COLDEN PLOVER, CURLEW, GRAY PLOVER. 167 



lection of sand-snipe. It was a dry season, and, 

 as is then their wont, they had gathered into great 

 flocks. They flew around, and finally settled again. 

 I do not usually trouble myself with this bird, 

 for nobody seems to care about it, although it is 

 as good eating as the snipe itself, for all the long 

 bill of the latter ; but as I had come down to 

 them, 1 concluded to take a crack at the flock. 

 It was certainly as much as five hundred in num- 

 ber. So I let fly with one barrel charged with 

 No. 10, and,, making a raking shot over the ground, 

 killed fifty-four. If game were scarce with us, as 

 it is in some parts, sand-snipe and grass-snipe 

 would be held in esteem. 



