HUNTING 243 



located among the trees which are his habitat, 

 is pursued by the party of "sportsmen," who 

 strive to bring him down by the use of their 

 primitive but skilfully handled weapons.' 



These are of two descriptions, the "squail" 

 and the " snogg." The users of these forms of 

 minor artillery have their controversies over their 

 respective merits, just as shooting men will argue 

 over the respective virtues of the one-trigger gun 

 over the older form of fowling-piece. 



The " squail" is the more artistic weapon, and 

 probably the more ancient. It is the product of 

 the man who lives and works wholly in the 

 woodlands. 



It consists of a stick, about 15 inches long, 

 light, with just a trifle of play in it, to the end 

 of which is fixed a round or, better, a slightly 

 pear-shaped ball, about the size of a tennis ball, 

 turned out of some heavy hard-wood. The 

 " snogg " is a similar weapon, but made of a 

 rather stouter stick of similar length, around 

 the head of which is fixed a ferrule, or lump of 

 lead. It is claimed that this weapon is the 

 less likely to become lodged in the branches of 

 trees. 



But whichever is used, the wielder of the 

 " snogg" or the " squail" can make surprisingly 

 good practice with it up to as much as fifty 



