234 FEATHERED GAME 



footed assistant in this sport, both for finding 

 the game, retrieving the dead and capturing 

 skulking wounded birds. When beating up the 

 edges, suddenly the dog would stand, then creep- 

 ing cautiously up would stop again, with his 

 head cocked on one side, listening to the rail's 

 mouse-like, squeaking cries. At the word he 

 would send them fluttering heavily into the air, 

 the proper moment to shoot. You need no 

 heavy charge in this shooting. Your shots will 

 all be at close range and you will have plenty 

 of time. But to miss! That is simply dis- 

 graceful ! 



Perhaps the best way to hunt rails is for two 

 men to take a light, flat-bottomed skiff and pole 

 through the grass, shooting in turn. While 

 rails are not shot here in any such numbers as 

 in the Jersey marshes, any reasonable sports- 

 man should be satisfied with his day's fun, for 

 by pushing through the '' thatch" in most New 

 England sea marshes a fair bag of these birds 

 may generally be made. On the high tides — 

 the full moon tides which are the best times to 

 try this — the rails may be seen running on the 

 edges, splashing about on the long grass-stems, 

 which, matted together, will permit them to 



