50 A Book of the Snipe. 



looks as if it were too much used by man 

 to be a spot favoured by the timid snipe in 

 the day-time. And so it appears until, on 

 the side farthest from the cottages, we come 

 upon a shallow dip, which a leak in the leet 

 has caused to be a bit sloppy. We almost 

 tread upon a snipe before it jumps up, calling 

 in alarm, from the withered grass which has 

 evidently deadened our footsteps as well as 

 afforded him shelter. It would have been 

 a good start if we were on slaughter bent, 

 for we could not well have missed him. 



On going forward to the wet part to see 

 if any marks of his bill can be found, a Jack 

 flutters up from a tiny island of dry grass in 

 the midst of a puddle, but drops again a few 

 yards beyond. You will find both these birds 

 here to-morrow, and if you shoot them both, 

 others will most probably be there the day 

 after, and every day, unless a drought dries 

 up the moisture which is the attraction. We 

 find no more birds in this place, and go on 

 to where the common narrows into a grassy 

 unused lane leading to the open wastes be- 



