BAY-SNIPE SHOOTING. 203 



better — for man's best efforts will rarely equal the 

 bird's natural powers. The yclper has a clear, bold 

 cry, and the willet a fierce shriek that can be heard 

 for miles ; and if listened to from a distance, it will 

 be found that the bird's call can be heard twice the 

 distance of the man's answer. It is true that when 

 the snipe are near at hand and about alighting, a 

 lower whistle is better, for the reason that it is more 

 perfect, and because the cry changes to a note ol 

 welcome when the flock receives its fellows. And 

 often, wiien the birds once head for the stools, if not 

 distracted by neighboring stands, or alarmed, they 

 will come straight on without any whistling, although 

 this is by no means invariably the case. 



Many persons find insuperable difficulty in whis- 

 tling the clear, shrill, sharp calls ; and for them arti- 

 ficial whistles have been manufactured with a hole 

 at the lower end, which, being opened or closed by 

 the finger, like the holes in a flute, regulates the 

 sound. These artificial whistles are not so good as 

 a perfectly trained natural one ; the sound is not 

 sufficiently reed-like, and they occupy and confine 

 one hand when it should be free to seek the gun. 

 They are suspended from the button-hole by a string, 

 so that they can be droj^ped in an instant ; but are 

 only used out of necessity. 



A curious one, to be held in the mouth, has been 

 invented of a wedge-shaped piece of tin in the form 

 of an axe-head, with two holes through the sides. 

 The sound is regulated by the tongue, and is alto- 

 gether more correct than that of any other whistle ; 



