96 
SCOLOPAX BREHMII. 
name of the English snipe, to distinguish it from the 
woodcock, and from several others of the same genus. 
It arrives in Pennsylvania about the 10th of March, 
and remains in the low grounds for several weeks ; the 
greater part then move off to the north, and to the 
higher inland districts, to breed. A few are occasionally 
found, and, consequently, breed, in our low marshes, 
during the summer. When they first arrive, they are 
usually lean ; but, when in order, are accounted 
excellent eating. They are perhaps the most difficult 
to shoot of all our birds, as they fly in sudden zigzag 
lines, and very rapidly. Great numbers of these birds 
winter on the rice grounds of the Southern States, 
where, in the month of February, they appeared to be 
much tamer than they are usually here, as I frequently 
observed them running about among the springs and 
watery thickets. I was told by the inhabitants that 
they generally disappeared early in the spring. On the 
20th of March, I found these birds extremely numerous 
on the borders of the ponds near Louisville, Kentucky, 
and also in the neighbourhood of Lexington, in the 
same State, as late as the 10th of April. I was told by 
several people that they are abundant in the Illinois 
country, up as far as lake Michigan. They are but 
seldom seen in Pennsylvania during the summer, but 
are occasionally met with in considerable numbers on 
their return in autumn, along the whole eastern side of 
the Alleghany, from the sea to the mountains. They 
have the same soaring irregular flight in the air, in 
gloomy weather, as the snipe of Europe ; the same 
bleating note and occasional rapid descent ; spring from 
the marshes with the like feeble squeak ; and, in every 
respect resemble the common snipe of Britain, except 
in being about an inch less ; and in having sixteen 
feathers in the tail instead of fourteen, the number 
said by Bewick to be in that of Europe. From these 
circumstances, we must either conclude this to be a 
different species, or partially changed by difference of 
climate ; the former appears to me the most probable 
opinion of the two. 
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