44 Sporting Notes in the Far East. 



Snipe, like duck, prefer in a marsh, an open space to rise from, 

 be it ever to small ; therefore bare patches of mud and springs 

 should always be tried in walking up ground ; they also like when 

 feeding, to be within the vicinity ' of water, for bill washing 

 purposes. 



In a great many cases, snipe appear to feed, in totally different 

 ground, to that in which they lay up in during the day. As it has 

 happened to me more than once ; that when, after going over 

 apparently good snipe ground during the day, and drawing in 

 blank ; I have, on passing the same places on my way home in the 

 dusk, seen snipe like bats, flitting in by the score, calling and 

 whistling to each other as they came. Where they come from, 

 and where they go to, goodness only knows. 



It is useless working for snipe, in paddy which is undergoing 

 the process of irrigation ; as the whole surface of the ground, is 

 then covered to a depth of three or four inches in water, and 

 poor " snipie " has in consequence, no place whereon to rest his feet. 



I think at all times when walking up snipe, it is better to have 

 your dog at heel, especially when birds are plentiful : as it has 

 always been my impression, that a snipe that gets away, is more 

 frightened, and flies further, after being pushed up by a dog, than 

 if he had been actually fired at, and an ounce of lead had hurtled 

 past his tail. Also unless your dog is under perfect control, for- 

 bear taking him into a marsh at all ; as the temptation to a beast 



