. Feathered game of the Northeast . upon arrival in our marshes, gatheringagain into larger bunches when they resumetheir travels. The Grassbird is swift of wing and snipe-likein many respects, lying well to the dog and af-fording good sport when so hunted. From thissimilarity of habits, their proper behavior indog society, their occasional darting flight—sometimes dodging from side to side when muchalarmed—they are called Jack-Snipe bymany gunners, a term more widely applied toWilsons snipe. Where this name is given theGrassbird the true snipe is usually called theEnglish snipe. The Grassbird
. Feathered game of the Northeast . upon arrival in our marshes, gatheringagain into larger bunches when they resumetheir travels. The Grassbird is swift of wing and snipe-likein many respects, lying well to the dog and af-fording good sport when so hunted. From thissimilarity of habits, their proper behavior indog society, their occasional darting flight—sometimes dodging from side to side when muchalarmed—they are called Jack-Snipe bymany gunners, a term more widely applied toWilsons snipe. Where this name is given theGrassbird the true snipe is usually called theEnglish snipe. The Grassbird is known bymany other names in the different localitieswhich he visits, among them Grass Snipe,Marsh Plover, and Meadow Snipe, mostgunners insisting on calling him a Snipe, exceptin New England, where he is generally knownas the Grassbird. In times past these birds were not much mo-lested, being thought beneath the gunners no-tice and not worth the ammunition needed fortheir destruction, but in the present game scar- ■^at^N. Q m <ca:O THE GRASSBIKD 161 city conditions are changed, and now, since theGrassbirds are the most numerous species ofthe bay snipe in New England marshes, asa consequence they pay the heaviest tribute tothe sportsman. On ordinary days of shore-bird shooting there are nearly always more ofthis species in the marsh gunners game bagthan of any other. Of course there are never-to-be-forgotten days when it rained beetle-heads, or the goldens were out in force, butas luck generally runs this statement will holdgood. Ordinarily there is small difficulty in ap-proaching a flock; the younger birds are espe-cially tame and even curious, often comingwithin a few yards of a gunner to examine thedisturber of their peace; but again the oldcampaigner will dash away upon sight withloud, derisive whistling and a darting flight,like the snipes, which, with his smaller sizemakes fully as difficult shooting as does The Pectoral Sandpiper, as this bird i
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