344 The Water-fowl Family 



thrust in his bill its full length and fed on little 

 worms and grubs, a diet that makes his flesh the 

 finest of the fine. The flexible tip of a snipe's 

 bill enables the bird to feed at the depth of its 

 boring without bringing the bill to the surface. 

 Our associations with this bird are as pleasant as 

 they are varied. The marshes along our coast, 

 the inland bogs, and the prairie sloughs are among 

 the recollections. Possibly we took the unfair 

 advantage of a dog, for snipe usually lie well ; 

 this, however, in locations where they abound is 

 often unnecessary. We look for them on the 

 salt marshes, where there is tender green grass, 

 near little springs. Here their borings betray 

 them. On the larger meadows usually snipe are 

 found in some one particular spot, and this they 

 regularly frequent during their visitations ; rarely 

 you see one on the ground crouching with bill 

 outstretched in perfect harmony with the sur- 

 roundings. They should be hunted down wind, 

 for then the bird gives a cross shot as it rises. 

 Experience teaches the gunner to wait until the 

 snipe has ceased its twisting and settled down 

 to steady flight, when it is readily shot. The 

 Wilson's snipe is nocturnal in its habits and 

 migrates at this time ; just at dusk they become 

 active, and we often see them darting from one 

 marsh to another, in search of a spot to feed. 

 The birds are not partial to cold weather, and the 



