BAY-SNIPE SHOOTING. 95 



have been during their return flight ; but whether 

 they were our bay-birds in their vast variety, or 

 whether they were merely the flocks of golden 

 plover that follow the winding of the coast and sub- 

 sequently visit Nantucket and Montauk Point, I had 

 no opportunity to determine by personal experience. 



With us they make their appearance in the neigh- 

 borhood of Boston Bay, and thence they are found, 

 with various intermissions, caused by the nature of 

 the ground, all the way to the State of Texas. The 

 innumerable bays, sounds, and lagoons of our South- 

 ern States, inclosed by broad meadows and includ- 

 ing thousands of marshy islands, are their favorite 

 feeding-grounds, and are visited by them in unnum- 

 bered thousands. The larger varieties may be seen 

 there all through the fall quietly feeding, and scarce- 

 ly noticing the approach of man. In Texas they 

 seem to congregate in vast bodies, and probably move 

 off to or beyond the equator in the early winter 

 months, although this has never been positively as- 

 certained. 



They are not killed as game south of Virginia, 

 and rarely south of New Jersey ; in fact, it may be 

 said that only on Cape Cod, Long Island, and the 

 shore line of New Jersey, are they scientifically pur- 

 sued. At these places the sport has greatly dimi- 

 nished of late years ; a few years ago Barnstable beach 

 was a celebrated resort ; and at Quogue, parties 

 used no stools, but stationed themselves along the 

 narrow neck that connects the beach with the main 

 land, and fired till their guns were dirty or their am- 



