yUDGING DISTANCE OF SNIPE 193 



I have used E.C. powder for snipe-shooting, and 

 have had every reason to be satisfied with it ; but I 

 am free to admit that I far prefer a smaller charge 

 of the black powder to which I have before made 

 reference, though it may be slower of ignition, and 

 I have ever found that I could make cleaner and 

 generally better shooting with it; and the smoke 

 was no detriment, unless the birds rose in large 

 •wisps' of fifty or sixty at a time, and there was no 

 wind to blow it away. With 2\ drachms of Curtis 

 and Harvey's powder I very rarely experienced any 

 annoyance from the smoke, for the latter powder is so 

 excellent of its kind. 



The novice at snipe-shooting may find himself often 

 puzzled as to the distance at which birds get up, and 

 be doubtful as to whether to fire at them as being too 

 far off I would therefore advise him on entering a 

 snipe-bog to take note of some object, such as bog- 

 myrtle, rush, or blades of grass ahead of him, and 

 which he computes as being some forty or fifty yards 

 off, and he will be surprised, if he paces off the in- 

 tervening distance, how very much nearer such objects 

 really are than they appear to be. He will thus be 

 better able to form a correct estimate of the distance 

 at which he may fire at the birds, and will be less 

 likely to shoot carelessly, finding he can afford to take 

 more time over them. Many a snipe, too, is killed at 

 over seventy yards. When snipe are very wild and 

 the wind is blowing heavily I have found concentrators 

 of great value ; but in such weather I always use 

 heavier shot (not chilled) than on calm days. No. 8 for 

 the right, and Nos. 7 or 6 in the left barrel. In still 

 weather I find No. 9 (unchilled) and No. 8 are the 



