Sporting Notes in the Fa/' East. 43 



It" you are in thick reeds, or a deep marsh, alone and without a 

 dog ; never fire a right and left at snipe. If you do, this is what 

 occurs : the eyes have to be removed from the place where the 

 first bird fell, in order to fire at the second, which is likely to fall 

 at too great a distance, for any accurate marking ; the further bird 

 must be picked up first, and if both are not lost it is a wonder. 



My advice is ; after you have shot your bird, never for one 

 instant, remove the eyes the alignment and spot where you 

 think he fell, walk straight to it, and pick him up. Never mind 

 if other snipe are getting up all round ; if not fired at, and provided 

 the weather is not wild, they will soon light again, to be walked up 

 and bagged later on ; as surely one bird brought to hand, is worth 

 a dozen dead ones that cannot be found. 



In marking a dead bird, by yourself, in thick cover ; get a line 

 on, and if possible try and mark a piece of reed or grass, which 

 he struck when he fell ; walk up the alignment, and lay your hat or 

 handkerchief down on the supposed spot, and before commencing, to 

 trample about, have a good look round ; as you may quite likely 

 see his little white breast turned up to heaven, right under your 

 nose, when another step would have covered him up with half a 

 dozen bent reeds. Also always look under your cap ; as I remem- 

 ber on one occasion after a long and fruitless search, for a dead 

 snipe, I at last, with a heavy heart, picked up my cap to go away ; 

 when, habet / there lay my little victim underneath. 



