( Continued) 
Gallinago wilsoni 
1890 f Maine 
Oct. 8. L. Umbagog_ Where the mud was softer the bill was thrust 
r ' —> —— -* * ■ •■ * *> f 
in deeper but rarely to its base, excepting at one period when the 
bird waded out into the water up to its belly and probed for a 
several minutes immersing the entire bill as well as the head up 
to the eyes at each thrust and sometimes plunging the whole head 
under the surface. These deep thrusts were performed more slov/dy 
and often with marked deliberation the bill at times being kept 
in the mud for a full second or two, sometimes motionless, some¬ 
times working slightly up and down or from side to side . When 
f 
boring in soft mud the bird usually inserted its bill with the 
mandibles fromI/8 to 1/4 of an inch apart at the tip always 
closing it at the completion of the thrust and sometimes, when it 
held it in the mud for a little while, closing and opening it 
several time s in succession with a champing motion? It found an 
abundance of food . In fact at every third or fourth thrust on 
the average, it drew up something which it worked up quickly into 
the mouth and at once swallowed. Twice I saw distinctly a small 
worm ( not an earthworm) about 1/4 of an inch long wriggling 
i 
and wrapping itself about the end of the bird's bill but usually 
I could make out nothing beyond the working motion of the billand 
the evident act of swallowing. I was quite at a loss to under¬ 
stand how the object was transferred from the tip ^of the long bill 
by which it was certainly seized, back to the mouth, for the bill 
was never raised but was invariably held inclining decidedly down¬ 
ward during the operation. 
