146 FEATHERED GAME 
Unlike Wilson’s snipe, which travels in small 
bunches of two or three birds, or at the most 
the members of a family making up the party, 
the Brown-backs fly in large flocks more after 
the habit of the sandpipers, which family they 
resemble in many other particulars. 
Less wary than the average of the shore- 
birds, ordinarily but little difficulty is experi- 
enced in getting within shot range. They fly in 
solid masses and their flocks in close order offer 
the best of chances to the shooter whose ambi- 
tion is to make a big bag of birds, so that they 
are killed in great numbers if the gunner hap- 
pens upon them during their short stay on our 
coast. All things considered it is fortunate for 
them that they arrive unexpectedly and depart 
without notice after no long stay. Indeed, it is 
a matter for wonder that the shorebirds were 
not exterminated long ago. It would almost 
seem impossible to keep up the supply in the 
face of the gunner’s demands, especially when 
we remember how small are the families raised. 
The fall migrations do not bring so many of 
these birds upon our shores as do the spring 
flights. It may be that the returning tourists 
pass to the westward of us, or perhaps out to 
