UPLAND SHOOTING 
93 
“ This bird is well known to our sportsmen, and if not the 
same, has a very near resemblance to the common Snipe of 
Europe. It is usually known by the 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 good order are 
accounted excellent eating. They are perhaps the most diffi¬ 
cult 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 usually are 
here, as I have frequently observed them running about among 
the springs and watery thickets. I was told by the inhabitants 
that they generally disappeared in the spring. On the 20th 
of March I found these birds extremely numerous on the bor¬ 
ders of the ponds near Louisville, Ky., and also in the neigh¬ 
borhood 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 east 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 Great Britain, 
except in being about an inch less, and in having sixteen fea¬ 
thers 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 
