SNIPE SHOOTING. 103 



" Mark, Ned," said I, directing Don to start it up. 

 He jumped almost over the bird, flushing it, when I 

 missed it clean, Ned wiping my eye. This did him lots 

 of good, and he took especial pains to call my attention 

 to it several times during the day. We worked the 

 marsh both ways, crossing and recrossing, to give the 

 dog the benefit of the wind all we could. Feeling we 

 had enough for one day, about seventy, and intending 

 to come again, we started for home, after being snugly 

 tucked under the robes. The evening air was delight- 

 fully cool and refreshing, after our hard tramp in the 

 sun. 



Ned broke the silence as follows : " When I first 

 saw thatdog of yours. Will, I formed a mighty poor opin- 

 ion of him. I think he knew it, the way I acted to- 

 ward him. Right here, and in your presence, I want 

 to apologize to him." 



Saying this, he caught Don by the nose, looked into 

 his. upturned face, and said, " Don, I am mighty sorry 

 if I have hurt your feelings, if you were of the feminine 

 gender I would call you a ' Daisy,' but being of the op- 

 posite sex, you are a ' Dandy." At this Don sneezed, 

 caused by Ned holding his nose high in air. Ned smiled 

 and acknowledged it as an acceptance of his apology 

 on the part of the dog. 



Then, turning to me, he said, " What do you know 

 about snipe? Where can they be found; that is, in 

 what countries other than this, if any ? " 



" Why, Ned," I replied, " Wilson's snipe derived 

 their name from the great ornithologist and naturalist, 

 Wilson. There are no birds so universally scattered 

 over the face of the globe as this same corkscrew gen- 

 tleman. He is found in China, having been seen in the 



