108 THE JERSEY COAST. 
six birds to those already upon the sand. Eighteen 
willet from the first flock, and ere the sun was fairly 
up, gave us a good start; and after the birds were 
gathered, the favorable send-off was duly celebrated 
in a few drops of water with enough spirit to take 
the danger out. 
And now myriads of swallows made their appear- 
ance, skimming close along the water, but in one 
steady course, as though they were going out for 
the day, and would not be back till night-fall. They 
were followed by scattering snipe that furnished neat 
but easy shooting till six o’clock, when the regular 
flight began with a splendid flock of marlin that 
came rapidly from the south’ard, and after hovering 
over the stools and giving us one chance, returned 
for two more favors from the breech-loader, and left 
sixteen of their number. 
Sportsmen of any experience know that nothing 
is easier than to select from a flock a single bird 
with each barrel; but in bay-shooting, a man who 
claims to excel, must kill several with the first bar- 
rel, and one, at least, with the second. If, however, 
to the ordinary excitement be added the natural 
emulation arising from the presence of several sports- 
men in the same stand, the foregoing desirable 
result is not always attained, If, therefore, the 
reader shrewdly suspects we should have killed 
more birds than we did, let him place himself in a 
similar position, and record his success. 
Shore birds of the various species, beginning with 
the magnificent sickle-bill, and including the wary 
