THE SNIPES AND SNIPPETS. 17! 



special instrument, and its use is to draw small 

 crabs, or shell fish, from their burrows in soft sand. 

 When the tide is far out Curlews may be seen, on 

 sandy spits or beaches, intent on this interesting 

 occupation, walking much faster than the paddy 

 birds with which they are often associated. They are 

 well worth shooting, for the Curlew is usually very 

 good eating, though occasionally rank. And it is 

 almost the biggest wildfowl we get in these parts. 

 But the Curlew is a wary bird and not at all willing 

 to be shot at. When one falls, however, the neigh- 

 bours gather and fly round it, screaming and wanting 

 to know what is the matter, and you may get two or 

 three more before they fly away. It is a cruel 

 advantage to take of their kind-heartedness, but sport 

 makes men cruel, whatever sportsmen may say to the 

 contrary. Experto crede. At a distance the Curlew is 

 a dingy brown bird with a little white on the back, but 

 at close quarters it shows the game pattern so usual 

 among these birds, each feather being dark-centred 

 and light-edged. The Whimbrel, or Lesser Curlew, 

 is just a smaller edition of its big brother, its bill being 

 three inches in length, or a little more. It is even 

 better on the table than the Curlew. Both birds 

 arrive very early, before August is far on, and im- 

 mediately after their arrival, while they are still 

 strangers, many Whimbrels are netted forthe Bombay 

 market. 



Another waterfowl which is sure to catch the eye, 

 if it should chance to visit Bombay, is the Avocet, a 

 beautiful white bird with black pointed wings and 

 a little black on the head and shoulders. Its long, 

 delicate bill is curved upwards, and I do not know 



