BAY-SIIOOTING. OTT 
the curling waves, or feeding along the pebbled shores on 
which the surges burst, and running back, scarcely in 
time, as it would seem, to escape the deluge of the spray 
when it breaks and rolls up the shingle in crisp and foamy 
ripples—knots, dottrels, avosets, and others. But those 
I have named above are of the most consideration. 
The mode of shooting these birds, is to lie concealed in 
boats, masked with seatrash and covered by reeds, on the 
edges of the hassocks where the snipe feed, in the small 
pools left among the grass by the receding tide. On the 
margin of these, the stools or decoys, admirable represen- 
tations of the different species, carved in pine wood and 
painted so as to have deceived the unsuspicious eye of 
many a deluded greenhorn, are set up, and to them the 
passing flocks are whistled down by the surpassing skill of 
the baymen, whose unerring sight instantly recognizes 
every species, by the motion of its wings and the manner 
of its flight, when the birds are mere air-drawn specke 
against the dusky, dawning sky; and whose imitative 
powers call it down by so perfect a simulation of its cry, 
that it rarely fails to answer and descend to the wily 
cheats which tempt it to destruction. 
To these decoys are added the killed birds as fast as 
they are gathered, which are propped up with sticks, after 
a manner peculiar to the amphibious human natives, sc 
as to complete the mystification and delusion of the sur- 
vivors. 
To me, I confess the sport is a dull one, weary, stale, 
unprofitable ; and the only things that could reconcile me 
to it, are the chance of obtaining rare and curious ornithe- 
