154 SNIPE SHOOTING COMBINED 



amusement ; as snipes then usually lie better, and, on 

 being sprung, hang against the wind, and become a 

 good mark. 



In springing snipes, always contrive to get to 

 windward of them, by which you will be more likely 

 to prevent their moving, and seldom fail to get a 

 cross shot ; in taking which a young sportsman is not 

 so liable to be confused by their twisting. 



To kill snipes, first go silently down wind to walk 

 up the wilder ones ; afterwards let go an old pointer 

 up wind to find those which may have lain so close 

 as to allow you to pass : and before you spring them, 

 take care to make a circle, and head your dog. Look 

 always for snipes in places which are not frozen. I 

 have always found, that the worst time to shoot 

 snipes is in a white frost, as these birds then ge- 

 nerally take to the uplands, or get into some rivulet, 

 in small whisps, or flocks, and spring up all together, 

 instead of being well dispersed, and thereby affording 

 a number of shots, as they do in boisterous weather. 

 But, after & frost has brought the snipes into the 

 country, you are pretty sure of good sport on the 

 first open windy day that follows it. Stick to these 

 birds when once you find them, as they may all 

 disappear in one night. 



Before I conclude under the head of " snipe shoot- 

 ing," I am induced to insert a letter that I wrote to 

 Mr. Martin, wherein I had occasion to introduce this 

 subject. I hope my readers will pardon me for 

 copying the letter at full length; as, although in 



