at a considerable elevation, by regular and quickly repeated beats of
the wings. Yet they do not appear as if pursuing a direct course, for
every now and then they deviate a little to either side. They pass
over rapidly, however, and are able to travel to a great distance
in a short time. Their migrations, although performed singly, or
in small parties of a single family, may be said to be in a manner
continuous, as in the course of a few days a whole section of country,
in which none had been seen for several months, becomes well supplied
with them. When surprised by the sportsman, or any other enemy,
they usually rise at one spring, dash through the air in a zig-zag
course, a few feet from the ground, emit their cry when about twenty
yards distant, and at times continue to employ this cunning mode
of escape for sixty or seventy yards, after which they mount into
the air, and perform the rounds already described. I have found the
instant at which they utter their note of alarm the best for pulling
the trigger; but almost every sportsman has his peculiar fancy, and
many are glad to kill them the best way they can; for he who shoots
thirty snipes in succession, without missing one, is a good hand
at any kind of shooting. Sometimes the Snipe will squat with great
pertinacity, and even stand a pointer, while at other times it will
not suffer either man or dog to approach within fifty yards of it.
This, however, depends much on the state of the atmosphere. The finer
and warmer the day, the easier I have found it to get near them, and
the smaller is the distance at which they realight; whereas during
drizzly weather, they fly off to a great distance. When the Snipe
alights within sight, and you are concealed and silent, its movements
can easily be observed. It first stands for an instant in a half
crouching attitude, as if to listen, then raises itself and runs a
few steps, when, if it be in any degree apprehensive of danger, it
squats, and there remains until put up. If all around is quiet, you
see it move in its ordinary manner, walking lightly, and with some
grace, its bill half inclined downwards, in search of a good spot to
probe for food. The instant it meets with this it sets to work, and
thrusts its bill into the mud or the damp soil, to a depth determined
by the degree of softness of the ground, repeating its thrusts eight,
ten, or more times in quick succession. When it has thus examined a
spot, and perhaps found some food, it walks off in search of another,
and thus continues until it is satisfied, when it generally lays
itself down in a soft tuft of grass until the approach of night, when
it flies off and rambles about for exercise in comparative security.
When wounded, it runs with moderate speed, but, if closely pursued,
squats whenever a good opportunity occurs. It will at times continue
to run for fifty or more yards, after which, if you have not a good
dog, it is next to impossible to find it, for on such occasions it
remains perfectly silent. While travelling eastward from Charleston,
in the month of March, I found this Snipe perhaps more abundant near
the Great Santee River than any where else. We could see them with
ease from the carriage as they were walking over the rice-fields, as
if in perfect assurance of security.
The food of our Common Snipe consists principally of ground worms,
insects, and the juicy slender roots of different vegetables, all
of which tend to give its flesh that richness of flavour and juicy
tenderness, for which it is so deservedly renowned, it being equal
to that of the woodcock. Many epicures eat up both Snipe and Woodcock
with all their viscera, worms and insects to boot, the intestines in
fact being considered the most savoury parts. On opening some newly
killed Snipes, I have more than once found fine large and well-fed
ground worms, and at times a leech, which I must acknowledge I never
conceived suitable articles of food for man, and, for this reason,
I have always taken good care to have both Snipes and Woodcocks well
cleaned, as all game ought to be.
To WILSON is due the merit of having first shewn the difference between
this bird and the Common Snipe of Europe; and it is honourable for
the ornithologists of that region of the globe to have dedicated
our species to so zealous and successful a student of nature. I
have, however, been surprised that he should not have mentioned the
difference in the notes of the two species, which in fact is as great
as that between those of the American Crow and the Carrion Crow of
Europe. A decided difference of this kind I am always disposed to
consider as satisfactory in the case of nearly allied species. While
glancing over some of the numberless compilations that are pouring
their muddy waters into the great stream of human knowledge, I was
somewhat surprised to find in one of them an account of the American
Snipe, in which it is stated that it is a _winter_ visitant in the
_northern_ States, and will most probably breed farther _south_,
without leaving the country!
The American Snipe is easily caught in snares placed on the spots of
mud which it is wont to probe, and a good number are thus obtained
by the farmers’ children, especially during very cold weather, when,
the birds having become emaciated from want of a good supply of food,
they resort to the small warm springs of our meadows, and there remain
until the return of milder weather. At such times and places, I have
heard this bird utter various curious notes, which I am unable to
describe, putting themselves into strange postures all the while,
jerking their tails upwards, downwards, and sideways, for several
seconds at a time, while the head and neck were moved backwards and
forwards, as if the bird had been in a fit. I never saw this during
warm weather, and am unable to account for it.
It arrives in Pennsylvania from the south about the middle of March,
earlier or later according to the nature of the season, a month
later in Maine, and about a week or ten days after in Nova Scotia.
We neither saw nor heard of any in Newfoundland or Labrador, but they
are abundant in the interior of the northern parts of the Canadas.
The young acquire the full plumage of the adult the first year after
their birth, when no essential difference is perceptible between
the sexes, the female being merely somewhat larger than the male. My
friend THOMAS MACCULLOCH, who has not unfrequently found this bird
breeding, and from whom I have received many of its eggs, was unable
to say whether both sexes incubate, although this is very probable, as
the male is often seen with or near the female while she is sitting,
excepting towards evening or in the early part of the morning, when
he mounts into the air, as if for the purpose of congratulating her
by his curious song. It often happens that before these birds depart
in spring, many are already mated. The birds are then met with in
meadows or on low grounds, and, by being on the spot before sunrise,
you may see both mount high in the air in a spiral manner, now with
continuous beats of the wings, now in short sailings, until more
than a hundred yards high, when they whirl round each other with
extreme velocity, and dance as it were to their own music; for at
this juncture, and during the space of five or six minutes, you hear
rolling notes mingling together, each more or less distinct, perhaps
according to the state of the atmosphere. The sounds produced are
extremely pleasing, though they fall faintly on the ear. I know not
how to describe them, but I am well assured that they are not produced
simply by the beatings of the wings, as at this time the wings are not
flapped, but are used in sailing swiftly in a circle not many feet in
diameter. A person might cause a sound somewhat similar by blowing
rapidly and alternately from one end to another, across a set of
small pipes consisting of two or three modulations. This performance
is kept up until incubation terminates, but I never observed it at
any other period. Our Woodcock produces a somewhat similar sound at
the same season, and also at times on fine autumnal evenings, as I
shall mention more particularly when describing that bird.
In confinement, our Common Snipe feeds freely on moistened Indian
corn meal, mixed with some insects, but rarely becomes as gentle as
the Woodcock in similar circumstances. When approached, it droops its
wings and runs round its place of confinement, even should it be a
small room, keeping its tail spread out on the side next you. If the
bird is confined in a small space in front of you, it alternately
throws the tail upwards, and spreads it in the manner mentioned at
every successive turn to and from each corner. Sometimes it emits a
lisping sound, but is more usually silent.
SCOLOPAX WILSONII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 330.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 401.
SNIPE, SCOLOPAX GALLINAGO, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. vi.
p. 18. pl. 47. fig. 1.
WILSON’S SNIPE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 185.
Adult Male. Plate CCXLIII. Fig. 1.
Bill twice as long as the head, subulate, straight, compressed for
more than half its length, depressed towards the end. Upper mandible
with the dorsal line straight, the ridge for a short space at the
base flattish, then convex, towards the end flattened, the sides
with a narrow groove extending to near the tip, which is obtuse and
probe-like, the edges soft and obtuse. Nostrils basal, linear, very
small. Lower mandible with the angle extremely long and narrow, the
sides nearly erect, with a groove having several bars across it; the
end of both mandibles covered, after death, with numerous prominences,
or rather with reticular depressions, leaving small prominences
between them.
Head rather small, oblong, narrowed anteriorly, the forehead elevated
and rounded. Neck rather short. Body rather full. Legs of moderate
length, slender; tibia bare below, scutellate before and behind;
tarsus with numerous scutella before, smaller ones behind, and
reticulated sides; toes very slender, free, scutellate above, narrow
and slightly margined beneath; first very small, third longer than
the tarsus, fourth much shorter, but considerably longer than second.
Claws slightly arched, extremely compressed, very acute, that of the
third toe largest.
Plumage very soft, rather full, blended, on the fore part of the
head very short. Wings of moderate length, narrow, sharp; primaries
broad, tapering, but rounded, the first extremely small and pointed,
the second longest, the third very little shorter, the rest rapidly
graduated; secondaries broad, short, incurved, rounded, the inner
very long, tapering, as are the scapulars. Tail short, rounded, of
sixteen rounded feathers.
Bill brown, the granulated part towards the tip black. Iris hazel.
Feet bluish-grey, claws dusky. On the upper part of the head two
brownish-black longitudinal broad bands, separated by a narrower
central pale brown one, and with another pale brown band on each
side from the bill over the eye; then a loral band of dark brown;
chin whitish; neck pale reddish-brown, spotted with brownish-black.
The general colour of the upper parts is brownish-black, variegated
with pale reddish-brown, of which latter colour are the outer edges
of the scapulars and of the lateral feathers on the anterior part
of the back. Wing-coverts and inner secondaries similarly mottled,
the smaller anterior coverts, the primary coverts, primary quills,
and outer secondaries deep brown, more or less tipped with white;
first quill white, dusky in the centre, second with the outer edge
brownish-white; rump barred with yellowish-grey and dusky; upper
tail-coverts similar, but the larger barred with brownish-red
and black. Tail-feathers brownish-black at the base, with a broad
subterminal band of brownish-red on the outer web of the two middle,
and on both webs of the rest, excepting the outer on each side,
which is barred with brownish-black and white, the black bars five;
the tips of all white. Anterior part of breast like the neck, the
rest white; abdomen and lower tail-coverts greyish-yellow, barred
with brownish-black, as are the sides; scapulars white, barred with
greyish-black; lower wing-coverts similarly mottled.
Length to end of tail 10-1/2 inches, to end of claw 11-1/2; extent of
wings 17; wing from flexure 5; tail 2-1/4; bill along the back 2-7/12,
along the edge of lower mandible 2-5/12; tarsus 1-2/12, middle toe
1-1/4, its claw (4-1/2)/12. Weight 3 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXLIII. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the Male, but is rather larger.
Autumnal plumage, Plate CCXLIII. Fig. 3.
The young in autumn resemble the old birds, but have the dark markings
of a browner tint, the light more dingy, and the colours in general
less pure.
THE COMMON GALLINULE.
_GALLINULA CHLOROPUS_, LATH.
PLATE CCXLIV. MALE.
The two species of Gallinule which occur in the United States are
confined within a comparatively small range in that extensive country,
the southern portions of which appear to suit them better, at all
seasons of the year, than the other districts. The Common Gallinule
is extremely abundant during winter along the rivers, fresh-water
creeks, lagoons, ponds and lakes, between the Gulf of Mexico and the
eastern shores of the Floridas, while in spring and summer a good
number migrate eastward into the Carolinas, and now and then a few
stragglers may be seen on the fresh waters of the Middle Districts,
beyond which none, to my knowledge, have ever been observed. They
seldom ascend any of our southern streams to any considerable distance,
few are ever met with many miles above Natchez on the Mississippi,
and none are to be seen in the Western Country.
In general they are equally diurnal and nocturnal in their habits,
and when undisturbed frequent the land as much as the water. In the
lower parts of Louisiana and the Floridas, I have seen them seek their
food and amuse themselves by day in the pastures and fields, and I
have observed both them and the Gallinules of England enacting their
courtship, while the sun was yet high above the horizon. In sight of
man, however, they are timorous although not shy, and retreat from
him among the grass and sedges bordering the water, to which they
resort for safety. If shot at, or otherwise frightened, they run with
speed, and either fly or swim off as fast as possible, to elude their
enemy.
During my various temporary residences in London, I have often seen
the Gallinules resort to the grounds in the Regent’s Park at all hours
of the day. They were there in a manner partially domesticated, and
walked quite unconcernedly in the meadows, led their young over the
water, and paid their addresses to each other, while fifty or more
persons were amusing themselves with feeding the ducks and swans over
the bridge leading to the inner circle, and within sight of these
birds. While I was at Spring-Garden Spring in East Florida, in the
early part of January, the Gallinules were seen in great numbers on
every bayou leading towards the waters of the St John, and at that
early period the manifestations of their amatory propensity were quite
remarkable. The male birds courted the females, both on the land and
on the water; they frequently spread out their tail like a fan, and
moved round each other, emitting a murmuring sound for some seconds.
The female would afterwards walk to the water’s edge, stand in the
water up to her breast, and receive the caresses of the male, who
immediately after would strut on the water before her, jerking with
rapidity his spread tail for a while, after which they would both
resume their ordinary occupations. This was in the middle of the day,
when I could have counted eight or ten pairs in sight.
The nest is formed with more labour than art, being composed of a
quantity of withered rushes and plants, interwoven in a circular form,
frequently from two to three inches thick in the centre, surrounded by
an edge or brim four or five inches high. If not greatly disturbed,
these birds raise several broods in a season, using the same nest,
and making additions to it previous to depositing each new set of
eggs. In Lower Louisiana I found it usually five or six feet from
the water, among the rankest weeds, along the bayous and lakes,
which are so numerous there. In some instances it was placed on a
prostrate trunk of a tree over the water, when the materials of which
it was composed were less abundant than in other circumstances. I
never saw one floating loose, but have often heard people say they
had occasionally seen a nest in that state, although I am not much
disposed to give credit to such assertions. The number of eggs seldom
exceeds eight or nine, and is more frequently from five to seven.
As the bird lays more than once, its progeny is thus numerous. The
Gallinules cover their eggs when they leave them, no doubt to protect
them from crows and other enemies, but return to them as soon as food
has been procured, although both sexes incubate. The eggs measure
an inch and five-eighths, by an inch and one and a half eighths, and
are of a dull darkish cream colour, spotted and dotted with various
tints of reddish-brown and umber.
The females are as assiduous in their attentions to their young as the
wild Turkey Hens; and, although the young take to the water as soon
as hatched, the mother frequently calls them ashore, when she nurses
and dries them under her body and wings. In this manner she looks
after them until they are nearly a month old, when she abandons them
and begins to breed again. The young, which are covered with hairy,
shining, black down, swim beautifully, jerking their heads forward
at each movement of their feet. They seem to grow surprisingly fast,
and at the age of six or seven weeks are strong, active, and perhaps
as well able to elude their enemies as the old birds are. Their food
consists of grasses, seeds, water-insects, worms, and snails, along
with which they swallow a good deal of sand or gravel. They walk and
run over the broad leaves of water-lilies, as if on land, dive if
necessary, and appear at times to descend into the water in search
of food, although I cannot positively assert that they do so.
On more than one occasion, I have seen a flock of these young birds
playing on the surface of the water like Ducks, beating it with
their wings, and splashing it about in a curious manner, when their
gambols would attract a garfish, which at a single dart would seize
one of them and disappear. The rest affrighted would run as it were
with inconceivable velocity on the surface of the water, make for the
shore, and there lie concealed and silent for a quarter of an hour or
so. In the streams and ponds of the Floridas, this species and some
others of similar habits, suffer greatly from Alligators and Turtles,
as well as from various kinds of fish, although, on account of their
prolific nature, they are yet abundant.
This Gallinule seldom resorts to salt water, but at times is met with
on the banks of bayous in which the water is brackish. This, however,
happens only during winter. On land it walks somewhat like a chicken,
and thirty, forty, or more individuals may be seen searching for
worms and insects among the grass, which they also nip in the manner
of the domestic fowl. On such occasions, the constantly repeated
movements of their tail are rendered conspicuous by the pure white
of the feathers beneath it, which, along with the white stripes on
the flanks, and in spring the vivid red of the frontal plate, renders
their general appearance quite interesting. In cases of danger, they
run with great speed, and easily conceal themselves. On the water
they sit very lightly, and swim with activity, the movements of their
head and neck keeping pace with those of their feet. They pick up
their food from either side, continually jerk their tail, and not
unfrequently touch the water with it.
Although not a migratory bird, this species flies very well, whenever
it has occasion to rise from the ground. Its wings, although concave,
are large for its size, more so in fact than those of _Rallus
crepitans_, which migrates to a considerable extent. But in general,
the Gallinules are averse from flying, unless when anxious to remove
from one lake or stream to another, when they rise fifty or sixty feet
in the air, and fly with ease and considerable velocity, by continued
flappings, the neck and legs stretched out. At all other times when
raised, they suffer their legs to dangle, proceed slowly to a short
distance, and drop among the reeds, or, if over the water, they dive
and hide, leaving nothing but the bill projecting above the surface.
The young in autumn have not attained their full size; their colours
are much duller than those of the old birds, particularly the stripes
on the flanks and under the tail, which are of a dull cream colour
instead of being pure white. The frontal plate is small, and almost
covered by the feathers around it; the legs and feet are of a dingy
green, and the red band on the tibia is scarcely apparent. In spring
they acquire their full plumage, but the frontal plate increases in
size for several years.
There are great differences as to size between birds of both sexes.
The male from which I drew the figure in the plate, was of an average
size, having been selected from a bagful procured expressly for the
purpose. Our Gallinule corresponds so precisely with that of Europe,
that I cannot hesitate in affirming that it is the same species.
GALLINULA CHLOROPUS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 770.
GALLINULA GALEATA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Amer. Ornith. vol. iv.
p. 128. pl. 27. fig. 1.
FLORIDA GALLINULE, GALLINULA GALEATA, _Nuttall_, Manual,
vol. ii. p. 223.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCXLIV.
Bill shorter than the head, nearly straight, rather stout, deep,
compressed, tapering. Upper mandible with a soft oblong plate at
the base extending over the forehead, the dorsal line beyond this
plate straightish and slightly declinate as far as the middle,
then arcuato-declinate, the ridge rather narrow, the sides nearly
perpendicular, towards the end slightly convex, the edges sharp, with
a notch close upon the narrow obtuse tip. Nasal groove extending to
the middle of the bill, rather broad; nostrils submedial, lateral,
linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and
narrow, the sides nearly erect, with a groove to the middle, the
dorsal line beyond the angle ascending, straight, the edges sharp,
inclinate, the tip narrowed, rather sharp.
Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck of moderate length, slender.
Body much compressed. Feet large, long; tibia bare a considerable way
above the joint; tarsus rather long, strong, compressed, anteriorly
covered with broad scutella, laterally with angular scales, posteriorly
with minute scales; hind toe comparatively small, middle toe longest
and much longer than the tarsus, fourth considerably shorter, and
but little longer than the second; toes free, slender, compressed,
scutellate above, flat beneath and marginate; claws rather long,
slender, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft, blended, on the fore part of the head short; a tuft of
elongated incurved feathers on the sides. Wings short, broad; alula
large; primaries curved, broad, second and third longest, first and
sixth about equal; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail short, much
rounded, of twelve rather weak rounded feathers, which but slightly
exceed the upper and lower coverts.
Frontal plate and bill deep carmine, the ends of both mandibles yellow.
Iris bright red. Feet yellowish-green, a portion of the bare part of
the tibia carmine; claws dusky. Head and neck deep bluish-grey; that
colour continues paler over the breast, sides and abdomen, the latter
having the feathers tipped with greyish white, and the posterior
hypochondrial feathers having a longitudinal band of white towards
the end; lower eyelid white, as are the lateral lower tail-coverts,
those in the middle black. The back and wings are deep olive, the
latter having a narrow edging of white, which also runs along the
outer quill. Tail brownish-black.
Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of claws 19; extent of wings
22; wing from flexure 7-1/4; tail 3; bill from base of frontal plate
1-11/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-1/4; tarsus 2-1/4, middle
toe 2-7/12, its claw 8/12. Weight 12 oz.