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PIJ.Ki'MCIAI, (iKAI,l,ATnI(KS I,[MII01,.K. 



ThJH HpooicH Ih t'oiiud in Hiiitahl** pluci's tlu'dUKlinut tlit* intrrior of the ciititiiuMit, 

 both ill the s|iriM}{ and tall ini^^rations. It is niori' or Irss roniiuon at Lake Knsku- 

 iion^, Wiscdiisiii, wiicif, almut Auj;. \'k l.S7;t, it wax tnMiul in iinnsiiallv lar^'c nun>- 

 bci-H liy Mr. Kiiniliin. It in inclmli'il liy .Mr. II. \V. I'aiki'i in liis li.st (•! tin- liirds 

 (H'cui'rin^' nt-ar (irimit'll, la. Mr. •!. \. WU'ii Innml it i|iiili' cuiuiuiin in (jrt-iit Salt 

 Laki' Valley al'ti-r tlic iTttli of Si'iitfinlifi'. 



l{i('lianl.stni Mpraks id' it as a s|)crii'.s udl kimun tlirnii;;liiiut, the Fur Ciiimtry. 

 having an cxti-nsivc lirt't'dinn-ranni' from tlic linnU is ol Lake Siipi'vior to tlio Arctic 

 Hca. Individuals killed on tlic Saskatciicwan |ilaiiis had their crop.s tilled with 

 l«'e('hp.s and lia,u;nieiits ul ('uleoiiteia. IJcinliardt imdnde.s it aniiiii;,r the birds ol 

 (ii'eeiilaiid, a siii^h' siieeinieii having been taken at Fiskernae.s in I.H.'il, 



Mr. Dresser noted the arrival (d' this Sni|>e from the north at a hiKooii near Mata- 

 nioras, as early as .liiiie '_".». lS(i;i. rroiu that time onward it continued to arrive. 

 Nome lui^ratin,^' i'arthcr south, iiul a consideralilc numlicr remaining' in the iici>;idior- 

 hood. He obtained them in both the red and the ^ray iilnma^'e. and they were very 

 numerous Ixith in duly and .Vii^'ust. They moved in Hocks id' t'rom ten to thirty, and 

 seemed to be more nearly related to the Sandiii|ier than to the Sni|ie in their habits. 

 He Mivariably toiind them on the siiores ot the lajj;oons. and ol'teii in eonipany with 

 the Saiidi>ii)ers, espeeially the Stilt Siiiidpipers ; but never in the same localities with 

 Wilson's Snipe. 



\Ve are inl'ormcd by .Mr. l5oardman tli;it this species probably breeds in the iieij,di- 

 borhood of Calais, where it is occasionally seen t!irouj,dioiit the sumnier. In the 

 winter he has b)Und it very numerous in Khuida. where it goes in largf Hocks, and 

 where he once killed thirty at a sin;;le shot. 



According to Mr. .Moore's observations, .some of these birds are found in Florida 

 nisi), throughout the summer, though none of these breed there. Scattered individ- 

 uals of this sjjccies were seen by him on the Sarasota I5ay during every month of the 

 year; but those that an- thus resident do not assume the summer plumage. Others 

 were noticed there, both when leaving in the spring and arriving in autumn, ten of 

 tlie hitter being seen as early as duly It* in very tine summer pbiniage. Those that 

 remain throughout the year do not appear at all like these in beauty of coloring. 

 only exhil)iting ou the wing-coverts and ujiper ])arts, here and there, a slight touch of 

 rut'ous. 



This bird has, in a number of instances, been taken in Kuro])e, esjjecially in (iroat 

 Britain, where six or more specimens liave been singly secured. One captured in 

 Sweden Avas described and figured by Nilssoii as a new species. On I.oiig Ishvnd 

 Giraud states tliat tliis Snipe is known to the hunters by the idil i)rovincial name of 

 Dowitcher. It reaidies the shores of that island about the close of April, and there 

 resorts to the nnid-Hats and slioals. At high-tide it retires to the boggy meadows, 

 where it probes the soft groiind for worms. The stay of this bird in the spring is 

 short ; but about the middle of July it returns with its young, and remains until the 

 end of Sei»tember. It has a very peculiar whistling note, and one that is easily imi- 

 tated by hunters, so as to deceive and attract the bird, which is noted for its unsus- 

 picious character. This Snipe is fond of resorting to the freshwater ponds which 

 stand on the low parts of the nu-adows during the wet season, and such situations 

 are favorable for its capture. Concealed in the rank grass which grows on the salt 

 meadows, the hunter, when he hears the notes of a passing flock, utters a shrill 

 whistle in imitation of their peculiar cry, this being pretty sure to attract the 

 birds. Flying close together and hovering over the flock of decoys, they are easily 

 shot ; and it not unfrequently happens that those which escape the first fire return 



