THE WINTER YELLOW-LEGS 179 



webbed on bis middle and outer toes be is a fair 

 swimmer at need. 



Lonely sea-beacb, rockweed-covered ledge, or 

 wind-swept expanse of waving grass witb its 

 brigbt strips of water reflecting tbe blue above 

 — tbese are tbe baunts of tbe many birds num- 

 bered among tbe ''bay snipe," and tbougb tbe 

 woodcock entbusiast and grouse bunter is in- 

 clined to belittle tbis style of sbooting it is not 

 every bungler wbo can "make a double" on 

 tbese swift coursers of tbe marsb, and it is very 

 pleasant in tbe brigbt August days for tbe 

 sportsman to sit in bis innocent looking blind 

 at tbe edge of a promising pool or to wander 

 from one feeding ground to anotber — from 

 muddy creek to brown-margined ''pond-bole," 

 witb bis gun ever ready for tbe cbance wbich 

 fortune may send Mm. A clear, brigbt day, tbe 

 sun glinting in diamond points on tbe blue 

 waves and glistening on tbe sails far out at sea ; 

 tbe dazzling wbite of tbe sandbanks and tbe 

 bar wbicb marks tbe river's moutb sb owing 

 tbrougb tbe breaks in tbe tall grass; and tbe 

 mellow pipings of tbe birds as tbe flocks sweep 

 past in full career ; all go to make a day's outing 

 fit to offset a year of care and worriment. How 



