VERTEBRATA. 
ing certainty into the mud, where its prey is hidden. It also devours snails, slugs, small beetles, '" 
&c. It migrates by night in March and April, to high northern regions, where it breeds, and re- 
turns in August. It is one of the most noted of game birds, and great quantities are killed in 
the countries where they make a short stay in their migrations. It is common throughout 
Europe; a few breed in Great Britain. The nest is loosely made of dead leaves in a dry, warm 
spot among herbage. The female is attentive to her young, and when surprised will often carry 
them off in her claw^s, one at a time, to a place of safety. 
The American- Woodcock — S. miiior of Bonaparte, Fhilohela minor of Gray — is but a trifle 
smaller than the preceding, which it greatly resembles in form and habits. It, however, does not 
proceed so far north for incubation. It appears in the Middle and New England States in March 
and April, and departs for countries south of the United States in October and November. 
It breeds from Maryland to the St. Lawrence. As in the preceding species, they are able to select 
their food by scent ; they often feed in the night, and their eyes are set back in their head so as 
hardly to be used for the purpose of seeking the objects on which they feed. Their haunts are 
marshy thickets, where they turn over the fallen leaves and probe the mud, in pursuit of their 
prey. Whenever surprised in their hiding-places they rise in a hurried manner, but soon drop 
to the ground, then running along and lurking w^henever they consider themselves safe. They 
are greatly esteemed as game, and are hunted with pointers or setters, and shot on the wing, 
They are common in the markets of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia from August to the 
1st of November. 
The CoMMOisr European Snipe or English Snipe — Becassine of the French — S. gallhiago, 
is ten and a half inches long, the beak two and three-quarters ; dai-k-brown spotted above ; 
sides and neck pale-brown ; 
breast and belly white. They 
breed in fens and marshes, 
and are migratory, moving 
to the North in March and 
to the South in November. 
Many of them, however, re- 
main and breed in inter- 
mediate stations, through the 
summer. During incubation 
the male bird is often heard 
uttering a piping call to his 
mate. He also frequently 
ascends in a circling flight to 
an immense elevation, some- 
times beyond the reach of 
vision, and then descends 
with great velocity, utter- 
ing, at the same time, a kind 
of plaintive, whistling sound, 
which is accompanied by a 
trembling motion of the 
wings. This takes place morning and evening, and sometimes during the day, It is found in all 
Northern Europe, Iceland, and Greenland ; in winter it migrates to Egypt and Asia Minor. 
Other foreign species of Snipe are the Great Snipe, Double Snipe, or Solitary Snipe, S. ma- 
jor; twelve inches long ; a fine species ; habits like the preceding ; found sparingly in various 
parts of Europe, from Italy to Sweden ; and the Jack-Snipe, 8. gallinula — Becassine sourde of 
the French — eight inches long ; solitary in its habits, and breeds as far north as Sweden, and 
visits the South of Europe in the winter. The Gray Snipe, Brown Snipe, or Red-breasted 
Snipe — 8. novehoracensis of De Kay, Macroramphus griseus of Bonaparte, Becassine grise of the 
French — is ten to eleven inches long ; upper surface variegated with difi'erent shades of chestnut 
THE COMMON ETTROPEAN SNIPE 
