372 The Plover-like Birds 



though the closely related European Snipe (G. gallinago) is of frequent occurrence 

 in Greenland. Seven or eight species are found in South America, while the 

 remainder are widely spread throughout the Old World. 



The Wilson^ Snipe, which is spread throughout the whole of North and middle 

 America and the West Indies, but breeding only northward from the northern 

 parts of the United States, is a bird about eleven inches in length, with the entire 

 upper parts brownish black, barred, mottled, and bordered with various shades of 

 cream-buff, while the throat is white, the neck and breast buff, indistinctly 

 streaked with brownish, and the abdomen white, sharply barred with slate-color; 

 the number of tail-feathers is usually sixteen. This species mainly frequents 

 low, wet meadows and boggy grounds, occasionally resorting to wet swales and 

 springy thickets, but only rarely visiting the salt marshes. When flushed it 

 rises from the ground with astonishing swiftness, uttering a series of hoarse 

 scaipes, and goes off with an exceedingly swift but erratic and tortuous flight for 

 a distance of some twenty yards, when its flight becomes more steady. It is 

 very difficult to shoot on the wing, requiring experienced marksmanship and 

 steady nerves, for one never knows which way it will turn. Although not quite 

 so nocturnal in its habits as the Woodcock, it is mainly active at night or in dark 

 weather, and secures its food by probing in the soft ground. During the mating 

 season it indulges in a series of aerial gymnastics, sometimes called "drumming" 

 or "bleating," an account of which we quote from Mr. Joseph Grinnell, who 

 observed them in the Kowak Valley, Alaska. He was first attracted by a curi- 

 ous, far-off song, which he finally traced to a bird high up in the sky. "It was 

 flying slowly in a broad circle with a diameter of perhaps 600 yards. This lofty 

 flight was not continuously on the same level, but consisted of a series of lengthy 

 undulations or swoops. At the end of each swoop the bird would mount up to 

 its former level. The drop at the downward dive was with partly closed quiv- 

 ering wings, but the succeeding rise was accomplished by a succession of rapid 

 wing beats. The peculiar resonant song was a rolling series of syllables uttered 

 during the downward swoop. This curious song flight was kept up for fifteen 

 minutes, ending with a downward dash. But before the bird reached the ground, 

 and was yet some twenty yards above it, there was apparently a complete col- 

 lapse. The bird dropped, as if shot, for several feet, but abruptly recovered 

 itself to fly a short distance farther and repeat this new maneuver. By a suc- 

 cession of these collapses, falls, recoveries, and short flights, the acrobatically 

 inclined bird finally reached the ground." The nest is the usual simple hollow 

 in the ground, and is generally lined with a few grass blades or leaves ; the eggs are 

 four in number, and the color olive-brown or grayish drab, thickly spotted, mostly 

 at the larger end, with chocolate. The flesh of the Wilson's Snipe is excellent 

 eating, and it is in high favor with sportsmen, not only on this account, but from 

 the skill required in securing it. 



The European Snipe (G. gallinago') above mentioned is almost exactly similar 

 in coloration to the Wilson's, but may be distinguished by a tail of usually 

 fourteen feathers and the much longer bill. It is widely spread throughout 

 Europe and northern Asia, wintering in northeastern Africa and the Indian coun- 



