THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 139 



The song of this bird is an improvement on that of the 

 foregoing and somewhat resembles the tune of a Catbird. 



The food consists of grasshoppers, beetles and large in- 

 sects, but principally of English Sparrows. It obtains its 

 name of Butcher Bird from a habit it shares with the pre- 

 ceding species of impaling its prey on thorns, to remain 

 there until wanted. 



ISiskin, Pine. See Pine Finch. 



Skimmer, Black, or ISciss0rs-bill.--'Length., eighteen 

 inches; extent, three feet, eight inches; upper bill, three, 

 lower nearly four inches, compressed almost flat, resemb- 

 ling the blades of shears. The female is somewhat smal- 

 ler. The forehead, sides of the neck and upper parts are 

 white, the upper parts and the wings black, and the tail 

 black, broadly edged with white and brown. The nest is 

 a depression in the beach. The eggs are either three or 

 four in number, white or cream in color, and one and 

 three fourths by one and one-third inches in size. It was 

 formerly plentiful along the sea coast of New Jersey, but 

 it is DOW rare. In winter it migrates to South America. 

 Its food is small fish, etc., which it picks out of the water. 



Snipe, JEnglish. See Wilson's Snipe. 



Snipe, Grass. See Pectoral Sandpiper. 



Snipe, Oray. See Knot. 



Snipe, Red-breasted. See Dowitcher. 



Snipe, Robin. See Knot. 



Snipe, Stone. See Greater Yellowlegs. 



Snipe, Surf. See Sanderling. 



Snipe, Teetering. See Spotted Sandpiper. 



Snipe, W*ilson''s, or English Snipe. — Length eleven 



