THE SNIPE OF AMEKICA. 85 



perhaps, a good retriever, who must be under such 

 control as never to attempt to leave heel, except when 

 ordered by his master to recover a cripple. A fur- 

 ther attraction to this sport, beyond the numbers 

 that can be killed, 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 change- 

 able weather fortells the near approach of winter. 

 But the autumnal flight is never numerically equal 

 to that of spring ; still, if twenty brace will satisfy 

 the sportsman, he can have that reward for his 

 labor, provided he be a fair shot. 



In America are to be found many excellent shots. 

 By them the arrival of the 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 shooting 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 the snipe makes its appearance, 



