196 A Book of the Snipe. 



considering that humidity Is absolutely neces- 

 sary to the bird's existence, It is somewhat 

 a misnomer to call any such spot an " odd 

 place" at all. So that from beginning- to 

 end of a day's walk after snipe, the shooter 

 will not do wrong to be always ready. 



If, on arriving at an unsnipey-looking tract, 

 it is your custom to shoulder your gun, and 

 perhaps continue in a loud voice an argument 

 that commenced at breakfast-time, you will be 

 surprised, on reflecting afterwards on your 

 day's sport, at the number of single snipe 

 which occur to you as having gone off unshot 

 at from ''odd places." However, snipe have 

 been seen in situations which really do merit 

 the appellation *'odd" from their unexpected- 

 ness. 



It is no uncommon thing, for instance, for 

 them to resort to the tideway during hard 

 weather, there to feed in company with 

 species to which they are evidently closely 

 allied, such as knots and dunlin, always, how- 

 ever, returning to dry land to rest after their 

 meal, when they may frequently be flushed 



