146 FEATHERED GAME 



Unlike Wilson's snipe, which travels in small 

 bunches of two or three birds, or at the most 

 the members of a family making up the party, 

 the Brown-backs fly in large flocks more after 

 the habit of the sandpipers, which family they 

 resemble in many other particulars. 



Less wary than the average of the shore- 

 birds, ordinarily but little difficulty is experi- 

 enced in getting within shot range. They fly in 

 solid masses and their flocks in close order offer 

 the best of chances to the shooter whose ambi- 

 tion is to make a big bag of birds, so that they 

 are killed in great numbers if the gunner hap- 

 pens upon them during their short stay on our 

 coast. All things considered it is fortunate for 

 them that they arrive unexpectedly and depart 

 without notice after no long stay. Indeed, it is 

 a matter for wonder that the shorebirds were 

 not exterminated long ago. It would almost 

 seem impossible to keep up the supply in the 

 face of the gunner's demands, especially when 

 we remember how small are the families raised. 



The fall migrations do not bring so many of 

 these birds upon our shores as do the spring 

 flights. It may be that the returning tourists 

 pass to the westward of us, or perhaps out to 



