter brown. 

 They retire to the South long before the frost commences ; 

 yet I have seen this bird as far North as the latitude 71° 50'. 



Spotted Godwait,^ known in Hudson's Bay by the name Spotted God- 

 of Yellow Legs. This bird also visits that country in con- 



[' Apparently the common Snipe, Gallinago dclicata (Ord.).] 



['■^ The Hudsonian Godwit, Liniosa hamastica (Linn.). This name was based 



on the drawing of a specimen from Hudson Bay. It breeds in the marshes on 



the west coast of the Bay. probably nearly throughout its length.] 



[^ The Spotted Godwit of Pennant ("Arct. Zool.," ii. p. 467, 1785) is the 



Greater Yellowlegs, Toianus melanoleucus (Gmel.).] 



