140 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



it is very possible that a stranger, coming from a distance to shoot 

 will find the meadows which were yesterday alive with Snipe, 

 entirely deserted, and vice versa. 



Still there are signs and tokens both of the weather and of the 

 animal creation — temperatures of the former and coincidences of 

 the latter — by which the observant sportsman may come at con- 

 clusions, even at a distance from his ground, and seldom errone- 

 ously, concerning the arrival and sojourn of Snipe. 



And again, the birds have habits and haunts, during various 

 aspects and sudden changes of weather, a thorough knowledge of 

 which will enable one sportsman to fill his bag, while another on 

 the same ground shall make up his mind in despair, that there are 

 no Snipe on the meadows. 



There is no bird whose habits I have studied more closely than 

 those of the Snipe, more especially during his vernal visit to our 

 -)>f^ part of the country, for which my residence, nearly adjoining the 

 ^ very finest Snipe-ground, as I believe it even yet to be, in the world, 

 has given me great facilities ; and I have it in my power to point 

 out one or two peculiarities — tending, by the way, more com- 

 pletely to distinguish it from the European species — which have 

 escaped the observation of our great American naturalists, Wilson 

 and Audubon. 



I have, moreover, shot them from Delaware southward, to 

 Quebec, in the north ; and from the Niagara River to the coun- 

 try about the Penobscot ; so that I have not been without oppor- 

 tunity of becoming acquainted in some degree with their habits, 

 throughout the whole geographical area of their spring and 

 autumn migration ; and here I would state, though with much 

 deference, as becomes one differing from so high an authority, 

 that neither in this nor in any other of our migratory birds of 

 Game is there so much difference with regard to the time of theii 

 arrival and departure within the limits I have named, as Mr. 

 Audubon would make. 



That eloquent writer and accurate observer, states the arrival 

 of this bird to be a month later, varying with the season, in 

 Maine than in Pennsylvania ; and ten days later yet in Nova 



