SNIPE SHOOTING 



or swung with it (the former for choice), and only 

 practice will teach the tyro how much allowance, 

 dependent of course upon pace and distance, should 

 be made in each case. In snipe shooting, the 

 sportsman should either personally kill each bird 

 which may be picked up alive, or see that one of 

 his men does so directly it has been recovered, for 

 natives are horribly callous as regards the sufferings 

 of animals, and would, if permitted, put the poor 

 birds alive upon the snipe-stick (or game carrier), 

 which is always used in this form of sport. 



In order that full justice may be done to this 

 really excellent little bird from a gastronomical 

 point of view, he should be cooked for dinner on 

 the day of his death, be lightly and rapidly roasted 

 before a very quick fire, brought up to table under- 

 done, and gracefully reposing upon a piece of well- 

 buttered toast. Snipe soup, either thick or clear 

 as may be preferred, is truly delicious, and, with 

 the whole of the meat pounded up and incorporated 

 in the case of the thick kind, resembles hare soup 

 in consistency, but is greatly superior in delicacy 

 of flavour to the latter. An allowance of two birds 

 for each person is ample for soup. 



379 



