104 THE JERSEY COAST. 



shores of Florida and Texa% these snipe collect in 

 crowds ; and either this is the first step towards that 

 purpose, or they are merely attracted by the feeding 

 birds to a promising place for a plentiful repast. 



Although ordinarily they will come to the stools 

 of themselves, if they happen to be at a distance fly- 

 ing fast and high, the gunner must trust to the 

 shrillness of his whistle and the perfection of his call, 

 to attract their attention. If they turn towards the 

 decoys and answer the whistle — which they will do at 

 an immense distance — they are almost sure to come 

 straight on, and their confidence once gained, rarely 

 wavers. 



There is a common expression among the bay- 

 men, that birds have a trade, or are trading up and 

 down over a certain course, by which they mean 

 that they fly backward and forward at regular hours, 

 and to and from regular places. Snipe that are 

 thus engaged trading are not only in the finest con- 

 dition, but come to the decoys, or stool, as it is term- 

 ed, the most readily. They are probably stopping 

 on the meadows, and fly to their feeding-grounds in 

 the morning and back at night. The great migra- 

 tory bodies, which frequently stretch in broken lines 

 almost across the horizon, and which are pursu- 

 ing their steady course to their southern homes, 

 rarely heed the whistle, or turn to the silly flock 

 that is eating while it should be travelling. 



The best days are those with a cloudy sky, and a 

 south-westerly wind. On such occasions the birds 

 often come in myriads, delighting the sportsman's 



