CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 29 1 



From the experience I had of Snipe shooting- in 

 Kerry with John SulHvan, I always found it the best 

 plan to go either down or across wind against them, 

 the main object being to get the bird between 

 yourself and the dog ; in other words, to get round 

 to the farther side of the dog and walk towards his 

 head when setting instead of coming behind him at 

 his tail. The reason for this is obvious ; the Snipe 

 being a bird that zig-zags in his flight against the 

 wind, if you try him from behind the dog, he not 

 only has the advantage of the distance he is from 

 the dog's nose, but also that, when he gets away 

 with the greatest rapidity, he is scoring a greater 

 distance between himself and you all the time, 

 whereas in the first instance the bird makes towards 

 you and gives you either a side shot or one over 

 head. 



To be a good Snipe shot is more of a knack than 

 anything else. At times Snipe are much more 

 difficult than at others ; such as on stormy days 

 especially ; or when they get up wild on the moun- 

 tain side, where you have no firm foothold ; then, 

 when they go like greased lightning down the hill 

 they are a caution, and you must be a pretty good 

 shot to bring them down. 



India is, of course, a country where excellent 

 Snipe shooting is obtainable in the cold weather, 

 and enormous bags are made in the country round 

 about Calcutta. I believe from seventy to one 

 hundred couple in a day is not an uncommon bag 

 for a oood shot, but then the birds — althouo-h 



