SMPE SnOOTING.] 



SHOOTING, 



[snipe shooting. 



Snipes of all kinds feed mostly on worms 

 and insects, which abound in moist grounds 

 and marshy localities. Snails have occasion- 

 ally been found whole or undigested in their 

 stomachs. Their flesh is fat and savoury; 

 and they are cooked in the same manner as 

 ■woodcocks, without extracting the entrails. 



From observations made by a gentleman in 

 Norfolk, and furnished by Mr. Daniel, it ap- 

 pears that the common snipe arrives in the 

 vicinity of Norwich in the early part of Sep- 

 tember, and stops for a day or two, or perhaps 

 only for a few hours. They often come in 

 large flocks, and lie very light on the ground. 

 At the end of October the greatest numbers 

 make their appearance; but as soon as the 

 cold weather commences, they almost entirely 

 disappear, and return no more until March, 

 previous to their final departure. During the 

 frost, the spring ditches are, when free from 

 ice, carefully examined ; but, excepting on two 

 or three early days of frost, very few birds 

 are found. The forwardness or backward- 

 ness of spring seems invariably to regulate 

 their movements, which induced this gentle- 

 man to remark the coincidence of the time 

 of the flowering of wild plants, and that of 

 the reappearance of the snipes. In Feb- 

 ruary, a few punctually arrived; but on 

 frost setting in, they departed again. The 

 marshes were searched, but not a snipe could 

 be seen. In March they again visited the 

 moist grounds and springs, in considerable 

 numbers, in company with a large flock of 

 lapwings ; but in a few days they left for other 

 countries. The next spring being a very early 

 one, many made their appearance in the first 

 week of March. They came in flocks, but in 

 a fortnight they had all gone away. It would 

 appear from this, that the weather has a great 

 deal of influence in determining the movements 

 of the snipe which has a very powerful and 

 an unerring instinct. 



SNIPE SHOOTING. 

 Snipe sliootinf) is considered by Mr. Thorn- 

 liill to be no bad test of a man's love of gen- 

 uine sport, if he feel a strong partiality for 

 this kind of shooting. He observes — " Snipe 

 shooting is a sport the best calculated (grous- 

 ing excepted) to try the keenness of the 

 sportsman, to ascertain hia bottom, and if he 

 562 



can stand labour, water, mire, swamps, and 

 bogs. He should be possessed of a strong 

 constitution, not liable to take cold, and have 

 all the fortitude, as well as exertion, of a water- 

 spaniel ; he should be habitually inured to 

 wet, dirt, and difficulty, and not be deterred 

 by cold or severe weather." Mr. Daniel 

 says — " Snipe shooting, when the birds are 

 plentiful, is an excellent diversion: they are 

 said to puzzle the marksman by the irregular 

 twistings of their flight when first sprung; but 

 this difliculty is soon surmounted if the birds 

 are suffered to reach to a certain distance, 

 when their flight becomes steady, and easy to 

 traverse with the gun. There is no reason to 

 be apprehensive of their getting out of the 

 range of the shot, as they will fall to the 

 ground if struck but slightly with the smallest 

 grain. Snipes, like woodcocks, and many other 

 wild birds, always fly against the wind ; there- 

 fore, by keeping the wind at his back, the 

 sportsman has this advantage of the bird when 

 it rises — that it presents a fairer mark. These 

 birds are scarcely good till November, when 

 they get very fat. In hard, frosty, and more 

 particularly in snowy weather, snipes resort in 

 numbers to warm springs, where the rills con- 

 tinue open, and run with a gentle stream ; 

 these, on account of their long bills, are then 

 the only places where they can hunt for food. 

 Snipes will generally lie well to a pointer ; and 

 some dogs have a singular knack of finding 

 and standing to them." 



Regarding the difliculty of shooting snipes, 

 some alfirm that it is very great, whilst others 

 affirm quite the contrary. To be cool and col- 

 lected is a great point gained ; for where there is 

 hurry and trepidation, the chances are greatly 

 against the shooter. The motion of the bird 

 is irregular, and is supposed to arise from the 

 nature of its visual organs, being so con- 

 structed as to see things in daylight very in- 

 distinctly and obscurely ; and this is supposed 

 to be the cause of that unsteadiness of flight 

 so embarrassing to the sportsman. It must 

 be remembered, that in snipe, as well as in 

 woodcock shooting, there is what is called a 

 Jcnach to be obtained; a rapidity of action, 

 and promptness of aim, which practice, joined 

 to a particular temperament of body and mind, 

 alone secure. It is remarked by Mr. Blaine, 

 that it has been said, " in some writings, 



