184 lewis' AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



the North on their way to more elevated districts, for the pur- 

 poses 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 that 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 

 feasting upon the profusion of animal as well as vegetable food 

 that they find scattered over the extensive marshes of those 

 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 

 Woodcock, during the period of incubation. If the Sportsman 

 should, at early dawn, or even at mid-day, visit the low meadows 

 frequented by these Birds, he will probably see one or both of 

 a pair mounting high in the air in a spiral manner, beating their 

 wings or sailing around in rapid circles, until they have gained 

 a hundred yards or more in height; then clasping each other, 

 they whirl around, flapping their wings with great velocity, and 

 then dropping in mid-air, give utterance at the same time to a 

 low twittering, or rather rolling sound, supposed to be pro- 

 duced by the action of the wings upon the air in their rapid 

 descent. We have seen them perform this manoeuvre more 

 than once, but at no other period of the year than the spring. 



Towards the close of April, if the weather continues warm, 



