BAY-SNIPE SHOOTING. 67 
narily killed by stratagem over decoys, and not by 
open pursuit ; different varieties frequent the same 
locality, so that many species will be collected in the 
same bag; they are for the most part, except the 
upland birds, tough and sedgy, and at times hardly 
fit for the table ; and they arrive and may be killed 
at certain periods in vast numbers. 
Although despised by the upland sportsman, who 
regards the use of the dog as essential to the pure 
exercise of his art; and by the pot-hunter, because 
they do not generally bring high prices in market ;— 
to the genuine lover of nature and the gun they fur- 
nish splendid sport, requiring, if not as high a de- 
gree of skill as may be needed to cut down a quail 
in the dense coverts, at least as many fine qualities 
in the sportsman, and as thorough a knowledge of 
their habits as any other bird. In upland shooting 
the dog does the largest part of the work, and inva- 
riably deserves the credit for a super-excellent bag; 
and truly glorious is it to follow the dog that can 
make that bag, and wonderful to watch his powers ;— 
but in bay-snipe shooting there is no trusty dog to 
look to, who can retrieve by his superiority his mas- 
ter’s blunderings. The man relies upon himself, and 
himselfalone ; he it is that must, with quick observant 
eye, catch the faint outline of the distant flock, and 
with sharp ear distinguish the first audible call; his 
experience must determine the nature of the birds, 
his powers of imitation bring them within gun-shot, 
and his skill drop them advantageously from the 
crowded flock. To excel in all this requires long 
