188 BAY-SNIPE SHOOTING. 



that although usually flying steadily, they will fre- 

 quently flirt and twist as unexpectedly as an English 

 snipe ; and that often they will either suddenly drop 

 from before his gun and alight, or, taking the alarm, 

 will whirl fifty feet into the air ; and when one 

 barrel has been discharged into a flock, the rest will 

 " skiver " so as to puzzle even the best marksman. 

 It is not enough to kill one bird with each bar- 

 rel from a flock, as in quail-shooting, but a num- 

 ber must be selected at the moment they cross one 

 another, so that several may be secured with each 

 ban-el ; to do this will require much practice and 

 entail many total misses, and is rarely thoroughly 

 learned by the upland sportsman. It will not answer 

 to follow the example of an enthusiastic French gen- 

 tleman, whom I once left in the stand while I went 

 to the house for dinner ; and who, on my return, in 

 an excited way remarked : 



" Ah ! I have vun beautifool shot, I make ze lovely 

 shot ; ti-ee big birds come along — vat you call him ?" 



" Willet ?" I suggested. 



" Xo, no ; ze big brown birds." 



" Sickle-bills !" 



" No, not ze seeckle-bills." 



" Jacks ?" 



" No, no ; not ze jacks." 



" Marlin !" 



" Yes, yes ; tree big marlin come close by, right 

 ovair ze stool ; zay all fly near ze other ; I am sure 

 to kill zem, it was such beautifool shot. I take ze 

 gun and miss zem all !" 



