markets there, on the coast of Brazil, in the rice fields of Egypt; they are found in Java and Sumatra, and in almost all the islands of the Indian Sea, in Madagascar, Ceylon, Japan, the Falkland Islands, in the desolate solitudes of the Southern Atlantic; in the arctic regions of Siberia, and in every part of the old Continent, on the Pacific Slope, and almost everywhere in the United States. They afford sport to the citizens of the extreme South, and are digested with toast by the epicures of the far North. By sportsmen everywhere they are welcomed.

"I noticed to-day that they bothered you considerably. You are a fair shot for an inexperienced one,— ought to be good at chickens, but ducks would worry you. You are a snap shot, your gun discharging almost at the instant of touching the shoulder. There are two occasions when one can shoot snipe successfully. First, before they have got fully started, firing at them as soon as they jump from the grass; second, when they have flown thirty or forty yards. When they have gone that distance they settle into a comparatively steady flight, and are not difficult to hit. What it requires then is a hard hitting gun, and the shooter to be a good judge of distance, speed and the velocity of shot. The medium period of shooting, the time between these two, is the time when most new snipe shots shoot. This is when the snipe display their agility, and try to twist themselves into a spiral or gimlet of life. Not succeeding after going fifteen to thirty yards, they recognize the fact that they can't turn themselves. inside out, and settle down to a steady flight. The beginner cracks away at them at this time, misses many and gets disgusted,-his disgust not being alleviated

by mopping the perspiration from his forehead, or making a misstep, wrenching his limbs. The trouble with you, Ned, is on those long cross-shots; you bang away quickly, make no time allowance for distance between you and the bird-shoot away; if you hit it, all right; if you don't, you secretly curse your luck, or blame the gun, when you, and you alone, are to blame. At those long cross-shots, the same as I saw you miss to-day, you ought to have fired at least from-My! How the time has slipped by. Here we are at your gate. Some day Don and I are going to take you with us after ducks. Then I will demonstrate to you that your snap shoot ing won't do at long range

If at forty yards a foot seems too far ahead,

Make it two, keep your gun moving, and the bird falls dead.

Excuse this poetry, but I can assure you it's not only spontaneous, but original. Good-bye," and Ned, with one-half the snipe we killed, passed quickly in the gate, and I went home. Thus passed one day among the snipe.

Does the reader think Ned enjoyed this hunt? Cannot you recall many incidents in your life similar to this? When cold winter has passed silently away, and warm welcome spring has returned, when birds are filling the air with melody, streams flowing joyously along freed from their ice-bound covering, buds are swelling, grass in tiny sprouts peeping inquiringly through the brown earth? The hunter is a generous soul, he loves nature in all her many changes, and delights to wander admiring her beauties in her manifold forms. He feels as Milton did, when he expressed himself so beautifully in these words:

"In these vernal seasons of the year, when the air is calm and pleasant, it were an injury and sullenness against nature, not to go out and see her riches, and partake in her rejoicing with heaven and earth.”

DESCRIPTION.

"The snipe is eleven inches long, and seventeen in extent. The bill is more than two and one-half inches long, fluted lengthwise, of a brown color and black toward the tip, where it is very smooth while the bird is alive, but soon after it is killed becomes dimpled, like the end of a thimble. Crown black, divided by an irregular line of pale brown, and another broader one of the same tint passes over each eye. From the bill to the eye there is a narrow, dusky line; neck and upper part of the breast pale brown, variegated with touches of white and dusky; chin, pale; back and scapulars deep velvety black, the latter elegantly marbled with waving lines of ferruginous, and broadly edged exteriorly with white; wings, plain, dusky, all the feathers, as well as those of the coverts tipped with white; shoulder of the wing deep, dusky brown; exterior quill edged with white; tail coverts long, reaching within three-quarters of an inch of the tip, and of a pale rust color, spotted with black; tail rounded, deep black, ending in a bar of bright ferruginous, crossed with narrow, waving lines of black and tipped with whitish; belly, pure white; sides barred with dusky; legs and feet a very pale, ashy green; sometimes the whole thighs and sides of the vent are tarred with dusky and white. The female is more obscure in her colors, the white on the belly being less pure, and the black on the back not so deep."

CHAPTER IX.

MALLARD TIMBER SHOOTING.

ALONG the rivers in the West, duck shooters look ahead with fond anticipations of approaching spring, with its annual overflows, its complete submersion of lowlands, for in such places, among the tall and stately trees, in the murmuring, gurgling overflow, mallards had rather be in this season than in any other place. The hunter knows this, and as the short days of winter glide gradually away, from beneath the hidden place from out its case or box his favorite gun is brought. With tender solicitude he fondly handles it, carefully looks through the shining barrels, thoughtfully feels the true springs of the lock as he raises the hammers, and then carefully lowers them; or, if a hammerless, with outward indifference he slides back and forth the safety catch. He wonders if he has forgotten his old time skill, if lack of practice has dulled his eye, or stiffened or made less supple his arms, or his muscles; he looks out the window with thoughtful mien, and his eye sees the deep black on the top of his neighbor's chimney, an arrow on the topmost crest of the house, some filagree work in distinct relief. He brings his gun to shoulder, glances over the rib, and then, right in front of the muzzle, accurately, he sees the object covered by the sighted gun. With a grim smile of satisfaction he lowers the gun, then raises it again and again, each time his faultless aim, his faithful arm

covers the object aimed at. His aspirations are greater, and quickly aiming first one place, then another, he sees that he has made a double. Regretfully sighing he puts the gun away, and looking round spies his wife standing looking smilingly at him. He thinks to act indifferently and tells her he was looking at his gun, "afraid it would rust." She looks at him archly and replies, "Guns must rust very easily, for you examined yours only yesterday." They go out together on that bright Sunday afternoon, the melted snow coursing in tiny rivulets down descending places, the bright sunshine greeting with affectionate glances all the earth, the blue birds flitting, the robins caroling, all nature glad at the approach of spring. The wife talks of house cleaning, of papering, of spring repairs, of flowers throwing out sweet incense of perfume, of roses, pinks, hyacinths, and lilies, and how the flower beds will be made, how the blooming flowers will blossom prolifically, thus she walks so sprightly, thus she talks so lightly, wondering at his silence. Was he listening? Yes, so far as a man could, while his thoughts were far away, down in the depths of some deep wood, where the rising water had overflowed the banks, leaving slight ridges where acorns were abundant. His wife turns suddenly and looks at his face. She sees him looking at the sky so reverentially. Allowing her sight to drift in the same direction, what does she see? Golden-lined clouds floating slowly through the air, driven by the mild south wind? Nothing of the kind. Instead, she sees about a dozen geese flying north, led by an old honking gander. How does this compare with the reader's experience? But never mind, don't plead guilty,-the law presumes you innocent until actual guilt is proven.