SNIPE SHOOTING. 49 



his feeding grounds are, in some degree, at least, 

 dependent upon an abundance or scarcity of 

 food. 



Again and again has the sportsman, by chance 

 or the range and instinct of his dog, discovered 

 some choice piece of ground, of no great extent, 

 which the birds, though allowed not a moment's 

 rest, showed the greatest indisposition to leave. 



We remember to have found this to be the 

 case many years ago, in a small meadow on Duck 

 Creek, immediately back of what is called Smyr- 

 na's Landing. No steamboat had ever entered 

 the creek at this period, and the place was com- 

 paratively unknown to shooters. 



On the meadow referred to snipe were feeding 

 in such numbers, that had not the dog been a 

 steady old setter, his presence would have been 

 a decided disadvantage. As it was he did not 

 move five yards in advance of us, and we kept on 

 flushing and firing, until, though then an indif- 

 ferent snipe shot, we had bagged seventy-two 

 birds. When the sun sank upon our sport, the 

 ground was covered with wads as with a slight 

 sprinkling of snow. 



The next morning, at the instance of the ac- 

 quaintance with whom we were sojourning, we 

 shifted the scene by shooting in the stubbles ; 



