186 BAY-SNIPE SHOOTING. 



njrily killed by stratagem over decoys, and not by 

 open pursuit ; diiferent varieties frequent the same 

 locality, so that many species will be collected in the 

 same bag ; they are for the most part, except the 

 upland birds, tough and sedgy, and at times hardly 

 fit for the table ; and they ariive and may be killed 

 at certain periods in vast numbers. 



Although despised by the upland spoi-tsman, whd 

 regards the use of the dog as essentia] to the pure 

 exercise of his art ; and by the pot-hunter, because 

 they do not generally bring high prices in market ; — 

 to the genuine lover of nature and the gun they fur- 

 nish splendid sport, requiring, if not as high a de- 

 gree of skill as may be needed to cut down a quail 

 in the dense coverts, at least as many fine qualities 

 in the sportsman, and as thorough a knowledge of 

 their habits as any other bird. In upland shooting 

 the dog does the largest part of the work, and invar 

 riably deserves the credit for a super-excellent bag ; 

 and truly glorious is it to follow the dog that can 

 make that bag, and wonderful to watch his powers ; — 

 but in bay-snipe shooting there is no trusty dog to 

 look to, who can retrieve by his superiority his mas- 

 ter's blunderings. The man relies upon himself, and 

 himself alone ; he it is that must, with quick observant 

 eye, catch the faint outline of the distant flock, and 

 with sharp ear distinguish the first audible call ; his 

 experience must determine the nature of the birds, 

 his powers of imitation bring them within gun-shot, 

 and his skill drop them advantageously from the 

 crowded flock. To excel in all this requires long 



