SNIPE, in ornithology. See SCOLORAX and SHOOTING.
These birds are easily taken, by means of lime-twigs, in this manner. Take 50 or 60 birchen-twigs, and lime them all very well together; take these out into places where there are snipes, and having found the places which they most frequent, which may be seen by their dung, set the twigs in these places, at about a yard distance one from another. Other places, are those where the water lies open in hard frosty and snowy weather: in these places also, and where-ever they are suspected to come to feed, let more lime-twigs be placed in the same manner. The twigs are not to be placed perpendicularly in the ground, but sloping, some one way, some another; the sportsman is then to retire to a distance, and watch the coming of the birds to these places. When they fly to them, they naturally take a sweep round the earth, and by this means they will almost always be caught by one or other of the twigs. When a first snipe is taken, the sportsman is not to run to take it up, for it will feed with the twig under its wings, and this will be a means of bringing down more of them to the place. When three or four are taken, they may be taken up, only leaving one fast to entice others: and thus the sport may be continued, as long as there are any birds of this kind about the place. It may be very proper, when the twigs are planted, to go about, and beat all the open and watery places near, that they may be raised from thence, and fly to those places where the twigs are placed to receive them.