326 
THE SEMIPALMATED 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 
Curlews 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 
will-willet, or will, 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 they now and then, on being approached, try to submerse themselves. 
