GALLINAGO GALLINULA 119 



Directions as to how to shoot the Jack Snipe are plentiful, and 

 two may be quoted. Booth says : — 



A Jack Snipe . . . was almost invariably missed through 



firing too quickly, and .... I was forced to repeat aloud one, 



two, three, four, five, six before bringing my gun to the shoulder 



. . . . now . . . ill-luck invariabh' attends the bird that is 

 patiently waited for." 



Colonel Hawker, however, gives the following advice : — 



" Nothing teases a poking shot worse than a Jack Snipe, init to 

 one who has the knack of pitching and firing his gun in one motion, 

 they are generally speaking not much worse to shoot than other 

 small birds." 



Its curious flight seems also to be too much even for the powerful 

 winged birds of prey, for Finn records that Mr. Jesse " recently saw 

 one pursued by quite an assortment of raptorial birds, and yet evade 

 the whole villainous combination, which included a pair of lugger 

 falcons, two kites, a tawny eagle and two ruffians unidentified." 



It is, however, a gamey little bird well worth expending one or 

 more shots on, as there is no daintier morsel of food obtainable than 

 a Jack Snipe, generally a little ball of fat and in flavour excelling any 

 of his larger relatives. 



The Jack Snipe has been accused of being unable to swim, but 

 this is quite incorrect, for I have seen a winged Jack fall into a clear 

 pool in a swamp, right itself at once and swim straight to the edge, 

 where it promptly concealed itself in the weeds. 



