WILSON SNIPE
230. Gallinago delicata. 11 in.
Bill very long, but not as heavy as that of the [Woodcock]; eyes not abnormally large; head striped with black and whitish; back handsomely variegated with black, brown and white; sides barred with black and white. The Snipe frequents more open country than the [Woodcock], being found in marshes or along open brooks. Like the [Woodcock], they often lie still and trust to their colors to prevent their being seen, but if they are observed, and they are always on the alert, they instantly take wing and pursue a zigzag course out of sight. Like the last species they procure their food by boring, the tip of the bill being flexible, so they can grasp their food when they feel it.
Notes.—A sharp, harsh whistle as they take wing.
Nest.—Depressions in the grassy edges of ponds or marshes; eggs olive gray, marked with blackish (1.50 × 1.10); May, June.
Range.—Breeds from the northern tier of states northward. Winters in southern U. S.
