SNIPE (Icel. snipe, 011G. snepho. s»rpfo, Ger. ychnepfe, snipe; probably connected With Eng.. snip. snap). A small limicoline marsh-bird of the family Scolopaeithe and genus Gallinago, hav ing a very long, straight bill, with nasal grooves extending almost to the tip, which expands a little and is soft and very sensitive, smooth, and shin big in 111e living bird. but soon after death becomes pitted like the (aid of a thimble by drying. The tip of the bill is filled with the ter minals of the nerve-fibres (for which consult Yar nell, British Birds, 4th ed., London, 1SS4), enabling the bird to detect by touch, as well as by odor, the hidden worms, and the like, upon which it feeds, and which it obtains by probing mud and soft soil with its bill. The head is compressed; the eyes are large and placed far back in the head. The feet have three toes be fore, divided to the base or very nearly so, not edged by membrane; the hind toe is short. The tail is short and contains 14 to 16 feathers.
The common snipe of Europe V(Iallinago gal linago) is about 11 inches in entire length, the bill almost 3 inches. The sexes are alike in plumage. but the female is rather larger than the male. The general color of the upper parts is blackish brown, finely mixed with pale broIvn and buff; three pale brown streaks along the head are characteristic of the whole genus. The
neck and breast are pale rust color mottled with black: the belly is white. It makes a rude nest of a little dry herbage in a depression of the ground, or sometimes in a tuft of grass or rushes. The eggs are four in number, pale yellowish or greenish white, the larger end spotted with brown. The snipe is everywhere in high esteem for the table. No•th America has but a single species of Gallinago. The common American or Wilson's snipe delicate) is about equal in size to the common snipe of Europe, and much resembles it also in plumage. This species is abundant in summer in northern parts of the States and in Canada, in the more south ern States in winter. The peculiar cry of this bird. 'scape-scape,' and its twisting motion in flight are highly characteristic; and in spring it circles about in the air near its nest with a queer zigzag flight, uttering a curious drumming or 'bleating' noise. This noise seems produced by means of the vibration of the peculiarly modi fied outer tail-quills. Consult general ornitholo pies and books on shooting, and Selous, Bird. Watching (London. 1900). See Colored Plate of SNORE BIRDS. and Colored Plate of GAME BIRDS, with article GROUSE.