SNIPE SHOOTING. 95 



the snipe-shooter returns home disgusted, his bag not 

 having one, where, considering the birds seen, he feels 

 he should have five. 



" It will be noticed that the influence of the day, 

 cold, raw and disagreeable, has its effect on the snipe, 

 and a mild, warm, bright, sunshiny day, with warm 

 south winds affects them just the opposite. 



" How they do love the warm sun of spring, and how 

 they do hate to be disturbed. They hear the splash, 

 -splash of the hunter ; they catch glimpses of his tall 

 form, slowly but surely approaching them ; still, they 

 don't fly, simply hugging closer to the ground, instinct 

 teaching them that their dull, dead gray and white 

 bodies cannot be distinguished from the marshy ground. 

 Suddenly, they realize the danger they are in, and de- 

 spairing of escaping undiscovered, they spring as if 

 thrown by some hidden power, and away they go, utter- 

 ing grating ' Scaipe ! Scaipe ! ' from their throats. But 

 what's the use of telling you this now, Ned ; ,we are on 

 the ground, and observation for a few hours will teach 

 you more than I can tell in a week. We will start in 

 and hunt north. My reason is, we want to go with the 

 wind. Always hunt snipe with the wind, because they 

 rise and fly either against the wind, or present quarter- 

 ing shots. If you hunt against the wind, they will not 

 lie well, and when they do get up, will fly straight from 

 you, presenting a small zig-zag mark to shoot at, which 

 isn't where you thought it was when you pulled the 

 trigger. There is no comparison between the flight of 

 a prairie chicken and a snipe whSn both are fired at fly- 

 ing from you. 



" Here we are in the marsh ! Slip in a couple of 

 shells, and keep your eyes open, as they won't ring a 



