204 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



and requires a good walker and a knowing hand to 

 make a bag. The best day was in January, when 

 two guns obtained thirty-two Cock, eight Duck, 

 and a dozen Snipe. 



The far west of Kerry is at this day famed for 

 Snipe-shooting. Within the past ten years fifty 

 and even sixty couple in a day to one gun has, to my 

 personal knowledge, been obtained. Just previous 

 to the introduction of breech-loaders, a gentleman 

 now living, and whose accuracy is unimpeachable, 

 formed one of a party of three who set out from 

 Tralee, co. Kerry, to shoot Snipe. His gun at its 

 first discharge became so damaged that it was 

 useless. The owner, notwithstanding this mishap, 

 beat the ground all day with his friends. In the 

 evening the two shooters counted out a hundred 

 and six couple of Snipe as their joint effort. 



When, some forty years ago, Captain Barclay 

 performed what was in those days considered a 

 wonderful feat, namely, walking a thousand miles in 

 as many hours, it gave rise to many similar achieve- 

 ments. For instance, a well-known sportsman of 

 co. Limerick undertook, and actually succeeded, in 

 shooting a thousand Snipe in a thousand hours for 

 a considerable wager. The ground chosen lay 

 within ten miles of the city of Limerick, and the bet 

 gave rise to great speculation and interest at the 

 time. 



Mr. Edward Gethin, of Earlsfield, who has a 

 large wild extent of shooting in co. Sligo, in reply 

 to my inquiries concerning Snipe in his district, 

 writes : " With regard to the questions you ask me, 

 on looking over my books I find that my best total 



