Wilson's snipe. 187 



favored feeding-grounds of the previous day, and tlius frustrates 

 all his bright anticipations. 



The Snipe family in general has very justly been pronounced 

 the most meteorological of all Birds, for their appreciation of 

 atmospheric changes are certainly very remarkable, and far 

 beyond that of any of the feathered tribe. Their sensations of 

 cold or moisture must be exquisitely nice, far beyond anything 

 that we can form an idea of, as their sudden shifting from place 

 to place is governed we presume, in many instances, by the 

 varieties in temperature which are scarcely perceptible to the 

 Sportsman. For we cannot attribute these sudden wanderings 

 from place to place to any other cause than those changes in 

 the atmosphere, without we believe that they are solely the 

 result of a capricious disposition, that oftentimes induces them 

 to abandon the very best of feeding-grounds to go in quest of 

 like spots, and this to us appears a very unnatural as well as 

 untenable supposition. 



Snipe, like Woodcocks, are most voracious feeders, and re- 

 quire an immensity of food, and consequently are obliged to 

 shift their ground much more frequently than many other kinds 

 of Birds. This circumstance alone is quite sufficient in most 

 cases not absolutely dependent upon the weather to account for 

 their erratic propensities. When feeding in situations where 

 there is a plentiful supply of food, it is often a most difficult 

 task even for the most zealous Sportsman to drive them off, 

 and we have more than once been quite surprised at their ap- 

 parent tameness, as indicated by their short flights after repeated 

 harassing over some one of these favored feeding-grounds.^ 



In all their wanderings. Snipe are seldom or never found in 

 the woods, but delight in the low, wet meadow-lands, or along 

 the margins of the secluded streams which are so numerous 

 throughout our country; they may occasionally be found in 

 the cornfields, more particularly if the weather is rainy, as 

 well as in the thin woods, and even briery thickets, but they 

 do not affect these situations except under peculiar conditions 

 of the atmosphere. 



