94 SCOLOPAX GRISEA. 



many other peculiarities, a few of which, as far as I 

 have myself observed, may he sketched as follows : 



The red-breasted snipe arrives on the sea eoast of New 

 Jersey early in April; is seldom or never seen inland : 

 early in May, it proceeds to the north to breed, and 

 returns hy the latter part of July, or beginning of 

 August. During its stay here, it flies in llo< -k>, some- 

 times very high, and has then aloud and shrill whistle, 

 making many evolutions over the marshes; forming, 

 dividing, and reuniting. They sometimes settle in such 

 numbers, and so close together, that eighty-five have 

 been shot at one discharge of a musket. They spring 

 from the marshes with a loud twirling whistle, generally 

 rising high, and making several circuitous manoeuvres 

 in air, before they descend. They frequent the sand 

 bars and mud flats at low water, in search of food ; and, 

 being less suspicious of a boat than of a person on shore, 

 are easily approached by this medium, and shot down 

 in great numbers. They usually keep by themselves, 

 being very numerous ; are in excellent order for the 

 table in September ; and, on the approach of winter, 

 retire to the south. 



I have frequently amused myself with the various 

 action of these birds : They fly very rapidly, sometimes 

 wheeling, coursing and doubling along the surface of 

 the marshes ; then shooting high in air, there separating 

 and forming in various bodies, uttering a kind of 

 quivering whistle. Among many which I opened in 

 May, were several females that had very little rufous 

 below, and the backs were also much lighter, and less 

 marbled with ferruginous. The eggs contained in their 

 ovaries were some of them as large as garden peas. 

 Their stomachs contained masses of those small snail 

 shells that lie in millions on the salt marshes ; the 

 wrinkles at the base of the bill, and the red breast, are 

 strong characters of this species, as also the membrane 

 which unites the outer and middle toes together. 



The red-breasted snipe is ten inches and a half long-, 

 and eighteen inches in extent ; the bill, is about two 

 inches and a quarter in length, straight, grooved, black 



