SNIPE AND WILDFOWL 69 



seen drawings of snipe and woodcock in which they are de- 

 picted as flying with the bill held straight out in front of the 

 eyes ; and even Ansdell himself, in his picture of "Cocker and 

 Woodcock," falls into this very error. Both these birds, how- 

 ever, invariably fly with their bills pointed to the earth, at about 

 an angle of forty-five degrees. The author has also read, in a 

 newspaper devoted entirely to sport, some hints on how " to 

 seek the silent snipe " ; but, so far as his experience goes, not 

 one in ten flies off without uttering its wild, sharp cry of 

 "scape, scape." 



In working very soft, boggy places, slow walking should be 

 the order of the day, for it is impossible to shoot well if the 

 feet be not firmly set ; and, should it be doubtful if the ground 

 will carry the shooter, then the dogs should be sent to hunt 

 and splash about in places deemed treacherous. As a rule, a 

 quaking bog is safe walking ; while wherever the common 

 green rush grows the going may be trusted. 



The best days for snipe shooting are often those offering 

 but little inducement to leave the library or the billiard-room. 

 Raw east-wind days, with soft snow or drizzle falling, are 

 usually extra good ones, especially if they come just before a 

 hard frost or follow a rapid thaw. 



Old fishing stockings, not quite waterproof enough for the 

 river, will yet make good wear for marsh work, provided there 

 be neither brambles nor furze-bushes to encounter, and these 

 two prickly shrubs are often enough in plenty on marsh land 

 where it is interspersed with hillocks. The leaky old stock- 

 ings will still keep one fairly dry, while they are not so heavy 

 as long boots, are more quickly dried, and take less space in 

 a portmanteau. 



Snipe may be encouraged to come to certain marshes, and 

 even induced to remain there longer than usual, by placing 

 heaps of manure in wet places, so that all round the edges 

 of the heap there is soft ground for " billing." This is not 

 an entire waste of manure if it be done on marshes which are 



