THE HABITS OF THE SNIPE. 231 



cover a cripple. A further attraction to this sport is, 

 that few days pass on which numbers of teal, pin-tailed 

 duck, or mallard do not assist to swell the size of your 

 game-bag. From the advent of the first flight till the 

 middle of May, additional arrivals take place, but after 

 that date all disappear till the fall of the leaf, and 

 gusty changeable weather foretells the near approach 

 of winter. But the autumnal flight is never numeri- 

 cally equal to that of spring ; still, if twenty brace will 

 satisfy the spoilsman, he can have that reward for his 

 labour, provided he be a fair shot. 



Americans as a rule are excellent shots. By them 

 the arrival of snipe is looked forward to with much 

 pleasure : but to the pot-hunter, the fellow who will 

 shoot pinnated grouse on the ground, the duck upon 

 the water, or crawl all day through brush to have a 

 standing chance at a wild turkey, this branch of shoot- 

 ing presents little attraction. How satisfactory it is 

 that there is at least one game bird who can laugh with 

 derision at such pursuers. At first, when snipe make 

 their appearance, especially if the weather be wet and 

 blustering, they are inclined to be wild; but much 

 depends upon the amount of cover afforded by the 

 locality, but when the genial sun of spring shines with 

 invigorating warmth, they will frequently lie so close 

 that many will flush almost at your feet. When wild, 

 their flights are long and rapid : when not so, they 

 droop their wings, and frequently alight before a hun- 

 dred yards have been traversed. However, this does 

 not apply to the whole day, for towards sunset, possibly 

 from having by that time digested their last night's 

 meal, for they feed principally by night, they invariably 

 become wild, and more difficult of approach. To be sue- 



