Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875
April 22 [April 22, 1875] engaged in "boring" and I had a rare 
chance to observe this interesting
characteristic. It reminded me most
forcibly of spearing eels. The snipe
standing in a crouching attitude
the body nearly horizontal thrust
down his bill not [delete]horizon[/delete] perpen-
dicularly but slanting forwards at
a downward angle of about 45 deg. [degrees]
The thrusts were made with astonish-
ing rapidity at least two a second
and while making them the bird
stood perfectly still, lunging out on
all sides just as the eel spearer
does. When a worm was struck
the bill was drawn out rapidly [delete]and
pointed[/delete] (again recalling the quick
hand over hand recovery of the 
spear when the eel is struck and
pulled up) elevated for a moment,
and with a shake or two of the head
the worm was swallowed. A capture
seemed to be made on the average
about once in a dozen thrusts.
Sometimes a bird would flit like
a Rhyacophilus solitarius a few
yards, light on the ice (the meadow
was covered with water to the depth
of nearly a foot) with upraised
wings until sure of his footing
and then walk in a crouching
position to some little mound of
earth that rose above the flooded meadow.
Once five or six of them walked
in [delete]this[/delete] single file across quite