SNIPE SHOOTING. 91 



month, and then remain for from ten to thirty days, de- 

 pending altogether on the weather. Living as they do 

 on worms and insects taken from the soft soil, the time 

 of their coming is at the period of the disappearance of 

 the frost. They come in the wake of a few warm days 

 of bright sunshine, days that fill the soul with secret 

 longing ; days that bring to their northern homes the 

 blue-birds and the robins — ^birds of good omen — sure in- 

 dications of the arrival of spring. Following these few 

 bright days comes a warm, gentle rain, falling so quiet- 

 ly it seems to penetrate deep into the frost-ridden 

 ground. The snipe know of this rain, instinct possibly; 

 any way they know it. And, while we are aware of 

 the fact that they will soon be among us, " All through 

 the night, with tireless flight " they come — ^in the morn- 

 ing they are here. On such a morning, when the sun- 

 shine and rain have driven the frost and coldness from 

 the marshes, let us take a trip with an amateur snipe- 

 hunter. Meeting one on the street, a friend of mine, 

 one whom I know to be a fair shot at prairie chickens, 

 and the possessor of a good setter, I accost him, as fol- 

 lows: 



" Well, ]^ed, old boy, how are you ? Just the one 

 I want to see. We have had several bright, warm days, 

 and now a gentle, warm rain ; the marshes are sure to 

 be full of jack-snipe to-morrow. What do you say, to 

 going out and having some fun with them ? " 



" AH right, I'll go, but want you to understand right 

 here, that I am a tender-foot on the snipe question. 

 Don't know that I ever shot one. Have occasionally 

 stumbled over one while after ducks, but they were too 

 soon for me, — ^perhaps because I sent duck shot after 

 them. But then, you are an old snipe-hunter, and if 



