26 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



flocks, this species is readily decoyed, and is noted for its unsus- 

 picious and gentle manner. 



" The Red-breasted Snipe is fond of frequenting the fresh ponds 

 that occur on the lower parts of the beach, or meadow, during 

 wet seasons, which situations are more favorable for procuring 

 it, and attended with but little or no fatigue to the gunner, who 

 lies concealed in the rank grass that grows on the salt mea- 

 dows ; or, when shooting over ' decoys' placed in ponds on the 

 beach, he adopts concealment by making a bed of sea-weed, or 

 cut grass, at a convenient shooting distance. Thus concealed, 

 he has an opportunity of obsei-ving what is passing around him. 

 Should a wandering flock meet his eye, or the notes of a distant 

 group fall upon his ear, he pipes his shrill whistle in accord- 

 ance with their peculiar cry, which is answered by the leaders 

 of the roving band, and echoed by the wily gunner, whose 

 hopes now mount high, as he sees them check their course, 

 wheel, and advance towards the decoys, whose well-trimmed, 

 though silent forms, are made partners to the treachery. 



" If suffered to alight, it is not unusual for it to spend several 

 minutes in feeding among the decoys before it discovers the 

 deception. Flying close together, and being proverbial for 

 hovering over the silent gioup that leads them to destruction, the 

 gunner thins their ranks by pouring into the body of the flock 

 his deadly fire. Notwithstanding great havoc is made, it not 

 unfrequently happens that some of those which escape, return 

 and alight among the dead bodies of their companions, sharing 

 — with the reloadingof the gunner's piece — their fate. 



" In dry seasons, when the shallow ponds have disappeared, 

 the scattered flock is obsers^ed along the muddy flats, wading 

 about in the shoal water, though seldom venturing beyond knee- 

 deep, and seldom to so great a depth. Even in this exposed 

 situation, but little address is required to approach within shoot- 

 ing distance. I have often had opportunities of witnessing 

 their dullness, in being apprised of danger, while they were 

 feeding in company with various species of shore birds. 



" Long before the gunner thinks of taking aim, the watchful 



