202 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



other causes, by the general use of breech-loading 

 guns. 



Many districts are nevertheless still very good for 

 Snipe in Ireland, and indefatigable walkers, who 

 know the country, now and then add up a large 

 total in the season ; though a sensational number in 

 a day is very unusual. Bags of from ten to fifteen 

 couple are not unfrequent, and from twenty to forty 

 and even fifty couple in a day not unheard of in 

 well-protected and suitable land. For example, 

 Patrick Halloran, the well-known Snipe-shooter of 

 co. Clare, on unpreserved ground obtained the fol- 

 lowing total in the season just past (i 880-81). I 

 have before me his record of birds killed day by 

 day, and the receipts for same when sold, both 

 of which correspond. It gives a good idea of what 

 can still be done by an energetic and hardworking 

 shooter. The fame of this man is widespread, and 

 sportsmen are in the habit of staying at an inn hard 

 by, to whom he acts as guide. He is a perfect 

 Snipe-shot, and one of the few men living who can 

 account for five Snipe out of seven fired at, from 

 the beginning to the end of the day. His total 

 bag for the season 1 880-81 was fourteen hundred 

 and twenty Cock and Snipe. The heaviest bag of 

 Snipe in a day, forty-five. The number of Cock 

 killed was one hundred and thirty-eight, half a dozen 

 Duck, and thirteen hundred and seventy-six Snipe. 

 It must, when looking at this large total, be borne 

 in mind that it exceeds the number obtained by 

 him in the ordinary mild winter of Ireland. 



Co. Cork, before alluded to as a famous county 

 for Snipe, was not so long ago the scene of a since 



