120 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



rapidly towards it, and struggling through the air, 

 as if afraid that in spite of its exertions it would 

 still be too late. The snipe, although wounded, 

 yet attempted to ascend higher, but finding itself 

 unequal to tlie task, yielded, as it were, to the 

 breeze which was blowing freshly at the moment, 

 and — contrary to its usual habit — flying down 

 wind with extraordinary rapidity, seemed to trust 

 to speed for its escape: but swift as it was, its 

 enemy was swifter still, and when after the lapse 

 of a few seconds the two birds had become mere 

 specks in the distant sky, I could perceive that 

 one of these gradually gained on the other, 

 touched it, and then both melted into one larger 

 dot, which slowly descended to the ground. 



"Ah!" cried my Celtic attendant, "that's the 

 snipe hawk'' — using an Irish word which I now 

 forget, but which, when interpreted, bore that 

 signification—" and a brave little chap he is." 

 Then suddenly turning round, he bestowed a vol- 

 ley of curses — varied with a few whistles— on a 

 wild young setter who was galloping incontinently 

 over the yet unbeaten ground, turning a deaf ear 

 to all Pat's imprecations, while she treated with 

 equal disregard the significant movements of old 

 Pluto, who, with stifi" tail and protruded muzzle, 

 was advancing cautiously towards a bed of rushes, 

 and just beginning to settle down into a comfort- 



