WILSON'S SNIPE. 197 



female differs in being more obscure in her colors; the white on 

 the back being less pure, and the black not so deep." 



THEIR LOCATION AND FOOD. 



The snipes of America spend the winter in the Southern States, 

 resorting to the ricefields of the Carolinas, where they often con- 

 gregate in immense numbers, and are said to be quite tame com- 

 pared with what they are when they stop with us at the North on 

 their way to more elevated districts for the purpose of breeding. 

 Audubon states that in the South he has seen them in fifties and 

 hundreds in small fields of a few acres in extent. They are also 

 numerous in the wet swamps of Florida during the winter season, 

 but move off at the first approach of spring, tarrying on their way 

 to the North, for a few days, in the various sections of country 

 which they pass through. They arrive in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, 

 and Delaware, in the month of March, according to the state of 

 the weather, but are not often abundant till the following month 

 of April. 



Like most other migratory birds, they are quite poor when they 

 first arrive among us, but soon become extremely fat from feast- 

 ing upon the profusion of animal as well as vegetable food that 

 they find scattered over the extensive marshes of these States. 

 Their nourishment consists principally of worms and larvae, which, 

 like the woodcock, they extract from the rich, loamy soil by boring 

 into it with their long and slender bills. It was formerly very 

 generally believed by sportsmen, and others who pretended to a 

 knowledge of such matters, that snipes, as well as woodcocks, 

 supported themselves by suction. This, of course, is as erroneous 

 in the one case as in the other. These birds also partake of the 

 tender roots of aquatic plants, and in captivity will feed greedily 

 upon corn-meal and worms, and after a few trials will also learn to 

 relish bread and milk. 



In the spring season the snipe performs some very singular 

 manoeuvres, not very unlike those that are noticed in the wood- 

 cock during the period of incubation. If the sportsman should, 



