The Cabinet of natural history and American rural sports . haps, its habit of associating in such numbers to breed, and building its nest with so little precaution,may, to insure its safety, require a solitary region, far fromthe intruding footsteps of man. The Snow-bird is six inches long, and nine in extent,the head, neck, and upper parts of the breast, body, andwings, are of a deep slate colour; the plumage sometimesskirted with brown, which is the colour of the young birds;the lower parts of the breast, the whole belly and vent, arepure white; the three secondary quill feathers next the bo
The Cabinet of natural history and American rural sports . haps, its habit of associating in such numbers to breed, and building its nest with so little precaution,may, to insure its safety, require a solitary region, far fromthe intruding footsteps of man. The Snow-bird is six inches long, and nine in extent,the head, neck, and upper parts of the breast, body, andwings, are of a deep slate colour; the plumage sometimesskirted with brown, which is the colour of the young birds;the lower parts of the breast, the whole belly and vent, arepure white; the three secondary quill feathers next the bodyare edged with brown, the primaries with white; the tailis dusky slate, a little forked, the two exterior featherswholly white, which are flirted out as it flies, and appearthen very prominent; the bill and legs are of a reddishflesh colour; the eye bluish black. The female differsfrom the male in being considerably more brown. In thedepth of winter the slate colour of the male becomes moredeep and much purer, the brown disappearing nearly SNIPE SHOOTING. The season for shooting Snipe, commences in March,and generally continues until the middle of April, andwhen the birds are plentiful, affords considerable amuse-ment, and not a little toil, to the sportsman. So soon as the warm and genial influence of approachingspring, begins to revive mankind to activity, after theparalizing effects of winter, then it is that these birds maketheir appearance among us, while on their journey to thenorth; and, although poor on their first arrival, soon becomefat by means of the rich feeding grounds, which lie adja-cent to this city, and are objects of eager pursuit, both by sportsmen and market dealers. The shooting campalgi,for the current year, opens on this species of game, andnew zest being given for this favourite amusement, by theidleness of winter, multitudes of shooters are ready to takethe field, in a general war of extermination, against theseinnocent visitants, so so
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjecthunting, booksubjectzoology, bookyear
