﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  3OI 
  

  

  central 
  tail 
  feathers 
  black 
  with 
  a 
  broad 
  subterininal 
  bar 
  of 
  rufous, 
  and 
  tipped 
  

   with 
  whitish; 
  outer 
  tail 
  feathers 
  white, 
  barred 
  with 
  blackish. 
  Bill 
  dusky 
  

   or 
  brownish, 
  legs 
  greenish 
  olive; 
  iris 
  dark 
  brown. 
  Sexes 
  similar, 
  the 
  female 
  

   perhaps 
  more 
  ocherous 
  on 
  the 
  breast 
  and 
  light 
  markings. 
  

  

  Length 
  lo. 
  75-11. 
  75 
  inches; 
  extent 
  17.5-20; 
  wing 
  4.9-5.2; 
  tail 
  2.25; 
  

   bill 
  2.3-2.7; 
  tarsus 
  1.25; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  1.5; 
  weight 
  4-5 
  ounces. 
  

  

  Field 
  marks. 
  The 
  dark, 
  striped 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  Sni]3e 
  combined 
  with 
  its 
  

   long 
  bill 
  (2.50 
  inches) 
  and 
  white 
  belly 
  can 
  be 
  seen 
  by 
  a 
  quick 
  eye 
  as 
  he 
  

   springs 
  from 
  his 
  grass}" 
  coverts 
  in 
  the 
  swamp. 
  His 
  rapid 
  zigzag 
  flight 
  and 
  

   sharp, 
  grating 
  call 
  of 
  scaipe, 
  scaipe, 
  axe 
  also 
  quite 
  distinctive. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  The 
  Wilson 
  snipe 
  breeds 
  from 
  Minnesota, 
  Illinois, 
  and 
  

   southern 
  New 
  York 
  north 
  to 
  Labrador 
  and 
  Hudson 
  bay. 
  In 
  this 
  State, 
  

   however, 
  it 
  is 
  neither 
  a 
  common 
  nor 
  regular 
  breeder 
  at 
  the 
  stations 
  where 
  

   its 
  nest 
  has 
  been 
  found, 
  but 
  would 
  undoubtedly 
  become 
  a 
  commoner 
  breeder 
  

   in 
  such 
  localities 
  as 
  the 
  swamps 
  of 
  central 
  New 
  York 
  and 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  

   if 
  permanently 
  relieved 
  of 
  spring 
  shooting 
  and 
  disturbance 
  of 
  the 
  nesting 
  

   grounds. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  breeding 
  at 
  Springville, 
  Canandaigua 
  Outlet 
  in 
  

   Ontario 
  count}', 
  and 
  Bergen 
  swamp; 
  Mr 
  C. 
  F. 
  Stone 
  has 
  taken 
  its 
  eggs 
  at 
  

   Branchport 
  on 
  two 
  occasions; 
  Mr 
  E. 
  R. 
  Tabor 
  found 
  its 
  downy 
  young 
  at 
  

   Meridian; 
  and 
  reports 
  of 
  its 
  nesting 
  in 
  Chautauqua, 
  Genesee, 
  Orleans, 
  

   Onondaga, 
  Oswego 
  and 
  St 
  Lawrence 
  counties 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  my 
  attention. 
  

   Throughout 
  New 
  York 
  the 
  Snipe 
  is 
  found 
  as 
  a 
  regular 
  migrant 
  while 
  passing 
  

   to 
  and 
  from 
  its 
  more 
  northern 
  breeding 
  grounds, 
  being 
  so 
  common 
  on 
  

   the 
  more 
  extensive 
  swamps 
  of 
  western 
  New 
  York, 
  that 
  140 
  birds 
  have 
  

   been 
  bagged 
  by 
  two 
  guns 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  day. 
  But 
  this 
  is 
  an 
  exceptional 
  occur- 
  

   rence, 
  and 
  such 
  reckless 
  slaughter 
  is 
  suicidal 
  to 
  the 
  interests 
  of 
  true 
  sport, 
  

   and 
  has 
  already 
  resulted 
  in 
  a 
  woeful 
  depletion 
  in 
  the 
  ranks 
  of 
  this 
  fine 
  

   game 
  bird. 
  

  

  Migration. 
  In 
  the 
  warmer 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  the 
  Snipe 
  begins 
  to 
  arrive 
  

   from 
  the 
  south 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  March 
  12th 
  to 
  i6th, 
  if 
  the 
  spring 
  is 
  advanced, 
  

   and 
  rarely 
  later 
  than 
  March 
  25th, 
  and 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  two 
  weeks 
  later 
  in 
  the 
  

   northern 
  counties. 
  They 
  are 
  commonest 
  during 
  the 
  middle 
  and 
  later 
  part 
  

   of 
  April 
  in 
  the 
  swamps 
  of 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  and 
  the 
  central 
  lake 
  country, 
  and 
  

   mostly 
  pass 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  northward 
  from 
  the 
  first 
  to 
  the 
  tenth 
  of 
  May. 
  In 
  the 
  

  

  