AMERICANS EXCELLENT SHOTS. 237 
had taken place. The prairies of this State (Illinois) are 
generally burned late in the fall or early in spring, to im- 
prove the succeeding year’s grazing, leaving the surface of 
the soil entirely denuded of grass, except where moisture 
has prevented the burning taking effect. Over this, espec- 
ially in the vicinity of sloughs, dwarf persimmon-bushes 
abound, and there the snipe much frequent. A dog is not 
necessary here, for the game is so abundant, unless, per- 
haps, a good retriever, who must be under such control as 
never to attempt to leave heel, except when ordered by his 
master to recover a cripple. <A further attraction. to this 
sport is, that few days pass on which numbers of teal, pin- 
tailed duck, or mallard do not assist to swell the size of 
your game-bag.- From the advent of the first flight till the 
middle of May additional arrivals take place; but after 
that date all disappear till the fall of the leaf, and gusty, 
changeable weather foretells the near approach of winter. 
But the autumnal flight is never numerically equal to that 
of spring; still, if twenty: brace will satisfy the sportsman, 
he can have that reward for his labor, provided he be a fair 
shot. 
Americans, as a rule, are excellent shots. By them the 
arrival of snipe is looked forward to with much pleasure ; 
but to the pot-hunter—the fellow who will shoot pinnated 
grouse on the ground, the duck upon the water, or crawl 
all day through brush to have a standing chance at a wild 
turkey—this branch of shooting presents little attraction. 
How satisfactory it is that there is at least one game bird 
who can laugh with derision at such pursuers! At first, 
when snipe make their appearance, especially if the weather 
be wet and blustering, they are inclined to be wild; but 
much depends upon the amount of cover afforded by the 
locality ; but when the genial sun of spring shines with in- 
vigorating warmth, they will frequently lie so close that 
