BAY SNIPE. 
is 
two, by discharging both barrels into a flock. This number is 
greater than I ever before heard of; but from ten to fifteen is 
not unusual. 
“ To the curious who are fond of speculating on anomalies, I 
will mention a coincidence connected with an individual of this 
species, that I am at a loss to account for. In the month of 
November, 1840, a gentleman shot a Red-backed Sandpiper. 
Not recognizing it in its winter dress, and supposing it to be 
something unusual, he had the politeness to forward it to my 
address. It being a very common species, and having in my 
cabinet several duplicates in both spring and winter plumage, 
I did not think it worth preserving. I threw it carelessly on 
my table, where it remained for two or three weeks without 
receiving further notice. At the expiration of that time, my 
attention was again called to it, when I was somewhat surprised 
to find it in as good condition as when I had first received it. 
It having been shot about three weeks, and during the time that 
it was in my possession kept in a room in which almost every 
day there was a fire, I decided, as a matter of curiosity, to keep 
it in order to ascertain how long it would remain before decom¬ 
position would take place. On several subsequent examina¬ 
tions, I found no symptoms of decay, but discovered that the 
breast and other fleshy parts began to shrink. Now at the ex¬ 
piration of two years, it is perfectly dry and hard—the eyes 
sunk in, or entirely dried up, a large portion of the breast-bone 
bare, the abdomen much contracted, and at the same time all 
the feathers are complete ; in other words, it is a self-preserved 
mummy. The entrails were not removed, neither was it inject¬ 
ed, nor artificial means of any kind resorted to. Had this oc¬ 
curred with an upland bird, especially when in poor condition, 
should not have thought it strange : but the shore birds, from 
heir being so excessively oily, are proverbial for spoiling soon 
after shooting.” 
