SNIPE SHOOTING. 175 



But in boisterous weather, though their flight be 

 slower, it is more iiTegular, and, therefore, the aim is 

 more difficult to take. Some recommend hunting up 

 wind, and heading the dog wide at a point, instead of 

 walking up in the usual way. But the birds rarely 

 allow of such a liberty being taken with them, to say 

 nothing of fresh birds being thus disturbed. With a 

 scientific snipe dog — that is, one who, on your walk- 

 ing doAvn wind, quarters his gromid regularly before 

 you, with his nose in the wind, making short turns 

 from right to left, at thirty or forty yards on each side 

 of you — there is no plan like walking with the wind. 

 But with a dog not so highly accomplished, I always 

 prefer taking the contrary direction ; but then I use 

 Eley's cartridge. No. 7." 



As the flight of snipes is so rapid, and, at the same 

 time, often so tortuous, if the shooter mean to get 

 doublets, he must fire the first barrel extremely quick, 

 unless, indeed, the birds lie unusually well ; but, at a 

 single bird, he can, if he please, afford himself a little 

 more time, unless it rises wild. The ciitical crisis at 

 which you should, in this latter instance, endeavour 

 to fire, is just when the bird is reaching that distance 

 when the shot will have the widest spread, consistent 

 with the proper degree of closeness for pelting down 

 a bird so small as a snipe. This will, of course, vary 

 exceedingly accordmg as you may use loose shot or 

 cartridges. 



The vulgar notion, that the shghtest touch of 

 shot will bring down the snipe, is wholly mitnie. 



