THE ACME OP PLEASURE. 211 



upon the table, the most delicate palate could not tell 

 the one from the other. 



They are strictly migratory, their arrival in the 

 vicinity of Vincennes occurring in three different 

 seasons, on March 8th, loth, and I2th, according to 

 my own personal observation. But no doubt their 

 advent would be delayed or hastened by the earliness 

 or lateness of the season. Their stay is protracted 

 up to about the middle of May, but during this long 

 sojourn I never observed any evidence of their nest- 

 ing or even pairing. In truth, it is a well-known fact 

 that they breed upon the immense " toundras " that 

 margin the desolate shores of the vast Hudson's Bay. 

 This I state in order to remove any qualms of con- 

 science that might exist about shooting them so late 

 in the season. The different sexes do not arrive 

 together, the females forming the advance guard 

 generally by several days. That the journeys of 

 this snipe north are not long protracted flights, but 

 a succession of short consecutive distances, is proved 

 by their being in the highest condition when they 

 reach Southern Illinois and Indiana. 



From what I have written it will be seen that 

 now (February) or soon, is the season to start for these 

 well-stocked haunts, and I doubt not that there will 

 be many anxious to undertake the jaunt, for I flatter 

 myself that there is scarcely a sportsman living who 

 does not regard good snipe-shooting as the acme of 

 pleasure. 



My usual bag, day in and day out, was from eight 

 to ten dozen snipe, with several duck, but I seldom 

 commenced work till after ten in the morning, and 

 rested for more than an hour soon after i p.m. ; but 

 I have an entry in my diary which shows what 

 can be done in this locality by an indefatigable 

 sportsman. 



March 27th, weather cloudy ; wind gentle from 

 P 2 



