106 



WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



u In these vernal seasons of the year, when the air is 

 calm and pleasant, it were an injury and sullenness 

 against nature, not to go out and see her riches, and 

 partake in her rejoicing with heaven and earth." 



DESCRIPTION. " The snipe is eleven inches long, 

 and seventeen in extent. The bill is more than two 

 and one-half inches long, fluted lengthwise, of a brown 

 color and black toward the tip, where it is very smooth 

 while the bird is alive, but soon after it is killed becomes 

 dimpled, like the end of a thimble. Crown black, di- 

 vided by an irregular line of pale brown, and another 

 broader one of the same tint passes over each eye. From 

 the bill to the eye there is a narrow, dusky line ; neck 

 and upper part of the breast pale brown, variegated with 

 touches of white and dusky ; chin, pale ; back and 

 scapulars deep velvety black, the latter elegantly 

 marbled with waving lines of ferruginous, and broadly 

 edged exteriorly with white ; wings, plain, dusky; all the 

 feathers, as well as those of the coverts tipped with white ; 

 shoulder of the wing deep, dusky brown ; exterior quill 

 edged with white ; tail coverts long, reaching within 

 three-quarters of an inch of the tip, and of a pale rust 

 color, spotted with black; tail rounded, deep black, 

 ending in a bar of bright ferruginous, crossed with 

 narrow, waving lines of black and tipped with whitish ; 

 belly, pure white ; sides barred with dusky ; legs and 

 feet a very pale, ashy green ; sometimes the whole thighs 

 and sides of the vent are tarred with dusky and white. 

 The female is more obscure in her colors, the white on 

 the belly being less pure, and the black on the back not 

 so deep." 



