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  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  fall 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  noticeable 
  movement 
  of 
  northern 
  birds 
  from 
  the 
  ist 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  

   of 
  September 
  in 
  western 
  New 
  York, 
  and 
  September 
  loth 
  to 
  30th 
  on 
  Long 
  

   Island. 
  They 
  remain 
  in 
  full 
  force 
  if 
  undisturbed 
  throughout 
  October 
  and 
  

   well 
  into 
  November, 
  the 
  majority 
  disappearing 
  with 
  the 
  freezing 
  of 
  the 
  

   swamps, 
  although 
  stragglers 
  are 
  found 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter 
  around 
  

   warm 
  springs 
  in 
  western 
  New 
  York, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  tidal 
  marshes 
  of 
  the 
  coastal 
  

   district. 
  

  

  Haunts 
  and 
  habits. 
  The 
  Wilson 
  snipe, 
  "Jack" 
  snipe, 
  or 
  "English" 
  

   snipe 
  as 
  gunners 
  often 
  call 
  it, 
  is 
  a 
  bird 
  of 
  the 
  swamps, 
  marshes, 
  and 
  boggy 
  

   shores, 
  but 
  not 
  in 
  the 
  dense 
  flags 
  and 
  sedges 
  where 
  the 
  rails 
  hold 
  sway, 
  

   nor 
  in 
  the 
  thick 
  coverts 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  woodcock's 
  delight. 
  This 
  bird 
  

   prefers 
  a 
  sparse 
  growth 
  of 
  grass, 
  weeds 
  or 
  bushes 
  where 
  it 
  can 
  walk 
  easily 
  

   about 
  thrusting 
  and 
  probing 
  in 
  the 
  soft 
  oozy 
  soil 
  for 
  worms, 
  grubs, 
  soft 
  

   roots 
  and 
  seeds 
  which 
  constitute 
  its 
  favorite 
  food. 
  When 
  no 
  enemv 
  is 
  near 
  

   he 
  walks 
  nimbly, 
  carrying 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  body 
  erect 
  with 
  the 
  bill 
  pointing 
  

   well 
  downward, 
  but 
  often 
  assumes 
  more 
  the 
  attitude 
  of 
  a 
  sandpiper 
  and 
  

   gleans 
  from 
  the 
  surface 
  especial!}- 
  when 
  foraging 
  along 
  the 
  shore 
  of 
  a 
  lake 
  

   or 
  stream 
  as 
  he 
  often 
  does 
  in 
  the 
  dusk 
  of 
  evening. 
  When 
  his 
  foes 
  appear 
  

   he 
  crouches 
  so 
  motionless 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  distinguish 
  him 
  among 
  

   the 
  grasses, 
  and 
  when 
  too 
  closely 
  pressed 
  springs 
  suddenly 
  into 
  the 
  air 
  

   with 
  a 
  sharp 
  grating 
  call 
  and 
  makes 
  rapidly 
  off 
  in 
  a 
  "rail-fence" 
  course 
  

   not 
  far 
  above 
  the 
  ground 
  until 
  well 
  out 
  of 
  danger, 
  when 
  he 
  mounts 
  high 
  

   in 
  the 
  air 
  and 
  circles 
  about 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  minutes 
  finally 
  to 
  pitch 
  headlong 
  into 
  

   the 
  swamp 
  again, 
  perhaps 
  into 
  the 
  same 
  position 
  from 
  which 
  he 
  was 
  driven. 
  

   In 
  April 
  and 
  early 
  May 
  when 
  snipe 
  are 
  nesting 
  their 
  curious 
  aerial 
  per- 
  

   formance 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  interesting 
  sounds 
  of 
  the 
  marsh 
  lands. 
  It 
  is 
  

   usually 
  heard 
  in 
  the 
  evening 
  or 
  on 
  cloud}- 
  days. 
  The 
  bird 
  mounts 
  high 
  

   in 
  the 
  air, 
  often 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  hundred 
  feet, 
  and 
  circles 
  around 
  the 
  swamp, 
  

   occasionall}- 
  sweeping 
  obliquel}- 
  downward 
  with 
  a 
  quivering 
  motion 
  of 
  

   the 
  wings, 
  producing 
  a 
  w-eird 
  tremulous 
  crescendo 
  whistle, 
  resembling 
  

   somewhat 
  the 
  distant 
  or 
  muffled 
  bleating 
  of 
  a 
  kid, 
  or 
  the 
  sound 
  of 
  an 
  old- 
  

   fashioned 
  fan-mill, 
  w^hence 
  the 
  notes 
  have 
  been 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  "bleating" 
  

   or 
  ' 
  'winnowing' 
  ' 
  of 
  the 
  Snipe. 
  The 
  sound 
  is 
  evidently 
  produced 
  b}- 
  air 
  rushing 
  

  

  