Wilson's snipe. 207 



prove injurious to them, having a tendency to make them slow, 

 and perhaps lazy, as they find the birds so easy and the points 

 succeed each other so fast that they are unwilling thereafter to 

 put themselves to any great deal of trouble to find other game, 

 which will generally prove much more difficult to be got at. If 

 you must, however, take a canine friend along with you, — and there 

 are, we know, some shooters who cannot stir on an occasion of any 

 kind without two or more of these favorites, — please recollect that 

 one, at all events, is quite sufficient. We have seldom found dogs 

 of much account in snipe-shooting — perhaps because we never had 

 a particularly good one for this sport — except a first-chop retriever ; 

 and he can make himself very useful, provided he be intelligent 

 and well trained to cross the ditches and bring his bird without 

 coaxing or scolding. 



As snipes invariably fly against the wind, it is a good plan to go 

 around the dog when on a point, and, by thus facing him, we may 

 get a much better shot w^hen the bird rises. It is hardly necessary 

 for us to add that you should look out for your dog, otherwise you 

 may shoot him ; such accidents have occurred, and may happen again. 



To prove more forcibly this assertion in reference to the danger 

 apprehended from shooting our dogs in the field, it may not be 

 amiss to mention that we have just this moment received the sad in- 

 telligence of the accidental death of a favorite pointer dog which we 

 presented as a mark of regard to a sporting friend, whom we know 

 to be scrupulously particular in the handling of his gun, but never- 

 theless not sufficiently cautious in this one instance to bring upon 

 himself the reproach of having, I may say, carelessly taken the life 

 of a good and faithful animal. In his letter to us, commenting 

 upon the painful mishap, this gentleman very feelingly remarks : — 

 "Birds were very plenty, but after the sad accident I felt no dis- 

 position to shoot, and consequently killed but two, missed one, and 

 retired quite dispirited from the field, as Avell as mortified and dis- 

 tressed at this my first and only misadventure with a gun." 



If, therefore, this careful and very watchful sportsman could 

 accidentally shoot this dog, — for it Avas an accident, and we may 



