AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 61 



Greenland, but in N. America it is represented by 

 a race to which authors have given specific rank and 

 the title of Wilson's Snipe. 



I have had excellent Snipe-shooting in the marshes 

 of Tunis and Sardinia, and found many birds in March 

 and April near Valencia, and on the Guadalquivir, 

 in Sicily, Crete, and Cyprus, but never met with it 

 in such enormous numbers anywhere as in Epirus in 

 the winter of 1857. 



We found so many Woodcocks and Wildfowl that 

 we did not very often devote a whole day to the 

 Snipes, but at certain spots within easy reach of 

 Corfu there was no difficulty in killing to one's own 

 gun (muzzle-loader) from twenty to thirty couples, 

 and two or three experienced Snipe-shots often 

 bagged more than fifty couples in the day. The 

 largest number that I ever heard of as shot by one 

 gun in Epirus was 163 ; this feat was performed by 

 the late Captain Murray, formerly British Resident 

 in Ithaca, at Butrinto, a few years before my arrival 

 at Corfu in 1856. 



In the island of Corfu fair sport might often be 

 had in the Val di Roppa amongst the maize-fields 

 and currant-vines ; but as this happy valley lies 

 within seven miles of the town of Corfu by an 

 excellent road, it was much worked by officers of the 

 garrison, and from twenty to thirty Snipes, a Wood- 

 cock or two, with an occasional Hare, Quail, Teal, or 

 Mallard might be looked upon as a respectable 

 morning's doing. 



To my mind in the happy days when I could walk, 

 and "hold straight," Snipe-shooting presented the 

 most irresistible attraction, the varied character of 

 the chances afi*orded by the birds, the often 



