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Snipe

The snipe is a migratory bird. Like woodcock, snipes, after being plucked and singed and the head skinned, are not emptied, but are roasted with everything in them as they succumbed to fate. The thigh is more highly esteemed than any other part. They are in season from November to February, but are most abundant and fattest in frosty weather. They frequent marshy meadows, and, during frost, the edges of rushy hills, and feed on worms and insects. The snipe is decidedly inferior to the woodcock. Mr. Galton advises that, when rank birds are shot, they should be skinned, not plucked, as much of the rankness lies in the skin. The breast and wings are the least objectionable parts, and, if there is abundance of food, should alone be cooked.