HAUNTS AND HABITS. 
9 
Virginia. They are plenty all winter on Savannah River, 
and are there called “ fish ducks” by the natives, but are not 
esteemed of value for table use. They feed there more on 
the marshes, and retire to adjacent) islands to roost. Being 
heavy, clumsy creatures, they are, many of them, presumed 
to pass the winter within the territorial limits of the United 
States. 
Toward the end of May a few short billed or jack curlew 
(Numenius Iludsonicus, Lath.,) may be seen, like their con¬ 
generic relative with the long decurved rostrum, running 
about on the high beach, picking up black crickets, small 
snails and crabs. Both species have been scarce for many 
years. 
Of the snipe family we have a beautiful representative in 
(.MacrorhampJius griseus, Leach). It is not numerous in 
spring, but is quite so in summer, and easily bagged. They 
are not here generally called, red-breasted snipe, but “brown 
backs.” They stick their long bills into the mud or sand 
fiats presumably to frighten out the insects and worms that 
lie burrowed there, so that they may be easily captured. 
Very likely their sense of smell is so acute that they are ab'e 
to strike at once their prey. Their sojourn to their breeding- 
ground is very brief, scarcely more than six weeks. The 
adult males begin to return in considerable numbers about 
the 10th or 15th of July, and by the end of August, both 
young and old have winged their way toward equatorial regions. 
There is another beautiful plump little bird ( Tringa 
viaculata, Vieill.) well-known on our coast in summer and 
autumn under various cognomens, as “Jack snipe,” 
“krieker,” “grass bird,” etc., but they are rarely, if ever 
seen in the spring. The advancing columns occupy the 
broad valley of the Mississippi, especially that portion of it 
lying nearest to sunset. As this interesting species is not 
a spring visitant at Cape Cod it hardly comes within the 
scope of these notes, and yet we cmnot refrain from a 
passing remark particu’arly as there seems to be a wide 
discrepancy of opinion in relation to it. The best observers 
with whom we have come in con'act declare there are two 
