480 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



old man termed it. As the plan he 

 followed was decidedly effective and, to 

 the best of my knowledge, original, it may 

 not be out of place to devote a few lines 

 to a description of his mode of tuition. 

 A Jack-Snipe, my instructor truly argued, 

 was almost invariably missed through 

 firing too quickly, both barrels being 

 usually discharged before the bird is five- 

 and-twenty yards from the muzzle of the 

 gun. This error was expressly pointed 

 out, and I was forced to repeat aloud ' One, 

 two, three, four, five, six/ after the Snipe 

 rose on the wing, before bringing the gun 

 to the shoulder. The first lesson being 

 duly impressed on my mind, the anti- 

 quated muzzle-loader was placed in my 

 hands and practice next attempted. . . . 

 It is hard on thirty years since I profited 

 by these lessons ; but even now the well- 

 remembered ' One, two, three,' etc., fre- 

 quently rises to my lips when the inevitable 

 Jack appears, and ill-luck invariably 

 attends the bird that is patiently waited 

 for. 



"The Jack, unlike its larger relative 

 the ' Whole ' Snipe, is seldom wild and 

 unapproachable. I never met with them 

 gathered into flocks, flying and settling 

 in company after the manner of those 



