Birds of Massachusetts. 221 
hover round the fallen, with ema complaints of what 
has been done. 
The Hupsontan Gopwrr, Limosa Hudsonica, is 
not common here, though it abounds in its northern 
breeding places; so that the great proportion must 
travel and return over land, or turn away to the 
northwestern shores. Audubon never saw it, till he 
found it in the Boston market, where it is called 
the goose bird. Dr. Brewer tells me that he doubts 
the existence of L. fedoa in America, and suspects 
that the bird so called, will turn out to be the adult 
of the present species. 
The Rep-sreastep Snipe, Scolopaxr grisea, ar- 
rives on our coast, from the south, in April, and 
spends three or four weeks, never going far from the 
shores, and frequenting the flats and sand bars, at 
low water, in search of food; while so engaged, 
they can be approached more easily in a boat than 
on the shore, and as they often settle very near each 
other, great numbers are shot down. Their breeding 
places must extend from the northern shore of Lake 
Superior to the coast of the Arctic Sea, but their 
nest and eggs have not yet been described. In July, 
they return with their families, and are considered a 
great luxury for the table. They find abundance of 
food, by inserting their bills in the ground and draw- 
ing out the larvee of water insects, which are hidden 
below. They also make use of some plants and 
seeds ; and, like many other birds, swallow gravel 
to aid in disposing of their food. 
p 
