67 
1870! 
Gallinago wilsoni, 
Middlesex County, Mass. 
(Apr,17) Started five on the Fresh Pond parshes. 
Started about sisteen in all on the Deadham marshes. 
Found only one bird on the Fresh Pond marshes. 
Sav7 eleven in all on the Concord marshes. The 
day v/as dark and cloudy v/ith an east v/ind and rain fall¬ 
ing steadily, and thw birds consequently very \ 7 ild, 
flying about in flocks like so many Ducks or Bay Birds. 
Saw between thirty and forty on the Concord mecjows 
and with Carter bagged tv/enty-three. 
Boat the Concord meadows carefully and started only 
one bird. 
Pour were found in tiie Fresh Pond marshes and three 
of them were shot by J.Mesbit. These vrere the last of 
the season. The flight, in this section of the cou ntry 
has been unusually heavy, beginning early and lasting 
late. We had the best shooting at Concord although 
we tried Deadham and other noted localities. The Con¬ 
cord meadows are very large, extending for miles on both 
sides of the river, and offering every attraction far 
t e birds. At this season they are covered by a short 
growth of green grass, and being a Imost perfectly smooth 
and level, the bids were very wild there, usually rising 
out of range until driven back inton the runs or broken 
ground about tthe edges vthere they frequently lay like 
stones. Singular tricks are sometimes played by 
this species. We started one that pitched near the 
edge of a broad ditch, entered the v;ater, swam across 
^d vmlked into a thicket of birches on the other side 
When we followed with the dog it kept flirting up flying 
a few yards v/ith dangling legs, and thendropping to the 
ground and running over the leaves like a Sandpiper 
v/ithout in the least attempting concelment. WhenVi- 
nally driven out it took a long flight across the open 
and pitched into another thicket of birches and oaks. 
Upon being started here it soared directly up like a*Wood- 
cockand was shot as it was topping a high birch. On 
another occasion v/hile walking along the river where the 
banks were high and dry, we came, IMe in. the afternonr., 
to a promontory only a fevr rods square v/hich stretched 
out into the ater, its surface broken by small mounds 
and hillocks. When nearly opposite this, three Snipe 
water, and flying across, 
alighted on the promontory. Upon going teatbespot 
to the spot we flushed eight the first rise, and four or 
five more the second. Of these wo killed three or 
four and marked the remainder down in an adjoining mea- 
