SNIPE SHOOTING 



much water ; a little cover in the shape of weeds or young 

 paddy is acceptable, and in such places they will remain all 

 day long if not disturbed, " boring " with their long bills 

 for their food, consisting mainly of aquatic insects. If 

 there is too much water about, however, they may be 

 found in all sorts of unlikely places in scrubby weed- 

 grown land, in patches of short grass, even under trees 

 in thick forest anywhere, in fact, but in their usual 

 haunts. When disturbed, also, in the heat of the day by 

 sportsmen, they are very apt to alight in any scrub or 

 jungle cover near by. 



A novice will find himself much bothered at first, in 

 the low country, by the presence in the snipe grounds of 

 numberless " snippets " (sandpipers) of various kinds, which 

 get up with a flurry in all directions, uttering their shrill 

 squeaks, and probably disconcerting the new-comer so much 

 that he either fires at one of them by mistake, or fails to 

 perceive the snipe which may rise amongst or near them. 

 The flight of the pin-tail is fairly steady, and not the 

 erratic zig-zag of the common snipe. 



On the question of guns, " every man to his taste," but 

 the lighter the better, as a gun gets terribly heavy after an 

 hour or two mud-plugging under the tropical sun, and fails 

 to come up to the shoulder readily, the result being many 

 misses. The left barrel should be choke, as at times the 

 birds are rather wild, rising at 40-50 yards. Smokeless 

 powder is a sine qua non^ and No. 8 shot the best. Snipe 

 sticks, for carrying dead birds, are excellent, and good large 

 waterproof cartridge bags are advisable. For costume, any 

 old clothes not too light or glaring in colour, old boots or 

 shoes, puttees or not, as you please, and woollen socks or 

 stockings, as a better protection against damage to the feet, 

 by grit, than cotton or merino articles. A good " topee " is 



5 



