THE, HABITS OF THE SNIPE. 241 



flights are long and rapid ; when not so, they droop their 

 wings, and frequently alight before a hundred yards have 

 been traversed. However, this does not apply to the whole 

 day, for towards sunset, possibly from having by that time 

 digested their last night's meal, for they feed principally by 

 night, they invariably become wild, and more difficult of 

 approach. To be successful in making a heavy bag of 

 snipe, there is a rule which may be beneficial to the tyro 

 to remember, viz. always to hunt down wind, or as much 

 o as possible, provided always that dogs are not used. 

 The stronger the breeze, the more necessity for doing so ; 

 the reason being, that invariably snipe fly against the wind, 

 and being flushed by your advancing on them from wind- 

 ward, the birds will wheel round to the right or left, and 

 present an easy cross shot, in their determination to pursue 

 the desired direction. 



The migration of this snipe, as well as of the American 

 woodcock, is peculiar ; each appears to act independently of 

 the other. Dozens may be seen to pass or light near you 

 in the space of a few minutes, yet each bird is alone. Many 

 an evening, after sunset, have I watched their coming, yet 

 never saw two or more together. These journeys take 

 place before sunrise and after sunset. This scattered mode 

 of travelling, and the hour at which it takes place, are 

 doubtless the reasons that none but close observers of 

 nature witness their arrival. By the end of May the migra- 

 tion of this snipe has ceased, and their summer quarters 

 are reached, which are, as previously stated, principally 

 north of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence ; although 

 not a few spend the summer in Nova Scotia, New Bruns- 



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