Food Habits of the Wilson Snipe. 9 



The writer's attention was first called to the Snipes, four 

 in number, September 1, when in company with a naturalist 

 friend, and with a good pair of field-glasses, I had the pleas- 

 ure of inspecting them at my leisure for some time, the 

 glasses proving a most indispensable article on this occasion. 



In habits, as compared with Sandpipers, there is certainly 

 a marked distinction. 



The Snipe seemed to select as special feeding grounds the 

 water line just bordering the flats, where the mud was soft 

 and into which they delighted in sinking their bills to the 

 fullest depth. And in withdrawing them they never elevat- 

 ed their necks in true sandpiper style. On the contrary they 

 kept their heads well "chucked down," so to speak, and in 

 moving about from place to place, which they seldom did, 

 however, continued to hold them in the same fashion. 



In some respects their probing methods resembled the 

 rooting of swine, — a simple, up and down and forward move- 

 ment, and if remembered rightly, without lateral twists or 

 side thrusts of any kind, and at times exposing fully one- 

 half of the bill. 



Whether the Wilson Snipe actually do resort to the so- 

 called "suction" method of procuring their food, is a ques- 

 tion still undetermined in my mind. The glasses, however, 

 brought out the important information that the probing or 

 feeling movements of the bill were accompanied every now 

 and then with a guttural or swallowing motion of the throat, 

 which at times developed into a decided gulp, as though 

 large morsels of some kind were being taken down, and this 

 without the removal of the bill from the mack. 



Writers allude to the Wilson Snipe as a bird of solitary 

 habits, yet my observations, in this case, led me to think 

 otherwise. On the other hand, they appeared to greatly en- 

 joy each other's company; and to the extent of causing one 

 to think that possibly they were of one and the same brood, 

 — a conjecture doubtless true. 



These interesting birds were observed daily for over a 

 week, their fondness for each other being manifested on all 



