BAY-SNIPE AND OTHER WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 21 



canvas-back and broad-bill dive to the bottom and tear up 

 the roots of the grasses, while the red-heads and widgeons 

 feed on the leaves that rise to the surface. The widgeon 

 (bald-pate) is a regular thief, and thieves at the expense 

 of the canvas-back, snatching the treasure from the bill 

 of the latter as it brings it to the surface. The Chesa- 

 peake is their chosen place of rest and pasture. 



By myriads there the wild fowl come 



To taste the rich, delicious fare; 

 The red-head and the canvas-back, 



The widgeon with his plumage rare, 

 The ruddy duck, the buffle-head, 



The broad-bill, and the Canada goo^e, 

 Hovering o'er shoal or cove 



Their winnowing pinions to unloose. 



The best points in Long Island for geese, brant-duck, 

 and bay-snipe shooting are at the Great South Bay, the 

 East Bay, and Shinnefcod Bay, and at the latter location 

 we have pleasantly passed several successive seasons, 

 enjoying excellent sport. It is a bay of only eight miles 

 in extent, and the points are all easily accessible; and 

 when the valisneria (duck -grass) is abundant, the shooting 

 for duck and snipe is very good. In former years, Great 

 South Bay was, and still is, a favorite resort for wild 

 fowl shooters, and there often came "Cypress, Jr." 

 (Hawes), W. H. Herbert, and others of sporting celeb- 

 rity, though we think that Frank Forester preferred the 

 sport to be had at Barnegat Bay, at old John Maxon's, 

 and there he advised us to try it, which we did for sev- 

 eral years, with ample pleasure and success. The bay- 

 snipe, by their countless numbers, afford rare sport to 

 the bay-man and amateur gunner in July, August, Sep- 

 tember, and October, throughout our great coast-line 

 from Cape Cod to Cape May. Spring shooting is now 

 properly prohibited by law. In their fall migrations, 

 they turn aside from the open sea to frequent the vari- 



\ 



