BAY-SHOOTING. 279 



other; and if one be a resident on the barren, sea-beaten 

 shores, or be wearied to death of the city, and desirous of 

 change at the risk of tedium, why, it is well to try the bay 

 snipe. 



The proper weapon for shooting of this kind is a double- 

 barrelled gun of ten or twelve pounds weight, and corres- 

 ponding gauge, which will do the best execution at flocks. 

 "With such a piece, coarse large-grained powder of the 

 diamond grain, from Pigou and Wilke's Dartford mills, 

 and No. 4 or 5 shot, should be used. 



Such a gun, however, not being in the armory, an 

 ordinary fowling-piece of 14 gauge will do its work, killing 

 its single shots quite as far, though not telling such a tale 

 with flocks, as the heavier gun. In this case, however, 

 No. 5 is the largest shot that must be used, since the load 

 which such a piece will advantageously carry, will not 

 number pellets enough of a larger size to cover a circle 

 large enough to insure success. 



When these birds are flying singly, they often shoot 

 along at a great rate, and it is necessary either to make 

 great allowance, shooting, for the most part, nearly a yard 

 ahead of them, or to keep the gun continually moving in 

 the direction of the bird's flight, even after the trigger is 

 drawn, until the charge has actually left the barrel. 



The latter is the old style, and is still practised by the 

 baymen, and by all old-school sportsmen. With flint-and- 

 steel locks it was indispensable, and though the necessity 

 is superseded by the rapidity of fire in the percussion gun, 

 it is by many considered the most telling style for bay 

 snipe and wild-fowl shooting. 



