THE SNIPE. 343 



tlie dog draws. As soon as the sportsman sees or knows that 

 his dog is " pointing " at the game, he advances quietty, and 

 judging as well as he can of the locality of the bird, places him- 

 self in the best position for firing when it flushes (Fig. 131). If 

 he misses his aim, all he has to do is to follow np, for it is likely 

 enough to drop again only a short distance off. Still the labour 

 to force the game to take wing a second time is not less arduous 

 than heretofore. Both man and dog are often put on the wrong- 

 scent b}'' the turns, twists, and circuits of their tracks, and all the 

 other tricks of concealment with which this bird is familiar. If at 

 last the Woodcock succumbs, it will not be till it has thoroughly 

 fatigued its persecutors. 



In Brittany, some years ago, Woodcocks were so common 

 that the inhabitants were in the habit of catching them with 

 nets in the following singular way: — Two men went out toge- 

 ther at night, one carrying a lantern, the other a small net 

 fastened at the end of a long stick. They proceeded to those 

 parts of the woods where deer had been grazing, which places 

 are always favourite haunts of the Woodcocks on account of 

 their finding worms and insects among their droppings. The 

 rays of light from the lantern were suddenly thrown on the birds 

 while feeding ; the latter, dazzled with the brilliancy, allowed 

 themselves to be entangled in the meshes of the net before they 

 thought of flight. 



A similar method to the above is practised by the negroes on 

 the Southern plantations of the United States, with this difference 

 ■ — instead of a net, only a club is used for their destruction. 

 Often the slaughter of a successful night amounts to hundreds. 

 The American Woodcock is scarcely as large as the European 

 bird, nor is their colour the same. 



The Woodcock constitutes a delicious article of food from its 

 exquisite flavour and piquancy : it in consequence holds the highest 

 rank among game in the eyes of the epicure. 



The Snipe much resembles the Woodcock, but is smaller, with 

 longer tarsi. It is also different in its habits. It haunts marshes 

 and fens, feeding on grubs, and sometimes even on aquatic 

 plants. It travels during the night as well as in the day. 



