OTHER SNIPES AND SANDPIPERS 301 



to move about and go in pursuit rather than lie in 

 ambush. 



I was once shooting snipe in Indiana on some excel- 

 lent ground owned by a club of Chicago gentlemen, 

 and observed four of the larger yellow-legs on a 

 muddy bar at the upper end of a diminutive island in 

 a shallow prairie river. I waded to the lower end of 

 the island and moved forward — slowly until within 

 easy range of the birds, and not caring much whether 

 I bagged them or not, I determined to try for three 

 with two barrels (on the wing, of course). As they 

 arose, two of the birds flew toward each other, and 

 waiting until they were close together, I killed them 

 both and shot a third bird with the remaining barrel. 

 The survivor went off rapidly, whistling loudly ; but 

 when I whistled, to him he missed his companions, and 

 returning, passed within range, and firing a little ahead 

 of him, I tumbled him into the river. The birds were 

 unusually fine, large specimens and looked well in the 

 bag of snipe. 



The fishy flavor of these birds when taken on the 

 coast is not so apparent in the Western birds, but 

 I do not care much for them in the field or on the 

 table. They are not difficult marks. They have al- 

 ways brought good prices in the markets, are always 

 taken by sportsmen, and are properly ranked with 

 the shore birds of the second class, giving first place 

 always to the woodcock, snipe, and upland plover. 



VII. — THE LESSER YELLOW-LEGS 



All that has been said of the greater yellow-legs 

 applies to the lesser, which is much more abundant 

 everywhere. I have seen these birds in the West often 



