In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 



235 



leaving off for the day we left the meadows full of them, as the 

 failing light did not give us opportunity of thoroughly beating our 

 ground. There is one place in the adjoining parish of Homington 

 where you are almost always sure of finding a whisp, even when 

 there are few or none elsewhere. It is a spot consisting of thick 

 damp flags interspersed with tall arbele trees ; a spot not likely, at 

 first sight, to harbour them, and by no means easy to kill them in, 

 but where they are always to be found if they have not been pre- 

 viously disturbed. I remember once having a grand opportunity of 

 filling my bag with five or six couple at once, which — though it 

 may occur now and again — does not often happen. I was beating 

 a field of turnips, near Oxford, when up got a whisp of some forty 

 or fifty Snipe within twenty yards of me. Foolishly thinking they 

 were but larks I never fired, until a straggler getting up and 

 " scaping " showed me the true nature of the chance I had thrown 

 away; though that one, with three other single birds, paid the 

 penalty of staying behind their neighbours. I must confess once to 

 have been very cleverly detected in the unsportsmanlike act of 

 shooting a Snipe on the ground. I noticed a Snipe on the gravel 

 of a " drawing " by the side of a thick withy-bed, where I saw I 

 should have but little chance of getting a shot if I put him up ; 

 and being in much want of a couple of Snipe that day I let fly and 

 ignominionsly killed him. Conscience, I suppose, upbraiding me, I 

 holloaed to the keeper, who was inside the withy-bed, beating, at 

 some little distance off, " All right, I've got him." Upon which he 

 immediately replied, " Ah ! Sir, you shot that bird upon the ground ; 

 I heard your shot rattle on the stones." To which I could make 

 no satisfactory reply, having been detected in the very act. I 

 mention this to show the keenness of observation which, as in the 

 case of this keeper, becomes engendered in the sportsman. There 

 is no better sport than Snipe shooting, requiring as it does quickness 

 of decision and keenness of eye ; you must be always on the alert, 

 expecting to kill ; and then, with small shot, and the wind in your 

 favour, and above all things keeping your eye well on the bird, 

 and not on your gun, over they will come. There is no better 

 advice to a young beginner than this, " Keep cool, and your eye 



