SNIPE SHOOTING. Q{ 
month, and then remain for from ten to thirty days, de- 
pending altogether on the weather. Living as’ they do 
on worms and insects taken from the soft soil, the time 
of their coming is at the period of the disappearance of 
the frost. They come in the wake of a few warm days 
of bright sunshine, days that fill the soul with secret 
longing; days that bring to their northern homes the 
blue-birds and the robins—birds of good omen—sure in- 
dications of the arrival of spring. Following these few 
bright days comes a warm, gentle rain, falling so quiet- 
ly it seems to penetrate deep into the frost-ridden 
ground. The snipe know of this rain, instinct possibly ; 
any way they know it. And, while we are aware of 
the fact that they will soon be among us, “ All through 
the night, with tireless flight ” they come—in the morn- 
ing they are here. On such a morning, when the sun- 
shine and rain have driven the frost and coldness from 
the marshes, let us take a trip with an amateur snipe- 
hunter. Meeting one on the street, a friend of mine, 
one whom I know to be a fair shot at prairie chickens, 
and the possessor of a good setter, I accost him, as fol- 
lows: 
“ Well, Ned, old boy, how are you? Just the one 
I want tosee. We have had several bright, warm days, 
and now a gentle, warm rain; the marshes are sure to 
be full of jack-snipe to-morrow. What do you say, to 
going out and having some fun with them?” 
“ All right, Pl go, but want you to understand right 
here, that I am a tender-foot on the snipe question. 
Don’t know that I ever shot one. Have occasionally 
stumbled over one while after ducks, but they were too 
soon for me,—perhaps because I sent duck shot after 
them. But then, you are an old snipe-hunter, and if 
