326 THE SEMIPALMA'TED SNIPE, OR WILLET. 



who, should he be a parent himself, is almost sure to leave them unmolested. 

 When much pursued, the birds join and form a flock, the individuals of 

 which continue to wheel through the air, at some distance from their nests, 

 until their enemy has departed. 



The Semipalmated Snipe is at all times a shy and wary bird, so that in 

 approaching it the sportsman requires to use the greatest caution. The 

 method which I found most effectual was to employ a well-trained dog, and 

 conceal myself among the rankest herbage of the marshes. The Willets 

 rarely failed to fly close over the dog, and as he now and then, playfully, as 

 it were, approached me, the birds came within shooting distance. On such 

 occasions, if one is brought down, another may follow, provided the sports- 

 man is quick; but, after being thus shot at, the Willets generally take a long 

 circuit, and remove towards some clear spot near the water, where they 

 alight and watch your motions. The cries of one suffice to alarm all within 

 hearing, and you see all of them with outstretched legs and necks running 

 away as you approach. Often at the very instant when you are preparing 

 to shoot, they all rise on wing, fly across some bay or creek, and betake 

 themselves to the marsh, where they are safe from your pursuit. 



During winter you frequently see these birds in the Southern States along 

 the naked shores. The moment they see you the cry of alarm is sounded, 

 and the flock, which now consists of one, two, or perhaps three families, 

 suffer you to come almost within shot, as if purposely to tantalize you, but 

 at this moment fly off circuitously over the water, and alight at the distance 

 of some hundred yards. At such times you may procure them by floating 

 your boat quietly along the shores; but the experiment rarely succeeds on 

 the same flock more than once. When they are on large racoon-oyster beds, 

 it is almost impossible to approach them; and if there should be a few Cur- 

 lews or Oyster-catchers among them, it were better for you to go in search 

 of some other game. 



The flight of this species is strong, rapid, and greatly protracted. Its 

 movements on wing greatly resemble those of the Oyster-catcher, and, unless 

 during the breeding season, are performed low over the waters. They 

 seldom rise without emitting their usual notes, which resemble the syllables 

 ivill-willet, or ivill, will, willet, and are different from the softer and more 

 prolonged whistling notes which they emit during the love season. They 

 generally travel in flocks, even in spring, and congregate for the purpose of 

 breeding, being attracted when passing by the notes of those which have 

 already arrived at a chosen spot. The males and females remain together 

 until autumn, when several families join and live peaceably together. When 

 wounded and brought to the water, they swim tolerably well, but do not dive, 

 although the} 7 now and then, on being approached, try to submerse themselves. 



