BLINDS AND DECOTS. 45 
hinged together on the back, so that when shut they resemble 
a well formed snipe, and when opened can be packed one in 
another, after the manner of a nest of boxes, and occupy 
but little space. All these decoys are painted to resemble 
the different varieties of snipe, and are stuck up by means 
of slicks. Eichsetof stools should have sticks, or “legs,” 
of two lengths—short ones when used on dry bars or very 
shoal water, and long ones when the water is deep. It 
should be borne in mind that stools set in the water are more 
leadily seen, as their reflection and a watery background 
make them loom up and show to advantage. For wet stool- 
ing, the wooden ones are preferable, as the tin ones soon rust 
and become worthless. The objection, however, to the 
wooden stools is their weight and bulk. For plover shooting 
on the upland or dry ground, the tin ones are by far the best. 
It may here be said ihat shell-’, lumps of mud, etc., placed 
on sticks, often can be used when it is impossible to obtain 
the regular decoys. 
It sometimes occurs, when snipe are making their flight 
late in the afternojD, that they are not inclined to stool well. 
They travel high, and often the decoys are so situated that 
the flocks run on to them without distinguishing them. In 
cases like these, a few scattering stools set away to the 
windward in the line of flight, even if they are stuck up 
in deep water, will draw the birds down in passing, and 
then, by judicious calling, the flocks can be worked up 
Tvithin shot. 
