512 SEMIPALMATED SNIPE. 



provided the sportsman is quick ; but, after being thus shot at, the Wil- 

 lets o-enerally take a long circuit, and remove towards some clear spot near 

 the water, where they alight and watch your motions. The cries of one 

 suffice to alarm all within hearing, and you see all of them with out- 

 stretched legs and necks running away as you approach. Often at the 

 very instant when you are preparing to shoot, they all rise on wing, fly 

 across some bay or creek, and betake themselves to the marsh, where they 

 are safe from your pursuit. 



During winter you frequently see these birds in the Southern States 

 along the naked shores. The moment they see you the ci-y of alarm is 

 sounded, and the flock, which now consists of one, two, or perhaps three 

 families, suffer you to come almost within shot, as if purposely to tanta- 

 lize you, but at this moment fly off^ circuitously over the water, and alight 

 at the distance of some hundred yards. At such times you may procure 

 them by floating your boat quietly along the shores ; but the experiment 

 rarely succeeds on the same flock more than once. When they are on 

 large racoon-oyster beds, it is almost impossible to approach them ; and 

 if there should be a few Curlews or Oyster-catchers among them, it were 

 better for you to go in search of some other game. 



The flight of this species is strong, rapid, and greatly protracted. Its 

 movements on wing greatly resemble those of the Oyster-catcher, and, 

 unless during the breeding season, are performed low over the waters. 

 They seldom rise without emitting their usual notes, which resemble the 

 syllables will-willet, or will, will, willet, and are different from the softer 

 and more prolonged whistling notes which they emit during the love sea- 

 son. They generally travel in flocks, even in spring, and congregate for 

 the purpose of breeding, being attracted when passing by the notes of 

 those which have already arrived at a chosen spot. The males and females 

 remain together until autumn, when several families join and live peace- 

 ably together. When wounded and brought to the water, they swim 

 tolerably well, but do not dive, although they now and then, on being 

 approached, try to submerse themselves. 



The Willets retire to the interior of the larger salt-marshes for the 

 purpose of forming their nests and raising their broods in security. There, 

 in the vicinity of the shallow pools, which frequently occur in such places, 

 the bird prepares a nest on the ground, among the rank grass, of which the 

 tenement itself is composed. It is usually raised to the height of from 

 three to five inches, and is, I believe, annually augmented or repaired. 



