cHap. x1.] A Strange Bird observed. 199 
large group of my old and long-loved favorites — birds. 
Wishing, instinctively as it were, to know what they were, 
I went cautiously forward to take a nearer view. I found 
that they consisted for the most part of ring-dotterels and 
dunlins, with a few golden plovers. I was somewhat as- 
tonished at seeing the plovers, for they are by no means a 
shore bird with us at this season of the year—nor, in fact, 
at any time, except when driven by snow. But there they 
were, and no mistake. Not yet satisfied, however — for I 
thought I could distinguish one that did not exactly belong 
to any of those already mentioned—I wished to go a little . 
nearer, and on doing so was glad to find my conjectures 
fully confirmed; but what the stranger was I could not tell. 
I saw enough, however, to convince me that it was a rare 
bird. There is no getting an easy shot at a stranger. The 
dotterels are constantly on the lookout for squalls; and 
when any thing suspicious appears, they immediately rise 
and fly away. A shot, however, after a good deal of wind- 
ing and twisting, was fired, and, although at rather long 
range, broke one of the stranger’s legs. This had the effect 
of parting him from his companions—they flying seaward, 
and he to the shingle which intervenes betwixt the sands 
and the links. Here he dropped, seemingly to rise no 
more. 
“ Having reloaded, in case of need, I then ran, as well as 
I was able, to pick him up. I gained the place, and after 
some difficulty, having passed and repassed him several 
times, I at last found my bird lying stretched out at full 
length among the pebbles, and to all appearance a corpse. 
It was now that I ascertained with satisfaction and pride 
that the great rarity I had met with was neither more nor 
less than a specimen of the brown snipe, and a splendid 
one it was too, being evidently an old bird. Being almost 
intoxicated with delight, I sat down, and, having taken 
some cotton wadding from my pocket to wrap round the 
injured leg, and stop up any other wound that he might 
