BAT-SNIPE SHOOTING. 67 



narily killed by stratagem over decoys, and not by 

 open pursuit ; different varieties frequent tbe 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 arrive and may be killed 

 at certain periods in vast numbers. 



Although despised by the upland sportsman, who 

 regards the use of the dog as essential 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 inva- 

 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 



