162 FEATHERED GAME 



in the sea marshes of New England there are 

 usually many of this family running about, 

 probing into the soft, oozy soil, and feeding on 

 the worms, snails and slugs so abundant there. 

 They are very welcome to the gunner since they 

 are good table birds, fat and well-flavored at 

 any season. Grassbirds come readily to the 

 gunner's call, single birds or flocks coming 

 equally well to the imitation of their note. 

 Their whistle is almost identical with that of 

 the smaller sandpipers and the two are often 

 found in company. 



During the courtship the male bird inflates 

 the skin of his throat and breast to such an ex- 

 tent that it hangs down upon his breast like a 

 bag. From this circumstance comes the name. 

 Pectoral Sandpiper. Yet he is probably no 

 more ' ' puffed up " at his success than is the hu- 

 man bridegroom at the same important epoch 

 in his career. 



The Grassbird's clothing is of sober tints ; the 

 top of his head brown with black markings, 

 these mainly in the centres of the feathers; 

 throat white ; sides of the head and around neck 

 pale yellowish brown with small black streaks 

 running through it. Superciliary stripe of white. 



