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with some degree of certainty on the subject. Ireland is celebrated for snipe shooting, snipes being very much more abundant there than in either England or in Scotland-twenty couple, and even more, being easily killed by one gun in a day. There are, however, fens in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire where excellent sport is to be had; and in some parts of the West of Scotland snipes are also very plentiful, particularly in the Isle of Harris.

I have had tolerable snipe shooting in Dorsetshire, Cambridgeshire, and also in Scotland; but the best I ever had was in France, and there I followed it regularly and consecutively for seven or eight years, killing upon an average from four to five hundred couple a year. In the year 1828 I first commenced operations in France, and during that winter killed 1,232 head of game, more than 1,000 of which were snipes, the remainder wildfowl. My head-quarters were at Montreuil (on the high-road to Paris, about forty miles from Boulogne). In the immediate vicinity of this place, I used to have very good shooting; but my best sport was obtained in a large marais, about eight miles distant, close by a village called Villères. I also had very excellent sport in a marais at Nampont (this place is the first post on the road to Paris from Montreuil).

During the months of November and Decem

ber, these two marais, on particular days, yielded first-rate sport; in fact, so long as there was no continuously severe frost, snipes were always to be found in tolerable abundance. The arrival of the first large flights generally occurred at the end of October or beginning of November; and on particular days subsequently, when the wind and weather were favourable, the quantity was considerably increased by further flights. If the wind were in the south-east at night, and remained there till morning, there was always a certainty of sport, more especially if the day were dull and damp-a fall of rain, with a slight breeze, was always in favour of sport.

On a very fine day, with sunshine, snipes always became scarce and wild. I have heard it asserted by some sportsmen that dogs are not necessary for snipe-shooting-that they can walk them up; but this is a very great mistake, the very best of dogs being requisite, no birds lying closer than snipes on particular days, especially when they are in good condition: wounded birds will frequently not rise till you almost tread upon them, if not found by the dog-consequently without a dog many would be lost.

Setters make the best snipe dogs, pointers being too delicate to endure the continual exposure to wet. The former are very easily broken to snipes. As it is necessary invariably, when you can do so,

to go down wind, you must teach your dogs to hunt at right-angles to the wind (and they very readily acquire this mode of proceeding with proper management), so that immediately a point is made you can go down wind and head your dog, by which means you will not only get close to the bird before he rises, but have an easy sideshot, either to the left or right hand, as you please, by the direction you take when you get immediately opposite to your dog. As nineteen snipes out of twenty fly against the wind when flushed, they are indisposed to rise as you advance down wind upon them; whereas, were you to go up wind, they would rise at a long distance, and at the same time give you a comparatively difficult shot, and on particular days you would not in this way get near a single bird.

Snipes are generally supposed to be a difficult shot, and so they are if you go up wind to them; but the reverse will be the case if you proceed in the orthodox and sportsmanlike manner by going down wind; the bird will then fly slowly round you, and so far from there being any occasion for hurry or quickness, patience will be required to allow the bird time to get at a sufficient distance before bringing your gun to the shoulder. Always take good care to shoot about a foot before your bird when he is crossing to the right or left. When there is a steady breeze, the flight

of a well-conditioned snipe is very even and steady, offering one of the easiest possible shots. No. 8 is the best sized shot if you do not expect any other game; but if there be a chance of ducks or teal, No. 7 will answer every purpose -larger shot will not succeed so well, but cause disappointment.

I rather fancy the marais in the vicinity of Montreuil are not so good now as they were formerly, owing to the extent to which draining has been carried, and also in consequence of a great increase in the number of French chasseurs: I will not call them sportsmen, as I never met with one who answered our idea of a sportsman; they are all what are vulgarly called Pot Hunters, as they will all shoot any sort of game on the ground whenever they can get the opportunity; and as their dogs are taught to fetch their game, chase hares, and not to down charge,' the amount of noise and confusion which takes place after a Frenchman has discharged his gun and killed his game, can be easily understood. Many and many a good day's snipe-shooting I have had spoiled by them; many a day the marais would have afforded me a hundred shots if I had not been interrupted: but as they had a more legitimate right to be there than myself, I only make this statement as a matter of fact, and not as a just subject for complaint, except so far as re

lates to their mode of proceeding, which was as prejudicial to their own sport as to mine.

The moment a Frenchman has killed a jack snipe, you will hear him calling to his dog at the very top of his voice to bring his game-Apporte vîte à ton maître! vite, apporte !'—and if the dog does not take the right direction, you will hear a considerable portion of that part of a Frenchman's vocabulary which commences with sacré nom, &c.; and as your attention will be naturally directed to the quarter from whence the noise proceeds, you will sometimes observe the man and dog both running, the man persevering in his address to his dog-Apporte! sacré nom

!'-and perhaps the dog giving tongue (this I have witnessed), the consequence of which is that the dog generally flushes five or six snipes before the unfortunate jack is found; and when this is accomplished, and the jack deposited in the carnassière, or game-bag-without which appendage no French chasseur takes the field-then, and not till then, does the Frenchman think of reloading his gun, which of course has had the opportunity, from the moist atmosphere of the marais, of getting tolerably well damp, in consequence of which an endless number of missfires ensue (accompanied by an additional quantity of sacré nom, &c.), which are attributed to the caps, and not to this unsportsmanlike mode of proceed

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