338 USEFUL BIRDS. 
September and October. It is not an upland bird, but 
is seen chiefly in fresh-water meadows and lowlands along 
streams. It is sometimes met with in low, moist gardens. 
Mr. William Brewster says, in his “ Birds of the Cambridge 
Region,” that during exceptionally wet autumns great num- 
bers of Snipe occasionally visit the truck farms of Arlington 
and Belmont, to feed in the water-soaked fields of corn, pota- 
toes, and other crops. As they do not injure the crops, but 
probe the ground with their long bills, in search of worms 
and larve, it is probable that they do considerable good 
at such times. The Snipe when started from the ground 
usually goes off in a rather low, erratic course, but when well 
up in the air it sometimes makes a long and steady flight. 
It may be identified by its long bill. It seems to be some- 
what nocturnal, particularly on moonlit nights, when its note 
may be heard as it flies about the meadows or runs over 
them. Its alarm note is a harsh scazpe, and it utters also a 
muffled “bleat.” It feeds mainly on worms, grasshoppers, 
and other small forms of animal life. This bird’s chief 
economic value lies in the delicacy of its flesh, and as an 
object of sport it has few superiors. 
