94 
SCOLOPAX GRISEA. 
many other peculiarities, a few of which, as far as I 
have myself observed, may he sketched as follows : — 
The red-breasted snipe arrives on the sea coast of New 
Jersey early in April; is seldom or never seen inland : 
early in May, it proceeds to the north to breed, and 
returns by the latter part of July, or beginning of 
August, During its stay here, it flies in flocks, some- 
times very high, and has then a loud and shrill whistle, 
making many evolutions over the marshes ; forming, 
dividing, and reuniting. They sometimes settle in such 
numbers, and so close together, that eighty-five have 
been shot at one discharge of a musket. They spring 
from the marshes with a loud twirling whistle, generally 
rising high, and making several circuitous manoeuvres 
in air, before they descend. They frequent the sand 
bars and mud flats at low water, in search of food ; and, 
being less suspicious of a boat than of a person on shore, 
are easily approached by this medium, and shot down 
in great numbers. They usually keep by themselves, 
being very numerous ; are in excellent order for the 
table in September ; and, on the approach of winter, 
retire to the south. 
I have frequently amused myself with the various 
action of these birds : They fly very rapidly, sometimes 
wheeling, coursing and doubling along the surface of 
the marshes ; then shooting high in air, there separating 
and forming in various bodies, uttering a kind of 
quivering whistle. Among many which I opened in 
May, were several females that had very little rufous 
below, and the backs were also much lighter, and less 
marbled with ferruginous. The eggs contained in their 
ovaries were some of them as large as garden peas. 
Their stomachs contained masses of those small snail 
shells that lie in millions on the salt marshes ; the 
wrinkles at the base of the bill, and the red breast, are 
strong characters of this species, as also the membrane 
which unites the outer and middle toes together. 
The red-breasted snipe is ten inches and a half long, 
and eighteen inches in extent ; the bill, is about two 
inches and a quarter in length, straight, grooved, black 
