Snipe Shooting in Ireland 155 



For all that, it has an immense fascination 

 for most genuine sportsmen, due, I think, 

 to the fact that it involves hard and not 

 altogether comfortable exercise, and requires 

 a steady hand and a quick eye to bring the 

 alert little bird to bag. 



Yes ; the snipe is an attractive though 

 diminutive aristocrat, quick as lightning in 

 his movements ; no sooner is he flushed than 

 with a sweep of his wings he is off like an 

 arrow from a bow ; then just as you imagine 

 you have covered him and are about to pull 

 the trigger, he gives a tantalising little twist, 

 as much as to say, " No, you don't ; " then he 

 flashes to the other side, showing his white 

 breast for just a modicum of a second, and 

 so he continues his vagaries till at a safe 

 distance, gradually mounting higher in the 

 air, to prospect for another suitable and safer 

 haven of rest. Indeed, he is a sweet, bonnie 

 little bird, hard extremely hard to shoot, 



