178 



THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



that so long as it is not kept down by birds, 

 bats and insect parasites in its present home, 

 it will probably keep within the territory 

 which it now devastates. It appears that 

 nature has supplied this butterfly with an 

 abnormal habit hitherto unknown to the genus 

 on this continent — that of descending from the 

 branches to the ground by means of a silken 

 thread. 



THE AMERICAN SNIPE. 



(Gallinago Wilsonii, Bon.) 



The arrival of snipe with us in the spring is 

 very uncertain, but depends entirely upon the 

 state of the season. If the spring opens late 

 they remain here but a few days, passing hur- 

 riedly to their breeding grounds in the far- 

 North. On their return from the north with 

 their young, they pay us a visit before going- 

 south, reaching us in September ; the first cool 

 weather having prompted them to seek winter 

 quarters. They make their autumnal migra- 

 tions in stages in advance of hard freezing, 

 stopping and resting on the route. The snipe 

 lies best to a dog on warm sunny days, when 

 gentle winds are blowing, and if feeding in 

 high tusscch meadows will sometimes not take 

 flight until nearly trodden upon. But during 

 blustery weather, especially if the wind is from 

 the north-east, they are very loth to allow even 

 the most steady dog to come within thirty or 

 forty yards of them. This is more noticeable 

 in the spring, when the birds have first arrived, 

 and are in wisps or bunches, than in autumn, 

 when they appear to have made up their minds 

 to stay for a while previous to moving south- 

 ward. Sometimes, particularly on a dark 

 drizzling day, which is the weather they prefer 

 for their flights, the flushing ot one bird will 

 be the signal for every snipe in the field to 

 rise with a sharp " skeap," •' skeap," and the 

 air will be filled with their bleating and their 

 irregular flights. Perhaps they will join in a 

 flock and fly beyond the range of vision or 

 again individual birds may drop with their 

 peculiarly rapid descent until all have settled 

 again. There is no difficulty in marking down 

 a snipe, their quick, dropping motion is un- 

 mistakable. Beating for snipe with the. wind 

 at one's back, has always been advised by 

 experts, as the bird invariably rises against 

 wind, and flies at an angle towards you, either 

 to the right or left, thus presenting a more 

 easy shot than when going straightaway in a 

 zigzag course. Frequently when flushed, a 

 bird will dart away, flying low at first, but 



gradually rising will soon seem but a speck in 

 the sky, and then disappear from view, let the 

 hunter keep for a few minutes his position, 

 and quick as flash the bird may drop down 

 within a few yards of his former resting place. 

 This is not always the case, however, as often 

 the snipe may leave not to return. The pro- 

 bable explanation of this is, that in the first 

 case the ground from which the bird was 

 driven afforded good food and cover, and the 

 snipe was loth to desert so attractive a spot. 

 In our estimation no sport is comparable to an 

 October day with the snipe if they be tolera- 

 bly plenty. Undoubtedly the perfection of 

 snipe shooting is had in Florida during the 

 winter months. In some places so thickly do 

 they congregate that a dog is an impediment 

 rather than a help, though a good retriever is 

 very useful when 'there is much water. 



THE GOLDEN PLOVER. 



(Charadius Virginicus, Borck.) 



This is a fine game bird, confined neither to 

 the interior nor to the coast alone. None of 

 our game birds seem to be more generally 

 known, for it is scattered apparently over the 

 whole face of the land — -from the fur coun- 

 tries to the Gulf, and from ocean to ocean — 

 breeding in the most northern portions of the 

 continent, to which they annually repair 

 about the beginning of May, and commence 

 their return journey during September. These 

 birds, though naturally timid, and usually 

 very shy of the approach of man, are easily 

 reached, provided the proper precautions are 

 taken by the hunters. In the Western States 

 and prairie land where there is no cover for 

 the gunner they are usually shot from 

 waggons; and from their apparent inattention 

 to enemies thus equipped, it would seem that 

 their fear of humanity is limited to. man in 

 his primitive condition only, for after volley 

 upon volley has been poured into their ranks 

 with deadly effect, they pass along in unbroken 

 line only to receive another cross shot in their 

 next circuit of flight as they pass over a 

 favorite feeding place of newly ploughed 

 ground or in a grasshopper or Cricket range. 

 In the autumn, and more particularly after a 

 protracted drouth, these birds resort regularly 

 to the sand beaches or rocky points of the 

 nearest streams for the purpose of washing 

 and quenching their thirst. .As the flock 

 comes into sight a shrill whistle is usually the 

 first Avelcome, then the chorus of a hundred 



