SNIPE-SHOOTING. 209 



and tales of centuries to beguile the time, is even in 

 these days ready to follow the shooter for a long 

 day's trudge, and think himself well paid too, for a 

 shilling a man who, should your tobacco be care- 

 lessly left behind, perhaps high up the mountain side, 

 whence you toiled for a well-won view, will step up 

 for it after the day's fatigue with the nimbleness of 

 a stag. For genuine wit, story-telling, sympathy, 

 tact and good- humour, these poor wild, half-clad 

 fellows are unrivalled. A long weary tramp is as 

 nothing when listening to their accounts of the seals, 

 the fish, the fowl, as well as of smuggling, poaching, 

 fairies, and Lord knows what besides. They are 

 never at a loss, should the larder be empty, some- 

 thing substantial badly wanted, and a clean miss at 

 a fine hare be your misfortune at the day's end. 

 No useless condolences are theirs, putting you more 

 out of temper than before ; and you cannot but 

 smile at the cheery remark " Begorra, your honour, 

 you made him lave that, anyway!' 



On well-preserved lands more Snipe were killed in 

 the seasons 1878-79, and 1880-81, than ever remem- 

 bered in Ireland since 1855. (It was in the February 

 of that year that the deep snow proved so destructive 

 to wild game.) I know several shooters who killed 

 forty couple to their own guns in a day, in one or 

 the other of the winters mentioned, and one gentle- 

 man who in the far west obtained fifty-three couple 

 in a day himself, and thinks, had he not run out of 

 ammunition, he would have accounted for another 

 dozen birds at least. 



Colonel J. Peyton, late of the 7th Dragoon Guards, 

 writing to me from co. Kerry, under date 



p 



