WILSON’S SNIPE. 95 
the Avosets, the Phalaropes, &e. Of these birds, Wilson’s Snipe, and the 
American Woodcock, are most familiar to the people of this continent. The 
habitat of the snipe embraces almost the entire continent of America, 
The following deseription of the habits of this interesting bird is taken 
from the “Ornithology of New England :” — 
“This snipe is found in New England only as a spring and autumn vis- 
itor, rarely breeding here, but passing the season of incubation in higher 
latitudes. It frequents the fresh-water meadows, where it usually lies-con- 
cealed during the day, only moving about in dark weather and in the night. 
In the spring, while with us, it appears to be pairing; and, although asso- 
ciating in small, detached flocks, they are most often found in pairs by them- 
selves. It is during this season that the male performs his well-known 
gyrations in the air: he ascends to a considerable height, early in the even- 
ing, and, almost in the manner of the night-hawk, dives towards the earth, 
uttering his bleating ery and peculiar, rumbling sound. This species breeds 
sometimes in the northern portions of New England. It forms a loose nest 
of grass and a few leaves on the ground, in a bog or wet, swampy thicket ; 
and, about the first week in May, the female lays three or four eggs. These 
are more pyriform in shape than those of the woodcock, and average about 
1.45 by 1.15 inch in dimensions. Their color is an olivaceous drab, marked 
with spots of brown, which are, at the greater end, confluent into blotches, 
which almost entirely hide the ground color. 
“The snipe has been known to breed in Massachusetts ; but the occurrence 
is very rare, and can be regarded only as accidental. By the 25th of Au- 
gust it returns to the meadows of New England, in small parties of three or 
four; but it is not abundant much before the 10th or 15th of September, 
and then is not found in great numbers, unless we have had two or three 
sharp frosts. The time when sportsmen most expect to find them in num- 
bers is after a north-easterly storm, when the wind veers around to the 
south-westward. Then the meadows are hunted diligently, and generally 
with success. We have bagged twenty-four birds in an afternoon’s shooting, 
within ten miles of Boston, and have known that number to be exceeded in 
favorable weather. The snipe lies close to the ground when approached ; 
and, being a bird of strong scent, as the expression is, is winded to a con- 
siderable distance by a good dog. It is easy to imagine the excitement the 
sportsman experiences, when, with a good dog, he enters a large meadow, and 
sees him suddenly come to a point; when, walking up to the snipe, and flush- 
ing it, the report of his gun, as he shoots the bird, startles from their lurking- 
places perhaps a dozen others, who fly but a short distance, uttering their 
peculiar squeak or scaz¢p, and then alight in the grass, promising him an 
abundance of shooting for the day. 
