312 The IVater-fowl Family 



bagged twenty-five, the other eighteen, — and both 

 were congratulating themselves on having done 

 me. 



WADING THE MARSHES 



Though decoys and blinds are required in shoot- 

 ing successfully most varieties of our shore-birds, 

 by wading the marshes it is possible in some in- 

 stances to shoot yellowlegs and grass-snipe, while 

 the Wilson's snipe is always killed in this way. 

 Generally a sportsman will prefer boots to going 

 without, though the lightest of these are heavy 

 and hot. Early August is the season the summer 

 yellowlegs first frequent our marshes, when the 

 grass is beginning to be cut and the salt meadow 

 is dotted here and there with haycocks. In the area 

 where the grass has been freshly mowed insects 

 swarm, and here waders that seek the marsh will 

 likely be. The early hours of morning are none 

 too soon, and if the gunner has picked a day when 

 birds are there, the mellow whistle of a yellowleg 

 soon tells their whereabouts. Moving carefully 

 in the direction of the note, the birds are soon in 

 evidence, probably near some pool in the short grass 

 or in the wet meadow. Likely they take wing at 

 the first suspicion of approach, and perhaps no 

 clumps of hay offer the chance of crawling up. If 

 there is nothing to hide behind, the gunner just 

 drops; and now comes the opportunity for whistling. 

 A yellowleg is easy to imitate, and usually readily 



