174 GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



or so. Your clothes should be of a marsh-grass, or sedge color. 

 Always have the barrels of your gun well " browned ; " use a ten- 

 bore, four and a half drachms of powder, and one and a quarter 

 ounces of No. 7 shot, a pair of long rubber boots and a light rub- 

 ber blanket. For the smaller bay snipe you can use No. 10 shot 

 and upwards, according to their size. For Plover, if you have a 

 fine retrieving spaniel, he will be of service. 



By these methods are shot Willets, Large and Small Yellow- 

 legs, Dowitchers, Killdeer, Robin-snipe, Turnstones and very many 

 of the smaller Sand-pipers and Plover. The sport is much enjoyed 

 by many, and with us of the Eastern coasts it has the additional 

 advantage of being so convenient and accessible from the city, that 

 many business men can easily and at short notice reach the shoot- 

 ing ground, where circumstances prohibit a long sojourn from the 

 city. In our opinion, however, the pleasures of Bay bird shooting 

 should not be spoken of in the same sentence vv^ith cocking or snip- 

 ing. The birds after being secured are not gamey, and the man- 

 ner of securing them is tame compared with the inspiriting hunt 

 of the Quail, Woodcock, Grouse or Snipe, where the accessory of 

 a brace of good dogs is not wanting. 



