SNIPE SHOOTING 



and 7 couple of snipe and i\ brace of teal next morning. 

 My diary contains scores of such little entries, but nowhere 

 a big bag. I have never had any particular yearnings 

 for a record bag probably owing to inability to accom- 

 plish such a feat, but I prefer to think it is because I do 

 not care to turn a pleasure into hard labour. The sport 

 is charming and there is no need to overdo it, but I 

 suppose man's ambition must be satisfied, and, no doubt, 

 a sportsman coming upon a really "hot" range of fields 

 will go for it for all he is worth, with a bag of at least 

 50 couple in his mind's eye. Such a chance occurs now 

 and again, so when found make the most of it, and good 

 luck to you ! You may feel quite satisfied with your- 

 self if you can average 50 per cent, for the season, in 

 all-round shooting in tanks, swamps, and paddy fields, 

 taking your chance at all within range, without picking 

 your shots. The following records show what can be done 

 by good shots : 



Captain Legge mentions a bag of 7 1^ couple made by an 

 officer near Trincomalee in the "seventies," in one day's 

 shooting. Lieutenant Rice, stationed at Trincomalee in 

 1893, made the record bag for Ceylon, which stands good 

 to date (1904), namely, 103^ couple. This fine bag was 

 made, I believe, at Kantalay, and was published in the 

 Field in 1894. 



My friend, M. L. Wilkins, of Madulkele district, a 

 good all-round shot with both rifle and fowling-piece, 

 made a bag of 44 snipe for an expenditure of 49 shots, 

 one morning in February 1903, a fine performance. 



The late " Barney " Parrinton, at the time on Keppiti- 

 galla Estate, Kurunegalla district, once told me that 

 on one occasion, having gone down to the paddy fields, 

 below the estate, with 12 cartridges in his pocket, he 



