SNIPE, TIME OF MIGRATION. 233 



outwards. As soon as the young are hatched, they 

 leave the nest, and in six weeks afterwards are almost 

 full grown. At this age it is impossible to tell the 

 Wilson snipe from our home variety ; however, at any 

 period the only difference that exists is that one species 

 has two more feathers in the wing than the other. 



Last year but one I shot snipe day after day, till a 

 surfeit might have been expected, and only desisted 

 when the advancement of the season proclaimed the 

 approach of the period for breeding ; and, though some 

 might imagine such a lengthened campaign would have 

 sufficed for coming years, before twelve months had 

 slipped past I stretched my arms, looked at the sky, 

 observed the wind, all three of which being favourable, 

 anathematised, perhaps, the destiny or fate that com- 

 pelled me to accept more sedentary town occupation. , 



With that intuitive feeling that tells .the swallow 

 when to migrate, the fish a change of weather, or the 

 cattle the portended storm we feel certain that all the 

 southern prairies of Illinois are now alive (March) with 

 snipe, that they are lying well to the gun, and that 

 heavy bags are being made. We can even shut our 

 eyes and imagine that we are just approaching Some 

 favourite spot either bordering on a slough or stream, 

 or rich-loamed dip between swelling slopes, and that 

 the game is flushing right and left, as we cautiously 

 pursue our course down wind, while our trusty and 

 well-tried gun rapidly responds to our aim. Again 

 and again we fill and empty our blood-stained pockets, 

 till the body, from fatigue, calls " Hold, enough ! " or 

 we return, with waning day, to our little bald-faced 

 pony, ever ready with a neigh to welcome his master's 

 reappearance. Though to revisit these secluded haunts, 



