! 54 
BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 
Gosse gives an interesting account of this species. He says f 
“ This beautiful and singular bird first fell under my observation in 
December. It was wading in the water of Crab Pond, picking from 
the mud at the bottom with the beak, the water reaching not quite 
half-way up the tarsus. It did not feel with the beak in the manner 
of the Snipe, but struck at the prey that caught its eye as it walked 
with the head erect. The statement of Cuvier that walking is pain- 
ful to the bird, is as contrary to fact as to reason. This specimen 
was walking in the shallow firmly enough, and even when shot in 
one leg so as to break it, it stood for some time on the other in a 
firm, erect attitude, the broken limb being held up and dangling. 
“Three were shot at Bluefield’s Creek, on the ist of May, in the 
evening, out of a large flock that were wading on the little bar at 
the mouth, and were brought to me. One, which had the wing 
broken, was alive and otherwise unhurt. It ran actively enough, 
without the slightest vacillation, taking long strides ; but when it 
was on its belly it could not get on its legs without help, sprawling 
about with opened wings ; it is quite likely, however, that this was 
owing to one wing being rendered useless, for in attempting to rise, 
I perceived it always tried to balance by opening and extending 
horizontally the wings. ... It frequently stopped abruptly, essayed 
to go on and stopped again, in that hesitating manner common to 
the Plovers ; and, like them, it often jerked the head up and down. 
Its usual attitude when standing still was with the neck shortened 
so that the head projected from between the shoulders, the beak 
pointing obliquely downwards, and the hinder parts of the body a 
