106 Sporting Notes in the Far East. 



be, as the whole valley was entirely overrun by parties of Japanese 

 sportsmen and their dogs ; and shot was flying like hail in every 

 direction. It was positively courting suicide, to remain amongst 

 these ardent sportsmen for any length of time. 



When driving out to Shirako from Tokio, be careful that your 

 rickshaw men do not miss the way. At a village pronounced 

 " Itashai," the main road crosses a single railway line ; and a little 

 further on it divides at a big white wooden police station ; take the 

 left branch. My man took the right one, and I had to walk miles 

 by footpaths, to reach Shirako. 



In the Shirako shooting, the snipe will mostly be flushed from 

 the edges of the paddy that has already been cut, and is sprouting 

 again. The ripe rice is too laid and thick for them : and like duck, 

 they require a little wing room when rising. There is therefore no 

 occasion to go into the crops : but remain on the banks, and birds 

 will get up quite quick enough. 

 Price of a two-man rickshaw, to and from Shirako, two yen, fifty cents. 



Snipe are also to be shot in the swamps, called the Yokosuka 

 marshes ; and again, there is mud-larking to be had in the paddy 

 beyond the third station on the Tokio railway. 



For pheasants it is more a matter of chance than anything else ; 

 the best places being only known, to the older residents, through 

 their good knowledge of the surrounding country : and they keep their 

 little preserves very dark; being undoubtedly fully justified in doing so, 



