SNIPE-LIKE BIRDS 5 
are as truly bay and shore birds as are the sandpipers. 
There are not many species. 
The sandpipers are a large group, and among them 
are some species with peculiar bills. The bill is soft 
and sensitive, though less so than in the two previous 
groups. All the sandpipers are extremely gregarious, 
and while they vary somewhat in size, as a rule they 
are small birds. 
The tattlers, of. which the winter and the summer yel- 
lowleg and willet are familiar examples, are larger 
than the sandpipers and longer legged. In these birds 
the bill is less sensitive than in the sandpipers. They 
are not less gregarious than the previous group, and are 
noted for their restlessness and for the noise they 
make, whence their common name, It is a large 
group. 
The curlews are distinguished by a down-turned sen- 
sitive bill of great length, and in most cases by their 
large size. These also are noisy birds and remind one 
somewhat of the godwits, which nearly equal some of 
the curlews in size. Both godwits and curlews are 
found all over the world. 
The flesh of all these birds is usually very delicious, 
though of course varying in excellence with the foods 
of the species. Some of these which feed along the 
shore and largely on shellfish are not particularly well 
flavored, while the woodcock and snipe are among the 
most delicate of our game birds. 
