160 SNIPE SHOOTING COMBINED 



easier acquired, by a pretty good shot. Snipe shooting 

 is like fly fishing : you should not fix a day for it, but 

 when you have warm windy weather, saddle your horse 

 and gallop to the stream with all possible despatch. 

 Should there have been much rain, allow the wind to 

 dry the rushes a little before you begin to beat the 

 best ground, or the snipes may not lie well. Although 

 these birds frequent wet places, yet the very spot on 

 which they sit requires to be dry to their breasts, in 

 order to make them sit close ; or, in other words, lie 

 well. 



If they spring from nearly under your feet, remain 

 perfectly unconcerned, till they have done twisting, and 

 then bring up your gun and fire ; but, if you present 

 it in haste, they so tease and flurry, that you become 

 nervous, and, from a sort of panic, cannot bring the 

 gun up to a proper aim. If, on the other hand, they 

 rise at a moderate distance, down with them before they 

 begin their evolutions. When they cross, be sure to 

 fire well forward, and (if you possibly can) select, as I 

 before said, a windy day for this amusement ; as snipes 

 then usually lie better, and, on being sprung, hang 

 against the wind, and become a good mark. 



In springing snipes, always contrive to get to wind- 

 ward of them, by which you will be more likely to pre- 

 vent their moving, and seldom fail to get a cross shot ; 

 in taking which a young sportsman is not so liable to 

 be confused by their twisting. 



To kill snipes, first go silently down wind to walk 

 up the wilder ones; afterwards let go an old pointer 

 up wind to find those which may have lain so close as 

 to allow you to pass : and before you spring them, take 

 care to make a circle, and head your dog. Look always 



