Hani bh
Vetear pig ane AHAB A re Sian SU " Het 5 i) Hh 4ic44le ists HM i .. 1 ad
SER Med iis TRICE Li Pate oldie di tat git +} a
iets a ae i t aa i ‘ ' Hey y ct i oe I |
Hayat atte
Ri ae 4
3h
britney
eet) hy
Vntee
faints ets ,
fata ' tut
RANE +t
iH
a Male yet
na inh
nt a Ht eat Hh -
i ine
Hi
SATE
iy Harte ile :
a oF ith :
te ah the aa wih i k ts ;
tegen) Cinty | qt tit a i = ua
+f ie pie nth Hata f He sf BS alate
yaaa any i i SES ie i ie ee aay
a if
srematiette i
oo. ae ia 8 : ce
f a a ait ty! el on ‘ae i ie
sar i Hae Ri cee i
ina th La HAE
wt ais
tise La 2 a .
cea eae a
nym uiti SAINI 1
Re att os aE ni
MARAT
ih Ks
buh Ae
ty:
Ae
i
ss " it te
oan
BT zig aa
: rnp itan ie Bi
Yate ee Ae isi hot a
ii { HM Ais hy ute iad ie ye ae
ate neti th i eine me ta
;
t pines
ea
He htt i Bane Ata
pele lets Sh te : ‘ 41 by i at
Heated pete te te al a a
; fi shea yf vw
He
ee a an
oe ae fee
{ ae
i a . rales
i cath 4
s
SF5 Sx.
eee
“25
rea) ma
* i
ny att heal:
’
SS HEHE?
3 PISS
ates a
a
4 re Baia: reat
ran Ree
ia erent JH} pin
naesi ibe
4h
, a ‘
i) unt
"y
& 4
ae ste So
¢
ale
on
engages
eo
aa Nee a i, yr
pea i fl :
ett ne
By pail
Lae
“V0
eh a,
a ye
P|
> a 7 i” ~ 7 ,
f ——s ae a - a > 7 % ‘
‘ id . 4 7 rs Vy =@
alt Mig
PHILADELPHIA:
fF. B. LIPPLNCOTT & CO.
THE
American Sportsman:
CONTAINING
HINTS TO SPORTSMEN, NOTES ON SHOOTING,
AND THE HABITS OF THE
Game Dirds ans GAily Fotol of Ameren,
BY
ELISHA J. LEWIS, M.D.
MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY - MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES
OF PHILADELPHIA, AMERICAN EDITOR OF ““YOUATT ON THE DOG,” ETC. ETO,
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS.
Designed bo George Ge. WHhite—ngrabed by Loudrrback & Woffmann,
PHILADELPHIA:
foe LIPPINCOTT & Co.
PSL.
§ Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1856, by
J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.
in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania.
TO
J. K. MITCHELL, M.D.
PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE IN THE JEFFERSON MEDICAL COLLEGE
OF PHILADELPHIA,
Chis Clark on Sporting
IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
BY HIS FRIEND AND FORMER PUPIL
ELISHA J. LEWIS, M.D.
My pDEAR Doctor :—
A FEW months only have elapsed since the appearance
of the second edition of my book on Sporting; and the pub-
lishers, much to my gratification, notify me that they are once
more in need of another supply. To this flattering appeal
I most cheerfully assent, and trust that you will again find
the volume, on this its third advent, much improved, as a
number of illustrations have been added and the text some-
what enlarged.
With sentiments of the warmest esteem, I am, in all
sincerity,
My dear Doctor,
Most truly and faithfully yours,
ELISHA J. LEWIS.
To Proressor J. K. MitTcHeELt.
i
Ai ay
i, ie ra) E ; N > v ds i ie peli an
| fe nung
sume duly: le bina: cid vie Wits cele Mt
aS a wt Pon the stubble-field; neither is it the
coveted possession of the savory woodcock that lures him to
the entangled brake; nor is it the soaring wisps of fickle
snipes which alone entice him to the oozy meadows; nor
yet the booming grouse that makes him climb the mountain-
side or seek the far-off rolliug prairie.
There are other incentives, other charms, besides these,
O ye incredulous, pent-up inhabitants of a crowded city,
which impel the sportsman, as with a siren’s wand, to hie
joyfully away with dog and gun to the fields, to the hills, to
the rich autumn-tinted forests.
Our sportsman has become an admirer of nature; he has
xi
xii PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.
learned to appreciate the quiet beauties of a wide-extended
landscape as it spreads out majestically before him; he views
with enthusiastic delight the startling grandeur of a mountain- °
gorge as it suddenly bursts upon his sight; he wanders in
silent satisfaction through the murmuring forests of stately
oaks, and lingers for a while in pleasant meditation ere he
leaps the noisy gurgling streamlet that coquettishly crosses
his path.
Then, resting for a time from his pursuits, our happy
sportsman plucks a half-hidden flower from its heathery bed,
listens to the far-resounding echoes of the unerring gun, joins
the merry laugh of his boon-companions, or returns the wild
halloo of approaching friends.
Now again he slakes his burning thirst with the sparkling
waters of a mountain-spring, or laves his manly brow with the
crystal drops from the purling rill that so musically babbles at
his very feet; and, giving full freedom to those warmer senti-
ments of the heart which too often become choked and stifled
by the close contact of selfish city life, he breathes a prayer
of gratitude to a beneficent Providence for all these enjoy-
ments, for all these pleasurable sensations.
To the fields, then,—to the bright and beautiful fields,—to
the forests, all clothed in the gorgeous livery of the winter’s
frosts,—to the mountains, rich in eternal verdure,—to the
limpid streams and gushing rills,—do we once more inyite you,
to spend those flitting hours of leisure vouchsated to us all
amid the busy scenes of active life.
My pEAR Doctor :—
I am fully conscious of the fact that it does not seem well
in the present age for an author to appear egotistical, and
it therefore becomes him even far less to allude to his own
productions in terms of praise or commendation ; but still I
may, I trust, in this instance at least, be pardoned for ex-
pressing a conviction that you will be much gratified with the
new dress that my volume on Sporting has assumed on this
its second advent.
I beg particularly to call your attention to my Introduction
to this second edition, which, in connection with some other
matters, explains the motives that impelled me to change the
title of my book, and of which I dare hope you will equally
approve.
In its present improved form and attractive gear, I flatter
myself that the ‘American Sportsman” will give increased
satisfaction to my sporting friends, and withal again afford
you an hour or so of pleasant relaxation from the more severe
studies and weighty responsibilities which your eminent posi-
tion in the profession necessarily imposes upon you.
With many more kind wishes, and with sentiments of high
esteem and great personal regard, I have much pleasure as
well as pride in subscribing myself, as ever,
My dear doctor,
Most truly and faithfully yours,
ELISHA J. LEWIS.
To Proressor J. K. MitcHeEtt.
xili
a bias vee ale
; i ? 'y he .
; x - . 2 | i il
‘as ae ca wae paren ve ile +
ie jet teckeie re ra a oe
. oe ej Cm OG, 4+ o Oe es
i cae - a yeuy) We he ainsi LPS E
aa $n PRE eaidh fit sil} ty Shee
Hide ast athe TAM ie HF? Aine 4 wa
Paral fe APR ORT GEA Feta” Hie ea
: recta Het 5 FM eNOS 4s Aula De st
Ra stl alg Te AE fie REHEAT
Pilih fragile ingen hit oa Seay rey His
wi Ws Darn, sl ial ial
Es +e GE
agi patent 7 wf pupa ivy Het AF Vb
qeeitak ania? Aba hy FG ie
wae Bais wi Hut Wit tages? fairy otha ‘is sn
ain ia i i va ey apr itt { aria Aca, ea
Oh fait ¢ gle ie argue ae
Bra eh ” rr? ¢ “¢ re iS he e ik ie 5a
ro rr reaed edie hie” ig te | ia Pi mt if
yrs Wissel oie inte ft UROL | é. oe
= NAS Tehae ate ae ATG § GeO RTTbate
= ie hindi bur yr “rg i ilies
oC a alt
; Fil is at foal
ij E a a Sy 4 i
‘plated x At isbn are Wiwits Rye;
bi
” Ne In eee
Bb: i oY, :
' PREFACE
TO THE SECOND EDITION.
E must confess that it was with some
degree of surprise, as well as plea-
sure, that we learned from our pub-
lishers that they were so soon ready
to enter into an arrangement with us
for a second edition of our “ Hints to
Sportsmen,”’ as it was a gratifying
assurance, on their part, that the
unpretending volume which we had
s forth from the press with many misgivings as to its
merits had met with a kind and liberal reception from those
for whom we had in our hours of leisure compiled it.
It would be affectation in us not to acknowledge that it was
with considerable satisfaction we observed from time to time
the many flattering reviews and complimentary notices which
appeared in the various journals in reference to our work.
_ We sincerely trust that on this, its second advent, in an entirely
new as well as doubly attractive garb, we will meet with the
like good treatment from our friends of the press. We can
assure all our readers that nothing has been wanting on our
part to render the volume still more instructive and interest-
‘ing, both as regards the style of getting-up and the additional
matter inserted.
XV
xvl PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
These additions, however, though numerous, have been in
most instances ingrafted so insidiously on the old text that
they can scarcely be discerned, save by those who may have
felt their deficiency in the first edition, and will now, we trust,
in the present volume, find a portion at least of these defects
supplied.
In accordance with the repeated suggestions of some of our
sporting friends, we have deemed it advisable to change the
title of our book from “‘ Hints to SportsmEN” to that of the
“¢ AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.”
The former appellation, considering the great variety of
subjects introduced, and the copiousness with which many
of them are treated, seemed rather too restricted in its signi-
fication, and far less comprehensive in its general bearing
than a work of this character merited. Besides all this, the
large additions as well as alterations that we have made in the
present volume seemed still further to urge upon us the
propriety of this change, and more especially as the work in its
entirely new and beautiful dress can scarcely be regarded as
the same book, or even recognised as the offspring of the first
edition. We cannot refrain from calling the attention of our —
sporting friends to the wood-cuts of the various game-birds,
most of which, in point of execution, have not been equalled,
let alone excelled, by any thing of the kind before done in
this country.
To the Messrs. Louderback and Hoffmann we are indebted
for the skill and faithfulness with which they have accom-
plished their portion of the work, and we cheerfully acknow-
ledge that their great attention to our suggestions, coupled
with a becoming ambition on their part to do what would be
creditable to themselves, relieved us of much trouble as well
as anxiety. Of the truthfulness of these engravings to nature
we need say but little, as they speak for themselves, the most
of them being really very lifelike both in position and ex-
pression. We may remark, however, en passant, that every
‘PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION, xvii
bird and every fowl was sketched from choice specimens
obtained from the Acapremy or Natura Screnczs, or from
other equally good sources; and in almost every instance,
the drawings were subjected to the approval of our much-
esteemed friend, John Cassin, Esq., before the blocks were
placed in the hands of the engravers.
This latter circumstance alone should of itself be a
sufficient guarantee of their correctness, as every one at
all conversant with science well knows of Mr. Cassin’s
rare acquirements in this particular department of Natural
History.
And we now gladly avail of this opportune occasion to
make our public acknowledgments to this gentleman for
his many valuable suggestions in reference to the execution
of these drawings, the securing of which, by-the-by, has
been by far the most difficult—in fact, we may freely say,
the only unpleasant as well as vexatious—portion of our
task. We also return thanks to Mr. John Krider for his
generous aid in supplying us with the skins of several
specimens of birds, which assisted materially in insuring
correct drawings.
This is not the only good service which Mr. Krider has
done us as well as the rest of the craft during the last year;
for, independently of the many fine guns that he has turned
out from his workshop, he has, with the valuable assistance
of his friend, Mr. H. M. Klapp, furnished us with his “ Sport-
ing Anecdotes,” a book replete not only with amusing but
very instructive information regarding the habits of our
game-birds, sporting-dogs, &c. &e.
Mr. George G. White, the principal draughtsman, and,
{ may say, pupil, of Mr. Cassin’s in this particular kind of
drawing, has displayed much taste as well as artistic skill
in his delineations of the birds; and we doubt if he has any
superior, if equal, on our side of the vasty deep in this spe-
cial branch of designing. His chapter-headings and many
9
=
‘XV PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION,
of the vignettes are also spirited and characteristic ; the title-
page of the four seasons, and frontispiece, are very pleasing
compositions, and give still further evidences of his talent and
genius as an artist.
With these few comments, we again send our volume forth
from the press, trusting, as before, far more to the well-known
generosity of the craft for its kind reception, than to any great merit
of its own, but at the same time bearing in mind the good old
Latin proverb, that—“Frustra laborat qui omnibus placere
studet.”
awe
My pear Doctor :—
ALtTHouGH we have never flushed the covey, started the
woodcock, or winged the wild duck, in company, yet I know
full well your partiality for the country, as also your early
fondness for field and rural sports; and, if you had not been
so early engrossed by professional duties, I doubt not that
you would have been the foremost among those who derive
so much enjoyment and healthful recreation from the dog
and gun.
Be not surprised, therefore, my dear sir, that, without any
previous intimation, I should dedicate this volume to you;
and at the time rest assured that, in so doing, I am not alone
influenced by those early feelings of friendship naturally
engendered by your many kindnesses to me while a student
in your office, but I beg rather to present it as a slight token
of the high appreciation I entertain of your varied talents and
distinguished worth in the profession of which you are so
successful a teacher and practitioner.
Accept, then, dear sir, this little tribute of esteem from one
who has ever regarded the period of his association with you
when a pupil as a bright spot in the vista of life, to which he
ever refers with peculiar feelings of pleasure ; and, in conclusion,
Believe me, my dear doctor,
Very faithfully yours,
ELISHA J. LEWIS.
To Proressor J. K, MrrcHe.t.
xix
Soralioien thi Bas Gh pepe PLO : 08tp Ries iid he
ok Moin oh ti} to ails aed yf iogeahi ht
at) tn T
mitt Loteite gistos gM Rill cero end em Maat
qed TF aoe HERD ne ‘ae ii bt iyn gilt fee noee tig
The INE rely ia (eviduas nas an aa tht, tiny ae 4
wood you final ies si jus ety ce 5a ye fd hilct ag
Sanit Sus. nik I woth Ph aviiae ‘fepeiey ad i oh
oviiel ndve nebilt gaoue sinuyrult ett need entilik
dysti ett juerit apafieeer: Ldiined fix deegrqniye iy
| matt
ALES are iy tad Abe thal ¢ax i44 ‘tons Reap
cog OF omolere Mit saute Rade 3 tam Fitelin aa
Smis dna hey diyseighi ce a ait Tare dary’ ee
etanias iidel (ior t 34. agent. 4} yi isso eto
wastes {Atle Hae 4 Merri ie cevting gel toni pe
han eluslat biieae oe hy rifedoniene ; snitte tae. byl
Gay WER Be 4 Hea} ee es, palvetiog od; gil ayer ‘fale
Sat Ceie tits serra Tek Mapai...
608 inet .upeies “be aud! Pea. ail] ii ai tie tnly sent a
had ihiw autidogetg ih we hehigg rc ed *
yielot ios. MERE 4 ig $05 SLE Y, a with ‘ay a adie “hind ies 7
Aelebhansh on Siro. =:
bie Aig rei Sikes e .
eters AMOS. <- ¥:
. ———— Y
4 — ;
we af hd é ov alls ‘
' - ,
am : : - as f
vy i a \
a
- az She r ie
r) i] 4 a y i 1 t 7
t/ : '
¢ j
i a
. _ = , ‘
{
} ie
ARUP |
* se ; ‘ : ae iy y
‘ 4 nM
. La pia = : we uy j Ue nt
~ ee By’, 7 ‘ s, Wer th 17
ay ns coal Nima 2) be
PREACH yc
TO THE FIRST EDITION.
ez FYE lovers of the dog and gun are
under many and great obligations to
Henry William Herbert, Esq., for his
most excellent works on Sporting,
which speak for themselves and need
no commendation from our pen. They
abound in information and research
which few have had so great opportu-
nities of collecting or so much talent to put together. We also
owe much to William T. Porter, Esq., for his valuable and
beautiful edition of “Hawker ;” and we should not forget to
thank J. 8. Skinner, Esq.,* for his many contributions to the
same branch of literature. The general favor which the pro-
ductions of these gentlemen have met with from the public
has the more emboldened us to venture forth with this unpre-
tending volume, trusting, however, far more to the well-known
generosity of “the craft” for its kind reception than to any
great merit of its own.
We shall not, in a short preface like this, attempt to offer,
for the consideration of our readers, any thing like an eulo-
* Since writing the above, Mr. Skinner has been gathered to his fathers, ripe
in years and full of honors. His contributions to the cause of agriculture, rural
sports, and other kindred subjects, were numerous, and insured for him a wide-
extended and well-deserved reputation throughout our country.
Xxi
XxXli PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
gium upon field-sports; nor shall we endeavor to exhibit to
the world the many benefits and advantages to be derived
from the general encouragement of these healthful pursuits.
We beg merely to remind the student of science, the
cunning expounder of, Blackstone, the deeply-read follower
of Galen, the shfewd devotee of commerce, as well as the
most skilful and industrious of artisans, that their intellectual
powers demand some remission of their labors, and that their
physical energies also need a certain degree of recreation or
resuscitation to enable them to pursue those studies and attain
those ends which stern necessity or exalted ambition prompts
them to undertake.
. How, then, or where, then, may we ask, can this relaxation
of the mind as well as of the body be more agreeably obtained
than in the open fields and beautiful forests of our favored
country? There, and there alone, far away from the busy
throngs of selfish men, wandering with some favored friend,
in sw eet communion with the green fields, the ‘stately forests,
and limpid streams, the mind of the most grave and studious
becomes truly unbent and freed from its labors. There the
heart beats with renewed vigor, the blood courses through its
usually sluggish channels with a quickened pace, and the
whole animal as well as intellectual economy becomes sharp-
ened and revivified under exciting and healthful influences. _
- Add, then, to this scene the eager sportsman, surrounded
by his faithful and sagacious dogs; call up the sharp echo of
the unerring gun; recollect the plaintive call of the timid
partridge, the startling whirr of the affrighted pheasant, the
rapid flight of the lonely woodecock, the devious course of
the fickle snipe, or, perchance, the sudden rush of the skulking
hare, and the picture is complete. Then tell us whether such
scenes as these are not calculated to enliven the mind, expand
the energies, and not only bring the glow of health to the
cheek of youth, but infuse renewed vigor into the very soul
of the infirm and sedentary.
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. XXiil
Is there not a time when the wan-faced student of science
may neglect for a while the sickly flickerings of the midnight
lamp? Is there not a time when the learned counsellor may
escape the wranglings, the jeerings, the bitter feuds of the
halls of justice? And is there not a moment of leisure, an
hour of repose, when the skilful physician may turn a deaf
ear to the harassing solicitations of suffering humanity, and
draw for a brief period the curtain of oblivion around the
couch of disease and death ?
Yes! there is a time for all these; and there is a time when
even the anxious, upright, and enterprising merchant may,
for a brief period, while quaffing, as it were, the fabled waters
of Lethe, forget the perplexities of ecommerce, the fluctuations
of trade, the uncertainty of riches, and remain even unmindful
of his gallant ships, that come bounding across the briny deep,
heavily freighted with the fine wares of the North, the South,
the East, and the West.
Yes! there is a time, thanks to the noble founders of our
liberal institutions, when even the industrious artisan, freed
from all care and anxiety, may forget the labors and duties
of the shop, and wander forth to enjoy the works of nature
and learn more highly to appreciate the boon of freedom,
his country’s dearest gift.
To the fields, then,—to the bright and beautiful fields,—with
“dog and gun,” do we invite you, one and all, to spend those
hours of leisure and participate in those innocent enjoyments
so captivating to a true sportsman.
=m
[Wears
j
+
LN DE &,
A
Acoum, 463,
comments on the giuttony of Sa-
vages, 463.
comments on the pleasures of the
table, 463.
comments on the frozen markets
of St. Petersburg aud Moscow,
467.
Achilles, the bravery of, 480.
Act of Assembly, 93.
against killing game in Delaware, 93.
against killing game in Illinois and
other Western States, 93.
against killing game in Maryland,
93.
against killing game in New Jersey.
93.
against killing game in Pennsylvania,
93 ;
Africa, guns made for, 448.
Age of the Dog, 509.
Ah-bob-white, 75.
Ajax, the bravery of, 480.
Alexander the Great: superstitious dread
of gunpowder, 430.
Ambush, erected on the flats, 292.
how constructed. 292, |
Amputate the wing of a wounded bird,
how to, 491.
Anecdote, snipe-shooting, 203.
swan-shooting, 298.
punters’—of frozen ducks, 299.
of Colonel Hawker, 302.
Apicius, extraordinary feast of, 464.
Apollonius Tyanzeus, refers to gun-
powder, 430.
Philostratus, historian of, 430.
Audubon, description of driving Par-
tridges, 94.
description of the Wild Tur-
key, 127.
observations on themigrations
of Squirrels, 359.
aoe aed on cooking game,
————
Auriculars, ear-coverts, their position
and use, 34.
Auri sacra fames of the present cay,
Artes, Wild Turkey domesticated among,
38,
B
Baccus, Egyptian, repulsed with gun-
powder, 430.
Backwoodsmen of America, 51.
their exploits with the
rifle, 51.
killing Squirrels and Wild
Turkeys, 51.
Bacon, Friar, his knowledge of gun-
powder, 430.
Bald-pate, (see Widgeon,) 311.
Barnyard Ducks, fed on celery, 272.
Barrels, leading of, how freed, 398.
Bar-shooting, 297.
Bartram, statement respecting young
Rails, 220.
Bastard-wing, description of, 34.
Bats, acute sensation of, 38. 4
Battery, description of, 283.
great numbers of ducks shot
from, 284.
mode of building, 286.
explanation of the model, 288.
Beetle or Bull-head, (see Plover,) 249.
Bears, in Iowa, 63.
large numbers destroyed, 91.
Beef, Sportsman’s, how made, 481.
Birds, batting, 189.
flesh of, made poisonous, 78.
measurement of, 36.
moulting, 38.
nocturnal, 37.
serpents charming, 78.
technical terms applied,to, 33.
Black or Dusky Duck, 322.
well known in the Philadelphia
market, 322.
habits and description, 323.
Black-bellied Plover, (see Plover,) 248.
XXV
XXV1
INDEX.
Blain—directions for polishing rust from | Canvas-back—continued.
gun-barrels, 401.
Blow, treatment of, 504.
Bob-o-link, (see Reed-Bird, ) 210.
Boots, shooting, 388.
best kind, 389.
receipts for dressing, 392.
Boswell—comments on Dr. Johnson's eat-
ing, 459.
Both eyes open, 60.
Bowles, Mr., description of the feeding
of Woodcocks, 173.
Box, (see Battery,) 283.
Brace or couple, what is understood by
a, 41.
Brant or Brent, Barnacle Goose, 335.
Anas Bernicla—habits— haunts,
335.
how killed—description, 336.
a gang of, 42.
Brewer—observation on the ventrilo-
quism of Rails, 221.
Brown, Captain—his work on Taxidermy,
488.
Brown thickening for game, 480.
Bryan, George H.—a Rail captured at
sea, 221.
Buffel-headed Duck—Butter-ball, 320.
Anas Albeola, 320.
habits, haunts, and description,
321.
Buffaloes—great numbers destroyed, 91.
Buffon—opinion as to the origin of the
Wild Turkey, 188.
statement respecting White Par-
tridges, 84.
Bull or Beetle-head,{see Plover,) 249.
Burlington, lowa, 89.
A large numbers of Partidges
netted in neighborhood of,
89.
Burn, how to be treated, 506.
Bursting of guns, 418.
Bush River—tvling ducks on, 278.
Butter-ball, (see Butlel-headed Duck,)
820.
C
Canapa Goosg, (see Goose,) 329.
Grouse, 164.
Grouse met with in, 164.
Canard Cheval, 272.
Cannon, antiquity of, 432.
Canvas-back, 267.
Anas Valisineria, 267.
their great repute, 267.
testimony of Wilson as to their
peculiar delicacy, 268.
known only in America, 268,
description, history, and habits,
268.
their food and haunts, 270.
shyness and modes of taking,
273.
toling, boating, netting, 274.
use of dug-outs, 281.
batteries, surface-boats, or sinks,
283.
description of batteries, 286.
decoys, 290.
ambush on the flats, 292.
shooting off points, 293.
holes in the ice, 295.
point and bar-shooting, 296.
anecdote, 298.
art of shooting, 299.
verses descriptive of, 304.
Cap-chargers, 376,
Cap, Napoleon, 385.
Caps, Percussion, varieties of, 373.
Carolina, Reed-Birds in, 214.
Snipe in, 194.
Cartridges, extensively used, 877.
how made and when service-
able, 378.
Eley’s patent, 380.
Celery sauce, how made, 478.
Ceylon, Snipes in, 194.
Citizens encourage killing- game out of
season, 92.
should discountenance game sup-
pers, 93.
Chandler., M. T. W.—
observations on Woodcocks,
170.
observations on the haunts of
Woodcocks, 182.
receipts for making water-
proof dressing for boots,
3894.
Charadrius Apricarius, (see Black-Bellied
Plover,) 248.
Pluvialis, (see Golden Plover, )
250.
Charles the First—
small-arms in the reign of, 485.
Charming birds, serpents, 72.
Chesapeake Bay—
partridges caught on the shores
of the, 88.
as a resort of wild fowl, 262.
various kinds of Ducks on, 262.
exciting times on, 263.
present and future numbers of
wild fowl on, 305.
China, gunpowder known in, 429.
Chinese, gunpowder known to, 429.
food of the, 464.
gunpowder used by the, 431.
Clapper Rail, (see Rallus Crepitans, ) 237
Clean guns, 386.
INDEX.
Clerks of the market blind as bats, 92.
Club-houses—encourage killing of game
out of season, 92.
Coat, made of fustian, 385.
made of woollen cloth, 385,
Cocking the gun, 364,
Cock, part of the machinery of a gun,
377.
Coffin-hoat, description of, 283.
Columbia River, Ruffed Grouse on the
ranges of, 143,
Pinnated Grouse abun-
dant about, 159.
‘Columbia migratoria—Wild Pigeon, 265,
‘Collum, the neck, 36.
| Conquest of Mexico—Wild Turkey men-
tioned by Prescott, 138,
| Constantinople—British cruisers visited,
‘Coolness and deliberation, necessity of,
importance of, 52.
| Cooking, art of—game, 458,
‘‘God sends meat, who”—458,
Rumford’s philosophic remarks
on, 458.
Mayo’s, Dr., remarks on, 459,
importance of good, 460.
authors’ views and sentiments,
459,
Johnson’s, Dr., comments on,
459.
further comments on the im-
portance of good, 460.
authors’ remarks on, 461.
Accum’s remarks on, 463.
among the Romans, 464.
among the Chinese, 464.
comments of Louis Eustache
Ude, 465.
to select game, and when to
cook it, 466.
frozen game, 467.
to roast game, larded, broiled,
469.
boiled game, and some other
ways, 471.
Snipe, Woodcock, Plover, Phea-
sants, 472.
Reed-Birds, Rail, and other
kinds of game, 474,
Wild Fowl, 477.
Canvas-backs, 477.
further remarks on, 478.
brown thickening for, 480.
potatoes dla maitre d’hétel, 480,
Venison soup, 481.
Sportsman’s Beef, 481.
Hares, Rabbits, or Squirrels,
482.
‘Copple, Daniel, white Snipe killed by, 208.
XXVil
Corns on the feet, how cured, 501.
Corona—crown of the head, 35.
Couple or Brace, explanation of, 41,
Covert-shooting, rules for, 59.
Cross-shooting, or cross-shots, 56,
rules for, 56.
Curlew, Esquimaux or Short-billed Cur-
lew, 241. é
Scolopax Borealis, 241.
nomenclature and history, 241,
migrations, food, 242.
their flesh, and time to shoot
them, 2438.
Curlew, Long-billed or Sickle-bill—
Numenius Longirostris, 245,
habits and description, 245.
Cygnus Americana, (see Swan,) 337.
D
Daniet, Rev. Wu. B.—
fecundity of the English Par-
tridge referred to by, 70.
several white Partidges men-
tioned by, 83.
description of English Pochard,
308.
receipt for gun-ointment, 400.
Damascus gun-harrels, 454.
Decoys, best kind, price of, 290.
Deer, abundant in Iowa, 63.
great numbers destroyed, 91.
Delaware—game ordinances, 93.
Woodcock in, 170.
good shooting, 109.
Snipes in, 200.
Willet’s frequent, 254.
Reed-Birds on river, 212,
Diet and Drink—
effect of exercise on, 497.
unadulterated water, 497.
eat and drink with moderation.
497.
avoid debauch and various liquors,
497.
avoid bad liquors; how to avoid,
498.
water-drinkers, 498.
Distances on the water very deceptive,
264.
Doe-bird, 247.
Dogs, terms applicable to, 40.
Youatt on the, best work on, 43.
type of all that is noble, 44.
fidelity of, 44.
disinterested attachment of, 44.
exalted above all other animals, 45.
their social position, 45,
the associate of man, 45.
guardian of his flocks, 45.
forgiving spirit, 45.
XXVUl
Dogs—continued.
abandonment of all his race, 45.
humility, companionship, 45,
joy and sorrow of, 45,
Walter Scott’s account of a, 45,
how to treat, 113.
feed them yourself; reasons for, |
114 | Eley’s patent cartridge, 380.
Elizabeth Island, Pinnated Grouse on,
how to enter—on the field, 115.
proper manner to hunt, 115.
115.
good, young, old, 116.
timid, bold, 116.
correction of, 117.
never kick or shoot, 117.
act of pointing in, second nature,
118.
half broken, young, and heedless,
not to flush the game, 118.
should find the dead bird, 119.
should be made to couch, 119.
retrievers dificult to train, 119.
to make—gentle with game, 121.
should hunt up wounded or dead
game, 121.
how to hunt, 122. ©
when—come to a point, 128.
occasionally at fault, 123.
English not equalto American, 124.
accidental death of a, 207.
to tell the age of, 509.
Domery, Charles, celebrated glutton, 464.
his wonderful feats of eating, 464.
Domestic animals—
their attachment and forced sub-
mission, 46.
how different from the dog, 46.
Down charge, 41.
Dubuque, immense load of game carried
into, 63.
Ducks, art of shooting, 299.
toling, 274.
further instructions on shooting,
301.
Duck Island, experiments at, 265.
Duckers, hints for, 264.
Dug-outs, description of, 281.
Dun-birds of England, 308.
Dupont, gunpowder made by, 407.
composition and superiority of,
407.
Dusking, as applied to Wild-Fowl shoot-
ing, 323. ‘
Dusky Duck, (see Black Duck), 322.
E
East, Wild Turkey nota native of the,
136.
Eating-saloons encourage killing of game
out of season, 92.
INDEX.
Edward III. uses gunpowder, 432.
guns in the reign of, 484,
Eggs, eating Partridge, 90.
should be discountenanced, 91,
preserving, shells, 489.
Egypt, Snipe in, 194.
Egyptian Hercules, 430,
159.
Elk River—
immense drove of partridges en-
countered in the neighborhood
of, 81.
their singular actions, 82.
Elizabeth, Queen, uses gunpowder, 432.
guns in the reign of, 434.
England, efforts to introduce the Ameri«
can Partridge into, 96.
Woodcock-shooting in, 191.
Land-Rail or Corn-Crake of,
21%,
Water-Crake or Spotted Rail
of, 217.
gun-makers of, 435.
guns imported from, 439.
cost of guns imported from, 489.
Epicurus, followers of, 267.
Epreuvette, or powder-prover, 411.
Eye, pupil of the, 35.
seldom wrong, 52.
seldom at fault, 53.
how to treat a wounded, 507.
Eyre, J. M., exploits in Rail shooting,
230.
F
FrATHERS—rump or upper tail-coverts,
35.
their position, character, and
use, 35
stronger in proportion to the
habits of the bird, 35.
how formed in the Woodpecker
tribe, 35.
how formed in the Water-Fowl,
35.
acts as a rudder, 35.
Feathers—vent or under tail coverts, 35.
their position and character, 35.
longer on some Birds than others,
30.
‘how developed in the Rallus Ca-
rolinus, 35.
Feathers—sensation in, 37.
delicate impressions conveyed
by, 37.
fice organization ‘of, in noctur-
nal birds, 37.
Féathers, shedding of, 38.
INDEX.
Feathers—continued.
accidents to, 88,
moulting of, 88,
Field, taking the, 112,
verses descriptive of the sports of
the, 112.
Field or Grass Plover, 257.
Figure-of-4 trap—
taking Partridges with a, 90.
Flasks, powder, 369.
various kinds of, in use, 369.
caution in the use of, 369,
patent, 370.
Flight, velocity of, 265.
experiments to prove the yelocity
of, 265.
Flexure—bend of the wing, 35,
Florida, Snipes in, 197,
Canvas-backs in, 272.
Folly Island, numbers of Curlew on,
45
Fontainebleau, eseape of a Falcon from,
266.
| Forrester, Frank—opinion on Woodcocks,
176.
observations on the
note of the Snipe,
196,
| Fowler—an English writer, 63.
opinion of American Sporting,
63.
how unjust, 63.
| Fowler, a celebrated Rail-pusher, 227.
France, gun-barrels imported from, 447.
| Frederick the Great required little sleep,
500.
| Freiburg, monument erected at, 432.
| Frons—forehead, 35.
| Frost Birds, 250.
| Frozen Game, 467.
(GALERIE DES UIsEAUX, Viellot’s, 175.
(Gallinaceous order, noise made by the,
(Galveston Bay, Canvas-backs in, 272.
(Game of all descriptions abundant, 91.
recklessly destroyed, 92.
illegal traffic in, 92.
ordinances against selling, 92.
ordinances a dead letter, 92.
hawkers of, 92.
their disregard of ordinances, 92.
predictions regarding, 104.
probable abundance of, 104.
probable scarcity of, 104,
| Ganges, the river, 430.
(Gauge for Pewder and Shot, 381.
deseription of, 381.
| Geese, terms applicable to, 42.
XX1X
Georgia, Ruffed Grouse in, 143.
Georgia, Reed-Birds in, 214,
German Jigers, good marksmen, 51.
Germany, guns imported from, 441.
Giraud—deseription of King Rail, 235,
statement about Curlew, 245.
Gilman, Dr.—
article on venomous snakes, 74.
curious experiments on snakes, 74.
Gloves, use of, 363.
importance of wearing, 363.
Gluttony among sayages, 463.
Godman—comments on the migrations
of squirrels, 359.
Good shooting, 112.
Good shot, 48.
Golden Plover, 250.
Goose, Canada, 329.
Anas Canadensis, 329.
habits and haunts, 329.
great numbers killed by the In-
dians, 330.
Pennat’s account of shooting,
330.
easily domesticated, 831.
how killed, 332.
description, 332,
Goose, Snow, 333.
Anas hyperborea, 333,
habits and haunts, 333.
description, 333.
laughing or grinning, 334.
Gratz, David—
White Partridge in his possession,
84.
Grass or Field Plover, 251.
Greener—comments on gun-locks, 405.
observations on loading guns,
415.
remarks on brazing guns, 446.
Grouse, terms applicable to, 41.
numbers killed, 91,
cooking, 472.
Grouse, Pinnated, 156.
Prairie Chicken or Hen, 156.
Tetrao cupido, 156,
description of, 157.
location, 157.
period of pairing, 159.
tooting of the, 159.
Audubon’s remarks, 159,
domestication of, 161.
flight of the, 162.
feeding and roosting, 162.
time for shooting, 163.
other varieties, 164.
Ruffed, 148.
Pheasant, 143.
Tetrao Umbellus, 143.
locality and nomenclature, 143
description of, 144.
Grouse,
XXX INDEX.
Grouse—continued. Gun—continued.
confounded with Prairie Chicken, brazing and breeching, 446.
145, Greener’s remarks, 446.
their gradual destruction, 145, proving barrels, 447,
incubation and drumming, 146. forgery of the proof-marks, 447.
their battles and migrations, 147. Spanish barrels, 448, ;
flight of the, 148. French barrels, 448.
habits, 149. sham-dam guns, 448.
their flesh poisonous, 149. park-palings, 448.
enemies of the, 150. made for the African market,
their flesh, 150. 448,
a feast of English, 151. staining barrels, 449.
modes of shooting, 151. metal used in the manufacture, 449,
treeing, 152. materials from which made, 450.
shooting, with a setter, 153. care and labor bestowed upon,
snares, etc., 154. 451.
Gun— deceptions practised, 452.
selecting a, 49. spurious, 452
handling the, 49. wire-twist for manufacturing, 453.
nicety of shooting with, 51. Damascus barrels, 455.
exploits with, 51. charcoal iron, 455.
proper handling of, 57. other kinds of metal used, 455.
never beat bushes with, 60. wood for stocking, 456.
cannot be too careful with, 60. staining woods for stocking, 456.
importance of clean, 386. Gunpowder, discovery of, 406.
to clean, 396. to whom attributed, 406.
properly loading, 414, known to the Chinese, 406.
Greener’s remarks on, 415. English, Scotch, and French,
size and bore of, 416, 406.
bursting of, 418. Dupont’s, 407.
experiments on recoil, 418. varieties of, 407.
recoil in, 424. what kind preferred, 408.
Commodore Stockton’s experiments anecdote, 408.
on recoil, 426. glazed and unglazed, 410.
authors’ views, 427. tests for, 411.
its various parts, 433. epreuvette, or powder-
second-rate, 433. prover, 411.
when first invented, 433. to preserve from moisture,
in the reign of Elizabeth, 433. 412,
in the reign of Henry VIIL., 4383. impure, 413.
in the reign of Edward III., 433. to dry damp, 414.
made in England, 433. discovery aud introduction,
made in Philadelphia, 433. 429,
made in New York, 433. well known to the ancients,
various parts of a, 455. 429,
Westley Richards, celebrated ma- remarks of Uffano on, 429.
ker of, 489. use of, in China, 429,
made in America, 439. used by King Vitney, 430.
made in England, 439. referred to by Philostratus,
description of an imported, 439. 430.
bill of a, imported from England, used by the Oxydracze, 430,
440. deters Alexander the Great,
necessity of a good, 440. 430.
made in Germany, 441. employed against Hercules,
made in New York, 441. 430.
made in Philadelphia, 442. employed against Baechus,
welding barrels, 443. 430.
hammer-hardening, 444, used in India, 480.
boring, 444. known to Friar Bacon, 4380.
grinding, 445, mentioned in the Opus Ma-
turning, 445. gus, 430.
INDEX.
Gunpowder—continued,
inquiries into the early ori-
gin of, 430.
known to the Chinese, 4381.
discovery concealed, 431.
reasons for concealment,
431.
discovered by Berthold
Schwarz, 431.
monument erected in com-
memoration of, 4382.
used by Edward III., 452.
used by Henry VIII. 482.
used by Elizabeth, 482.
used in hand-goune, 482.
used in wheel-lock goune,
432.
Gunsmiths of New York, 441.
Philadelphia, 441.
England, 442.
H
Hammer or cock of the gun, 377.
Hand-goune—when invented, 432.
Hanger’s, General George, lotion, 507.
receipt for Sportsman’s beef,
482.
Hare, American, 339.
Gray Rabbit, 339.
Lepus sylvaticus, 539,
description, 339.
locality and general characteristics,
340.
not a rabbit, 340.
the speed of, 343.
a nocturnal animal, 344.
food of, 344.
flesh of, 345,
hunting, 346.
domestication, 347.
cry of the, enemies of the, 347.
varieties, 348.
cooking the, 483.
Hares, terms applicable to, 42.
great abundance in Iowa, 63.
numbers destroyed. 91.
Havre-de-Grace, Partridges caught near,
88.
Hawker, Colonel—
on wild-fowl shooting, 260.
comments on wild fowl, 264.
the Magnus Apollo, 313.
dressing for shooting-boots, 393.
receipt for soup, 475.
cooking of wild fowl,
477.
Hawks, the quill-feathers of, 34.
conflicts with Partridges, 72.
destroy numbers of Partridges,
103.
XXxXi
Hawks—continued.
their boldncss, 108.
the alarm they occasion, 103.
prey upon Ducks, 104.
sportsmen should kill, 104,
Heels, galled, how to treat, 500.
Hellebore, Quails feed on, 81.
their flesh poisoned by, &1.
Hemorrhage, to preserve wounded bird
from, 490.
to stop accidental, 508.
Henry IV. of France—
a falcon belonging to, 266.
its rapid flight, 266.
Henry VIII.— :
Wild Turkey introduced in the
reign of, 137.
uses gunpowder, 432.
guns used by, 484.
Hercules, Egyptian, 430.
Hispania, coasts of, devastated, 136.
Hominum servatorem, 462.
Hubbell, great number of Rail killed by,
231.
Hy giene—general remarks, 493.
atmospheric vicissitudes, 493,
caution to sportsmen, 493.
proper clothing, 493.
an ounce Gf precaution, 494,
“‘temperance, joy, and repose,”
494,
hot tea and coffee, 494.
catarrhs, rheumatism, 494,
overheated, 496.
death caused by imprudence, 495.
state of the atmosphere, 495.
malarious districts, £96.
precautions to be adopted, 496.
noxious exhalations, 406.
diet and drink, 496.
exercise, perpetual motion, 497.
headache and malaise, 497.
pure water the best drink, 497.
fondness for vinous liquors, 497.
avoid drinking bad liquors, 498.
I
ILLINOIS, game-laws of, 93.
abundance of Grouse in, 158.
Indiana, Grouse in, 158.
Indians regard with horror slaughter of
game, 184.
kill great numbers of Geese, 330
Iowa, abundance of game in, 63.
Partridges in, 63.
Prairie Chickens, 63
Hares, 63.
Deer, 63.
Wolves, 63.
Bears, 63.
XXX11
lowa—continued.
great numbers of Partridges killed
in, 89
greatnumbers of Partridges netted
in, 89.
Treland, Woodcock in, 190.
Italia—her coasts devastated, 1386.
Tris irides of birds, 35.
J
JACK-FRosT nips vegetation, 62.
Jack Curlew, 247.
Jamaica, Reed-Birds in, 214.
Japan, Snipes in, 194,
Jersey, Ruffed Grouse in pines of, 143.
Johnson, Dr.—remarks on cooking, 459.
K
Katia Crnauca, 77.
marsh laurel, 77.
Grouse and Partridges feed on, 77.
animals feed on, 78.
Kalmia Latifolia, 77.
mountain laurel, 77.
Grouse and Partridges feed on, 77.
animals feed on, 78.
Ruffed Grouse feed on, 149.
author’s comments on, 150.
Keel-boatmen of America, 51.
their exploits with the rifle, 51.
snuffing the candle, 51.
driving the nail, 51.
Kentucky, Ruffed Grouse in, 143.
Pinnated Grouse in, 158.
Keokuk, numbers of Partridges about,
110.
cooped and sent to New Or-
leans, 110.
Kill-deer Plover, 251.
Killing clean, importance of, 64.
what distance in, 65.
for humanity’s sake, 65,
verses in support of, 65.
King-snake—curious experiments, 74.
their wonderful endowments, 75.
Kitchener, Dr., on the pleasures of the
table, 465.
Knife, sporting, proper kind, 384.
L
Lake Ontario, Reed-Birds about, 211.
Laurel, mountain, (see Kalmia Latifolia, )
Laws, game, mere bagatelle, 178.
Leading of barrels, 348.
how freed, 399.
INDEX.
Lee, Mrs., directions for mounting birds,
486.
her work on Taxidermy, 488.
Legislative enactments as to killing game,
93.
Lepus cuniculus, 339.
sylvaticus, 330.
Lesser coverts—situation and character,
Levy, W. W.—celebrated duck-shooter,
285, .
his draft of a battery, 291.
Lewis, E.—Snipe’s nest on his estate, 198.
Liquors, bad, to be avoided, 498.
Locks of a gun, 404.
importance of good, 405.
Greener’s remarks on, 406.
Long-billed Curlew, 246.
Long Island, Pinnated Grouse on, 159.
Loral space, 30.
Louisiana, Pinnated Grouse in, 158.
Reed-Birds, 210.
Louis Eustache Ude—comments on cook-
ery, 465.
Lynx—attack on Wild Turkeys, 141.
Lyon’s, Captain—
views on the ventriloquism of the
Arctic Fox, 222.
M
Maanvs AroLto— ‘
Colonel Hawker the, 313.
Magnus Coquus of the ancients, 462.
Maine, Grouse met with in, 164,
Mallard or Wild Drake, 314.
Anas Boschus—habits and haunts,
314.
parent stock of tame Duck, 314.
description, 315.
in the ricefields, 316.
on the Delaware, 816.
in England, 316.
decoy-ponds for netting, 316.
Malta, Falcon captured at, 266.
Mandibles, upper and lower, 35.
Martha’s Vineyard, Pinnated Grouse on,
159,
Massachusetts, Grouse found in, 164,
Maxillee, superior and inferior, 35.
Mayo, Dr.—remarks on cooking, 459.
Measurement of birds, 36.
Mediterranean, Turkish cruisers in, 186.
Meleagris Gallopavo—wild Turkey, 126.
Mentum, the chin, 36.
Mexicans, Wild Turkey domesticated by
the, 188.
Migrations of Partridges, 81.
causes of their, 82.
singular actions during their,
a—e
INDEX.
Millochau, Adolphe, gun-oil of, 400,
Mississippi River, Ruffed Grouse on the
ranges of the, 143.
Moon—effects on the tides, 228.
Rails feed at the full of the,
228.
Moulting of birds, 38.
wise provision of nature, 38,
change in the plumage, 38.
protection from enemies, 88,
in quadrupeds, 38.
cold modified by, 38.
gradual in birds, 39.
time of, 39.
in water-fowl, 39.
in birds than incubate far north,
39.
Mordecai, Captain, 39.
experiments and observations on
powder, 413.
Moscow, frozen markets of, 467.
Mount Holly, Partridges shot in the
neighborhood of, 78.
Mud Creek—good Snipe-ground, 63.
Markets in reign of Queen Elizabeth,
435.
Mud Hen, 237,
N
Naro.non required little sleep, 500.
Natural History, importance of studying,
85.
Nipple or pivot of the gun, 376, /
wrench for, 383.
Nooses of horse-hair, 90.
fcr taking game, 90.
Norton, Robert, 429.
North Carolina—
driving Partridges as practised in,
94.
New Jersey—.
game-ordinances of, 93.
numbers of Ruffed Grouse in, 145.
Woodcock in, 170.
Snipes in, 197.
Willets frequent, 254,
New Orleans, Canvas-backs about, 272.
Netting Ducks, 280.
Vartridges,
New York Ruffed Grouse, 145.
gun-makers of, 435,
O
Occrput—back of the head, 35.
Old World, batteries of the, 79.
Quails of the, 89.
Opus Magus of Bacon, 430.
Ordinance against selling game, 93.
Menithologists, terms used by, 33.
XXxi)
Ornithologists who have graced this
country, 67.
Ornithology, technical terms the A BC
of, 33.
this information easily acquired,
Orismology, sporting terms a branch of,
40,
Owls, sensation of feathers in, 38.
Oxydracee, 430.
ig
PANTHERS—numbers destroyed, 91.
Partridge, the springing of, 49.
vigorous flight of, 52.
when flushed, 57.
flies with amazing velocity, 57.
flight compared with English,
57.
great abundance of, in Iowa,
63.
Perdix Virginianus, 66.
verses descriptive of, 66,
their abundance, locality, no-
menclature, 66.
description, habits, 67.
perching on trees, 68.
not strictly migratory, 68.
running season, 68.
during winter at the North, 68.
catching in nets, traps, &c., 69.
period of pairing, 69.
building their nests, 70.
number of eggs, 70.
fecundity of English, 70.
period of incubation, 70.
the young, 71.
strictly monogamous, 71.
leaving the nest, 71.
solicitude of the hen, 72.
artifices of the cock, 72.
conflicts with hawks, serpents,
&e., 72.
domestication of, 74.
two broods, 74.
author’s opinion of, 75.
call of the, 75.
actions of young, 76.
roosting, 76.
food, 77.
shot on Tapahannock marshes,
Partridge,
English, compared with Ame-
rican, 79.
not a Quail, 80.
how it differs from the Quail,
80,
running season of the, 81.
immense droves, 81.
singular actions, 81.
24
‘XXXIV
Partridge—continued.
cause of these migrations, 82.
flight of—whirring noise, 82.
flight of English, 83.
change in color of plumage,
83.
white or pied, 82.
remarkable, in possession of
author, 84.
hints on hunting, 87.
formed into coveys, 88.
time for killing, 88.
taken in traps, 88.
abundant in Iowa, 89.
nooses of horse-hair to catch,
90.
eating eggs of, 90.
numbers destroyed in 1855
and 756, 91.
game-ordinances disregarded,
92.
whistle of the, 94.
driving into nets, 94,
efforts to introduce into Eng-
land, 96.
actions of old and young, 97.
best to break dogs on, 97.
retaining scent, 98.
enemies of, 102.
probable abundance or scarcity
of, 104,
haunts of, 104.
where to find, 105.
dry and warm weather, 105.
wet and boisterous weather,
105.
further hints on hunting, 107.
early dawn—at noon, 107.
when they feed, 107.
before leaving their roost,
108.
seldom roost in same place,
108.
during snow, 109.
Partridzes—
shooting in Delaware, 109.
Virginia, 110.
season of 1851 and 752, 110.
numbers in vicinity of Keokuk,
110.
numbers taken in nets, 110.
Phillips, Clem. T., kills sixty-one,
TE
good shooting, 112.
Frank Forrester’s opinion of diffi-
culty of killing American, 112.
taking the field, 112.
how to act when hunting, 115.
wounded birds, 121.
most difficult of all birds to shoot,
121.
INDEX.
Partridges—continued
frequently give forth no scent,
121.
to split and broil, 471
Pectus—the breast, 36.
Pennet’s, Mr., account of shooting Geese,
330.
Percussion caps, 373.
how made, best kind, 373.
substitute for, 375.
Perdix Virginianus, (see Partridge,) 66.
Pharaohs, Snipe in the country of the,
Pheasant, or Ruffed Grouse, 148.
Philadelphia, game hawked about, 92.
contrary to municipal ordinances,
92.
gun-makers of, 435, 441.
Phillips, Clem. T.—
kills sixty-one birds, 111.
Pigeon, killing with a rifle, 50.
exploits in shooting, 51.
Pike, celebrated Rail-pusher, 227,
Plover, Golden—
Charadrius piuviales, 250.
habits, food, 250.
how best killed, 251.
description, 251.
Plover, Black-bellied, 248.
Bull or beetle-headed, 249.
Grass or Field, 251.
Piping, 251.
terms applicable to, 41.
Poking shot not to be admired, 61.
Porter’s, William T., account of Squirrels,
360.
Potatoes 4 la Maitre d’Hétel, 480.
Pot-hunter—a despicable fellow, 86.
how to act in company with a,
87.
Potterer, or poking-shot, 51,
Powder-flasks, 369.
prover, 411.
Powers, N., of Jowa—
load of game collected by, 63.
Prairie Chicken, (see Grouse.)
Prescott refers to the Wild Turkey in his
“‘Conquest of Mexico,” 138.
Primaries, large quill-feathers, 34.
their position and use, 34,
peculiarly constructed
Hawk, 34.
Pugh, English artist, anecdote of, 85.
Q
QuADRUPEDS, change of pelage in, 38.
Quail not a Partridge, 80.
different in habits, 80.
’ flesh, 80.
is polygamous, 80.
in the
INDEX.
Quail—continued.
a migratory bird, 80,
trail at night, 81.
employed in combat, 81.
not esteemed as food, 81
assemble in innumerable bodies, 89,
killed in immense numbers, 89.
people surfeited with, 89.
Quail Snipe, 256.
R
Rassit, Gray, (see Hare.)
Rail or Sora, Rallus Carolinus, 217.
description, nomenclature, 217.
history, &c., 218.
singular characteristics, 221.
Rail, their food and resorts, 222.
shooting, 224.
paraphernalia for shooting, 227.
pushers for shooting, 227.
tides, 228.
numbers killed, 230.
shooting in Virginia, 231.
fire-shooting, 231.
netting, 232.
fish prey upon, 282.
where to shoot, 232.
expense of shooting, 235.
terms applicable to, 42.
cooking, 474.
vent-feathers large in the, 35.
Rallus Crepitans—
Clapper Rail or Mud Hen, 237.
nomenclature and locality, 257.
period of incubation, 238,
where killed, 239.
Rallus Elegans—Great Red-breasted Rail,
235.
King Rail, Fresh-water Marsh
Hen, 2385.
description, 235.
history, habits, and haunts, 256.
Raspail, Monsieur—
theory of serpent-charming, 74.
Rattlesnake, curious experiments with,
73.
Reed-Bird—Rice-Bunting, 210.
Emberiza Oryzivora, 210.
history and nomenclature, 210,
description, 211.
migrations--their feeding-grounds,
shooting, 212.
netting, 213.
compared with Ortolan of Europe,
213.
_anecdote, 213.
progress south, 214,
curious facts, 215.
as a cage-bird, 215.
XXXV
Reed-Bird—continued.
change of plumage, 216.
terms applicable to, 42.
cooking, 474,
Red-headed Duck, 308.
Red-head, 308,
Anas ferina, 308.
habits and haunts, 308.
Red-headed Widgeon of England,
308.
Register, extract from a friend’s shoot-
ing, 112.
Retriever—how trained, 119.
difficulty of training a, 119.
good ones very scarce, 119,
author’s views of, 119.
Rice- Bunting, (see Reed-Bird,) 210,
Richards, Westley, gun-maker, 439,
bill of a gun purchased of, 440.
Rifle, shooting with a, 50.
exploits of the Toomers with, 50.
killing Pigeons with, 50.
striking cricket-balls with, 50.
exploits of our backwoodsmen with,
50.
German jagers use, 51,
killing Squirrels with, 51.
Wild Turkeys with, 51.
exploits of keel-boatmen with, 51.
driving the nail with, 51.
snuffing the candle with, 51.
shooting apples from the head with,
51.
Ring-Plover, 251.
Rock Island—
numbers of Partridges on, 110.
Rocky Mountains—
Canvas-back on the streams of
the, 270.
Romans, festive boards of the, 464.
Ruffed Grouse, (see Grouse.)
Rumford, Count—comments on cooking,
458.
Rump, Bill, celebrated Rail-pusher, 227.
Russia, Snipe in, 195,
Rusting, to prevent, of barrels, 399.
how to remove, 399.
S
SarGeant, Dr. R. PERcy—
observation on habits of Wild
Turkey, 150.
further observation, 140.
Sauces or gravies, 479.
Savages—their gluttony, 463.
Scapulars, shoulder-feathers, 34.
Schwarz, Berthold, discoverer of gun-
powder, 406.
invention of gunpowder attri-
buted to, 451.
XXXVI
Schwarz, Berthold—continued.
monument erected at Frei-
burg to, 432.
Scientia popine, 462.
Sciurus Migratorius, (see Squirrel.)
Season of 1855 and ’56—
particularly destructive to game,
oil.
numbers of birds as well as ani-
mals destroyed in consequence
of the snow during, 91.
Secondaries, second quill-feathers, 34.
Serpents, conflicts with Partridges, 72.
charming birds, 73,
popular fallacy, 73.
Dr. Gilman’s experiments with,
73.
venomous, 73.
King, 73.
Raspail’s theory, 74.
Setters—early in the season, 113.
suffer for want of water, 113.
Shoemaker, Dr,—
cases of poisoning
Grouse, 78.
remedies used by, 78.
Shooting, art of, on the wing, 47.
soon acquired, 47.
first grand desideratum, 47.
nicety in, 50.
carried to great perfection, 50.
exploitsof Richard and Edward
Toomer, 50.
particular instructions for, 52,
when the bird should be killed,
53.
in thickets, 54,
be cool, when, 54,
requires patience and practice,
by eating
when the bird is crossing, 58,
too low—too high, 59,
both eyes open, 60.
in America different from that
of England, 62.
Shore-birds, terms applicable to, 42.
Short, Dr.—exploits among the Snipe, 638.
Shot-bags, shot-pouches, 372.
most suitable kind, 372.
Siberia, Snipe in, 194.
Sickle-bill, (see Curlew.)
Sivk, (see Battery.)
Skivper, J. S.—comments on food of
Partridges, 77.
account of good shooting, 111,
fanciful notion of the feeding of
Woodcocks, 172.
INDEX.
Skipwith, Mr.—
captures Sora Rails at Sea, 220
Sleep—how necessary, 499,
should be moderate, 499.
less sleep in warm weather, 499.
some require more than others,
499,
Napoleon required little, 499.
Frederick the Great required
little, 499.
Smith, Dr., interesting letter of, 98.
his views of Partridges retaining
scent, 98.
subject fully discussed, 98.
Smyrna, British cruisers visited, 187
Snap-shot, when most successful, 60.
a disagreeable companion, 61.
shooting with both eyes open, 61,
Snipe—terms app'icable, 41.
sudden and irregular flight of, 49.
zigzag flight of the, 52.
abundant on borders of Mud
Creek, 63.
white, 84,
Snipe, 194,
Scolopax Wilsonii, 194,
Scolopax gallinago, 194.
Wilson’s Snipe, 194.
English Snipe, 194.
widely disseminated, 194,
varieties, 195.
why called Wilson’s Snipe, 195.
resembles the English variety,
195,
description, 196,
location and food, 197.
incubation, young brood, 199,
return to the South, 199,
restless spirit, 200.
perception of cold, 200.
voracious feeders, 201.
seldom found in the woods, 201.
difficult to shoot, 201.
shooting anecdote, 204,
during rainy weather, 206,
dogs for hunting, 206.
fly against the wind, 207.
advantages of shooting, 208.
white or pied, 208.
cooking, 472.
Red-breasted, 256.
Scolopax Noveboracensis, 256.
Quail Snipe, 256.
habits and haunts, 256.
flesh and food, 256.
how and when killed, 256,
description, 257.
Snipe,
comments on ambition of killing Snow, heavy fall of, 91,
for quantity, 183.
reprobates this cruel ambition,
184.
its fearful consequences, 92,
Sora, (see Rail.)
| Sore throat, how to treat a, 508.
INDEX.
Spain—
introduction of Wild Turkey from,
137.
gun-barrels imported from, 447.
Spaniels, terms applicable to, 40.
verses in memory of a, 192.
Sporting, terms used in, 40.
general ignorance of these terms,
40.
easily acquired, 40.
writers on, 40,
Sportsmen—
should be careful of birds in win-
ter, 69.
hints to, 87.
practical observations for, 88.
should keep cool, 105,
during rainy weather, 105.
should not be too eager, 107.
should refresh themselves, 118.
directions for, to hunt dogs, 118.
should flush the game, 118.
Sportsman’s Beef, how made, 481.
Sprain, how to be treated, 504.
Sprigtail, 824. .
Pintail, 324.
Anas acuta, 324,
handsome duck, 824,
habits and haunts, 324.
abundant in England, 324.
. description, 324.
Spring Cramp—how used, 381.
Squirrels, 350.
varieties, habits, locality, 351.
general characteristics, 351.
activity and strength, 353.
captivity of, 354.
other characteristics, 355.
enemies of, shooting, 356.
Barking, flesh of, 357.
Squirrel, Gray, 358.
migratory, 358.
dimensions, locality, 358.
habits and migrations, 359.
* cooking, 484.
Staley, Andrew, shooting in company
with, 130.
Stirley, John, White Snipe in possession
of, 208.
Stock, gun, shape of, 402.
various styles of, 403.
Stockton, H. H., remarkable Partridge
shot by, 84.
Stockton, Commodore—
experiments on bursting of guns,
418.
recoil of guns,
418, 424.
Stockings, shoofing, 396.
St. Ildephonso—
Woodcocks feeding in aviary‘of, 173.
!
XXXVU
St. Lawrence River, Reed-Birds
211.
St. Louis, game shipped from, 110.
St. Petersburg—frozen markets, 467.
Striker of a gun, 377.
Stone Curlew, (see Willet.)
Summer Duck, 326.
Anas sponsa, 326,
Wood Duck, 826.
beautiful fowl, 326.
delights in the small streams, 326
description, 327.
Surface-boat, (see Battery.)
on,
| Swallows, the primary feathers in, 34.
shooting, a mere knack, 50.
) Swan, American, 337.
Cygnus American, 337.
|=) J
| Swan, Trumpeter, 337.
Cygnus bucinator, 337.
habits, haunts, 337.
easily domesticated, 338.
Swans, a whiteness of, 42.
Sweden, Snipes in, 195.
| Sykes, Mr.—patent powder-fiask, 370.
dls
TAPAHANNOCK MARSHES—
Partridges shot on, 78,
| Tarsi, shanks of the legs, 35.
Taxidermy—
art of preserving and mounting
birds, 484.
directions for skinning birds, 485.
Lee, Mrs., work on, 488.
Brown, Captain, work on, 488.
preserving egg-shells, 489.
Teal, Blue-winged, 317.
Anas discors, 317.
habits and haunts, 317.
» their food, 318.
how best cooked, 318,
description, 318,
Teal, Green-winged, 319.
Anas crecea, 319.
habits and characteristics, 319.
Telltale Snipe, 258.
Godwit, 258.
Greater Yellow-shanks, 258.
Scolopax vociferus, 258.
Tennessee—
Ruffed Grouse in barrens of,
143.
Pinnated Grouse in barrens of,
143.
Tertiary, third quill-feathers, 54.
their position and character, 84.
Tetrao umbellus, 143.
cupido, 156.
Canadensis, 164.
saliceti, 164.
XXXVlil
Tezcucan monarchs—
consumed large numbers of Tur-
keys, 188.
Thorpe, T. B., Woodcock fire-hunting by,
188.
Tibia, thigh-bone, 35.
Toomer, Richard and Edward—their
wonderful exploits with gun and
rifle, 50.
Turkey, Wild, 126.
Meleagris gallipavo, 126.
description, 127.
natural history of, 129.
in former times, 129.
their near extinction, 129.
found in Virginia, 180.
found in other States, 130.
Dr. Sargent’s remarks on, 1380.
neighborhood of Natchez, 181.
incubation, 131.
very salacious, their conflicts, 131.
Audubon’s comments, 181.
preparing the nest, 182. -
Dr. Sargent’s remarks, 182.
the action of the hen, 1382.
conceal their eggs, 152.
number of eggs, 138.
young brood, 138.
their future life, 1384.
but one brood, 184.
condition of the males, 134.
food of the, 134.
their introduction
137.
their introduction into England,
into Spain,
why called Turkey, 137.
a valuable fowl, 137.
Buffon on the origin, 138.
referred to by Prescott, 138.
domesticated by the Aztecs, 188.
INDEX.
Vv
VALISINERIA AMERICANA—
Venison soup, how made, 481.
Viellot, statement of, respecting the
habit of Woodcocks carrying their
young on their back, 175.
Virginia, Partridge-shooting in, 110.
Wild Turkey in, 130.
Vitellius, feast given by, 464.
Vitney, King of China, uses cannon, 430,
WwW
Wapp1InG or WaDs, various kinds, 665.
caution as to.use of patent, 666.
with anointed edges, 868.
felt and paper, 368,
Walker’s percussion caps, 875.
their superiority, 375.
Walter Scott—account of a faithful dog,
45,
Walton, Sir Isaac, followers of, 326,
Washer, or washing-rod, 369.
Wetherill, George D.—
Partridges presented by, 74.
large bird shot by, 78.
large Woodcock in possession of,
169
West Indies, Reed-Bird in, 214.
Snipe in, 194.
Western Hemisphere—
Wild Turkey indigenous to, 136.
Wheel-lock goune invented, 432.
Whewer, Whim, or Widgeon of Wngland,
812.
Whimbrel, Scolopax pheepus of England,
244,
Whistling Plover, Charadrius apricarius,
248
White thickening, 479.
consumed by the Tezcucan mon- Widgeon, Anas Americana, 811.
archs, 138.
trapping, 138.
shooting, 139.
good dog for hunting, 140.
run with amazing celerity, 140.
easily killed, 140.
when roosting, 140.
Dr. Sargent’s remarks, 140.
decoying, 140.
enemies of, 141.
Turks, a band of pirates, 136.
tufts of hair worn by the, 137.
U
Ups, Lovts Eustacoe—
on the pleasures of the table, 465.
Uffano—remarks on the use of gun-
powder, 429.
Bald-pates, 311.
companion of the Canvas-heck,
8ll.
not inferior in flavor, 311.
locality, 311.
description, 312.
resembles the English Widgeon,
312.
how pursued in England, 318.
easily domesticated, 313.
at the North and South, 313.
Wild Fowl and Wild-fowl shooting,
peculiar construction of the ramp
feathers of, 35.
terms applicable to, 42.
a flock of—a couple of, 42.
a team of—a badelynge of, 42.
how pursued in America, 259.
no childs’ sport, 259.
INDEX.
Wild Fowl and Wild-fowl shooting—
paraphernalia necessary for, 260.
use of liquor in, 260.
present and future numbers of,
on Chesapeake Bay, 805.
cooking, 476.
Wild celery, food of the Canvas-back, 270.
Wild Drake, (see Mallard.)
Willet—Scolopax semipalmata, 253.
Semipalmated Snipe, or Stone
Curlew, 253.
habits and haunts, 253.
not known in England, 254.
period and place of incubation,
254
their food, 254.
character of their flesh,
description, 255.
affection for each other,
Willow Grouse, 164.
Wilson’s anecdote of Ruffed Grouse, 146.
Snipe, Scolopax Wilsonii, 194.
Plover, 251.
Winniwarter and Gersheim of Vienna—
their substitute for percussion
caps, 875.
Wing, bastard, description of, 54,
lesser coverts of the, 34.
greater coverts of the, 34.
to stop the hemorrhage of, 490.
to pinion or amputate a wounded,
491.
Wisconsin—
abundance of game in, 64.
Venison in, 64.
Prairie Chickens in, 64.
Pheasants, Partridges, and Will
Turkeys in, 64.
immense shipment of game from,
64,
Wolves abundant in Iowa, 63.
great numbers destroyed, 91.
Woodcock—
terms applicable to, 41.
startling flight of the, 52.
cooking, 472.
Woodcock—Scolopax minor, 166.
attractive to the sportsman, 167.
oO
25
255.
XXXIxX
Woodcock—continued.
nomenclature, 168.
description, 168.
compared with the English variety,
168.
height, one species, 168.
habits, migrations, 170.
formation of the head, 170.
imperfect vision, 170.
feeding and food, 171.
vulgar notion, 172.
as seen in the aviary of St. Ilde-
phonso, 178.
incubation, 174.
singular manoeuvres, 175.
carrying their young—two broods,
175.
proper time for shooting, 176.
game-laws on the subject, 177.
ingenuity to conceal their your,,
180.
resorts of, 182.
foolish ambition of killing, 185;
disappearance of, 185.
flight of, 187.
fire-hunting, description of, 187
nets and snares to take, 189.
dogs for shooting, 190.
shooting in England, 191.
bells used for hunting, 191.
Woodpecker—
pecutiar formation of the rump-
feathers of, 34.
Wrench, nipple or pivot, 383.
description and best kind, 383
¥
YELLOW-SHANKS SNIPE—
Scolopax flavipes, 258.
Youatt’s work on the Dog, 43.
great celebrity as a writer, 44.
work beautifully illustrated, 4¢
edited by the author, 44.
Z
ZIZANIA AQUATICA, 222,
CHAPTER I.
EXPOSITION OF THE TECHNICAL TERMS USED BY ORNITHOLOGISTS.
ITHOUT a cursory knowledge, at least, of
the technical terms employed by Orni-
thologists in their delineations of the
feathered race, we cannot expect all our
readers to understand or appreciate the
scientific descriptions which we have in-
serted of the game-birds of our country;
it therefore appears to us that we cannot
do better than devote the first few pages
of this volume to the full elucidation of
these appellatives, which, in fact, are the A B C of Ornithology,
the Alpha and Omega of the branch.
3 33
a4 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
This information, so important to the intelligent sportsman,
can be easily and quickly acquired by reference to the accom-
panying drawing, in connection with the explanations following
immediately after.
1. Auriculars, the ear coverts.—The soft feathers that cover
the organs of hearing.
2,2. The bastard wing, consisting of three or five feathers, |
resembling the quills of the true wing; they are placed on a
small bone rising from the wrist-joint of the wing. The bastard
wing assists in flight by keeping the wing from turning upwards,
and contracts the points of the wing in a downward and backward
position to that of the course of the bird through the air.
3, 3. The lesser coverts of the wings.—These are the feathers
which are found in successive rows upon the wings; those on
the inside are termed under coverts, and are much less regarded
by ornithologists as a means of distinction than the others.
4,4. The greater coverts.—The wing feathers lying under the
lesser coverts; they are much larger and stronger than the latter.
5, 5. The primaries.—Large quill feathers taking their growth
from below the wrist-joint. The length and proportion of the
feathers control, in a wide degree, the movements of the bird in
the air. The nearer the longer primary quill approaches the
body, the more dexterous and beautiful will be the motion of
the bird when on the wing. The Hawks, Swallows, and various
other birds of rapid flight, that seize their prey in mid air,
have the longest primary feather very near the body, and con-
sequently are enabled to turn and twist themselves with great
facility.
6, 6. The secondaries, or second quill feathers, spring from the
second bone of the wing. When the wing is extended, they fre-
quently appear like a continuation of the primaries.
1, 7. The tertiary, or third quill feathers, also arise from the
second bone, but much nearer the elbow-joint.
8, 8. The scapulars, or shoulder feathers, are formed by the
soft and downy feathers that cover the shoulder-bones, and are
TECHNICAL TERMS. 35
serviceable only as a protection to the parts which they sur-
round; .they unite without any regularity with the plumage of
the back and wings.
9. The rump feathers and upper-tail coverts.—These feathers
are the continuation of the covering of the back, and are strong
in proportion to the peculiar habits of the bird. In the Wood-
pecker tribe, for instance, these feathers are very strong and
unusually long, as they make constant use of the tail as a
support and aid when climbing the trunks of trees; and so
it is with some water-fowl not webfooted, but obliged frequently
to take flight from the water. The tazl feathers in these last-
mentioned birds afford the greatest assistance in springing into
the air.
10. The vent feathers and under-tail coverts, that extend from
the anus, or vent, to the tail underneath. These feathers are
much longer in some tribes of birds than others. Those that
have a constant habit of flirting up their tails—like, for example,
the Rallus Carolinus, and several species of small shore-birds—
have the vent feathers unusually well developed.
The tazl feathers are various in size and numbers, and are
generally the most ornamental part of a bird. The tail per-
forms the most necessary office in the navigation of the bird
through the air; in fact, it is the rudder by which its course is
determined, and acts in concert with the will of the bird as freely
as a ship obeys her helm.
11. Loral space.—The space between the bill and eye.
12. Frons.—The forehead.
18. Corona.—Crown of the head.
14. Occtput.—The hind part of the head,
15. Flexure.—Bend of the wing.
16. Yarsi.—Shanks of the legs.
17. Tibia.—Thigh.
The upper and lower bills are called the superior and inferior
maxilla, or upper and lower mandibles.
Lris—irides.—The colored circle surrounding the pupil of the eye.
36 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN
Mentum.—The chin.
Guttur.—The throat. .
Collum.—The neck.
Pectus.—The breast.
In measurement, the fotal lenc’h means from point of bill to
the end of middle tail feathers. Length of the wings means |
from the bend of the wing to the end of the longest quill
feather.
CHAPTER II.
SENSATION IN FEATHERS.
IiE keenest sense of feeling through the
medium of the plumage is indispensably
necessary to the well-being of all the
feathered race.
The feathers, it is true, in themselves,
like several other portions of the body.
such, for example, as the nails, claws,
beak, and hoofs, have no real consciousness
or actual perception of the sense of touch; still, they are enabled
by the nicest possible organization to convey the most delicate
impressions to those functions of the animal economy that do feel.
If such a wise provision of Nature did not exist, what, we
might ask, would become of all the numerous nocturnal birds
which seek their food only during the dark hours of night? The
whole tribe most indubitably would soon be killed off by striking
themselves against the various obstacles that they necessarily
encounter in their midnight rambles. This acute sensitiveness on
the part of feathers to outward impressions is not, perhaps, as
37
388 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
essential for those birds which fly only in the broad daylight as it
is to the numerous variety of owls, bats, &c. that seek their
prey solely during the lonely hours of darkness.
Nevertheless, a certain degree of this delicacy of perception is
absolutely requisite even for them, to secure their safety while per-
forming rapid flights through the thickets and forests which they
most generally inhabit or take shelter in. This, then, being the
case, is it not reasonable to infer that the feathers should at all
times be in the highest state of perfection? This physical con-
dition, however, could not be preserved if they were not shed or
renewed from time to time, as they necessarily would become soiled,
dried, broken, and ultimately totally unfit for this nice service by
the constant exposure they are subjected to, as well as the many
accidents they must, from their mode of life, encounter.
To remedy these evils, or rather to make provision for such
casualties, Nature, ever provident in all her works, very wisely
ordains that the feathered race shall moult, or, in other words,
doff their plumage entire, once or twice a year. The simple
shedding of the feathers is not the only precaution which a bene-
ficent Providence has established for the preservation of these,
the most extensive and beautiful portion of his creations. For
we may here also notice the remarkable changes that take place
in the tints of the plumage, more especially in those birds which
remain in the northern latitudes during the long and bleak
winters. Many of them, from the most sombre hues of spring
and summer, become pied, or even pure white: thus cunningly
adapting themselves to the pervading color of the objects by
which they are surrounded, they are the better able to conceal
themselves from the attacks of their many prowling enemies
that are now driven to great extremes for food. The protec-
tion afforded birds, as well as many of the smaller quadrupeds,
in this alteration of the color of their plumage and pelage, from
the aggressions of their more powerful foes, is not the only
benefit which results from this wise providence; as the chilling
effects of constant exposure to the excessive cold of those hibernal
SENSATION IN FEATHERS. 39
regions are somewhat abated by the transition to white, from the
well-established fact that a surface purely white reflects heat far
more copiously than a dark one; and consequently it is not diffi-
cult for us to infer that, in like manner, it prevents any undue
waste of the animal heat by radiation.
The moulting of birds is very gradual, and few of them are
ever so bare of feathers as to prevent them from taking wing,
and even flying long distances.
The time of shedding the feathers varies in the different species
and in different climes; some mowlt late in the summer, some in
the early autumn, and some in the early spring.
The summer or autumnal moult is always the most complete;
the perennial is generally only a change of color of some portions
of the plumage, and not a thorough shedding of the feathers.
Those birds, as well as water-fowl, which extend their migrations
far to the North, for the purposes of procreation, receive their
fresh plumage after the period of incubation has entirely passed
by, so that they come out fresh and entirely freed from all the
filth and vermin which their previous sedentary occupations may
have entailed on them.
CHAPTER III.
SPORTING TERMS.
HE technical terms adopted by writers
on field-amusements should be perfectly
familiar to every sportsman, and ought to
be made use of onall occasions when rural
diversions are the subject of conversation.
Many of our sporting acquaintances are
most wofully deficient in a knowledge
of these designations, and consequently
make the most egregious blunders in
their vain efforts to appear aw fait in all that pertains to the dog
and gun. A few minutes of study and reflection, my patient
friends, will make you all proficients in this branch of Orismology ;
therefore remain no longer in ignorance, even ¢f tt be bliss.
TERMS APPLICABLE TO DOGS.
A brace of pointers or setters. A couple of spaniels.
Aleashof ‘“ ae A couple and a half of spaniels.
40
SPORTING TERMS, 41
1. Toho! 7. Seek dead! find dead bird!
2. Down charge! 8. Fetch!
8. Back or heel! 9. Drop, sir!
4, Steady! steady there! 10. To mouth a bird.
5. Go on! on! 11. To run wild.
6. Hold up! up!
EXPLANATION OF THE ABOVE TERMS.
1. To make pointers or setters come to a stand.
2. a a lie down while loading.
3. . ff BS go behind.
4, Le Ms sf eareful when game is about.
5. na + os rise—a term of encouragement,
6. i ae a huld his head up so as to wind the game.
iS ti 9 = look for a dead bird.
8. - “ bring the dead bird.
2; = x is deliver up the dead bird.
10. To bite or chew a bird severely.
11. To run heedlessly, without caution.
By a pair is understood two of the same kind or species united or paired by
nature, male and female. Therefore, how evidently wrong it is to say a pair
of pointers, or a pair of setters!
By a couple, or brace, is understood the involuntary wnion of two individual
companions of the same species, either by a chain, noose, or tic.
PARTRIDGES.
A covey of partridges or birds. A brace and a half of partridges or
A brace of 3 s birds.
To spring or flush “ “
GROUSE.
A brood of grouse. A leash of grouse.
Aopuck of =x Toraisea ‘
A brace of
WOODCOCKS.
A. couple of woodcocks. A flight or fall of woodcocks.
A couple and a half of woodeocks. To flush or start a woodcock.
SNIPE OR PLOVER.
A wisp or walk of snipes. A couple and a half of snipes or
A wing or congregation of plovers. plovers.
A couple of snipes or plovers. To spring a snipe or plover.
42 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
SMALL WILD-FOWL, OR SHORE-BIRDS, OF EVERY DESCRIPTION.
A flock of. A couple and a half of.
A couple of.
REED-BIRDS AND RAILS.
A flock of reed-birds. To get up a rail.
A dozen of reed-birds. To mark a rail.
Five, ten, fifteen, or twenty rails.
HARES.
A brace of hares. To start or move a hare
A leash of hares.
LARGE WILD-FOWL.
A flock, team, or badelynge of wild A flock of teal.
ducks. A gang of brent.
A company or trip of wild ducks. A whiteness of swans.
A gaggle or flock of geese.
CHAPTER IV.
LOGS.
OR the most general and useful informa-
tion regarding Dogs, we beg to refer
our readers to the American edition of
“‘Youatt,”’ published under our super-
vision, a short time since, by Lea &
BuancHaRD. This valuable work con-
tains nearly all that is requisite for a
sportsman to know in reference to these
interesting animals; and the enterprising
publishers deserve high commendation, and
the thanks of the whole sporting community, for the very excellent
manner in which they have put it through the press. No sportsman,
or even admirer of the faithful dog, should be without a copy of
this beautiful and instructive volume; in fact, every one who reads
it will find an abundance of interesting matter in its pages.
45
oo
44 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
The author, as a veterinary surgeon, had for many years no
rival in England; his close observation, unremitted industry, and
extensive practice in the veterinary art, enabled him, during a
series of years, to lay up a store of information on these subjects
that no other individual could have possibly collected. Youatt’s
attention, either from choice or the force of circumstances, was
particularly directed to the study of the history and pathology of
the canine race; and sportsmen cannot be too thankful for the
much useful matter that this practical writer has embodied in his
work ; and which, by-the-by, was only given to the public a short
time before the close of an honorable life, the greater portion of
which was spent in the noble effort to alleviate the sufferings,
lighten the labors, exalt the position, and teach the inestimable
worth, of our domestic animals.
Much valuable pathological information, as well as other general
matter, will be found in Mr. Youatt’s book, which, upon the whole,
renders it the most complcte work that has ever been dedicated to
this faithful animal; and, as we said before, should be in the
hands of every lover of the dog. The volume is beautifully
embellished with numerous spirited engravings, which not a little
enhance its value in the eyes of every one. We do not intend our
observations as a puff, cither for ourselves as connected with the
publication of the work, or for the benefit of those who have
brought it out, but we wish rather to draw the attention of the
reading public generally to the examination of the volume, being
convinced that it needs only to be known to be properly appre-
ciated; and by thus causing it to be appreciated we are richly
repaid in the pleasant reflection that we have done something to-
wards elevating the condition of that animal which, above all others,
owing to his untiring devotion and never-ceasing fidelity, should
elicit the greatest kindness and best treatment from the hands of
mankind.
“he dog, par excellence, may be considered the type of all that
is noble and great; for, certainly, incorruptible fidelity, disin-
terested attachment, and a never-ceasing desire to be useful to
DOGS. 45
man, are attributes sufficiently high in their moral bearing to en-
title the possessor to this exalted position from among all other
animals. From the remotest ages of the world down to the
present time, we find the dog the intimate associate of man, the
protector of his habitation, the guardian of his flocks. No
neglect, no ill-treatment, can drive him from our doors; he bears
every oppression, forgives every blow, and obeys every command.
As from instinct, the dog abandons his own personal liberty,
shuns even the members of his own race, and associates himself
entirely with man as his dearest friend; and no cause, however
great, is sufficient, in his estimation, to break asunder these volun-
tary ties or destroy this beloved connection. Ile asks but a trifle
for his proffered services: a kind word, an occasional smile, a
fragment of our abundance, or a mere mite of our poverty, is all
that he requires. The extremes of luxury or indigence are alike
the same to him, so that he enjoys the companionship and kind-
ness of his allotted master, let him be a prince or a beggar. For
his master alone he leaps for joy when spoken to; on him alone
he fondles when caressed ; for him alone he grieves when absent ;
exults at his return, and even in the sadness of his heart pines
away over his deserted grave.
“Dark green was the spot, ’mid the brown mountain heather,
Where the pilgrim of nature lay stretched in decay;
Like the corpse of an outcast, abandoned to weather,
Till the mountain winds wasted the tenantless clay ;
Nor yet quite deserted, though lonely extended,
For, faithful in death, his mute favorite attended,
The much-loved remains of her master defended,
And chased the hill-fox and the rayen away.
How long didst thou think that his silence was slumber!
When the wind waved his garments, how oft didst thou start!
How many long days and long weeks didst thou number
Ere he faded before thee, the friend of thy heart !’’*
* A young man lost his life by ialling from one of the precipices of the Helvellyn
Mountains. Three months afte: wards his remains were discovered at the bottom
of a ravine, and his faithful dog, almost a skeleton, still guarding them. Sir
Walter Scott beautifully describes the scene as above —Yowatt on the Dog.
46 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
How different is all this from the attachment or submission that
we witness in the other domesticated animals, all of which, we
may say, have been reclaimed with much trouble, and enslaved
contrary to their own will! They submit alone to our arbitrary
wishes through the fear of punishment or the hope of reward;
they greedily partake of our proffered food, and perform in return
their apportioned labors: these forced duties at an end, they
neither court the society of man nor manifest any particular
pleasure at his presence or pain at his absence; and if left to
themselves. would soon relapse into their original state of freedom
and indepenaence.
«« All the sports of the field are delightful, 1 own,
But none can with shooting compare ;
Tis a joy that entices the king from his throne,
Tis a joy that the wisest may share.
The voice of the hound on the breeze of the morn,
The note of the bugle, may please ;
The song of the wild bird is sweet from the thorn,
But the gun has more music than these.”
OST persons unconversant with the use of
the gun are naturally led to believe that
there is some great mystery or some
extraordinary sleight-of-hand work con-
nected with the art of shooting birds
when on the wing. This opinion is often
so firmly engrafted on the minds of cer-
tain sensitive individuals that they are
ever unwilling even to make a trial of their own dexterity in
47
48 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
this way, feeling satisfied that they could never arrive at any
degree of perfection in an art so difficult to acquire. Or, if they
should be tempted to venture in the field with some one of their
associates more experienced in the use of the gun, expecting a
day’s enjoyment, they become so discouraged at their want of
success, as well as perplexed at the inability of their sporting
companion to give them any definite or systematic instruction for
shooting, that they not unfrequently withdraw from the field
completely mortified and disgusted with every thing appertaining
to the sport; when, by a little perseverance and a few well-timed
hints from their companion, they might soon have arrived at that
pinnacle of fame to which all sportsmen aspire; we mean—a good
shot!
We ourselves do not pretend to be a great shot, but, on the
contrary, are very modest in our claims upon this point; but
because we cannot kill every bird we fire at, that is no reason why
we may not instruct others, so that they, by longer practice, may
arrive at this degree of excellence, if they wish it, but to which
we have neither the ambition to aim nor the time at our disposal
to acquire. It is no uncommon circumstance in the study of the
arts and sciences for the pupil to excel the master; and we
suppose, or rather we flatter ourselves, that we may yet look
forward to encountering some one of our own pupils in the field
who will not hesitate to snwb our nose whenever an opportunity
offers. If such should be the case, we shall be happy in the
knowledge of having done some good for our country, and more
particularly for the sports of the field.
The first grand desideratum to be considered by the pupil is
the possession of a good gun, of which, however, we will speak
more particularly under the chapter on fire-arms. The next great
acquisition to be sought after is coolness and deliberation, for
without these qualities you might as well leave the gun in its case,
and walk into the fields with a dog at your heels, and a shooting-
cracker in your hand ready to throw at the birds as they rise
from the stubble, in the vain hope of frightening them to death
SHOOTING ON THE WING. 49
by the noise of the explosion, as to fire a gun over them without
perfect self-possession and composure. Without coolness and
deliberation, a young shooter, or even an old shooter, can hope to
accomplish but little in the field. In fact, we have seen the best
of shots miss bird after bird during a whole day’s excursion,
owing to some unexpected but perhaps trifling occurrence which
had interrupted their natural equanimity of temper, and thereby
destroyed that coolness and deliberation which are so essential
for the proper handling of the fowling-piece. Success in shooting,
all the paraphernalia being equally good, is dependent in a great
measure upon coolness and deliberation; the first and most import-
ant step, therefore, to be taken by a young shooter, is the resolu-
tion to acquire as soon as possible a perfect control over all his
movements during the excitement consequent upon the springing
of a covey of partridges, the whir of a woodcock, or the sudden
and irregular flight of a snipe. This mastery over his feelings
being once acquired, there will be no difficulty in the way of a
rapid progress in the art of shooting on the wing. Having
selected, with the assistance of a sporting friend, a gun, made by
the most approved gunsmith, practise the handling of it in your
own room; be sure that it comes up to the shoulder right, and
that the eye runs along the barrel with facility. Bring it up
to your shoulder ever and anon; take sight along its barrel at
some small object placed in the farthest corner of the room: a
red wafer, or a piece of colored paper stuck on the wall, will
answer this purpose. By practising in this way for a short time,
a certain degree of ease in the handling of the gun will be
acquired, and then it will be as well to crack off a few caps by
way of accustoming the ear and eye to the explosion, as also
familiarizing the finger with the touch of the trigger. Having
occupied the leisure moments of a few days in this kind of sport,
it will be high time to sally forth to the fields and spend a portion
of the day in practising the art of shooting on the wing any of
the small birds that we may meet in our rambles over the country.
Many young sportsmen exercise their skill upon swallows.
4
50 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
But it is not a good practice, and cannot be attended with any
particular benefit to them, as the swallow’s flight is so entirely
different from any known game-bird that one might soon become
expert in killing these harmless but useful little creatures without
ever being able to bag a partridge, a woodcock, or a snipe.
Swallows fly with considerable swiftness and great irregularity,
and cannot be easily killed except when they stop or rather poise
themselves for an instant in the air to seize their prey, and while
in this position the veriest bungler that ever handled a gun can
soon become expert in knocking them over. Any of the smaller
and less interesting birds that fill the groves during the spring
and autumn months have flights resembling that of partridges
much more than that of the swallow does, and more improvement
may be derived from shooting a few of them than the slaughter
of one-half of all the swallows found about a large farm. For,
after all, the shooting of swallows is nothing but a knack, acquired
by a little observation and practice, just as any other kind of
shooting or in fact sleight-of-hand work; but then it should be
remembered by the young aspirant that he may spend much labor
and time both in acquiring this knack, without in the least benefit-
ing himself so far as the shooting of partridges or any other kind
of game-bird is concerned.
Nicety in shooting exclusively at some particular objects, in
some particular mode, may be carried to a degree of perfection
scarcely to be conceived of, as witnessed in the feats of the bro-
thers Toomer, as described by several English writers.
Of these two celebrated marksmen, Blaine remarks that Richard
and Edward Toomer, with their rifles and a single ball, killed
eight pigeons out of twelve, shooting alternately; and one of the
pigeons that did not drop, had a leg carried off by the ball. They
likewise with a s¢ngle ball struck twice, out of four shots, a cricket-
ball thrown into the air; and Richard at a cricket-match, his gun
being loaded with shot, struck the ball twelve successive times,
when bowled by one of the sharpest bowlers in all England. Our
backwoodsmen years ago brought rifle-shooting to so high a state
SHOOTING ON THE WING. 51
of excellency that their ordinary performances seemed marvellous
even to the German Jiigers, who have always been esteemed the
very best marksmen of the Old World. Killing with a single ball
squirrels from the tops of the highest trees, as well as cutting off
the head of a wild turkey or other large bird at the distance of
one hundred yards or more when in full flight, was a common feat
with these hardy huntsmen. In fact, so expert were the keel-boat-
men of the Mississippi in handling the rifle, that they did not
hesitate, in a spirit of playfulness, even at a long distance, to cut
the pipe out of the hat-band of a companion, or unexpectedly
upset a cup of whiskey that might at lunch-time be for the moment
resting on some one’s knee. Driving the nail at forty paces,
snuffing the candle at fifty, and shooting an apple or other small
objects from the heads of each other, were the favorite amuse-
ments of these daring marksmen.*
It is also not an uncommon circumstance to meet with persons
who can lay a double-barrelled gun, cocked, on the ground, throw
two pennies up in the air and strike them both, before touching
the ground. This same degree of nicety in handling the gun and
perfecting the eye may be acquired in pigeon-shooting, as wit-
nessed in the wonderful exploits laid down under this head by
numerous English authors, and as detailed from time to time of
our own shooters in the columns of the Spirit of the Times. But
all these various kinds of shooting, though exhibiting much skill
and perfection in the art, will not qualify a person for taking the
field with an experienced sportsman; as the killing of game is
quite a different thing from knocking over the tame, quiet, and
phlegmatic house-pigeon, that, rising from the trap with a certain
degree of regularity, although with a sudden impetus imparted to
it by the operations of the spring, and most frequently taking a
bewildered though easy flight, is brought down with the greatest
facility by those accustomed to its usual course of action at such
times.
——
* See Thorpe’s Remembrances of the Mississippi.
50% LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
How tame, how vastly different is all this to the sudden and
unlooked-for spring of the vigorous little partridge, as with a
startling noise he bounces up from under our very feet, and, long
before any save the initiated one can recover from his bewilder-
ment and bring his piece to bear upon the affrighted bird, has fairly
soared far beyond his reach—yes, even beyond his sharpest vision.
And then, again, the deep, sonorous, and still more perplexing
whir of the ruffed grouse, as he goes booming off through the
entangled thickets bordering the mountain streams; or the delve-
resounding start of the lonely woodcock, as he rushes through
the marshy brake, all in the full vigor and freshness of his native
freedom; or the still more confusing zigzag flight of the fickle
snipe, as he springs wildly from the oozy marsh.
The whirring noise consequent upon the springing of a covey or
even of a single bird is not a little trying to the nerves of a
young shot; and it requires some considerable time to accustom his
ears to this startling sound, which, however, will wear off by
degrees, no matter how nervous he may be at first. When the
dogs have come to a stand, advance noiselessly and with firmness
towards the spot indicated, holding the gun cocked, and with the
muzzle in such a position that its contents could not injure any
one of the company, even if it should by any mishap go off before
you have the proper range on the birds. Be careful, above all,
not to shoot the dogs; which accident, by-the-by, has happened
more than once to heedless beginners. When the birds are
flushed, raise the gun with perfect coolness and deliberation ;
single out first one bird and then another, if you have a double-
barrelled gun, as every sportsman should have, and be sure not to
pull trigger upon either of them till they are well covered. That
is, when looking down. the barrel-plate, the eye, the sight, the
point, and the bird, are all in the same line: thds, then, is the
moment to fire; do not hesitate an instant; do not dwell upon the
object after it is once covered, or you will inevitably lose the point
of sight, and the load will pass under the bird.
The eye in a correct light is seldom wrong in its calculations,
SHOOTING ON THE WING. 53
seldom deceived as regards distances or positions; seldom, in fact,
at fault in any one particular; it is to some one of the many other
circumstances upon which the proper handling of the fowling-piece
is dependent that we must attribute the frequent habit of missing;
such, for example, as a want of self-possession, over-anxiety, care-
less loading, hurry, nervousness, or some such causes. Be careful
not to shut both eyes just at the instant of pulling the trigger, as
some beginners do; neither throw the muzzle of the gun up or
down with a sudden jerk, but let it lie perfectly free in the grasp.
By following these few instructions, although you may miss your
bird over and over again during the first day’s shooting, still, we
are confident that you will attain in a very short space of time to
some considerable cleverness in the art. When there is a fair and
open shot and the bird not killed, you may depend upon it that it
was not properly covered; or, if it was, the gun, by some imper-
ceptible movement, must have been carried from its proper direc-
tion at the instant of firing, or the bird might have perchance
varied its straight course at the critical moment of being covered.
One of these three things must have taken place provided the gun
was loaded properly, otherwise the bird would have inevitably been
brought down. We do not pretend to say that every one on going
for the first time into the field will acquire in an incredibly short
time this beautiful accomplishment of shooting on the wing by the
mere committing to memory of any set of rules for the handling
of a gun. But, on the other hand, we must assure the novice that
without pretty constant practice and great attention he will never
attain the art; but when once acquired it is seldom lost, except
temporarily, so long as the visual organs are perfect and the
physical powers sufficiently strong to carry him into the field in
pursuit of game. No doubt thousands of sportsmen arrive at
great excellence in shooting without ever reading a line on the
subject or receiving a word of advice from the more experienced ;
but still, their progress has been very slow and up-hill kind of
work, and their object accomplished at last only by long practice
and observation. We do not, however, wish our readers to under-
54 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
stand that any one can acquire the art of shooting on the wing
without patience, practice, and study, as we do not believe any
such thing, and would be sorry to attempt the promulgation of
such a fallacy. But we do assert that the young beginner will
much sooner, and with much more pleasure to himself, arrive at
this desirable end, by giving heed to the experience of those who
have gone before him, no matter whether the instruction be im-
parted orally or by means of the pen. That there are certain
fundamental rules for acquiring this accomplishment no one wil!
deny; and these rules should be made as simple and as few as
possible; in fact, reduced down to a few words of caution, which
may be embodied in the following line:—Be cool and deliberate,
and never draw the trigger till the bird is well covered. We do
not wish to bother the novice with a long array of written instruc-
tions for shooting, as information obtained in this way is too often
a mere matter of rote, and cannot be of any great practical utility ;
we desire, however, to impress upon his memory a few short rules
that will secure him from the commission of many faults and pre-
vent him from falling into the common errors of most beginners.
This end being accomplished, we abandon him to the practical
operations of the field, which of themselves will soon make him
skilful, if he possess any of that aptness for sport which seems in-
herent in many of those who follow the dog and gun as a source
of the most healthful and exhilarating amusement.
Although by strictly adhering to the golden rule, be cool and
deliberate, and never draw the trigger till the bird ts well covered,
the novice without doubt will miss many birds, as they will often
get beyond the reach of his shot long before he has fairly covered
them, more particularly if shooting in thickets or woods, never-
theless, he will find, at the conclusion of the day, that he has not
made out so very bad, and, we can assure him, much better than
if he had shot at every bird before it had flown ten steps from the
spot whence it sprang. ‘To-be-sure, he will often feel mortification
and disappointment at the sight of a partridge sailing off untouched
by his fire, although well: covered by the gun: this chagrin, how-
SHOOTING ON THE WING. 5a
ever, will be of short duration, as, on the springing of the next
bird, he will involuntarily strive to be somewhat smarter in his
movements, but at the same time adhering strictly to the golden
rule of coolness and deliberation ; and his efforts on this occasion
will perhaps be crowned with greater success. The bagging, then,
of this one bird will recompense for many others lost, and at the
same time impress upon him the importance of sticking to the
principles upon which he entered the field, and make him a firm
convert to the absolute utility of giving heed to our instructions;
for he will find that as often as he departs from these rules and
fires his gun at random, just so often will he be disappointed in the
result, and will also learn that the chances of killing birds at ran-
dom shots are very few, even when fired into a large covey; for
how frequently have we seen even the most experienced sportsmen
shoot into coveys without ruffling a feather, owing entirely to the
circumstance of the birds all rising, as it were, in a mass together,
and confusing him by their proximity and numbers; or, in other
words, throwing him off his guard, and depriving him momentarily
of that coolness and deliberation of which we are speaking! It is
‘very difficult, at times, even for an old sportsman to suppress a
feeling of anxiety, a kind of nervous trepidation that involuntarily
creeps over him when advancing upon a covey that he feels certain
is spread out around him, but at the same time entirely ignorant
of the exact spot from whence the birds will spring. Under these
circumstances, the heart of an old shooter is apt to palpitate with
a slight but agreeable emotion, while the warm blood of the tyro
rushes through his system with a velocity that often makes his
whole frame quiver with excitement. If, then, he misses his bird,
it is not to be wondered at, as the confusion and noise consequent
upon the flushing of a covey of frightened birds is no small affair,
but, on the contrary, is well calculated to upset his already-shaken
nerves and throw him entirely off his guard; insomuch that he
mechanically raises his gun and bangs away, harum-scarum, with-
out the least aim, and then is mortified as well as astonished tha!
56 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
he did not kill half a dozen birds from among so many immediately
under his nose.
It is to steel the heart of the novice against this emotion that |
we wish to impress upon him, in the most forcible manner, the im-
portance of coolness and deliberation in all his actions; for rest
assured that without these two chief requisites he will never make
a good shot, but always be a bungler and a dangerous person to
go out with, as he will be sure some time or other to shoot either
himself, a friend, or his dog.
CROSS SHOTS.
We have in the previous pages been endeavoring to explain
more particularly the rules for plain or straight shooting; that
is, when a bird is going directly from us, as partridges most gene-
rally do when a covey is flushed. We will now speak of the rules
for cross shooting.
Many persons can kill birds with a great deal of certainty
when they are flying from them; but, for want of a little attention
to the subject, are constantly at fault when they come to pull upon
birds that are either crossing to the right or the left, more
‘particularly the former. ‘The first thing to be observed by the
sportsman when considering a “cross shot’’ is the velocity with
which the bird flies, and the distance it is off from him at the
moment of firmg. ‘These two circumstances must be determined
upon in his own mind in a moment of time, as it were, by intui-
tion ; for when the game is on the wing there is no opportunity for
the exercise of inductive reason to arrive at these points. This
faculty of rapid discrimination or rightly judging the distance
that the bird is from us, or the velocity with which it is moving
through the air, every shooter must soon acquire by practice;
otherwise he can never become a superior marksman, but will
constantly find himself missing the fairest cross shots. The
American partridge, more particularly when frightened, or rather
startled by the sportsman, flies with amazing velocity, perhaps
swifter and stronger than any other game-bird in the world. The
SHOOTING ON THE WING. 57
ordinary flight of the English partridge is nothing to compare to it
in point of speed—we mean, of course, a full-grown December bird.
This being the fact, there is no doubt that our bird requires much
more calculation and precision to bring it down when crossing.
When flushed, partridges, except in sections of the country
where they are seldom or never hunted, boom off at the top of
their speed; and if they attain a distance of forty, fifty, or sixty
paces before we succeed in fairly covering them, it will be neces-
sary to sight the gun a little in advance of them in the regular
line of their flight. If the birds are very large and strong,—
which, by-the-by, most generally is the case in November and
December,—it will be better to allow a still greater distance
between the bird and the point of sight, and then perhaps we shall
not unfrequently have the mortification of seeing our intended
victim move off unhurt save the loss of the tail feathers. If the
course of the bird should be oblique, as is often the case, the same
rules for shooting will apply, save that the point of aim should be
about half the distance in advance of the bird, as if it were flying
directly across. There is another point in cross shooting which we
must not forget to impress upon the attention of our readers, other-
wise all our previous remarks on the subject will prove nugatory
and go for nothing. What we refer to is the absolute necessity
of accustoming the hand and eye to keep up the lateral motion
imparted to the gun when sighting it on the object till after the
piece is discharged. If attention be not paid to this point, and at
the moment of pulling the trigger the gun is arrested in its onward
progress, the whole load will most inevitably pass behind the bird;
as the time intervening between the pulling of the trigger and the
passage of the shot through the air to the intended victim is quite
sufficient to allow of its getting beyond the point of sight first
caught at by the eye.
The distance intervening between the bird and the point of
sight is the space granted the bird for flying through the air
during the passage of the shot from the muzzle of the gun to the
point of sight, and not for the pulling of the trigger, ignition of
58 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
the powder, and the escape of the load from the barrel. All this,
to-be-sure, appears only to be a momentary, if not an instanta-
neous affair; but such is not the fact, as every shooter can testify
to; for it is a self-evident fact that some time must elapse between
the accomplishment of these two acts—the pulling of the trigger
and the escape of the charge from the gun. This time will be
regulated in a great measure by the quality of the powder and
the construction of the gun, which, however, will be spoken of
particularly under a more appropriate head. If, therefore, the
motion of the gun be stopped during the time of pulling the
trigger and the escape of the load, the bird will mevitably have
got beyond the reach of the shot, unless we should allow double
the distance to intervene between the bird and the point of sight,
and this kind of shooting would be very uncertain. Therefore,
we repeat again that it is of the utmost importance that the gun
should continue its gentle movement in the line of flight at the
proper distance in advance of the game till after the pulling of
the trigger. Most young shots have a strong inclination to arrest
the progress of the gun when pulling the trigger, which, if not
early corrected, degenerates into a settled habit that is very diffi-
cult to be overcome.
A bird crossing to the right is generally considered more difficult
to shoot than when going to the left, and very justly so; as the gun,
being balanced on the left hand, can be carried towards that side
with more ease and freedom than it can towards the right. If any
of our readers are dubious on this point, let him take a gun in his
hand and place himself in the usual position to fire, and he will
readily perceive what we mean, as upon trial he will find it difficult
to take sight on an object even at right angles with his right side,
whereas he will be able to turn himself with ease so far to the left
that he can shoot in a direct line behind his person.
A bird when crossing is much easier killed, if struck, than
when going straight from you or coming towards you, as the vital
parts are somewhat protected in the first case by the rump, and
in the second the shot is very apt to glance off from the thick
SHOOTING ON THE WING. 59
feathers of the breast. When a bird is flying towards you or over
your head, you will be very apt to miss it: the better plan is to
wait till it has passed, and then turn and take a fair shot at it.
If, however, you prefer shooting as the bird advances towards you,
aim for the head, or rather the bill, when he has arrived at a fair
shocting distance. If coming very swiftly, as they most generally
do when frightened, it will not be too much to aim even a foot
or more before the bird. When shooting at long distances, be
careful to hold the gun full high; as shot, after going a certain
distance, has, as a matter of course, a downward tendency. The
most common fault committed by sportsmen generally is the too
frequent habit of shooting under their game; and we are satisfied
from repeated observation that where one bird is missed by shoot-
ing too high, ten are missed by shooting too low. When, however,
the game is flushed on the side of a hill and takes a downward
course, the point of aim should then be at the feet, or the load
will pass over the object, as it must be recollected that the bird is
now descending—quite the opposite of its usual habit. To ob-
viate the inconvenience arising from the smoke of the first barrel,
or, in other words, to prevent the smoke of the first barrel
interfering with the shooting or sighting of the second barrel,
more particularly when a covey rises, we would advise our readers
to get as many cross shots as possible. This can be done by
either heading the dogs or by flushing the birds from the side, and
not going directly on the game from the dogs, which practice, by-
the-by, most generally is bad.
COVERT SHOOTING.
In covert shooting the same rules are applicable as we have
already laid down for open shooting; the only difference is, that
we must be more fully on the gud vive to take advantage of all
and every chance, as we often see the bird for a moment only,
and then it is lost to our sight among the trees or thick under-
wood; and, as before remarked, we constantly kill birds in thick
coppices without ever seeing them at all.
60 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
A snap shot is more successful in the woods than a plain shot;
and the reader should recollect that in firing snap shots the fault
most generally committed is shooting under the bird, forgetting
that the bird is on the rise, almost always, when first flushed.
Never beat the bushes with your gun, or you may shoot a
favorite dog, or perhaps, what would be a hundred times worse,
you may shoot a friend; the habit is an unsportsmanlike and
dangerous one, and should never be tolerated in a companion.
You cannot be too careful with your gun in covert shooting;
its position should be watched with the most jealous attention,
and never for one moment neglected, more especially if shooting
in company; for a twig or a bough may catch the hammer or
trigger at any moment, and commit perhaps irreparable injury
either to yourself or friend. Be ever cautious also in climbing
fences or jumping ditches.
BOTH EYES OPEN.
Some shooters fire with both eyes wide open. ‘This practice
is a mere peculiarity acquired by some ready shots, but which
does not possess a single advantage over the old style of closing
the left eye to recommend it to our notice. But, on the con-
trary, we are convinced that no one, except by very long prac-
tice, can shoot with the same degree of certainty with both eyes
open as he can when one is shut in the usual way. The manner
of acquiring this knack is to hold the eyes steadily upon the
object, bring the gun up to the proper position, and draw upon
the trigger without sighting down the barrel, the hand and finger
actually obeying the promptings of the eye without there being
any actual collusion, or, rather, concert of action, between the two
organs. Some sportsmen, however, recommend the novice to
begin shooting with both eyes upon the game, insisting that this
practice is the best. Although we differ with these gentlemen
upon this subject, we do not wish our opinions to be considered
paramount, or more worthy of credence than theirs, but, on the
contrary, are willing to believe all they say upon this head, not-
SHOOTING ON THE WING. 61
withstanding our own personal experience teaches us quite the
contrary. For “snap shooting” this plan certainly answers a
very good purpose; but a “snap shot’ is generally a very dis-
agreeable companion to shoot with, and we would not advise any
of our friends to be ambitious in this particular. The birds are
usually, under the hands of a ‘“‘snap shot,” horribly mangled, and
frequently fired upon before his companion has time to put up his
piece, which, to say the least of it, if often repeated, is ill-bred
on the part of the shooter and mortifying to his companion.
Although we do not admire a “snap shot,” we trust that our
readers will not understand us as recommending a ‘poking shot”
to their attention; for we most heartily detest a “poking shot,”
who brings up his gun ever and anon, and dwells upon his bird,
following it in its course for several yards before drawing the
trigger, or perhaps takes his gun down without firing at all, com-
placently remarking “that he could not cover it to his satis-
faction.” Such a poker usually prides himself upon his excellent
shooting; that is, notes down with unexampled minuteness the
exact number of shots he has made in the course of the day
without missing a bird. Such kind of shooting we entirely
eschew, and consider it beneath the dignity of a true sportsman;
as for ourselves, we would rather miss three shots out of five, all
day long, than go pottering about in this style, picking our shots.
If the art of shooting is to be reduced to such a systematic piece
of business that we are never to shoot except when we are sure
of killing our bird, we for one would be glad enough to abandon
the field altogether, as one-half, if not all, the pleasurable excite-
ment consequent upon the pursuit of game consists in the un-
certainty, the doubts, the disappointments, and hopes, that we
encounter. If on the one hand we suffer some personal chagrin
owing to our carelessness in missing a fair shot, we receive on the
other hand double gratification in killing on a doubtful chance;
and the results of the day’s shooting will always be in favor of the
man who shoots at all and every chance, though he may have
missed three times as often as the tedious “ potterer.”
62 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
Avail yourself of every opportunity to shoot, more particularly
when the birds are scattered in thick cover early in the season, as
you will acquire by this means a knack of killing the birds even
when they have passed entirely from your sight behind the thick |
foliage. This knack is a very necessary one in early autumn
shooting, before Jack Frost has sufficiently nipped vegetation with
his icy fingers. This kind of shooting requires considerable prac-
tice, a quick eye and a ready hand, and is the style of shooting _
that all American sportsmen have to attain; and it is in this
particular more especially that they excel the great field-shots
of England. Most of the shooting in the Atlantic States is done
in the wood and thick cover, through which the birds at some
seasons can scarcely force their way; and we are not astonished
that English sportsmen speak so disparagingly of its pleasures, as
partridge shooting with us is quite a different affair from going out
after them in the rich stubbles of their preserves; and what is still
worse for them, when they have found our birds, they discover,
greatly to their mortification, that they cannot kill them near as
often as they do their own varieties, without first serving some-
thing of an apprenticeship to the sport, under the guidance of
some one of their friends more skilled in the craft of our game.
When shooting in the open stubble-fields, we are enabled to see
the game, and correctly judge of position, distance, bulk, Xe. ;
but in the woods and coppices of our country we do not actually
see, but learn to guess at all these necessary circumstances; and
that, too, without the exercise of thought in the operation, if such
a thing were possible; as the arm in most instances seems to obey
a sudden and irresistible impulse, no time being allowed for any
action of the mind upon the subject, for in thicket-shooting we
often kill birds without ever seeing them. The difficulty of killing
partridges is not the only thing that the English sportsman has to
complain of, as will be seen in the following extract, taken from
the journal of a traveller who appears to have been both dis-
couraged and disappointed in his expectations of sporting in
America :—
SHOOTING ON THE WING. 63
‘‘ Hares and pheasants there are none, and partridges are scarce;
woodcocks and snipes are uncertain, both as to season and situa-
tion. It is true that great quantities of other birds may sometimes
be killed,—for instance, wild ducks and pigeons, which are seen
occasionally in flocks of many miles in extent; but, after all, and
much as I have heard of American shooting, in my opinion it is
poor, insipid diversion, compared with the English, being pursued
without any kind of system or science, and reminding me more of
the onsets of our mechanics and shopmen, let loose at Christmas
and on holidays, to range the fields no matter where, and pounce
upon all, no matter what, than of any thing worthy the name of
shooting. Let no English sportsman think to better himself by
emigration in this respect. Ill answer, upon trial, for his total
disappointment.”
In reply to the above, we must say that Mr. Fowler’s remarks
are calculated to give his countrymen a very unjust and unfavor-
able idea of sporting in the States. He must have been very un-
fortunate in the selection of his shooting-grounds when among us,
to be forced to assert that partridges are scarce in America, or
that woodcocks and snipes are uncertain both as to season and
situation; for all three of these birds are to be found in almost
every State of the Union in considerable abundance, at the proper
time, as will be found by referring to our articles on these sub-
jects. It would be folly in us to waste time in refuting all that
has been said by Englishmen in reference to our sporting; and we
therefore pass the matter over without further comment, as we are
satisfied that the contents of this book will tell a different tale from
what many of them have written.*
ee mre
* What would Mr. Fowler’s readers think of the following extract, taken from
one of our daily Western papers, of March, 1855 ?—
‘“N. Powers, of Fayette County, Iowa, lately drove into Dubuque with a load of
game, consisting of one thousand partridges, one thousand prairie-hens, (grouse, )
one hundred hares, eight deers, five wolf-skins, two bear-skins.”’
Or of this, from the ‘‘ Cleveland Leader :”—
«‘Dr. Short and his son shot two hundred and nineteen English snipe in one and
a half days on the borders of Mud Creek, near the head of Sandusky Bay. When
64 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
KILLING CLEAN.
Be not satisfied with wounding your game only, but aspire to
become a, nice, clean shot, as it will save you much trouble and
vexation, and make your dog show to more advantage. For in-
stance, if a covey rise, and we wound two birds and see them
fluttering on the ground before us, we feel great anxiety as to
their fate; and, fearing lest they might get off, or secrete them-
selves so that the dogs cannot find them, we can with difficulty sup-
press the strong desire that naturally rises in our mind to quit our
position, before loading, to secure them; much less, then, can we
hope to overcome this impulsive inclination on the part of our
dogs. In spite of repeated castigations, the excited animals will
rush after the fluttering birds, and persist in catching them, in
opposition to all our endeavors; and the consequence is the flush-
ing of one or two laggers, who often remain behind when the
coveys spring, and both of which might have been bagged if our
we consider that these birds are only shot singly, and only on the wing, we con-
sider this extraordinary shooting. They found the ducks rather scarce, as they
only bagged about fifty in two days.”
Or this, from the ‘‘ Lancaster Herald,” of Grant county, Wisconsin, of January,
1856 :—
‘‘Game is very plenty with us, this season, in all parts of the State. Venison
is sold daily in our streets as common as pork and beef, and at the same price.
Prairie-chickens (pinnated grouse) and pheasants (ruffed grouse) are offered for
sale by the boys at our doors at one dollar to one dollar and a quarter per dozen,
partridges at forty cents per dozen, hares at one dollar per dozen, wild turkeys
twenty-five cents each.”
Or this, from the Philadelphia ‘‘ North American,” of January, 1856 :—
‘“Wi~p GAME FRoM THE WeEst.—A week ago two hundred boxes of partridges,
averaging, probably, one hundred birds to a box, were shipped eastward from
Janesville, Wisconsin; and a short time previous to the 8th inst. two hundred
deer were shot in the neighborhood of Sparta, in the same State, and sent east-
ward.”
Or this, from the same journal, of a little later date :—
‘The ‘ Vincennes Gazette’ notices the arrival at that place of two thousand four
hundred hares, six barrels of partridges, fourteen whole deer, twenty-five saddles
of venison, one hundred and forty-four prairie-hens, (grouse,) together with wild-
geese, wild ducks, wild turkeys, squirrels, &c. &c. to an almost incredible extent:
making, in all, five wagon-loads.”
SHOOTING ON THE WING. 65
piece had been loaded. Much time is also lost in hunting up
wounded birds, to say nothing of the labor and worriment attend-
ing it; for we know nothing more provoking than to see a bird
fall and flutter within a few feet of us and not be able to lay our
hand upon it. Every bird, therefore, should be killed dead at from
twenty-five to thirty paces and under, with a good gun and the
proper ammunition: we occasionally have knocked birds down at
much greater distances, even as far as fifty, sixty, and seventy
paces by actual measurement; but we esteem all such lucky shots
as mere accidents.
Not only on the score of vexation and trouble should the sports-
man strive to become a clean shot, but for humanity’s sake also,
as a bungler in this respect will mutilate and abandon to a linger-
ing death more birds in the course of a day than he will actually
bag.
which exposed them to their direst enemy. My remarks were
general, but tended to strengthen the opinion I had adopted. |
For instance, I excursed very many times with large parties,
where they might be said to be a pack of dogs from their numbers,
and most of them approved hunters. Often have I seen, in large
clearings, five or six coveys of partridges flushed, amounting pro-
bably to a hundred birds, and, although scarcely a brace of them
would leave the open grounds, not more than a fifth part of them >
could be recovered. ‘The sportsmen did not seem to think of their
failure, and no one would disparage the truth of the charming
Venuses, Junos, Dianas, and Coras, so sedulously engaged for his |
amusement. After such a field, I have made it a practice to
return alone to it after the lapse of sufficient time, and I always —
|
found that the birds had not left it, but that, having resumed
their natural or usual habits, were easily flushed. In October, |
1824, I became assured of the truth of my doctrine. I was then,
in company with five gentlemen, in a fine partridge country. We
THE PARTRIDGE. 101
‘had eleven dogs (setters and pointers) of approved value. The
‘party concluded to range a field or two before breakfast; but I
‘did not go out with them. I soon heard rapid firing in a new
‘cleared ground in sight of the tavern-house. I hurried to join
| them. There was a small meadow-land and a little brook inter-
‘yening between us. On the margin of this meadow stood a large
‘pine stump, covered with running-dewberry vines, and surrounded
, by small oak-shrubs. I was within sixty yards of it, and parallel
to it, when two partridges came directly towards me, across the
‘meadow. Having but one barrel charged, I fired upon the nearest
‘bird, and killed it. The other made a sudden dart from its line,
“and took refuge among the shrubs and briers about the stump. I
‘had my favorite dog and a very valuable pointer-bitch with me.
‘Having recharged, I approached in guard upon the marked bird;
‘but the dogs gave no point. This was the proper time to test my
‘belief; I therefore called off the dogs, and waited till I could have
‘every one on the ground brought to the spot. This was done; but
'there was no intimation given that there was a bird near us. We
“left the ground without remark or explanation, and retired to
‘breakfast. In an hour we took the field for the day. I requested
‘the gentlemen to indulge me again by an advance upon the stump,
‘leading the van myself with the pointer-bitch. She instantly
‘pointed, and the other dogs backed her. The bird was flushed and
“shot. I now explained myself fully, and Mr. Edward Tilghman,
(well known to most American sportsmen, was greatly struck with
"it. THe expressed great pleasure too at it, as he said it would save
‘many valuable animals from unmerited censure. He told me,
‘moreover, that he had more than once noticed the same fact with
‘pheasants and grouse. I think it highly probable that these birds
‘are endowed with the same power; but I have not had sufficient
"experience to speak of them with any certainty. Last week, on
| one of our steamboats, Colonel 8. B. Davis, formerly of the United
‘States army, a great sportsman in his day, asked me, without any
‘previous conversation on the subject, why the best dogs could not
‘sometimes find a single partridge in open ground. The fact was
ee
102 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
forced upon him, but he had no thought of the solution here
advanced. Yours, respectfully,
SaMvuEL B. Smiru, M.D.
Although this communication occupies some space in our work,
we are satisfied that every one will feel pleased with its perusal, as
it presents a plain unvarnished relation of facts that admit of no
doubting or misunderstanding. So far as our experience has
enabled us to judge of this matter, we are inclined to coincide with
Doctor Smith in his original notions on the subject; and we also
might enumerate many instances of like nature with those ad-
vanced by him, and as fully corroborative of what he wishes to
establish. But, having already devoted much space to the subject,
we must pass on to other less obscure points in the habits of this
bird.
ENEMIES OF THE PARTRIDGE.
Man is not the only enemy that partridges have to fear, as there
are several animals—such as the fox, raccoon, weasel, polecat, ser-
pent, hawk, crow, &c.—that not only, when pressed for food in
the winter season, destroy the old birds, but also devour great
quantities of the young, and consume numberless eggs during the
period of incubation.
Among the foes of their own species there are none more
THE PARTRIDGE. 103
_ destructive than the sparrowhawk, pigeonhawk, and goshawk, who
follow after and destroy great numbers of them early in the autumn,
when they are comparatively weak and unwary and not sufficiently
alert to elude their grasp by rapid flight to the thick coverts. The
pigeon-hawk, being much larger and stronger than the former,
does not hesitate, on a favorable occasion, to dart down and
carry off the oldest and strongest birds. Nothing terrifies a covey
so much, when feeding in the open country, as the appearance of
this formidable marauder. Skimming along the tops of the stubble-
fields, so near to the ground as scarcely to be discovered, he comes
stealthily upon his unconscious victims, and fastens his deadly
talons in their very vitals, bearing them off screaming to the
nearest tree, to satisfy his cruel appetite. The covey, startled at
his approach, fly in every direction, secreting themselves in the
thickets of brushwood, deep grass, and almost impenetrable cripples.
When partridges have been frightened in this way, they take a
long time to collect together again, as they dare not give utter-
ance to a single note-call, while dreading the presence of their
relentless foe.
We have often come across birds disturbed by this fearless free-
booter, and found them extremely wild and shy, not permitting a
dog to come within a hundred yards of them. When the winter is
severe in the middle and northern latitudes, these hawks, more
particularly the goshawks, a larger species, are driven to great
extremities for food, as most of the small birds, their usual prey,
have left for more congenial climes; and then it is that the
formidable goshawk visits the barnyards in search of plunder, and
does not hesitate to carry off the largest chickens. It is no un-
common thing for shooters to see this daring depredator dip down
into a covey when within a few yards of his own person; and a gen-
tleman informs me that he has seen them pounce upon and carry
off partridges which were brought to the ground a few moments
before by the gun, and that, on a certain occasion, he actually shot
one when in the very act of making off with a bird which he had
seized the moment it was knocked down at a long shot.
104 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
Th: goshawk also destroys immense numbers of passenger-
pigeons, as well as the different varieties of ducks, such as mal-
lards, teal, black-duck, &e. Audubon mentions having seen this
hawk strike and carry off all these fowl, and we imagine that
almost every sportsman must be familiar with their extreme bold-
ness and daring. After seizing mallards, they turn them belly
upwards and eat the flesh off their breasts, disdaining all other less
tender and juicy parts of the body when food is so plentiful.
The sparrowhawk is also a most outrageous poacher upon all
kinds of birds, and, being extremely dainty in his taste and habits,
we doubt not that he also destroys numbers of young partridges,
if not the old ones. We have over and over again witnessed him
in the act of carrying off smaller birds.
Sportsmen should never fail to kill these birds of prey whenever
met with, as they answer no particular good purpose, and often
materially interfere with their recreations. It is no uncommon
thing for a hawk, in severe weather, to linger about the haunts of
a covey of birds for several days together, picking off one or two
whenever a suitable opportunity presents, until the whole covey
is destroyed.
PREDICTIONS REGARDING GAME.
An observant sportsman will, or rather should, be able to pre-
dict, with some degree of certainty, the probable abundance or
scarcity of game, according to the mildness or severity of the
previous winter, the dryness or wetness of the spring, and the
many other concomitant circumstances which influence the habits
of game-birds in different localities.
HAUNTS OF PARTRIDGES.
If the day be fine and clear, the birds will be found on the
wing at a very early hour; if, on the other hand, it be wet and
cold, they seem very loath to leave their roosting-places, delaying
their flights as long as possible, even until the day is far advanced.
And if rain should set in, they will most generally desert the
THE PARTRIDGE. 105
open fields entirely, and take to the woods and thickets for pro
tection.
; ‘¢Or when the country floats with sudden rains,
Or driving mists deface the moistened plains,
In vain his toils the unskilful fowler tries,
While in thick woods the feeding partridge lies.”
If the weather has been dry and warm for several days previous
to going out, it will be perfect folly to hunt on the hills where
there is a scarcity of water. And, in like manner, if the season
has been wet, it will be equally irrational to wade through the
low grounds, as these birds neither affect very dry situations nor
wet localities, but, on the contrary, prefer rich stubble-fields in the
immediate vicinity of a clear running stream, to which they love
to resort to quench their thirst after the morning’s feeding, and
preen themselves for a while in the noonday sun. If the weather
be boisterous and windy, without rain, partridges may most fre-
quently be found on the edge of close cover, or on the sides of
rising ground, where they betake themselves for shelter. On such
days they will lie very badly, and will not suffer the approach of
a dog, although a quiet old pointer will occasionally get right on
oo?
top of a covey, owing to the wind carrying all noise off from
the birds, provided he hunts up wind, as all dogs should be taught
to do.
If, besides being stormy, a drizzling, drenching rain should set
in, we would advise the sportsman to withdraw at once from the
field, and wait patiently until the elements prove more propitious ;
otherwise, he will not only run the risk of an attack of rheuma-
tism, but also of ill-humor, while his dogs will soon become jaded
and his game-bag continue empty. It is of no use to kick
against the pricks, neither is it of any avail to get out of temper
and make fight with the elements, as rain it will in spite of all our
scolding and bad-humor; and it will be much better to hold our-
selves perfectly resigned to the will of the Fates, and endeavor to
preserve our minds unruffled by conning over to some good and
patient listener the numerous wonderful achievements of our gun
and dog in former days. If, however, you are of a taciturn dispo-
106 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
sition, and take no delight in these interesting and often romantic
recitals, what shall we advise you to do to pass the time when,
perhaps, quartered away in some dreary, sequestered spot, out of
the reach of books, newspapers, or any thing else whereby to
satisfy an inquiring and active mind? Ah! we have it. Call for
the family Bible; for where can you find a household, in our favored
country, that does not possess one of these time-worn testimonials
of bygone days? ‘Turn to the register of births, deaths, and mar-
riages, and you will soon find yourself lost in deciphering the
hieroglyphics of these important family records, and perhaps thus
while away an hour or two in studying some long genealogical
table, gravely proving that the ancient founder of the American
Smith family first landed at Plymouth with the pilgrims from the
Old World, and afterwards emigrated to these parts, where he
built a log-cabin on the identical spot now covered by the house
you are in, and which still, even to this day, continues in the pos-
session of the lineal descendants of the said Smith family. What
a discovery! Before fully awakening from your surprise, the rain,
perhaps, will have ceased, the sun broken forth, and you can again
joyfully sally forth to the fields. If this, perchance, will not
engage your attention, draw a chair up to the hickory fire that
blazes and crackles at your feet, plant your broad back against
the chimney, look sullen, kick the dogs, and go to sleep as soon as
possible. Or, if it suits you better, walk up and down the room
for an hour at a time, making the whole house shake and tremble
with your heavy tread, scolding, and staring out of the windows
every few moments, to see if the lowering clouds are blowing
away, or to halloo after the hostler or farm-hands, whenever you
espy them about the premises, demanding their opinion as to the
state of the weather, which, nine times out of ten, will be very
cheering :—such, for example, as, “‘ Well, I can’t say, sair; it looks
pretty black out in this ’ere direction.” ‘Indeed, it’s very hard
to tell, sair; but it sometimes clears up when the wind shifts around
to that ’ere quarter;’’ pointing to the west, and the wind still
blowing a perfect gale from the east.
THE PARTRIDGE. 107
GOOD WEATHER.
In fair weather, partridges will be found out in the stubble, clo-
ver, or corn-fields, near to a hedge or some other cover. If a
buckwheat-patch be in the neighborhood, it must of course be
visited; for if there be any birds in those parts, they will most
likely be about this field in preference to all others. As we have
stated before, they are very partial to this kind of grain. Par-
tridges generally feed until eleven or twelve o’clock, and are then
either quiescent for an hour or two, or resort to some favorite
watering-place or gravelly bank, where they scratch and pick
themselves while basking in the sun. We have often found them,
at this time, on the sunny side of the trunk of a fallen tree, in a
fresh clearing, and always make it a point to hunt around all such
places, more particularly if a purling stream should be in the
. Vicinity.
HINTS FOR THE SPORTSMAN.
It behooves the shooter at this hour of the day to desist for a
while from his labors, and refresh himself as well as his dogs with
a little quiet and a small snack of something to eat and drink.
He need not be fearful of wasting time by this trifling suspension
of his sport, as both himself and dogs will hunt with more vigor
and energy after this truce, and the birds will have had time to
collect together their scattered forces, ready for another onset,
provided he should retrace his steps over the morning’s grounds.
Fresh birds will also have left their watering-places, and be busily
occupied in the stubble-fields feeding. A selfish disposition is to
be despised in any one; but when it occupies a large space in the
heart of a sporting character, it is more frequently and disgust-
ingly displayed than in any other person: at least, such is our
opinion of the matter; and when a shooter has such a wild furor for
killing birds that he cannot remain quiet for half an hour during
this period of the day, or suffer his faithful dogs to snatch a few
moments of respite from their arduous duties, but, on the contrary,
108 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
considers such an intermission of his sport as an actual loss of
time, we are forced to class him with that unenviable race of beings
known as pot-hunters, or, at all events, but one degree above them,
and, of course, mean and narrow-minded in the extreme.
“Some greedy elves—
Pot-hunters vile !—appear to grieve
If forced a single bird to leave.
Such men avoid, and be your pride
With those that soon are satisfied.”
WO N\
ts NY\
as" <
QC \ ars
Fre
—
LY
~
~
~~
EARLY DAWN.
Before leaving their roosts in the morning, partridges appear to
welcome the return of a new day, and to congratulate themselves
on the general safety of the family circle, by a low, shrill, twitter-
ing noise, somewhat resembling the sounds produced by young
turkeys, or perhaps more cheerful and harmonious than that often
heard issuing from a covey when in the act of springing, if dis-
turbed while feeding in an open field. These mutual greetings at
an end, the covey take their flight to some favorite feeding-ground,
most generally the adjoining field, or perhaps run off in quest of
food immediately around them; but they are not very apt to roost
in the same field where they habitually feed.
The reason why partridges seldom or never roost in the same
field where they feed is perhaps owing to a natural instinctive pre-
THE PARTRIDGE. 109
caution which they possess; that is, the dread they have of leaving
a trail behind them by which they could be traced or scented out
by some one of their numerous enemies during the night, and sud-
denly pounced upon either by the prowling fox, raccoon, polecat,
or any other nocturnal animal common to the districts of country
which they frequent. To prevent this trail being left behind them,
which would necessarily be the case if they ran to roost, they very
cunpingly take a short flight to an adjoining field, and settle down
for the night immediately about the spot where they alight. By
this device they entirely free themselves of the treacherous trail
which otherwise would follow them to their unprotected retreat.
att?
SNOW.
If it should snow, the birds keep close huddled together under
some brushwood, in the deep sedge, or in the corners of what are -
called snake or worm-fences. They never go about during a snow-
storm, and consequently are often covered completely up by a deep
fall, and find great difficulty in freeing themselves from their cheer-
less prison when the tempest has abated. When the weather
threatens to be severe and the snow very deep, in the interior of
the Atlantic States, partridges betake themselves to the neighbor-
hood of the sea-shore, where it is usually milder, and the snow but
seldom lies over a day or two. There is also generally a great
abundance of thick sedge in such localities, in the depths of which
they find shelter and plenty of food. In the autumn of 1845 we
met with great numbers of partridges in the sedge on the sea-shore,
and witnessed some excellent shooting by a companion, a memo-
randum of which we published at the time in the Spirit, and now
avail ourselves of this opportunity to transfer it to these pages.
PARTRIDGE SHOOTING IN DELAWARE.
Friday, Nov. 28—Fair, but blowing a gale; bagged.........sssesereecneereeres 42
Saturday, Nov. 29—Good day, but over the same ground........-.-sesseeesee 33
Tuesday, Dec. 2—Blowing a stiff breeze, and over the same ground, with
little Variation. ........00c0-ssesccsssecssdocecsccesnaccesssacsecscnouccasesceecesees 385
Bees adsaelcvessedsccccsdsewsccccnsdsdutssenwenevantuuccussseteves vende 110
Or, within a fraction of 37 birds per diem.
{10 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
Nearly if not every bird was killed singly, as we were particu-
larly unfortunate in shooting into coveys, never having bagged over
two at any one time; but most generally we tipped the first two
tht rose when flushed.
Since writing the above account for the Sprit, we have heard
of some shooting that far exceeded this cownt in the number of
the slain; but we doubt very much whether the shooting in itself
was beaten, for, taking the state of the weather, the quantity of
birds, and all other attendant circumstances, into consideration, we
think there are very few of our crack shots that could have done
as well, and many we are sure would not have accomplished as
much. The best shooting, however, or rather the biggest shooting,
on partridges, that we have yet heard of, is that of three gentle-
men living in the neighborhood of Lynchburg, Virginia, who
bagged over one hundred partridges each during one day’s shoot-
ing. This season of 1851 and 1852, partridges have been un-
usually plenty, more particularly along the large watercourses,
owing to several circumstances, all of which an observant sports-
man will readily understand.*
Firstly. The previous winter having been remarkably mild and
open, few or no birds were destroyed by exposure to cold; neither
were they driven by the scarcity of food into the deceptive traps or
still more cruel tunnel-nets.
* Game ABUNDANT.—We learn from the Upper Mississippi country, that the
prairies in the vicinity of Keokuk and Rock Island are teeming with partridges
in unheard-of abundance. Large numbers are now brought from those places to
the New Orleans market. A few days since we noticed, on board of a steamboat,
coops containing one hundred and forty dozen of these birds. Also, the steamer
Saranak, on her last trip down, brought one hundred dozen. A gentleman informs
us, that a party with nets left Keokuk lately, and repaired to the island below that
town. They took four hundred birds in a single afternoon. Partridges sell in
this market at from 75 cents to $1 per dozen. In Keokuk they can be had at
from 40 to 50 cents per dozen.
The St. Louis Evening News also states that large quantities of grouse, par-
tridges, deer, and other game, are daily sent from that place, almost every steamer
carrying out as many as it can accommodate. They are shipped to various points
on the Ohio, and in many instances have been sent as far as Baltimore, Philadelphia,
and New York. So large has this export been this season, that these articles are
now commanding an unusually high rate at St. Louis.
—
THE PARTRIDGE. iit
Secondly. The following spring and summer months were un-
usually dry, and especially suited for the purposes of hatching
and rearing the young brood, which often suffer so lamentably from
the effects of a long-continued wet spell, as we have before re-
marked under a different heading.
Thirdly. The drought having extended through the summer
and even autumn months, all the smaller streams and inland water-
courses became entirely dry; and those sections of country thus
failing in water were abandoned en masse by all the birds; and
this will account for their location among the hills and stubble-
fields adjacent to the large river-courses. We met this season with
great numbers of partridges on the large and beautifully-cultivated
islands of the Susquehanna, but found it rather difficult to shoot
them, in consequence of the birds on the first alarm darting along
and under the high river-banks, where they conceal themselves so
securely that it is quite impossible to drive them out. Our friend
C. T. Phillips, Esq., killed this season sixty-one birds in one day,
which of itself is sufficient to prove how numerous they must have
been ;—not wishing, however, by this remark, to detract in the
least from our friend’s skill in shooting; for every one who has
been out with him in the field knows that he is one of the very
best shots that goes forth from our city; but in ordinary seasons
it is not very often that the most industrious and persevering
sportsman will get sixty-one shots in a day, much less bag so
many birds.
One of Mr. Skinner’s correspondents, detailing some of the
particulars of a day’s shooting, states that his companion fired
forty-three times, killed thirty-eight, and wounded four, only
missing clearly once; and, what is most remarkable of all, this
accomplished sportsman, with a double-barrelled flint gun, whirled
and fired five times with both barrels, in different directions, killed
nine times, and wounded the tenth. This we consider the best
record of shooting that has as yet come to our knowledge; and we
agree with the chronicler of these worthy deeds that it required
“@ ready hand and a quick eye’ to accomplish it, when we recol-
112 : LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
lect, as before observed, that the American partridge, sans doute,
is the most difficult of all game-birds to be brought down. This,
too, 1s the opinion of Frank Forrester, and all others equally com-
petent to judge.
A friend of the author’s, a genuine sportsman, at our particular
request very kindly furnished us with a leaf from his shooting-
register for the year 1854, which exhibits the following results :—
DEE err seepeconctccodancr Hee aaAaAn Ce ber cbs sabuHscoten ae i
aires sass she nen enisac s Sone ae onan ee ee een Serene 45
Woilidsducksite.ce.ccsessssseccecsomsencamueaccsateeuee 18
Reed STOUSO. 6. cn015 80s svesacnupeoadenecesanenanens 11
Pertridigess (3... sche user oan deswndecegbeseccenene cate 539
WO balllice rene seacarsru cetemare nese secetaeeies 652
All of the above were bagged within the limits of Pennsylvania
except the deer, which were killed in the State of New York
during one hunt, circumstances having prevented any other ex-
peditions.
Provided with one dog only, and in the same neighborhood—in
fact, almost over the same ground each day, this accomplished
sportsman brought to bag as follows :—
1854 PARTRIDGES, WOODCOCKS. HARES. HEAD.
October 16....... DE RRR na rencoctdone se actoscae anbes 23
ee US cases BO eescceien cst Dew ausesseciee AN cust senetoues 48
es MOE eae PTAA a Ret emcee cont her Ougledierdenekoes ol
ee Pe coaces Dil wane vennen. | ene anes es a eas 31
a DT sees AD cents aeeivos ceteeees Aa tisaeiocass 4T
Rotaliiscssacusceees G3 eee eye sacs seas 1 rer 180
THE FIELD.
“«See how the well-taught setter leads the way:
The scent grows warm. He stops; he springs the prey ;
The fluttering coveys from the stubble rise,
And on swift wing divide the sounding skies.
The scattering lead pursues the certain sight;
And death, in thunder, overtakes their flight.”
It is now quite time that we should proceed to the field, which
we will endeavor to do with all possible despatch, accompanied by
all the paraphernalia necessary for the legitimate and sportsmanlike
THE PARTRIDGE. 118
way of bagging game, and properly equipped, or rather suitably
dressed, as every gentleman should be under all circumstances,
whether in the ballroom, encompassed on every side by a gay
throng of sparkling eyes, not less fatal in their glances oftentimes
than the reeking shot that is sent whirling from his unerring gun,
or in the wide-extended stubble-field, surrounded by his faithful
setters, stanch pointers, crafty marksman, and jovial companions.
The uncleared state of our country, and a comfortable scarcity of
game in the Middle States, render it necessary to have two dogs;
at all events, it is much better to have them, and, from our ex-
perience, we are led to recommend one to be a pointer and the
other a setter. The weather in the early part of the season is
often very Warm and dry; and the setter, if overworked, will most
assuredly give out if not lavishly supplied with water, which, by-
the-by, it is often impossible to obtain in some districts of country ;
while the pointer, on the other hand, will suffer very little or no
inconvenience either from the heat or thirst. The setter, however,
is peculiarly serviceable at this period of the season: being well
protected by his long shaggy hair, he does not for a moment hesi-
tate to penetrate the closest coverts, to which the birds are so apt
to take when disturbed. It is quite impossible for the smooth-
haired, wiry pointer to insinuate himself into these brakes or fast-
nesses; and if, in his eagerness to keep up with his companion, he
is forced into such places, he always retires from them with his
body and tail dreadfully lacerated by the thorns and briers that
are now flourishing so thick and rank.
Having provided ourselves with dogs and all necessary ammuni-
tion, we will now imagine that we have arrived, at a late hour in
the afternoon, at the tavern or farm-house from which we purpose
to sally the next morning in pursuit of game. ‘The first thing to
be attended to by every sensible sportsman is the welfare of his
dogs, as most of his enjoyment depends upon their exertions,
and therefore no trouble on his part should be spared to keep them
in proper condition. The dogs being well fed and comfortably
housed, the sportsman may then think of his own comfort. We
8
114 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
never trust any one to feed our dogs, no matter how fatigued we
may be, but make it a positive rule, from which there is no appeal,
to attend to this duty ourselves, and most generally superintend
the cooking of their suppers as well as sharing it out to them *
when done; for where can we find an ignorant country-servant or
farm-hand willing to bestow the necessary attention upon the pre-
paration and serving-up of food for an over-fatigued and perhaps
delicate pointer? Besides all this, there is another reason, equally
important, why the sportsman should feed his dogs himself: it
attaches the animals to him, and consequently makes them the
more subservient to his will, and therefore the more anxious to do
that which will merit his caresses and kind treatment. This is
really far more important than many careless owners of dogs
suppose; it is a feature in sporting that should not be over-
looked, and we wish particularly to call the attention of our
friends to its operation. For, after all, the pleasures resulting ~
from the field are almost entirely dependent upon the good and
gentle behavior of our dogs; for without their exhilarating presence
and cheerful assistance, the hunting of most game would be not
only very tame, but very uncertain amusement.
Having partaken of our supper, smoked our regalia, and sipped
perhaps a glass of warm punch,—but only one, and that very light,—
we retire to our own room at an early hour, unpack our carpet-bag,
and arrange all the shooting-apparatus ready for the morrow’s
expedition. This being done, we go to bed, sleep soundly, and
get up at the first dawn of day, big with expectations and ready
for action. Every thing being arranged over-night, we find all
the shooting-accoutrements at our very finger-ends, and conse-
quently are enabled to dress very leisurely, without bustle or
confusion. Breakfast being despatched,—which, by-the-by, should
be a very substantial repast,—we call our dogs around us, give ,
them a light feed without flesh, and then, with a chosen companion, —
away to the fields,
“Soon as the eastern skies display
The rosy tints of welcome day.”
THE PARTRIDGE. 115
Do not be in too great a hurry for the first half hour. Go along
leisurely, and give the dogs an opportunity to empty themselves,
clear their nostrils, and tune their olfactory apparatus to a fine
‘degree of nicety by snuffing the untainted morning breeze.
_ It is always better to engage the services of a person to act
as marker. He can also carry on his arm a small basket con-
taining extra ammunition and a few nicely-prepared sandwit: hes
for luncheon.
MODE OF HUNTING DOGS.
Having already given a very minute and detailed account of
the partridge, as well as carried the sportsman into the field and
conducted him to the spots where he would most likely find the
game, it now remains for us to talk with him upon a subject of
the utmost importance,—namely, “the proper manner in which to
hunt his dogs.”
In the first place, let me warn you against venturing into the
field for a day’s hunt with half-broken dogs, more especially if in
company, as you will only worry yourself and annoy your friends;
but rather stay at home, or go alone attended by such torments.
‘Tf you go in company, you will not be able to teach them any
thing, owing to the ill-temper either of yourself or friends;
whereas, on the other hand, if you go alone, you will soon break
them in, after a few disappointments, and perhaps have a fine day’s
shooting. An old stanch pointer is the best field mentor for
116 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
‘young dogs,—far preferable to a setter, no matter how superior
he may be, as the pointer makes a far more honest and unmis-
takable stand than the setter, and at all times is more certain in
his behavior.
Young and heedless dogs at all times are great pests in the
field, and we are often led to suppose that they ought to be broken
thoroughly before taken out; at all events, they should be under
perfect control, so far as coming and going, before we force them
into the company of our friends’ dogs to run and caper over the
fields, flushing and tearing after the birds, perfectly reckless of the
consequences. However, we have not much fear of a well-bred
dog, while under our tuition, disturbing the sport of our friends
while in the field, after we have once made him understand the
gross impropriety of running after birds; for we are satisfied that
few or none will ever repeat the offence a second or third time after |
they have escaped from our perhaps cruel hands. If they do, we.
are willing to pass them over to the keeping of some one else far
more patient and tender than we pretend to be with obstinate and
reckless animals. |
Good dogs should be procured by provident sportsmen before |
the shooting season comes around; they can be had far cheaper at i
such times, will become familiar with their new master, and learn |
to understand his every look and gesture. Always purchase young |
dogs in preference to old ones, even if they should not be so well _
broken. Old dogs are contrary, or rather self-willed, and if they —
have perchance any vices, they are difficult to be got rid off.4
Young dogs are far more pliable, and if intelligent will soon |
accommodate themselves to your peculiar habits and modes of |
hunting, and, what is very important, will not require replacing as |
soon as old dogs. You should not expect the dog to study your |
character alone, but recollect that it is equally the duty of the master,
to strive to understand the disposition and temper of his faithful |
coadjutor. If timid and wanting in confidence, he must be cheered |
rather than reproved; if bold and full of action, he must be restrained
within proper bounds; if negligent of commands and regardless of
i
|
THE PARTRIDGE. 117
‘instruction, he must be flogged, and that soundly, till brought to a
proper appreciation of your supreme authority.
_ Some dogs, as individuals, require far more correction than
others; the lash, consequently, should be employed with a tem-
pered hand; no dog ought to be punished except he is made
perfectly sensible of his misconduct, and, being once fully ap-
\prised of his improprieties, should never, through negligence or
sickly sympathy, be allowed to escape the most condign and
immediate chastisement.
_ The fear of punishment at the hands of man has a wonderful
‘influence over the actions of all animals; but over none is this
controlling power more forcibly exercised than in the canine race.
The castigation, to-be-sure, may oftentimes be of the lightest
character—an angry look, a harsh word, or a single blow; still, the
faithful creature feels it all, and that very acutely, and by his
meek submission expresses repentance, and by his servile crouch-
ing acknowledges the utter helplessness of his position.
| It were quite unnecessary for me to tell the sensible sportsman
never to kick or strike a dog with a heavy bludgeon; but we fear
Jest there may be some of our readers who have not properly
thought over this matter, as we have occasionally witnessed scenes
in the field that have fairly thrilled us with horror.
known as the “‘bull or beetle-headed plover.”” Plovers generally
fly high, and keep up an incessant whistling, which being repeated
be the sportsman, the birds are easily decoyed within gunshot.
They are very shy when feeding, and extreme care is requisite to
approach them. When on the sea-shore, they may be shot by the
same artifices resorted to for the killing of curlews or other sea-
birds. When on the open plains, where they are still more difficult
to be got at, the use of a stalking-horse is an excellent plan by
which to circumvent them, and is recommended as a highly suc-
cessful mode of killing them.
A most capital manceuvre, and one adopted by some of our
sporting friends in the country, is to approach them in a careless
manner, either in an old wagon or cart, or on horseback, as they
seldom take alarm at a horse or a vehicle of any description.
Plovers require a very hard rap to bring them down. This
variety is known in England.
As soon as the cold weather sets in, these birds move off to the
South.
DESCRIPTION.
“This species is twelve inches long and twenty-four inches in
extent; the bill is thick, deeply grooved on the upper mandible,
an inch anda quarter in length, and of a black color; the head
and globe of the eye are both remarkably large, the latter deep
bluish-black ; forehead white; crown and hind-head black, spotted
with golden yellow; back and scapulars dusky, sprinkled with the
same golden or orange-colored spots, mixed with others of white ;
breast, belly, and vent, black; sides of the breast whitish; wing-
quills black; middle of the shafts white; greater coverts black,
tipped with white; lining of the wing black; tail regularly barred
with blackish and pure white; tail-coverts pure white; legs and
feet a dusky lead-color; the exterior-toe joined to the middle by a
broad membrane; hind toe very small.
250 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
“From the length of time which these birds take to acquire
their full colors, they are found in very various stages of plumage.
The breast and belly are at first white, gradually appear mottled
with black, and finally become totally black. The spots of orange
or golden on the crown, hind-head, and back, are at first white,
and sometimes even the breast itself is marked with these spots,
mingled among the black. In every stage, the seemingly dispro-
portionate size of the head and thickness of the bill will distinguish
this species.”
GOLDEN PLOVER. CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS.
HABITS, NOMENCLATURE, ETC.
THESE birds are more beautiful in their plumage than the latter
variety, but somewhat smaller; they are also far less numerous.
Their habits, however, are pretty much the same, perhaps more
gregarious, as they are often seen in considerable flocks on the sea-
board. The notes of the golden plover are less shrill and piping
than those of the black-bellied plover; they are less timid, and
more easily decoyed. These birds are often taken for the young
of the other variety. They are known as “frost-birds” in the
neighborhood of New York, from the circumstance of their being
more abundant about the time of the early frosts of autumn, when
they are also in good condition. The golden plover resorts to the
upland meadows in search of berries and grasshoppers, to both of
which it is very partial. The flesh of these birds in the early
GOLDEN PLOVER. 25k
autumn is most excellent, and they always command a good price
when exposed for sale in our markets. As the weather gets cold
they pass on to the Far South. They breed in regions beyond the
United States; they are never very numerous in the Middle or
Eastern States, and, their flesh being savory, they are highly
prized.*
DESCRIPTION.
“‘The golden plover is ten inches and a half long and twenty-
one inches in extent; bill short, of a dusky slate-color; eye very
large, blue-black; nostrils placed in a deep furrow and _ half
covered with a prominent membrane; whole upper parts black,
thickly marked with roundish spots of various tints of golden-
yellow ; wing-coverts and hind part of the neck pale brown, the
latter streaked with yellow; front, broad line over the eye, chin,
and sides of the same, yellowish-white, streaked with small pointed
spots of brown olive; breast gray, with olive and white; sides
under the wings marked thinly with transverse bars of pale olive;
belly and vent white; wing-quills black, the middle of the shafts
marked with white; greater coverts black, tipped with white; tail
rounded, black, barred with triangular spots of golden-yellow;
legs dark dusky slate; feet three-toed, with generally the slight
rudiments of a heel; the outer toe connected as far as the first
joint with the middle one. The male and female differ very little
in color.”’
There are several other varieties of plover known to our gunners;
the flesh of the most of them is equally good, and when in season
is highly prized by the epicure. The two above described, how-
ever, are the largest and most distinguished of the species: the
others are known as the ring-plover, piping-plover, kildeer-plover,
Wilson’s plover, grass or field-plover, Xc.
The last-named variety, Tringa bartramiana, is not a coast or
* The golden plover frequents tne sea-coast of the Middle and Eastern States in
the spring and early summer; during the autumn they resort to the prairies and
interior feeding-grounds.
252 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
marsh bird. They are found most commonly on the inland mea-
dows and old upland fields, where they feed on grasshoppers,
beetles, and the various insects that inhabit such situations. They
are very much esteemed by epicures, their flesh being delicate,
juicy, tender, and high-flavored. The whole species are wild,
wary, cunning, and difficult to be approached.
CHAPTER XX.
SEMIPALMATED SNIPE, WILLET, OR STONE-CURLEW. SCOLOPAX
SEMIPALMATA.
HABITS, DESCRIPTION, ETC.
S before stated, the snipe family is ex-
tremely numerous throughout this coun-
try, and the number and variety of
birds of this species that flock to our
sea-coast during the summer and autumn
is almost incredible.
Among these shore or bay fowls there
is none more conspicuous or more sought
after than the one now under considera-
tion. The shrill and incessant cry of the willet is well known to
258
254 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
every frequenter of the salt marshes throughout the States of
New York, New Jersey, and Delaware; and this familiarity with
the peculiar call of this wary bird is turned to terrible account
against them, as they are easily deceived and decoyed within reach
of the treacherous gun by the skilful imitations of the shooters.
The willet is not known in England, nor is there any bird in
the country with which it may be said to correspond. Temmick,
however, notices it as an accidental straggler among the birds of
Europe. Willets come from the South about the middle of April,
and soon make preparations for laying; their nests are built in
the marshes, upon the tussocks and other little eminences of earth
and herbage that are scattered about in the dryer places. The
nest generally contains four tapering dark-colored eggs, which, like
those of the mud-hen, are said to be good eating; in fact, we
know them to be very excellent, as we have partaken of them,
although we did not assist in the destruction of the nests from
which they were filched. This bird, with most others that build on
the marshes, suffers greatly during the period of incubation from
the attacks of crows, weasels and foxes, and other animals, which
devour numberless eggs as well as young willets.
These fowls feed on small shell-fish and the innumerable variety
of aquatic insects and worms found on the marshes; the flesh
consequently is sedgy, though not fishy. Young willets are
juicy and tender, and perhaps more esteemed than any other of
the shore-birds; and, when cooked properly, are quite passable
when no other kind of game is to be had; in fact, we have heard
many of our sporting friends really extol these birds when served
up, and hunt as eagerly after them as if they possessed the deli-
cacy and game-flavor of the woodcock.
Willets remain with us till October and November, and some-
times later, if the weather continues agreeable. They are shot
during low tide, on the marshes and flats, and when flying are
easily decoyed by imitating their whistle, which is thought to
resemble the following combinations:—Pzll-will-willet, pill-will-
wallet
WILLET, OR STONE-CURLEW. 255
Shooters most frequently go after these birds in small boats, on
the inlets and guts that intersect the marshes which they, in com-
mon with curlews, plover, &c. frequent.
DESCRIPTION.
“Length fifteen inches; extent thirty inches; upper parts dark
olive-brown; the feathers streaked down the centre and crossed
with waving lines of black; wing-coverts light olive-ash, and the
whole upper parts sprinkled with touches of dull yellowish-white ;
primaries black, white at the root-half; secondaries white, bordered
with brown; rump dark brown; tail rounded, twelve feathers pale
olive, waved with bars of black; tail-coverts white, barred with
olive; bill pale lead-color, becoming black towards the tip; eye
very black; chin white; breast beautifully mottled with transverse
spots of olive on a cream ground; belly and vent white, the last
barred with olive; legs and feet pale lead-color ; toes half-webbed.
‘Towards the fall, when these birds associate in large flocks,
they become of a pale dun color above, the plumage being shafted
with dark brown, and the tail white, or nearly so. At this season
they are extremely fat, and esteemed excellent eating. Ex-
perienced gunners always select the lightest-colored ones from a
flock, as being uniformly the fattest. The female of this species is
generally larger than the male.’
Willets, as: other shore-birds, have a strong affection for their
young, or for a companion in distress, and are ever ready to turn
from their course to offer assistance at the first call for aid, regard-
less of all consequences.
246 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
RED-BREASTED SNIPE. SCOLOPAX NOVEBORACENSIS.
HABITS, NOMENCLATURE, ETC.
THIS snipe resembles very much in size and plumage the com-
mon snipe, more particularly when in its winter plumage; it is,
however, altogether different in its habits, as well as in the flavor
of its flesh. ‘The English or Wilson snipe frequents fresh-water
marshes only, while the present species confines itself almost
exclusively to the salt marshes of our Atlantic States. The Eng-
lish snipe is mostly a solitary bird, while the red-breasted snipes
congregate in immense flocks upon the mud-flats and sand-bars.
This snipe, we believe, is known to our coast-shooters as the brown
back, or dowitcher, and we have at times found it more palatable
than any other kinds of sea-bird, although considerably smaller
than the curlew, willet, or plover. Being so much smaller than these
birds, this snipe is not so much sought after as some others; we,
however, never let an opportunity pass to bring them to bag,
when on these excursions, oftentimes in preference to the other
birds, which are always far more sedgy, and not unfrequently
fishy besides.
The red-breasted, or, as they are also called, the quail snipes,
arrive on the coast of Jersey from the South on their way to their
breeding-grounds farther north, about the first week in May, re-
main a short time, and then stretch off for the Canadas. Towards
the middle of July they commence returning in increased numbers,
and remain feeding on the marshes till the commencement of the
cold weather, when they take themselves to the South. These
snipes fly in large flocks, and feed in thick masses upon the points,
and will often allow a boat to approach sufficiently near to give
them a raking shot fore and aft, that not unfrequently spreads
death and destruction through the greater portion of their affrighted
ranks. We were present on one occasion when twenty-three of
RED-BREASTED SNIPE. 257
these birds were killed at one discharge of a large-sized fowling-
piece; and we have killed, repeatedly, six or eight at a shot.
They are certainly far less wary than most other shore-birds,
and when feeding in company are always the last to take the
alarm; they are easily deceived by the bay-shooters, and many
fall victims to the treacherous decoys.
Their food consists of small snails, and aquatic insects that are
washed up by the tide.
DESCRIPTION.
“‘The red-breasted snipe is ten inches and a half long and
eighteen inches in extent; the bill is about two inches and a
quarter in length, straight, grooved, black towards the point, and
of a dirty eel-skin-color at the base, where it is tumid and wrinkled;
lores dusky; cheeks and eyebrows pale yellowish-white, mottled
with specks of black; throat and breast a reddish-buff color; sides
white, barred with black; belly and vent white, the latter barred
with dusky; crown, neck above, back, scapulars, and tertials black,
edged, mottled, and marbled with yellowish-white, pale and bright
ferruginous, much in the same manner as the common snipe; wings
plain olive, the secondaries centred and bordered with white; shaft
of the first quill very white; rump, tail-coverts, and tail, (which
consists of twelve feathers,) white, thickly spotted with black; legs
and feet dull yellowish-green; outer toe united.to the middle one
by a small membrane; eye very dark. The female is paler on the
back and less ruddy on the breast.”
OTHER VARIETIES OF SHORE-BIRDS.
THERE are several other varieties of the snipe species that sports-
men eagerly seek after while shooting on the sea-shore marshes;
it cannot be expected of us, however, to describe all these birds.
‘We shall, therefore, be forced to pass them by with two exceptions,
namely, the
17
258 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
SCOLOPAX FLAVIPES—YELLOW-SHANKS SNIPE; AND SCOLOPAX VOCI-
FERUS—TELLTALE SNIPE, GODWIT, OR GREATER YELLOW-SHANKS
SNIPE.
Boru these birds are well but not favorably known to the market
shooters of Philadelphia and New York, as they are extremely shy
and very vigilant, and often give notice, by their shrill whistle, of the
approach of the pot-hunter when he would not have been observed
by the less wary fowl feeding around. This habit of timely warn-
ing their careless companions of the danger that is encompassing
them has given rise to their respective appellations of Greater or
Lesser Telltale. Notwithstanding their uncommon vigilance, they
are, nevertheless, often brought to bag, and in the autumn their
flesh is not unfrequently very savory. These birds resemble each
other so very much in their general appearance and plumage that
the difference in their size alone is the most distinguishing charac-
teristic.
CHAPTER XXII.
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING.
‘But hark! what sound is that approaching near?
‘Down close!’ The wild ducks come, and, darting down,
Throw up on every side the troubled wave,
Then gayly swim around with idle play.”
THIS AMUSEMENT IN AMERICA.
g 1LD-FOWL shooting, though not as popu-
lar or followed with the same zest by the
sportsmen of America as it is by those
of England and other countries, is never-
theless every season attracting increased
attention to its real merits as a manly
and exciting sport; and no doubt, as
the conveniences for visiting our bay
and sea-shores become more widely diffused throughout the various
portions of our Atlantic States, by the opening of new steam-
boat and railroad routes, our pleasure-loving and novelty-seeking
259
260 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
people will flock to the secluded haunts of the wild fowl much
more generally than they do at present. When a fondness for
this kind of sport is once awakened among us, we may expect
to see our shooters excel those of any other portion of the world,
owing to the great abundance of this kind of game, the freedom
with which they can pursue it, and the enthusiasm with which they
will take it up. This sport, at present, is almost entirely confined
to the hands of those who follow the occupation of killing wild
fowl not from motives of pleasure or healthful recreation, but as a
means of subsistence for themselves and families; and the tables
of our epicures are generally supplied from this source.
Some few of the New York sportsmen occasionally sally forth
during the ducking season to spend a few days in shooting upon
the neighboring shores, but the sport is not considered sufficiently
enticing to carry them very often on such expeditions. We also
have a few amateurs in Philadelphia who are fond of visiting the
wild-fowl regions, but none that are very enthusiastic on the sub-
ject, like Colonel Hawker and many other Englishmen, who have
devoted so much time and talent to the perfecting of this branch
of sport.
Duck-shooting, to-be-sure, is no child’s play; but, on the con-
trary, is often attended with many mishaps, great hardships, and
constant exposure to the elements, and withal frequently results
in fisherman’s luck, so often quoted. No true lover of sport,
however, should be intimidated, or, in fact, object to these petty
inconveniences, as it is these very circumstances that afford the
chief enjoyment and give a keener relish to this pursuit, which
will in time inure him both in body and mind for the accomplish-
ment of greater and more lasting benefits than the mere destruc-
tion of game. We cannot expect to arrive at perfection in any
employment without a becoming share of labor and perseverance ;
and in the pursuit of ducks the shooter will find a wide field open
for the exercise of both these virtues, as well as many other qua-
lifications alike necessary for the attainment of nobler deeds. It
is indeed necessary for a sportsman, to enjoy this kind of amuse-
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 261
ment, to become accustomed to all kinds of hardships,—to care
neither for the peltings of the rain, the driving of the snow,
whistling of the wind, or the freezing of the water. All such
accompaniments to his pursuits must be despised, and not regarded
as barriers to his enjoyments; but, as before intimated, their presence
must be viewed as imparting a keener zest to the pleasure of the
sport. With feelings akin to these, the sportsman is prepared to
enter upon the hardy and exciting occupation of wild-fowl shoot-
ing in all its branches during the cold winter months of our
northern country; and such a choice spirit will derive both plea-
sure and healthful recreation in the pursuit.
It is almost unnecessary to tell the sportsman that he must be
provided with many essentials to assist him in holding the elements
at defiance, and resort to every expedient to protect his ammuni-
tion from dampness, his gun from rust, and his own person from
the effects of the cold and rain to which he will often be exposed
during these excursions. Water-proof boots, water-proof coats,
woollen shirts, drawers and stockings, and warm gloves, are all
necessary accompaniments to a ducker’s wardrobe; and, without
these essentials and a strong heart besides, he had better not enter
upon the rough-and-tumble sport of wild-fowl shooting as followed
by an old campaigner.
A flask of good spirits is also an important accompaniment to
the other necessaries, but which, by-the-by, should be resorted to
as seldom as possible; for the use of liquor during active exercise
often creates an unnatural thirst, which, if indulged in to an
extent sufficient to produce a flush on the cheek or a glow on the
body, will most assuredly make the eye uncertain or the hand
unsteady, and, moreover, prove otherwise injurious by opening the
pores of the system and making the shooter more susceptible to
the effects of cold. We have spoken more fully on this subject in
our hygienic directions.
262 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
CHESAPEAKE BAY.
«¢ Above, around, in numerous flocks are seen
Long lines of ducks o’er this their favorite scene.”
There is no place in our wide extent of country where wild-
fowl shooting is followed with so much ardor as on the Chesapeake
Bay and its tributaries, not only by those who make a comfortable
living from the business, but also by gentlemen who resort to these
waters from all parts of the adjoining States to participate in
the enjoyments of this far-famed ducking-ground. All species
of wild fowl resort to these waters in numbers beyond credence
or computation; and it is really necessary for a stranger to visit
these regions if he wishes to form a just idea of the wonderful
multitudes and numberless varieties of ducks that darken these
waters and hover in interminable flocks over these favored feeding-
grounds. It is not, however, the variety or extraordinary number
of ducks on the Chesapeake that particularly attracts the steps of
so many shooters to these parts, as there are other rivers and
streams, equally accessible, where wild fowl also abound. But the
great magnet that makes these shores the centre of attraction is
the presence of the far-famed canvas-back, that here alone ac-
quires its peculiar delicacy of flavor while feeding upon the shoals
and flats of these waters. It is in quest of these noble ducks that
so many repair annually to the shores of the Chesapeake and its
numerous tributaries, regardless of the myriads of other fowl
which are seen around on every side. The shooter alone taxes all
his energies for the destruction of this one variety, regarding all
others with contempt, and as hardly worthy of powder and shot.
The month of October has hardly set in before the immense host
of ducks commence arriving from the North in the waters of the
Chesapeake. Among the first of these welcome visitors will le
seen the Anas albeola, commonly known as the butter-ball, and
whose sharp and quick note—quack ! quack ! quack !—is soon heard
throughout the neighboring streams and marshes, as they ever and
anon spring up and dart off with amazing velocity. Now may be
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 263
seen the Anas boschas, known as the wild drake or mallard; the
Anas glacialis, south-southerly or long-tailed duck, with its sin-
gular and discordant notes; and a few others. As the season
progresses, the cold blasts of the North bring down in regular
succession the sprightly little Anas mavilla, black-head or blue-
bill; the cunning Anas Americana, American widgeon or ball-pate ;
the poaching Anas ferina, or red-head; the wary Anas Canadensis,
or Canada goose; the graceful Cygnus Americanus, or American
swan; and, last, but not least, the Anas valisineria, or canvas-back.
Now it is that the waters of the Chesapeake are filled to repletion
with the armies of ducks that collect on the flats and shoals where
the juicy blades of the valisineria flourish in the greatest pro-
fusion. Now it is that the shores are thickly strewed with the
remnants of this aquatic plant, pulled up from its soft bed. Now
it is that the waters of the bay are darkened by the flights of the
winged host travelling hither and thither in search of food. Now
it is that the ordinary quiet employments of the residents of these
regions teeming with abundance are abandoned for the more
exciting and lucrative occupation of duck-shooting. Every old
musket and rusty fowling-piece is brought into immediate requisi-
tion. Allis bustle and confusion among the duckers; and now it
is that the neglected water-dog, who has wandered idly about,
uncared-for and unfed, for the past nine months, is called familiarly
and even kindly to the heels of his selfish master. The bay shore
for miles and miles, long before the dawn of day, is alive with
shooters; and every point is occupied with eager marksmen, who
stand prepared with murderous weapons to give a passing volley
to every canvas-back that heedlessly ventures within range. The
before quiet and peaceful shores of the bay now resound with the
deafening volleys of the toling parties concealed behind the various
blinds erected along the banks, while the guns from the boats and
masked batteries send booming over the placid waters their echving
notes of death and destruction. The wary canvas-backs, startled
m eyery quarter, fly here and there, scarcely knowing where to
repose in safety or feed in peace.
264 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
HINTS FOR DUCKERS.
Wild fowl are ever on the alert, and always ready to take alarm
at the least indication of danger, and therefore must be approached
with the utmost precaution or waited for in the profoundest
silence. The plashing of an oar, the rattling of a pebble, the
rustling of a leaf, the bobbing up of a head, the exposure of a
leg, the raising of an arm, or the utterance of a loud word, will
often put to sudden flight a whole flock of ducks a few minutes
before feeding in fancied security almost within reach of our
smallest gun ; abe “be as still as death itself, yet watchful
as life can make you.”
The sense of smell is singularly developed in wild ducks, and,
when approaching them on the water, it is necessary to get to the
leeward of them. Colonel Hawker very justly remarks, on this
point, “In following wild fowl, it is easier to get within twenty
yards of them by going to leeward than a hundred and fifty
directly to windward, so very acute is their sense of smelling.”
This fact of their being able to scent an enemy a long distance off
is well known to the men employed in attending on the decoy-
ponds of England and France; and, for the purpose of destroy-
ing or counteracting the odor emanating from their persons,
they always hold a piece of burning peat in their mouths when
visiting their nets.
DISTANCES ON THE WATER.
It is very difficult for the inexperienced to judge of distances on
the water, and the eye is consequently often deceived on such
occasions; and a young sportsman not unfrequently will fire away
at wild fowl securely feeding far beyond the reach of a gun double
or treble the calibre of the one he is using, and then express great
astonishment that the load should have fallen far short of the
mark, or, perhaps, have scattered harmlessly in the very midst of
the intended victims. Experience and observation will alone cor-
rect this fault.
WILD-FOWL SHOOTING . 265
VELOCITY OF FLIGHT.
When wild fowl are travelling against the wind, it causes them to
fly low and closer together than when going with it. The velocity
with which ducks cleave the air is very great, and argues strongly
the necessity of having the best of guns and ammunition, to be euc-
cessful in this kind of sport. The barrels of duck-guns should be of
sufficient calibre and length to bear a large proportion of powder,
so as to throw the shot thickly and with great force to a long
distance. Under ordinary circumstances, unassisted by the wind,
ducks fly at the rate of eighty to one hundred miles an hour, as
has often been ‘proven by actual experiment; and the following
plan, adopted by Major Cartwright, to ascertain this fact to his
own satisfaction, is both ingenious and conclusive in its results,
and we therefore give it in his own words :—‘‘In my way hither, I
measured the flight of eider-ducks by the following method,—viz. :
on arriving off Duck Island I caused the people to le on their
oars; and when I saw the flash of the guns which were fired at a
flock of ducks as they passed through the latter, I observed by my
watch how long they were in flying abreast of us. The result of
very many observations ascertained the rate of their speed to he
ninety miles an hour.” This celerity of flight is not only wonder-
‘ful, but seems almost incredible; nevertheless, the fact is well
substantiated by the observations of other writers respecting the
‘movements of birds even less rapid than those of ducks. For
example, it is not an uncommon occurrence to shoot wild
pigeons (Columba migratoria) in the forests of Canada, with their
‘stomachs filled with perfect, or rather whole, grains of rice, which
‘must have been gleaned from the rice-fields of the Southern States,
at a distance, perhaps, of one thousand miles or more from the
‘spot where they were killed. Now, allowing several hours of
vactive exercise to be sufficient to digest this article of food, or,
‘rather, granting the inability of these seeds to resist the action of
‘the stomach for a longer time than a few hours, it is but fair to
‘conclude that the birds must have flown with astounding velocity
266 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
to have arrived at such a distance from the rice-plantations even
before its last meal was digested. Still further to elucidate this
subject, we will mention another well-authenticated circumstance
that has already been referred to by more than one writer. It
is stated that a falcon belonging to Henry the Fourth, King of
France, escaped from Fontainebleau, and was captured again at
Malta, a distance of nearly fourteen hundred miles, in less than
twenty-four hours from the time of its liberation from its former |
prison. Now, if we suppose this bird to have been in motion
during the whole of the time intervening between its escape from |
Fontainebleau and its recapture at Malta, the rate at which it
travelled would exceed sixty miles an hour. This supposition, —
however, is neither correct nor rational, as this species of bird |
never flies in the night; and we must therefore grant it the hours
of darkness for repose, and calculate the actual velocity of flight
accordingly. Allow, therefore, that the faleon enjoyed eighteen
hours of light, which is more than a fair proportion of the time in
opposition to our argument, and also grant that the bird was seen
the moment of its arrival at Malta, which is also somewhat impro- —
bable, the speed with which it must have flown is equal to eighty
miles an hour, or within a fraction of that amount.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CANVAS-BACK. ANAS VALISINERIA.
‘¢Now all around us rising trains appear;
Wild whistling wings on every hand we hear;
The alarm of death amid their legions spread,
In files immense they winnow overhead.”’
THEIR HIGH ESTIMATION.
OTH with sportsmen and epicures the
far-famed canvas-back stands forth pre-
eminent for the richness and delicacy of
its flesh; in fact, it 1s conceded in all
quarters that no wild fowl in any portion
of the globe can vie in flavor with the
canvas-back of the Chesapeake or Poto-
mac, No variety of duck is more eagerly
sought after by the sportsmen of our country, and no viand con-
tributes so largely to enhance the enjoyments of the table among
the luxurious followers of Epicurus as the presence of this delicious
267
268 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
fowl, served up piping hot, all redolent with the captivating fumes
of its savory flesh; and, in the words of Wilson, ‘canvas-backs
not only grace, but dignify, the table; and their very name conveys
to the imagination of the eager epicure the most comfortable and
exhilarating ideas.”
The beautiful appearance, large size, immense numbers, and
juicy tenderness of these ducks, during their stay on the Chesa-
peake and its tributaries, cause them to be persecuted with an un-
relenting ardor by shooters collected from all parts of the neighbor-
ing States, urged on not only by a healthful desire for sport, but
doubly stimulated by the more selfish motive of gain. Although
thousands of these ducks are annually sent to the markets of
Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, and even as far south as
Charleston, the demand for them at these places is ever the same;
and the exorbitant price that they readily bring—two or three
dollars per pair—is of itself a sufficient proof of the high estima-
tion in which our citizens hold them.
KNOWN ONLY IN AMERICA.
This duck we are proud to claim as solely American, there being
no fowl as yet described in any portion of the world, except per-
haps the pochard of England, that at all resembles the canvas-
back. This duck, however, is much smaller, and weighs at least
one-third less; and the delicacy of its flesh, though good, is far
inferior to that of our species.
Before going further, we will make the reader familiar with this
beautiful duck by the introduction of Wilson’s description : —
‘‘The canvas-back is two feet long and three feet in extent,
and, when in good order, weighs three pounds; the bill is large,
rising high in the head, three inches in length, and one inch and
three-eighths thick at the base, of a glossy black; eye very small;
irides dark red; cheeks and foreparts of the head blackish-brown;
rest of the head and greater part of the neck bright, glossy, reddish-
chestnut, ending in a broad space of black that covers the upper part
of the breast and spreads round to the back; back, scapulars, and
CANVAS-BACK. 269
tertials white, faintly marked with an infinite number of tranverse
waving lines or points, as if done with a pencil; whole lower parts
of the breast, also the belly, white, slightly pencilled in the same
manner, scarcely perceptible on the breast, pretty thick towards
the vent; wing-coverts gray, with numerous specks of blackish;
primaries and secondaries pale slate, two or three of the latter of
which nearest the body are finely edged with deep velvety black,
the former dusky at the tips; tail very short, pointed, consisting
of fourteen feathers of a hoary brown; vent and tail-coverts black ;
lining of the wing white; legs and feet very pale ash, the latter
three inches in width,—a circumstance which partly accounts for
its great powers of swimming.
“The female is somewhat less than the male, and weighs two
pounds and three-quarters.* The crown is blackish-brown; cheeks
and throat of a pale drab; neck dull brown; breast, as far as the
black extends on the male, dull brown, skirted in places with pale
drab; back dusky white, pencilled like the back; wings, feet, and
bill as in the male; tail-coverts dusky; vent white, waved with
brown.”
NATURAL HISTORY.
Very little or nothing is known of the canyas-back during the
period of incubation; in fact, the history of the whole duck tribe
during this interesting season is but little known, as they retire at
the breaking up of winter to the far regions of the Arctic, and
there, in those solitudes never trod by the wandering footsteps of
man, they unmolested breed and rear their young.
Audubon, however, informs us that they breed in considerable
numbers on the borders of Bear River, in Upper California; also
December 17, 1849.
* We are just in receipt of two couples of canvas-backs, from the Chesapeake,
the aggregate weight of which is twelve pounds and a half, being three pounds and
an eighth to each fowl; as they are paired, male and female, the weight is rather
unusual. We occasionally hear of a seven-pound couple; but such ducks are very
rare, eyen in the height of the season. We have seen some couples that weighed
within a fraction of eight pounds; but such are still more rare.
270 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
in the marshes and along the banks of streams in many parts of
the Rocky Mountains. .
Canvas-backs first make their appearance on our waters in the
months of October and November. During the time of migration
a few are encountered upon the Hudson and Delaware, and other |
rivers, but the great body of ducks generally take up their line of
march straight for the Chesapeake and its tributaries, the Susque- |
hanna, Potomac, James, Elk, North-East, Bush, Gunpowder, and
some other smaller streams.
It will now be very naturally asked by the uninitiated but in- :
quisitive reader, Why do these ducks resort so particularly to the |
above-mentioned waters in preference to the hundreds of others |
of our noble rivers? This question is easily solved when we in-
form him that a peculiar kind of aquatic plant on which they de-
|
|
|
light to feed grows luxuriantly in these streams, and that it is
seldom or never found in other localities; and, if met with at all, is —
generally in such small quantities that it would not furnish food
sufficient for these numberless ducks for more than a few days.
They, therefore, instinctively, or perhaps led by the older members
of the flocks, wend their way from the bleak climes of the North in
a direct course to these favored regions of abundance, and where,
previous to the coming of the white man, the feathered tribes re-
mained all winter, feeding unmolested and undisturbed by the
never-ceasing reports of the terrible duck-guns which now spread
death and destruction on all sides. When the canvas-backs first
arrive in our waters, they are rather poor and unpalatable, but
soon become fat and juicy, as they are very industrious feeders,
and partake largely of the roots of the valisineria, or wild celery,
which is very tender and extremely nutritious. This species of
aquatic herb, from which the canvas-back so appropriately derives
its scientific appellation, grows in great abundance on the exten-
sive shoals of the Chesapeake, as also on the numerous flats of all
the rivers that empty their waters into this estuary. The plant
attains several feet in height, and has a small white root very much
resembling young celery; and it is upon this delicate portion alone
CANVAS-BAOCK. Pt |
that the dainty canvas-back regales his fastidious appetite, dis-
daining the green blades, which are left to float off and strew the
shores of the bay for miles and miles. There are several species
of ducks that are as equally fond of the roots of the valisineria as
the canvas-backs; but, not being as strong as this fowl, they are
not able to dive deep enough to seize the stock sufficiently near the
bottom to insure pulling the plant up by the roots. These ducks,
however, are always seen feeding with the canvas-back, and sup-
ply this deficiency in their physical construction to the adaptation
of their wants by a singular boldness and ingenuity. For acting
the part of skulking poachers, they attentively watch every opportu-
nity to seize upon the dainty morsel the very moment the canvas-
back makes his appearance on the top of the water with the root in
his mouth, and then, swimming off rapidly to a convenient distance,
quietly enjoy the stolen repast, unmolested by their good-tempered
opponent, who soon dives down again for another bonne-bouche.
Among these cunning pilferers, none are more conspicuous than
the red-heads and bald-pates, both of which are always found feed-
ing in company with the canvas-back, and at the height of the
season are not very far inferior to these ducks; and it oftentimes
puzzles the best judges to distinguish one from the other, when
properly served. We have seen the epicurean taste of some of our
sporting friends put to the test on this point more than once; and
the mistakes which have been made on these occasions are conclusive
evidence of the great similarity in the flavor of these three varieties
of ducks during the particular period that they all feed exclusively
upon the roots of the valisineria.
Although the canvas-backs are excessively fond of the bulbous
portions of the Valisineria Americana, and prefer it to any other
kind of food, they are not solely dependent upon this herbal pro-
duction for subsistence, but are obliged to resort to other species of
aquatic plants when driven from the rivers and flats of the upper
bay, by the large masses of floating ice, into regions where this
vegetable does not grow. When forced by this circumstance to quit
their favorite feeding-grounds, the canvas-backs betake themselves
day LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.’
far down the bay, where the valisineria is thinly distributed and the |
shallows are more generally covered with a different variety of
marine plant, known as eel-grass. At such times, the canvas-
backs, being driven to partake of this rank grass, as well as small
fish and many other less dainty articles of food, soon lose a great
deal of that delicacy of flavor which alone seems to be imparted to
their flesh by the use of this water-celery. If they should be con-
fined to a different diet for any considerable time, their flesh be-
comes sedgy and savorless, and is not much superior to many
other varieties of sea-coast fowl.
The fact of the fondness of the canvas-back for this bulbous
root, and the knowledge of the peculiar savor imparted to their
flesh by partaking of it, has been turned to useful account by
some of our intelligent agriculturists, who coop and feed the com-—
mon domestic duck upon the tops and roots of the garden celery
for a few days previous to killing them, which plan is said to |
much improve their flavor and altogether destroy that rankness
which is often observable in the barnyard fowl. A friend of the —
author, who has fattened ducks in this way, assures him that it was
almost impossible to distinguish some of them from wild ones,
their taste being so much improved.
The canvas-back extends its migrations as far south as Florida,
and is known at New Orleans under the somewhat singular appella-
tion of “canard cheval.” They are much esteemed in that city
for their delicacy, but are said to be far inferior to those killed on
the Chesapeake. Canvas-backs are often met with in the markets
of Charleston and Savannah; but they are commonly very poor,
insipid, and at times fishy, and not as much esteemed late in the
season as either mallards or teal. We are informed by a friend that
these ducks are very numerous in Galveston Bay, and at times are
most excellent eating.
In the neighborhood of New Orleans the canvas-backs resort
to wet prairies and fresh-water ponds, where they feed upon the
seeds of various plants, more particularly those of the wild oats
and water-lily. This kind of food being somewhat analogous to
CANVAS-BACK. 273
that which they partake of in the Chesapeake Bay, it is not im-
probable that the canvas-backs of that particular region may be
but a trifle inferior to those shot on the fresh-water shoals of the
North, where the Valisineria Americana flourishes in such pro-
fusion.
THEIR SHYNESS.
The canvas-back is an extremely shy and wary fowl, and very
difficult to approach, except by means of some cunningly-devised
stratagem, as there are always sentinels on the look-out for in-
truders, whether the mass of ducks be sleeping at night or feeding
during the daytime. When on the water, they may be distin-
guished at a great distance from other ducks by their constant
habit of diving, and when on the wing they fly in a wedge-like
form, with considerable velocity, and generally at a great height.
When wounded, they dive very deep and swim immense distances
under water, thus baffling every effort of the most skilful dogs to
overtake them; and the sagacious animals that are trained to this
kind of sport are perfectly aware of this circumstance, as they
seldom or never show any disposition to go after wounded canvas-
backs; for they know full well, from hard-taught experience, the
utter impossibility of catching them, no matter how fast they may
swim or how deep they may dive in the pursuit.
fs
MODES OF TAKING CANVAS-BACKS.
In detailing the various schemes and describing the innumerable
contrivances that the ingenuity of man has prompted him to adopt
for the purpose of circumventing and destroying this much-prized
duck, we will, ere finishing the subject, have pretty much ex-
hausted the whole material appertaining to wild-fowl shooting; as
it is to the taking of this particular variety that the energies of
18
274 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
the whole shooting craft are devoted in those portions of the
country where they, in common with numberless other ducks, |
congregate.
TOLING DUCKS.
We will first speak of a most curious process resorted to by the
shooters on the Chesapeake Bay, at the beginning of the season,
for the purpose of decoying canvas-backs from the flats within
gunshot of the sportsmen, who lie concealed from observation ©
behind blinds erected all along the shore at convenient intervals.
This practice we have already described in our edition of ‘‘ Youatt,”
under the head of Newfoundland Dog, and as there put down will
transfer it to these pages, with some additional observations:—
‘“‘This may not be an inappropriate place to speak of the won- —
derful mode of decoying ducks, termed toling, so extensively
practised upon the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, where
the canvas-backs and red-heads resort in such quantities every
autumn. A species of mongrel water-dog, or often any com-
mon cur, is taught to run backwards and forwards after stones,
sticks, or other missiles, thrown from one side to the other along
the shore. In his activity and industry in this simple branch of
education, within the comprehension of any dog, consists the |
almost incredible art of toling the canvas-back. With a dog of
this character, the shooting party, consisting of several persons, all
prepared with heavy double-barrelled duck-guns, ensconce them-—
selves at break of day behind some one of the numerous blinds
temporarily erected along the shore contiguous to the feeding-
grounds of these ducks.
“very thing being arranged and the morning mists cleared
off, the ducks will be seen securely feeding on the shallows not less
than several hundred yards from the shore. The dog is now
put in motion by throwing stones from one side of the blind to the
other. This will soon be perceived by the ducks, who, stimulated
by an extreme degree of curiosity, and feeling anxious to inform
themselves as to this sudden and singular phenomenon, raise their
heads high in the water and commence swimming for the shore.
CANVAS-BACK. 275
The dog being kept in motion, the ducks will not arrest their pro-
gress until within a few feet of the water’s edge, and oftentimes
will stand on the beach, staring, as it were in mute and silly asto-
nishment, at the playful motions of the animal.
“Tf well trained, the dog takes no notice whatever of the ducks,
but continues his fascination until the quick report of the battery
announces to him that his services are now wanted in another
quarter; and he immediately rushes into the water to arrest the
flight of the maimed and wounded, who, struggling on every side,
dye the water with their rich blood.
“The discovery of this mode of decoying ducks was quite acci-
dental, being attributed to a circumstance noticed by a sports-
man, who, concealed behind a blind patiently awaiting the near
approach of the canvas-backs, observed that they suddenly lifted
up their heads and moved towards the shore. Wondering at this
singular and unusual procedure on the part of this wary bird, he
naturally looked round to discover the cause, and observed a young
fox sporting on the river-bank; and the ducks, all eagerness to
gaze upon him, were steering their course directly for the shore.*
“These ducks will not only be decoyed by the dog, but will
often come in by waving a fancy-colored handkerchief attached to
the ramrod. We have seen a dog fail to attract their attention
till bound around the loins with a white handkerchief, and then
succeed perfectly well. The toling season continues about three
weeks from the first appearance of the ducks,—often a much shorter
time, as these birds become more cautious, and are no longer
deceived in this way. The canvas-back toles better than any
other duck; in fact, it is asserted by some sportsmen that this
particular variety alone can be decoyed in this mode. There are
* Be this as it may, this peculiar faculty of fascination on the part of the dog
has long been known and practised on the decoy-ponds of England, to a much
‘more limited extent, to-be-sure, but still sufficient to show that these wild-fowl
‘shooters, or rather netters, understand the whole bearing of the operation. For
further information on the subject we refer our readers to bewick’s account of the
-decoy-ponds.
‘
276 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
always numbers of other ducks feeding with the canvas-back,
particularly the red-heads and black-heads, who partake of the
top of the grass which the canvas-back discards after eating off the
root. These ducks, though they come in with the canvas-backs
when toled, do not seem to take any notice whatever of the dog,
but continue to swim along, carelessly feeding, as if intrusting
themselves entirely to the guidance of the other fowl.
‘As far as we have been able to judge, we are inclined to this
opinion also, and do not recollect ever having succeeded in toling
any other species of duck unaccompanied by the canvas-back,
although we have made the effort many times. These ducks are a
very singular bird, and, although very cunning under ordinary
circumstances, seem perfectly bewildered upon this subject. We
were one of a party several years since who actually succeeded
in decoying the same batch of ducks three successive times in the
course of an hour, and slaying at each fire a large number. We
counted out over forty at the conclusion of the sport.
*‘ Although the toling of ducks is so simple in its process, there
are few dogs who have sufficient industry and perseverance to
arrive at any degree of perfection in the art. The dog, if not
possessed of some sagacity and considerable training, 1s very apt
to tire and stop running when the ducks have got near the shore
but too far off to be reached by the guns, which spoils all, as the
birds are very apt to swim or fly off if the motion of the animal
is arrested for a few moments.’’*
Since writing the above, we have been assured by an experienced
and somewhat veteran sportsman that both the black-heads and
the red-heads tole with the same facility, and the former duck, if
* On some particular days, even in the midst of the toling season, without any
apparent reason, the toler is obliged to relinquish his sport, as no artifice on the
part of the dog will induce the ducks to come in, although on the preceding day
they may have exhibited the greatest eagerness to satisfy their curiosity on this
point. The immediate cause of this fickleness on the part of these fowl it is difficult
to explain, as it cannot be attributed to any sudden change in the weather or other |
concomitant circumstances which most generally influence the actions of the
feathered race.
CANVAS-BACK. 277
any thing, even more easily than the canvas-backs. From further
cbservation and more minute inquiry on the subject of toling, we
are now inclined to think that very nearly all varieties of the
wild fowl can be decoyed in the way above described; but at the
same time we are more than ever convinced that the canvas-back
is more susceptible to this strange influence than any other duck
on our waters. The reason why we were at first led to suppose
that the canvas-back alone could be influenced by these playful
motions of a dog was owing to the circumstance of our “never
having at that time toled wild fowl on other waters than the Chesa-
peake, where the canvas-back is always to be seen feeding during
the shooting season in company with all the other varieties that
flock to this favorite resort; and we had not perhaps considered
how seldom it was that a bed of ducks could be seen on these
waters that did not chiefly consist of canvas-backs, as the most of
the other varieties keep company with these ducks for the purpose
of feeding on the refuse of the celery which they, by their superior
strength and dexterity, are enabled to pull up from the bottom of
the rivers. We consequently may have been perfectly correct in
our assertion “‘of never haviny succeeded in toling any other spe-
cies of duck unaccompanied by the canvas-back ;” but at the same
time our inferences may have been entirely wrong, when we con-
sider how seldom a bed of ducks is seen on these waters that is not
principally composed of canvas-backs. And, moreover, when we
consider the acuteness of vision and the never-ceasing watchful-
ness of the canvas-back, we need not be at all surprised that they
should be most generally the first to notice the dog or the first to
take the lead in the general movement towards the shore,—all the
other ducks apparently following, although they may be equally
under the magic influence.
This plan of killing ducks, though practised by all the gentry
as well as pot-hunters who frequent the bay-shore, is not altogether
recognised as a sportsmanlike way of bagging game, and is for-
bidden on some of the grounds in possession of the clubs that meet
during the shooting season at different points in the bay. Against
278 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
the utility of this regulation we will not venture an argument. The
gentlemen composing these associations no doubt have good reasons
for their restriction. We must confess, however, that we see no
impropriety nor any thing unsportsmanlike in thus decoying this
wary fowl within reach of our guns, more particularly in positions
-where all other modes of getting at them would surely fail; but,
on the contrary, we have always found a great deal in the sport to
admire, as it is not unfrequently attended with a high degree of
pleasurable excitement, while witnessing the playful antics of the
dog operating so strangely upon his bewildered and silly victims
that so soon pay the forfeit of their idle curiosity in death, And,
moreover, if we desired to act the part of a sage, we might also
draw a pretty moral from the incident, in demonstrating to our
brother sportsmen that a foolish and idle curiosity even in the brute
creation often results in disastrous consequences to the parties
concerned.
Along some shores on the Gunpowder and Bush Rivers, exclu-
sively devoted by their proprietors to toling, the season for this
sport continues very late, as the fowl are seldom or never disturbed
upon their feeding-grounds far out in the stream, where they
take immediate refuge after being fired at and remain in per-
fect security till enticed again within gunshot; and this may be
accomplished several times during the same day, and the slaughter
consequently is often enormous. This method of killing ducks is less
injurious in its effects upon the movements of wild fowl than any
kind of boat-shooting that can be practised, as it never disturbs
them on their feeding-grounds, but attacks them only when fool-
ishly wandering away from their usual secure haunts.
The proper and most destructive moment to shoot ducks, when |
they have been toled, is when they present a side-view.
Duck-dogs, when behind the blinds along the bay-shore, mark
the flight of wild fowl as anxiously as the sportsman himself, and
often by their manner give evidence of the approach of ducks
before they are observed by those on the watch for them.
CANVAS-BACK. 279
BOATING DUCKS.
Another method of killing canvas-backs is that of boating them
on their feeding-grounds in small skiffs, either in the daytime or
during the still hour of night. The latter plan, of course, is the
most destructive and terrifying to the fowl. .
A large swivel, carrying several ounces of powder and a pound
or more of shot, is placed on the bow of a light boat, and, by
means of muffled oars and under cover of the darkness, it is carried
into the very midst of the sleeping ducks, and, being fired into their
thick columns, great numbers are destroyed as weil as crippled.
This plan of killing wild fowl, however, is very generally repro-
bated by all respectable parties interested in this sport, and is very
properly restricted by legislative enactment. Notwithstanding,
however, the general discountenance of the community and the
severe penalties threatening the participators in this cruel plan
of butchery, many unprincipled poachers, who shoot for the mar-
kets, boldly resort to this expedient to fill their slender purses,
in spite of all law and the universal execrations of those who live
in the neighborhood of the bay. These impudent and reckless
fellows know full well the inefficiency of all such laws, owing to
the disinclination, or rather want of energy, on the part of the
people to enforce them; for, without the assistance of those in-
terested in such matters, all legislative enactments in reference to
the preservation of game soon become obsolete, and the laws are
no more than a dead letter.
Strong efforts, however, were made at the last session of the
Maryland legislature to do something towards the protection of
the wild fowl on the Chesapeake, by the suppression of the surface-
boats and the use of large guns; but the enactment was of little
avail as regards the surface-boats, owing to some unlooked-for
defect in the framing of the act, and we now learn that there is
some probability of its being repealed altogether, which we very
much regret: we would much rather see it made more rigid and
then strictly enforced.
280 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
Nothing is better calculated to drive ducks from their accustomed
feeding-grounds than the practice of boating them at night; for,
being disturbed during their wonted hours of repose and security
by an unforeseen enemy, they soon learn that there is no safety
for themselves under any circumstances, and have been known to
abandon such places almost entirely after being shot at two or
three times in the quiet of the night, when perhaps the whole flock,
perfectly unconscious of danger, were wrapped in deep sleep.
Boating ducks on their feeding-grounds, even with small guns
during the daytime, will soon drive them from their accustomed
haunts, and force them to find other spots at a distance where they
can remain undisturbed. All modes of boating ducks are con-
demned by the sportsmen visiting these parts, as well as by those
who reside in the vicinity of the bay-shore.
NETTING DUCKS.
A very ingenious way of taking canvas-backs was resorted to a
few years since by a gentleman living on the bay, and which cer-
tainly, for its novelty, requires some notice on our part. This
plan consisted in sinking gilling-nets a short distance below the
surface of the water, so that the ducks in diving would get their
heads and wings entangled in its meshes, and thus miserably perish
by drowning. |
Great numbers were secured by this method at first; but the
canvas-backs soon entirely forsook the shoals where these nets
were placed, and did not return to them again during the same
season. But what brought this method more particularly into dis-
repute, even among pot-hunters, was the circumstance of the ducks
secured in this way being so far inferior to those which were shot,
owing to their being drowned and remaining so long a time under
the water, as the placing of the nets occupied so much time and
labor that it would not pay to examine them oftener than once in
twenty-four or forty-eight hours; and many of the ducks, conse-
quently, were under the water during a greater portion of this time.
The flesh, under these disadvantages, became watery and insipid, and
CANVAS-BACK. 281
the ducks, moreover, were very hard to keep, except in excessively
cold weather, on account of their bodies absorbing so much water.
The whole system of gilling ducks is now entirely abandoned, and
we only mention it as one of the things that have appeared and
passed away. This method, however, of taking ducks is not alto-
gether new, as a somewhat similar plan is resorted to on the coast
of France for taking the scoter-duck, which little fowl resorts in
considerable numbers to the sea-coast for the purpose of feeding on
the shell-fish that there abound. The fishermen, or those engaged
in taking wild fowl, spread their nets at low tide on the flats where
these shell-fish are found, being supported two or more feet from
the ground, so that the ducks, feeding in with the tide and diving
after food, become entangled, as in the case of the canvas-backs,
in the meshes of the net.
DUG-OUTS.
Another very successful mode of killing ducks, and one which
has been very much in vogue for many years on our rivers, is the
use of the dig-outs or dug-outs,* a small kind of boat moored over
the flats, and concealed as far as possible from observation by
quantities of eel-grass thrown over it. Thus fixed, and surrounded
by large numbers of decoys that are previously anchored all around
the little vessel, the shooter patiently awaits the approach of the
wild ducks which are flying up and down the river, and are, of
course, tempted to dart down upon the deceptive decoys, believing
them to be others of their own species that are feeding in perfect
security, notwithstanding the proximity of the greenish mass which
conceals the shooter and his boat. As soon as the canvas-backs
have come sufficiently near, the shooter rises up suddenly and
blazes away with his ponderous weapon, dealing death and de-
struction throughout the affrighted ranks of his unsuspecting
victims.
* So termed from being constructed by excavating the trunk of a large tree suffi-
ciently deep to allow the person of the shooter to lie concealed in it.
282 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
When the weather is favorable and the ducks are flying, this
plan succeeds very well, and offers considerable attractions in the
way of sport to those accustomed to wild-fowl shooting; but if the
weather be cold and boisterous, none should attempt it but those
inured to the roughest usage and who are perfectly regardless of
the state of the elements.
THE SURFACE-BOAT; COFFIN-BOAT 5
BATTERY; SINK, OR BOX.
UG-OUTS have been entirely superseded
during the three or four past seasons, on
the waters of the Chesapeake, by the in-
troduction of the surface-boat, as repre-
~ sented in the above engraving.
This ingenious machine has many local
appellations. Those in most general use will
be seen at the heading of this article, and
at the close of it the reader will find explicit directions, together
with a skeleton model of the same to be used as a guide in building
one for his own use.
The boat is anchored out on the feeding-grounds, surrounded by
innumerable decoys, resembling as much as possible the canvas-
backs, and so balanced in the water that the most observant eye
283
284 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
can hardly distinguish them from the living fowl, as they ride
gently on the surface and appear to be employed in feeding, owing
to the constant motion of their heads and body imparted to them
by the quiet rippling of the water.’
The construction of this skiff is such that when anchored out,
loaded with the shooter, his ammunition, and the necessary ballast,
the water is on a level with the deck of the box; and when re-
clining, the occupant and all his paraphernalia are entirely con-
cealed from observation, insomuch that it is next to impossible to
distinguish any portion of this curious ambush, even when within
a few hundred feet of it. We have often been amazed when gazing
on the water in the direction of the flats, to see a black figure rise
up suddenly, as if from the deep, and blaze forth a destructive
volley into a flock of ducks about to alight, and then immediately
sink again from view. The shooter, having delivered his well-
directed fire, quickly reloads his gun or guns, and throwing
himself again on his back, awaits another opportunity to repeat
the sport, which almost immediately follows, provided the day be
favorable for the flying of wild fowl. It is better, in fact usual, to
have two or more double-barrelled guns in the sink, as a great
many ducks are only winged at the first discharge, and need re-
shooting to secure them.
Thus, in rapid succession, immense numbers of canvas-backs, as
well as other wild fowl, are killed, and the water for a hundred
feet or more is crimsoned with the rich blood and covered with the
mangled bodies of this far-famed duck. Those engaged in this
profitable way of killing canvas-backs are always accompanied by
a companion in a light sail or row boat, who keeps at a respectful
distance, for the purpose of watching over the safety of his associate
as well as running down upon the adjacent feeding-grounds and
putting the ducks to flight, so that they may chance to join the
decoys that are set to allure them as they pass up and down the
feeding-shoals. On the flats in the coves near to Havre de Grace
and Spesutia Island, where this method of shooting ducks has been
more particularly practised during the last three seasons, there is
CANVAS-BACK. 285
but little or no current during calm weather, and therefore is
singularly suitable for this kind of sport. The ducks, after being
shot, will remain nearly in the same place where they dropped for
a considerable time without drifting away; the shooter, therefore,
pays no heed to them until he has a large number killed, when he
makes a signal to his companion to come and pick them up.
The amount of ducks killed in this way during the four past
seasons is enormous,—almost beyond belief.
We are credibly informed that Mr. W. W. Levy, a ducker well
known on the Chesapeake Bay for his skill in this particular sport,
has killed as many as one hundred and eighty-seven ducks in one
day, and during the seasons of 1846 and 1847 actually bagged
seven thousand canvas-backs.
This system of killing ducks, we believe, was introduced on the
Chesapeake Bay by some of the experienced wild-fowl shooters
from the vicinity of New York, and who now reap a rich harvest
from their hardihood and ingenuity. It is no unusual thing for
one of these men to kill as many as fifty couples of canvas-backs
in the course of a day; and if the weather prove favorable for
this kind of shooting, they have been known to fill a small vessel
with ducks in two or three days, which they immediately despatch
for the markets of New York, Baltimore, or Philadelphia. These
worthies that pursue wild fowl for a living usually make their
appearance on the Chesapeake Bay in small yachts, or rather ill-
looking sloops, in which they live and stow away their plunder,
seldom or never visiting the neighboring shores, knowing full well
the reception they most likely would meet with from the hands of
those residents who also kill ducks during the winter season to
‘sell, and consequently, from selfish motives alone, are very testy
and jealous of those rights which the legislature has endeavored
to guarantee to them, but which they from a lack of principle and
moral energy are incompetent to enforce by legal measures.
When the wind is blowing pretty fresh and the ripple high, the
ducks are more apt to notice the decoys than on perfectly mild
‘days, and are also more likely to alight among them. When ducks
286 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
are approaching the battery, the distance at which they are from
it is often very delusive, insomuch that the inexperienced sports- |
man will find himself continually rising up to shoot before the fowl
have got over the decoys, and even long before they have come —
within fair shooting range. This act of “rising up” too soon on |
the part of the shooter is a common fault with the beginner, and is |
fatal to his success in most instances; as the ducks, immediately |
on his appearance, take the alarm, and, making a sudden turn,
sheer off in time to save themselves.
Ducks should be shot after they have alighted, or just when
dropping their legs in the act of settling on the water, and not a
moment sooner.
FOOT
DESCRIPTION OF THE MODEL, WITH PARTICULAR DIRECTIONS FOR
BUILDING A SINK, OR BATTERY.
A, A. The box in which the shooter lies concealed.
s. A rim of sheet-lead extending entirely around the box, to prevent the
ripple from washing in upon the shooter.
c, c, c. Another rim of sheet-lead, as a still further protection from the
ripple. :
- p,D, D, D. The platform, or false deck surrounding the box, supported by
carlings.
E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E, E. Muslin sheeting, or canvas, stretched over the wooden
frames running around the platform.
|
CANVAS-BACK. 287
r. A board or frame attached to a by leather hinges.
a. Another board or frame, secured to the deck by strong iron hinges.
H,H, H,H,H,H,H,#H. Leather hinges, securing the frames (on which the
canvas is tacked) to the platform or deck.
1, 1. Wrought-iron hinges, constructed with arms, so as to allow the end-
wing to fold over the side-wings, which are first drawn in upon the deck
when the battery is to be removed from its position.
K, K, K, K. Ropes extending from the extremities of the frames, and to
which the canvas is also attached: this arrangement permits the wings to be
folded more readily upon the deck.
L, L. Points at which a rope is passed through the carlings supporting the
deck, to the middle or bight of which rope the cable of the head-anchor is
attached.
m. Point at which the foot-anchor is attached to the carling supporting the
deck.
Having given, we trust, a satisfactory explanation of the model,
we will now proceed to give some special instructions as to the
building of the battery. The timber most usually employed is
one-inch white pine, except in the case of the head and foot of
-the box, which should be made of two-inch oak, or some other
hard and durable wood. The side-boards and bottom of the box
are attached to the head and foot; and the strength of the box,
as well as the deck, is in a great measure dependent upon these
oaken timbers.
The carlings, or small beams which support the platform or deck,
are also made of oak, one and a half inch thick, five inches wide
in centre, reduced at their extremities to one and a half inch, and
secured to the ends and sides of the box by means of screw-bolts
or large wrought nails.
The length, width, and depth of the box must of course be
proportioned to the size of the shooter; for an ordinary-sized
individual, the following dimensions are amply sufficient :—
FEET. INCHES.
Rist as OL OA Reese. cont poy css, vamavnsace anon Acaasenuues 6 3
Depth See ava te seks «is vein diec Giese giranewiancdee ea et 1 13
EM RR OD airs Feist snsideceturqvessseeceaseess 2
OPM FS? iB AIBNON os ipisetbdiace saneeancncdicdesis as
Hength of platform, OF deck wu... .sssaacssensercosenece 12
Width “ “RES a ere ‘
288 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 1
FEET. INCHES.
Width of the frames to which the canvas is
UROK EM ack stuce sacs tise sigue ceceuisee came ecetaenoeacnenete Zi: yell
Widthiof boards) mand iG. eachecereccseeeseceenteese 8
Width of canvas wing at the head...............0+0 9
The deck is not a perfect plane, but declines, or rather is graded
off, from the box on every side to the extent say of one inch. This
slope or dip of the deck permits the ripple to wash or play over
the platform the more securely, having a constant tendency to the
edges instead of the centre, where the box is placed,—the opposite
of which would be the case if the deck was a dead level.
The entire edge of the box is slightly elevated above the surface
of the deck,—say an eighth to a quarter of an inch; to this edge
the inner rim of sheet-lead is tacked, extending entirely around
the box, and, being very pliable, is raised up at an angle of forty-
five degrees just before launching the battery into its position on
the shooting-grounds, which precaution will prevent the ripple from
washing into the box.
The outer rim of sheet-lead c, c, c, it will be observed, does not
extend entirely around the deck, that being totally unnecessary,
from the circumstance of the sea or ripple seldom or never being
sufficiently violent to break over the foot or sides so as to endanger
the comfort of the shooter; and when such should be the case it
is time for the ducker to decamp for more secure quarters.
The head of the battery, it will be seen, has two eight-inch
boards. The inner one G, as explained above, is attached to the
deck by stout iron hinges I, 1, made with projecting arms, so that
the whole head-wing may turn in upon the two side-wings, which
are first folded up when the box is about being removed from its
position. The other frame F is secured to @ by strong leather
hinges, as well as the balance of the frame to which the canvas is-
tacked.
The head of the battery is always anchored to the breeze, and,
as a matter of course, is obliged to sustain the principal shock
from the wind and waves, and of necessity is made differently as
well as much stronger than the foot, by the addition of the frame-
CANVAS-BACK. 289
work F and @, and which, from their peculiar construction and
attachment to the solid platform, oppose a pliabie but at the
same time safe resistance to the shock of the waves.
It is most important to know exactly how to attach the anchors
to the battery, more particularly the one at the head; for without
proper precaution on this point the whole machine would ride
most unpleasantly to the shooter at the slightest puff of Old
Boreas.
To explain this more fully, we have caused two points or dots
—L, L—to be placed on the model at the head of the box, to show
the position of the ends of the rope to which the anchor is
attached, and have defined above the manner in which the cable
of the anchor is to be secured to the bight of this rope.
The advantages of this arrangement should at once be obvious
to the greenest landsman; for the head of the platform, being in a
measure free from restraint, is permitted to rise and fall with the
swell of the sea, with an easy motion, thus protecting the shooter
from the disagreeable consequences of the waves breaking in over
the deck, which would be the inevitable result if the anchor was
attached to the extreme end of the platform; as the head of the
battery, during a heavy blow, would be pulled entirely under
water, and the whole machine, even during a comparative calm,
would be subjected to a jerking, disagreeable motion.
The position of the foot-anchor we have designated by the point
M, and requires no further explanation.
At the bottom of the box there is a false bottom, or drainage-
board, which takes up an inch and a half of the original depth.
Notwithstanding this additional loss of space, there is still sufficient
room remaining of the thirteen and a half inches not only to ac-
commodate, but absolutely to hide below the surface of the plat-
form, the shooter himself, as well as the sheepskin or buffalo-robe
upon which he reposes.
As to the amount of ballast necessary for a battery such as we
have described, that must be regulated by the state of the wind
and waves, and other circumstances; it will vary, however, from
19
290 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
fifty to one hundred and fifty pounds, increasing from the lesser to
the greater amount in proportion to the violence of the elements.
Portions of iron pigs are most convenient for ballast.
When these batteries are intended to be occasionally towed out
to their position on the flats, they should be made sharp at the
stern or bow by the addition of a false cut-water; otherwise it will
require heavy pulling to get them along. Most, if not all, of those
in the hands of the regular bay shooters are made square at the
ends, and, thus constituted, answer their purposes perfectly well,
for they move them from point to point only by hauling them on
board of their large row or sail boats, which convey the whole
party on these expeditions.
On looking at the drawing, several decoy-ducks will be noticed
on the platform. The bodies of these ducks are reduced in bulk, or,
in other words, are shaved down to one-third of their original thick-
ness, and permanently fixed to the deck at suitable intervals, with
movable heads, which are slipped on and off at pleasure by the
ducker, as he takes his position in the box or retreats from it.
The number of decoys set out around the battery is not often less
than two hundred, and most generally two hundred and fifty, or
‘even more. Hach decoy has a string several feet long attached to
it from a loop in the breast, and to the end of each string is tied a
small piece of leaden pipe or other convenient metal, or even a
fragment of stone sufficiently heavy to anchor the decoy and pre-
vent its floating off from its position.
The arranging or putting out of so great a number of decoys
around the battery, on a cool, blustering December morning, is no
child’s play, we can assure the uninitiated reader; and is only
equalled, or rather excelled, in point of discomfiture, by the pro-
cess of taking them up again in the evening, when it is necessary
to wind the wet and half-frozen strings around each one to prevent
entanglement when placed together in the boat.*
* Decoys made of solid blocks, such as are universally used, can be had of
duckers on the bay, if ordered during the idle season, at a moderate price, ranging
from twenty to thirty dollars a hundred
— —
CANVAS-BACK. 291
A small pad or pillow for the head to lie on should be placed at
the top of the box, and in severe weather the shooter will find a
woollen helmet, vizor, or mask, a very comfortable contrivance to
protect him from the cold blasts.
We were formerly under the impression that much danger was
to be apprehended from the accidental sinking of these batteries ;
but we are now satisfied, from further observation and the expe-
rience of old duckers who have used these machines properly con-
structed, (for the early ones were susceptible of much improvement, )
that our fears are rather gratuitous.
Mr, W. W. Levy, of Havre de Grace, to whom we are indebted
for a rough but very complete drawing of a battery from which
the above sketch was taken, as well as much other valuable in-
formation upon this subject, assures us that a box built such as we
have described could not, by actual experiment, be made to sink
below the surface, when filled with water, loaded with two hundred
and fifty pounds of pig iron and the addition of two stout men.
This experiment we cannot but consider a very extreme one,
and the result most conclusive; and we shall no longer hesitate in
recommending our sporting friends to consign themselves, without
hesitation or fear, to one of these cunning machines whenever a
fitting opportunity presents itself.
The ease with which one of these batteries rides on the surface
of the bay, even during a heavy blow, is very remarkable; we
have been quite comfortable in them, when it required two strong
varsmen to row a light gunning skiff.
( AMD—QOAA
292 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN,
AMBUSH ON THE FLATS.
We noticed last season a very simple but at the same time
rather ingenious contrivance erected on the flats in Elk River,
from which to shoot ducks. We have never seen any thing of the
kind before, but presume something similar may have been adopted
elsewhere by others.
This ambush or dind, as all such contrivances are termed in
this particular section, was constructed in this wise :—
Some shooters, taking advantage of low tide, had driven intc
the soft mud, in the very centre of the widest expanse of feeding
ground, and in the very path of the ducks as they flew up and
down the river, four strong posts, forming a square. |
These posts or piles were perforated on their upper portion,
which extended far above low-water mark, with large holes of
sufficient capacity to permit the introduction of long hickory pins, |
which passed entirely through and projected several inches from
the inside. Upon these pins thus secured was placed a light
frame, sufficiently strong, however, to bear the weight of the,
shooter, who lay there completely concealed from observation by)
a profusion of cedar brush and eel-grass piled around him. | |
The numerous holes in the posts were necessary for the purposg!
of raising up and letting down the framework to suit the state
of the tide, which was very easily accomplished before the sports-
man took his position.
—
This particular kind of blind was especially adapted for this
river, as the narrow steamboat-channel is marked out in its whole}
course by long poles thrust into the mud on either border, each)
one of which was surmounted by a heavy piece of cedar-brush, |
with which the ducks soon become familiar while feeding, and:
therefore take no precaution to avoid while flying, which also was)!
the case with the blind; and most excellent shooting at times}
was thus obtained from this cunningly-devised ambuscade. ;
The flats or feeding-grounds on Elk River are quite extensive, |,
and occasionally attract enormous hosts of wild fowl, more espe-|'
CANVAS-BACK. 293
cially when they have been greatly harassed by the boats and
batteries on the Susquehanna and Chesapeake, as both these modes
of warfare are strictly interdicted upon this stream. During the
season of 1850, we had considerable sport shooting over decoys off
the points on Elk River, the weather being mild, and the ducks,
both canvas-backs and red-heads, being more numerous than we
had ever before witnessed them on this water.
)
STOOLING OFF POINTS.
_ Another method of killing ducks by means of decoys is to anchor
them off a short distance from some. one of the many points along
the bay or river-shores, more particularly on those points in the
narrows of Spesutia Island. When the canvas-backs are flying
and the weather is not too severe, this plan affords most excellent
sport, and great numbers may be killed. This kind of shooting
requires the assistance of a dog; and none but a Newfoundland or
other hardy water-spaniel of some good breed will be able to stand
the work, if the weather is very cold; as the frequent plunging
into the water chills and stiffens the animal to such an extent that
he is often barely able to walk or swim.*
When the weather is very calm and the surface of the river
remains unruffled by a breeze, although the ducks may be flying,
they will not dart to decoys, more especially off points, as readily
as if they had a certain degree of motion imparted to them by the
gentle ripple of the waters.
For when perfectly still the decoys, no matter how well made or
proportioned, lose that lifelike appearance which they present when
bobbing up and down as if in the very act of feeding; and, con-
sequently, are wanting in their chief attraction for the ducks that
may be on the wing in quest of more secure and fruitful feeding-
places.
* Decoys made of solid blocks of wood are preferable to those made hollow; they
are less expensive and not so easily injured by the shot, and also require far less
gentle handling. From fifty to one hundred are necessary for point-shooting,—the
more the better.
294 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
We have before us a late number of the Spirit of the Times,
which contains an excellent article on duck-shooting, wherein is
described a very ingenious plan adopted by the writer for impart-
ing this particular motion to the decoys on a still day; and, as the —
expedient is quite novel as well as practicable, we shall transfer ,
the description of it in the words of the author to these pages, —
feeling sure that it will prove serviceable to some of our sporting |
friends under like circumstances :-—
“Ducks not decoying well on calm days, of which we had quite
« number in December, we hit upon a somewhat novel expedient
to attract their attention to our decoys. A dozen stakes of about
two feet in length were firmly driven into the soft bed of the river, |
at a distance of some forty yards from the blind, so that at low-
water their upper ends were quite a foot beneath the surface.
Through the tops of these stakes, on which we had bored holes of
an inch in diameter, having rings of stout iron wire inserted in
them to prevent chafing, were passed strings of the proper length, -
one of the ends of which was carried into the blind, while the others
were attached to the necks of the decoy-ducks. These latter were
anchored by heavy anchors at such a distance from the stakes that,
when pulled upon by the strings, the anchors remaining firm, they
were suddenly drawn head-foremost beneath the water, represent- ,
ing very fairly the diving of the real fowl. The ends of the strings
within the blind were attached to small sticks, four in number,
being three to each, and one person could thus manage at the same
time all or a portion of the decoys.
‘“‘Around these divers, (as we termed them,) which were scattered
over a considerable extent of water, were set the usual number of —
decoys, taking care to place the latter so as not to interfere with
the action of the strings of the former. Not being aware of its
ever having been tried before, we were exceedingly anxious about
the result of our experiment; and on the first calm day, all being
prepared, we looked anxiously for the appearance of a flock of
ducks with which to test its success. A bunch of canvas-backs
passing down the river soon came in sight, but holding their way
CANVAS-BACK. 295
80 far out that we despaired of attracting their notice. When
_ directly opposite, however, we commenced vigorously working our
_ divers, and, to our surprise and delight, the flock immediately
turned in, and, passing back and forth two or three times, came
up most beautifully.
“This success at once settled the question of the utility of our
device, and during the whole of this day, on which there was not
sufficient wind to ruffle the surface of the water, we had excellent
sport, many fowl passing up and down the river, and almost every
bunch that were not too far off to see our decoys came up fear-
lessly and without hesitation ; with single ducks, or when only two
or three were together, we were invariably successful. Day after
day, the weather being mild and calm for this time of the year,
we tried it with complete success, and to this simple expedient we
owed decidedly the best portion of our shooting; its excellence
existing not only with regard to the canvas-back, but also to the
red-head and scaup-duck. The success with which we met was
owing partly to the exceedingly natural appearance of the decoys,
for this number of divers scattered through some seventy or
eighty gave the semblance of life to the remainder, and, creating
a ripple on the water, made them show much better ; besides this,
ducks passing at a distance frequently do not see decoys, and a
slight motion among the latter is at once sufficient to draw then
attention ; this done, their coming up to such well-gotten-up affairs
follows almost as a matter of course.’’*
HOLES IN THE ICE.
As the season advances, ducks are frequently obliged to abandon
their favorite feeding-grounds in the upper bay, owing to the large
masses of floating ice that are constantly coming down the Susque-
hanna and the smaller streams they are wont to frequent. ‘The
canvas-backs are now driven to great extremes to procure food,
* See Spirit of the Times, February 5, 1858.
296 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
and are almost constantly on the wing in quest of suitable spots
to dive down. for the still tender roots of the valisineria.
At this juncture, a cruel advantage is taken of the half-starved
condition of the poor canvas-backs to entice them within the reach
of the murderous guns of those who lie in ambuscade upon the
shores of the Gunpowder, Bush, Elk, and the many other smaller
streams which are now frozen over. A large hole of many feet in
diameter is cut in the ice directly over some choice feeding-shoal,
sufficiently near, however, to the land to allow of its being raked
by the guns of those concealed behind a blind erected on the
shore. Large numbers of wild fowl, more particularly the canvas-
backs, may be killed in this way, and the shooter can lie still and
bang away at the ducks all day long, as they will oftentimes con-
tinue coming and going as fast almost as he can load, provided
they are driven to the extremity we have mentioned above. These
seasons of scarcity are not by any means unusual; and a friend
of the author informs him that he has killed as many as one
hundred and fifty canvas-backs over one of these feeding-holes in
one day on the Gunpowder River.
POINT-SHOOTING.
Several of the above plans of shooting ducks may be said to be
illegitimate ways of sporting, although pursued indiscriminately
by all those of our friends who participate in wild-fowl shooting.
The really sportsmanlike way of killing canvas-backs, however, is
for the shooter to station himself on some one of the many points
or bars along the bay-shore or its tributaries that the ducks fly
over in their course to and from their feeding-grounds. Much
depends, in this kind of shooting, upon the disposition of the ele-
ments; for neither pleasure nor success can be reasonably ex-
pected if the weather is intensely cold or the wind blowing fresh
from a quarter that carries the ducks off from the point rather
than on it.
On the other hand, if the wind and weather prove favorable
and the ducks are flying briskly, there is not a more delightful way
CANVAS-BACK. 297
of enjoying one’s self than in point-shooting. Great skill and
judgment are requisite to strike the ducks; and when thus sud-
denly stopped in their rapid course, they present a beautiful sight
as they come tumbling down with a heavy plash from a height of
one, two, or even three, hundred feet.
Tt is this kind of duck-shooting that either displays the igno-
rance or dexterity of the sportsman; for, without long practice
in this particular branch, the best general shooter in the country
would appear to little advantage alongside even of an indifferent
ducker.
The principal sites on the Chesapeake Bay where sportsmen
resort for this kind of pastime are the points immediately about
Havre de Grace, the Narrows of Spesutia, a few miles farther
down, T'aylor’s Island, Abbey Island, Legoe’s Point, Marshy Point,
Bengie’s Point, Robbins’s and Ricket’s Point, Maxwell’s Point,
and Carrol’s Island. There are also some good points about Elk
and Northeast Rivers, and a few on the western shore.*
Carrol’s Island has long been in possession of a club of sports-
men, who regularly resort to this favorite spot during the ducking
season, and seldom return home without being heavily laden with
the rich spoils of their skill. Not only canvas-backs, but the
larger species of wild fowl, are killed at Carrol’s Island. Numbers
of swans and geese are seen flying about these points; and the
ambitious sportsman will often have an opportunity to bring down
with his steady hand the most majestic as well as the most beautiful
of all the feathered race. If any of our readers should feel this
-
* There is a considerable difference between bar-shooting and point-shooting. The
latter we have already described; and, to make the former intelligible to our read-
ers, we must premise our remarks by stating that, along the shores of the Chesa-
peake, the land stretching out into the bay to form these shooting-points is often a
mere narrow peninsula, termed a dar, over which the ducks are constantly passing
and repassing to their feeding-grounds, without going out of their usual course to
weather the points, as they would do under ordinary circumstances; most of the
shooting, therefore, is perpendicular, and consequently far more difficult than
when shooting directly off the point. Maxwell’s Point is thus formed by a very
narrow strip of land. The shooting-points on the Elk River are Locust Point,
Plumb Point, Little and Big Welsh. Nearly all these shooting-points are rented out.
298 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
laudable ambition—and where is the tyro who will not ?—we trust
that he may prove more successful than we did at our début upon
swan-shooting; having, much to our mortification, fired both bar-
rels of a heavy duck-gun from behind an ambush into a noble flock
of sixteen swans quietly feeding on the water within sixty yards
of us, without even as much as rumpling a single feather of their
plumage. But then there was a reason why, as all sportsmen have
good excuses for their bad shooting; at all events, they strive very
hard to concoct plausible ones, by which to gull their companions.
But in this case, unfortunately for our credit as a marksman, the
gun was neither strange, bad, nor overloaded; neither did it snap,
hang fire, overshoot nor undershoot its mark; but the plain and
simple fact is—shall we have recourse to so hackneyed a plea ee
cut the matter short and solve the mystery, we had no number BB
shot in the barrels, one of our companions having drawn the charge
the night before, by way of affording himself some amusement at
our expense on the following day.
Jokers, however, often get hurt with the recoil of their own
weapons; and so it was in this case. As we were entirely alone,
and separated from the projector of this trick when we fired at the
swans, we suspected something wrong, and did not relate the cir-
cumstance till after he had confessed drawing the load and ex-
pressed a desire to know the result of our first two shots; and then,
greatly to his chagrin, he learned that we might have had added
to our lot of ducks several noble cygnets, if he had restrained
his silly propensity to make us a laughing-stock for the company.
Such an opportunity to distinguish ourself in the field of wild-fowl
shooting we never again expect to meet with, as we are satisfied
that we should have killed, on this occasion, not less than six
swans, and perhaps more; for they were all huddled together in
such a manner, when we drew on them, that hardly one could have
escaped from the effects of our fire.*
* We do not mean to assert that we might have bagged the whole sixteen by one
‘coup de fusil,” or even with two; but we do say, most positively, that scarcely one
could have gotten off without carrying a few pellets of shot with him.
CANVAS-BACK. 299
ART OF SHOOTING DUCKS.
We have now nearly drawn to a close the whole subject of wild-
fowl shooting; but little remains to say further, except, perhaps,
an effort on our part to instruct beginners in the art of shooting
ducks, both on the wing and water. Without some instructions on
this head, and a great deal of practice besides, we can assure the
most determined tyro that he would make but a poor show of
shooting among the skilful duckers of the Chesapeake. He might,
however, stand an equal chance with the oldest of them, provided
he could ever be so fortunate as to meet with canvas-backs in the
same predicament that a correspondent of the Spirit states that
some punters found a flock of black and gray ducks on the ice of
Little Creek, in Canada; that is, too fat,to fly, and wanting in
energy sufficient to get out of the way when pursued.
The particulars of this sporting incident being so very curious
and unique, we think it worth while to transfer to our pages the
extract of the letter containing the details, leaving it for naturalists
and sportsmen to explain the phenomenon as they best can. As
for ourselves, we do not feel inclined to believe that ducks could
become too fat to fly, in the month of December, in the bleak
regions of Canada, and doubt very much whether such an occur-
rence could be so general under any circumstances, no matter how
plenty the most nutritious food might be. Might not the singular
conduct of these fowl be attributed rather to sickness produced by
some unnatural cause, or perhaps the eating of some deleterious
substance forced upon them by the severity of the weather? How-
ever, here is the extract; we give it as we find it :—
“‘ By-the-by, talking of cold, I have a most extraordinary cir-
cumstance to tell you in the sporting way. Two punters last week
went to the Long Island marsh, which has been for some time
frozen up, for the purpose of trapping. Walking along the ice near
the creek,—I think called Little Creek,—they saw a great number
of ducks on the ice, and crawled up very cautiously to get a shot.
They were, however, much surprised, on coming near them, to find
800 LEWIS S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
that they did not appear at all alarmed, and concluded that they
must be frozen, or something of the sort; they consequently did
not fire, but continued to approach until they caught one. Upon
this the others scattered, but did not attempt to fly; and a chase
ensued, which ended in the capture of no less than seventy-six, all
black and gray ducks, and one wild goose. The next day they
came across some more in the same way, and took thirty-four: in
all, one hundred and eleven. Did you ever see or hear the like of
that ?—a novel sort of duck-hunting! The birds were actually so
fat that the punters attribute their success in taking them to their
inability to rise in consequence.”
Canvas-backs fly with great strength and velocity, and require a
heavy blow to bring them down; if winged only, it is almost use-
less to pursue them either with a dog or in a boat, as they dive
with so much celerity, and swim such great distances under water,
that it is next to an impossibility to overtake them, or even to
shoot them if within gunshot, as they only come to the top of
the water for an instant, and duck down again before a snap-shot
could get a range on them even with a light partridge-gun, let
alone a heavy duck-gun. Dogs accustomed to duck-shooting soon
learn this fact, as before stated, and will not be induced to follow
after a wounded canvas-back if able to dive. The shooter will
therefore see at once the importance of striking canvas-backs in a
vital spot. The head and neck are the portions we should always
endeavor to hit, as a single pellet of shot lodged in these portions
of the body will do as much execution as a half-dozen imbedded in
the breast or other fleshy parts. To accomplish this, many cir-
cumstances must be taken into consideration, and must be run over
in one’s mind at a moment when there is not a second to ponder
on the subject. For example, we should be able to tell at a glance
the probable distance the ducks are from us, their height, the velo-
city with which they are flying, the course they are pursuing, &c.
&e.; for without a just appreciation of all these particulars we
shall be very apt to shoot over them, under them, before them, or
behind them. This kind of rapid mental calculation, though very
CANVAS-BACK. 301
troublesome at first, will soon become a kind of intuitive habit by
practice, and the gun will be found almost of itself to take the
proper direction, seemingly unguided by any special will of the
shooter.
FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.
Never shoot at ducks as they are coming towards you; wait till
they are on a line with your person, or till they have passed you,
as it is almost impossible for shot to penetrate through the thick
plumage of a duck when presented in this position. As the ducks
are approaching, raise your gun, take sight on them, and follow
the foremost with the eye and weapon until they come immedi-
ately overhead, or rather in a line parallel with your body; then
slide the gun with a quick motion a short distance in front of
the flying column, being careful, however, to preserve its range
directly in their course, and fire without stopping the motion of
the arm.
The distance which the gun is thus thrown before the ducks de-
pends entirely upon their probable distance from the shooter, the
velocity with which they are flying, and the other points already
alluded to above, all of which must be ascertained in a moment of
time, when the eye is resting upon the birds along the barrel of
the gun. One or two feet will nearly always be necessary to
insure success in bringing down canvas-backs, and sometimes even
as much as ten feet is not too far in advance, if the wind is
blowing fresh and the ducks travelling before it, as they most fre-
quently do. It should always be borne in mind that most ducks
302 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
fly with amazing velocity; and the great error committed by all
beginners, and even by experienced shooters, is that they deliver
their shot behind the bird. The range of the sight should be
rather above than below the ducks, to prevent the pellets from
falling too low before reaching their proper destination. The
various points on the narrows of Spesutia Island are perhaps the
most frequented of all localities in the upper bay for duck-shooting ;
and it is seldom that the sportsman will be disappointed in visiting
these grounds, as the ducks are passing up and down these waters
nearly all day, but more particularly in the mgrning and afternoon.
Canvas-backs commence flying very early, and it is necessary for
the sportsman to be up and on the ground betimes, as he will have
an opportunity of trying his skill as soon as it shall be light
enough to see the ducks which he will hear moving over his head in
uninterrupted numbers for an hour before daybreak. The morn-
ing flights continue an hour or two after dawn, although, as before
stated, many ducks keep in motion all day long; but the greater
portion of them are busily engaged feeding after this time, and, if
flying, endeavor to avoid these exposed points, where they have
every reason to apprehend danger. Canvas-backs, in fact, are
disposed to keep clear of the shores at all times; but when impelled
by a strong breeze that sets them towards these points, they are
not easily turned from their course, it not being often necessary to
employ any kind of device to screen the sportsman from observa-
tion, provided he remain motionless until the ducks have come suffi-
ciently near to be in range of the gun. It is better that the dress
should not be too conspicuous: a drab overcoat and cap of the
same color is the most suitable for concealment; and, if possible,
station yourself against a bush, tree, or some dark object, if there
are no blinds erected. °
When the canvas-backs are flying fast and in great numbers, an
eager sportsman had better take two guns with him, and have an
assistant to load while he fires; and in this way he will get double
the number of shots, without the hurry and excitement of charging
fast.
CANVAS-BACK. | 303
Captain Hawker very justly remarks:—‘‘ Never look up while
loading; you can do no good by it, and you will only put yourself
in a flurry, and perhaps break your ramrod. If your man, (assist-
ant,) knowing you have no gun loaded, says, ‘ Look out, sir!’ why
—I had almost said—knock him down.”
TO SHOOT DUCKS SITTING.
Having learned the art of shooting flying, the tyro may feel
disposed to treat with contempt any endeavor on our part to teach
him so simple a thing as to shoot wild fowl while sitting on the
water, within, we will say, fifty or a hundred yards of our ambush.
Nevertheless, we can assure him that it is not such an easy matter
as he supposes, and he will upon trial soon find to his satisfaction
what we say to be true; and, without paying proper regard to our
instructions on this point, he will often have the mortification of
seeing the ducks escape from his fire, when he ought by due
management to have killed at least a dozen or more. It seems to
be a very simple thing to point the gun in a direct range of a flock
of ducks, and cut a complete lane, as it were, through their ranks
with a heavy charge of powder and shot; but such, unfortunately
for the tyro, is not the case. The young sportsman generally
commits one of two errors in shooting wild fowl; that is, he either
undershoots or overshoots the game, according to the distance they
are from him. If within thirty, forty, or fifty, or even seventy
yards, the shot almost invariably passes over the ducks; if beyond
this distance, the load most frequently falls far short of the in-
tended mark.
When the shot is first impelled from the mouth of a large duck-
gun held on a level, it has an upward tendency from a point-blank
range, which it preserves for an indefinite distance, according to
the quantity of powder used and the force with which the weapon
shoots. When it has reached a certain distance it begins to lose
the upward impetus, and, therefore, must fall sooner or later
before losing entirely its projectile force. Any one can easily
ascertain this fact by trying the experiment on the water, if not
804 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
convinced of it by previous observation. This being the case, the
force of our assertion will be readily seen; that is, when the ducks
are but a short distance off, the load will most likely pass over the
spot within the point-blank range of the gun and be distributed
some distance beyond; while, on the other hand, the ducks being
much farther off, the shot will most likely fall short of their in-
tended destination, or, in other words, drop within the point-blank
range of the eye.
When the ducks are a short distance from our station, the
foremost ones, if there be many, should be in full relief over the
sight of the gun; and then, most probably, if shooting on a level,
as is most frequently the case on the shores where wild fowl are
pursued, the leader of the troop which we select for our guide will
escape from the dire effects of our volley, that shall spread death
and destruction in his rear.
If, on the contrary, the ducks are a long distance off, be sure
that the foremost ducks are entirely under the range of the barrels,
and then we shall most likely rake the front and middle columns,
if not sweep the whole mass. For other information regarding
shooting ducks, we refer to our chapter on wild-fowl shooting in
general, and beg to close the present subject, as some one® has
done before us, with the spirited lines of Wilson, descriptive of
the shooting of these celebrated birds.
‘‘Slow round an opening point we softly steal,
Where four large ducks in playful circles wheel.
The far-famed canvas-backs at once we know,
Their broad, flat bodies wrapped in pencilled snow;
The burnished chestnut o’er their necks that shone,
Spread deepening round each breast a sable zone.
Wary they gaze; our boat in silence glides;
The slow-moved paddles steal along the sides ;
Quick-flashing thunders roar along the flood,
And three lie prostrate, vomiting their blood!
The fourth aloft on whistling pinions soared ;
One fatal glance the fiery thunders poured ;
Prone drops the bird amid the dashing waves,
And the clear stream his glossy plumage laves.”
CANVAS-BACK. 305
THE PRESENT AND FUTURE NUMBERS OF DUCKS UPON CHESA-
PEAKE BAY.
‘¢ Still files of ducks in streaming thousands pour ;
At every bend their rising torrents roar.”
Notwithstanding the immense multitude of canvas-backs which
annually resort to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, they are
now said to be far less numerous than they were some years ago.
Of this fact we are not able to judge, but feel satisfied that the
species, although killed in numbers still greater than they have
been heretofore, can never become extinct, as some persons appre-
hend. The greatest safeguard to the continuation of the whole
duck race is the circumstance of their breeding in regions so
remote. They are besides so prolific, that every succeeding au-
tumn will bring down to their former haunts a wonderful increase
to the great numbers of those that necessarily escape the general
massacre. The large and increasing demand, however, for ducks
from the Chesapeake in particular, and the ingenious methods
resorted to to kill them, will no doubt everitually drive the larger
portion of the canyas-backs from their favorite feeding-grounds,
and thus cause them to become more widely dispersed over the
whole country. The comparative scarcity of them on these waters
will, perhaps, induce the erroneous belief of their speedy extinction ;
but such a thing we deem impossible, owing, as already stated, to
the habits of the whole duck tribe during the period of incubation.
During the season of 1850 and 1851, canvas-backs were very
plenty, and, owing to the unusual mildness of the weather and
the consequent increased slaughter of them from the surface-boats,
they were sold at unprecedented low prices in our markets.
The early portion of the season of 1854 and 1855 was equally
prolific of the feathered race, insomuch that greater slaughter of
wild fowl was made on the flats of the Chesapeake and its numerous
tributaries than in any previous year. No less than three thou-
sand head of various kinds of ducks were killed in the vicinity of
Havre de Grace alone on the first day which the duckers in a body
20
306 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN,
agreed to make use of their batteries. The temperature during
the months of October and November of the following season of
1855 and 1856 being uncommonly moderate, but few canvas-backs,
comparatively speaking, made their appearance on the Chesapeake
before December. The weather soon after becoming intensely cold,
and continuing so for several weeks, the destruction of ducks on
those far-famed feeding-grounds was necessarily quite limited in
comparison with the preceding years, and all descriptions of wild
fowl sold in our markets at very high prices.
CHAPTER XXIX.
DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF DUCKS.
RED-HEADED DUCK, OR RED-HEAD. ANAS FERINA.
‘‘ Beyond a point, just opening to the view,
A fleet of ducks collect their scattered crew;
Part, soon alarmed, with sudden splattering, soar,
The rest, remaining, seek the farther shore.”
HABITS, DESCRIPTION, ETC.
HE red-head, second alone in delicacy of
flavor to the canvas-back, will now claim
our attention. It frequents very much
the same grounds with the preceding
variety, although not so exclusively
wedded to the waters of the Chesapeake
but that it can be found in other
localities in considerable profusion, even
during the luxuriance of the valisineria. The red-head, like the
poachard, or bald-pate, feeds on the blades of the water-celery,
807
308 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
when it cannot filch the tender roots from the canvas-backs. It
is often shot in the Delaware, Hudson, and other rivers, and visits
the streams of the South as the winter progresses. The flesh of
these fowls is so near akin to that of the canvas-backs, that the
most delicate palate can hardly distinguish one from the other; and
we have seen many amusing mistakes made by persons professiag
to be able to tell one duck from the other when served for the
table.
“The red-head is twenty inches in length and two feet six
inches in extent; bill dark slate, sometimes black, two inches
long,
with a large broad nail at the extremity; irides flame-colored ;
and seven-eighths of an inch thick at the base, furnished
plumage of the head long, velvety and inflated, running high
above the base of the bill; head, and about two inches of the
neck, deep glossy reddish-chestnut; rest of the neck and upper
part of the breast black, spreading round to the back; belly white,
becoming dusky towards the vent by closely-marked undulating
lines of black; back and scapulars bluish-white, rendered gray by
numerous transverse waving lines of black; lesser wing-coverts
brownish-ash; wing-quills very pale slate, dusky at the tips; lower
part of the back and sides under the wings brownish-black, crossed
with regular zigzag lines of whitish; vent, rump, and tail-coverts,
black; legs and feet dark ash.” The female has the upper part
of the head dusky brown, and the plumage generally is not so
bright as that of the male.
The red-head weighs from a pound and a half to two pounds.
This duck resembles very closely the poachard, red-headed
widgeon, or dun-bird, of England, and is ‘considered by many as
the same identical bird. The description of the one corresponds
very much with that of the other, as will be seen by the following,
taken from Daniel. “The poachard is about the size of a widgeon,
weighs one pound twelve ounces; its length is nineteen inches;
breadth two feet and a half; the bill is broader than the widgeon’s,
of a deep lead-color, with a black tip; irides orange; the head
and neck deep chestnut; the lower part of the neck and breast,
RED-HEADED DUCK, OR RED-HEAD. 309
and upper part of the back, dusky black; scapulars and wing-
coverts nearest the body of a grayish white, elegantly marked
with narrow lines of black; the exterior wing-coverts and quills
dusky brown; the belly ash-colored and brown; the tail consists
of twelve short feathers of a deep gray; the legs lead-colored.
The female has the head of a pale reddish-brown,” Xe.
From the above description, and the investigations of naturalists,
we are led to suppose that these two birds are identical; and there-
fore it will not perhaps be deemed irrelevant to the subject to in-
troduce a short history of the plan pursued in England for the
capture of this fowl upon an extensive scale :—
“These birds (poachards) are eagerly sought by the London
poulterers, under the name of dun-birds, as they are deemed ex-
cellent eating. The greater part of what appear in the markets are
caught in decoys; but the construction and mode of working is
perfectly distinct from that wherein the other wild fowl are taken.
A decoy for dun-birds is called a flight-pond, and has nets fastened
to tall stout poles twenty-eight or thirty feet long; at the bottom
of each pole is a box fixed, filled with heavy stones, sufficient to
elevate the poles and nets the instant an iron pin is withdrawn,
which retains the nets and poles flat upon the reeds, small willow
boughs, or furze; within the nets are small pens made of reeds,
about three feet high, for the reception of the birds that strike
against the net and fall down; and such is the form and shortness
of wing in the poachard, that they cannot ascend again from their
little enclosures if they would; besides, the numbers which are
usually knocked into these pens preclude all chance of escape
from them by the wing. A decoy-man will sometimes allow the
haunt of dun-birds to be so great that the whole surface of the
pond shall be covered with them previous to his attempting to take
one. Upon such occasions, he bespeaks all the assistants he can
get, to complete the slaughter by breaking their necks. When all
is ready, the dun-birds are roused from the pond; and, as all wild
fowl rise against the wind, the poles in that quarter are unpinned,
and fly up with the nets at the instant the dun-birds begin to leave
810 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN,
the surface of the water, so as to meet them in their first ascent,
and are thus beat down by hundreds. At the pond of Mr. Burton,
at Goldanger, in Essex, as many poachards have been taken at one
drop as filled a wagon, so as to require four stout horses to carry
them away; and the lower birds in the pens have been known to
be killed and pressed entirely flat from the numbers of their com-
panions heaped above them by the fatal stoppage of the poles and
nets.”
ANAS AMERICANA. AMERICAN WIDGEON, OR BALD-PATE,
HIS fowl, like the red-head, during its
sojourn on the Chesapeake and Potomace,
is the constant companion of the canvas-
back, upon whose superior skill in diving
it depends for a supply of the tender root
of the valisineria, which it filches from
these ducks as soon as they come to the
top of the water with it in their mouths,
The bald-pates, as these ducks are most commonly called on the
Chesapeake, are not far inferior in flavor to the canvas-back, and
when in good order it is not easy to distinguish them from the
above duck. Those killed on other streams, though excellent
eating, will not compare with those that feed on the flats of the
Chesapeake. Widgeons are extensively scattered throughout the
whole of our Atlantic States, and are abundant in some of the
West India islands; they are well known in the Delaware Bay.
811
S12 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
DESCRIPTION.
‘The widgeon, or bald-pate, measures twenty-two inches in
length and thirty inches in extent; the bill is of a slate-color; the
nail black; the front and crown cream-colored, sometimes nearly
white, the feathers inflated; from the eye backwards to the middle
of the neck behind extends a band of deep, glossy green, gold, and
purple; throat, chin, and sides of the neck before, as far as the
green extends, dull yellowish-white, thickly speckled with black;
breast and hind-part of the neck hoary bay, running in under the
wings, where it is crossed with fine waving lines of black; whole
belly white; vent black; back and scapulars black, thickly and
beautifully crossed with undulating lines of vinous bay; lower part
of the back more dusky; tail-coverts long, pointed, whitish, crossed
as the back; tail pointed, brownish ash; the two middle feathers
an inch longer than the rest, and tapering; shoulder of the wing
brownish ash; wing-coverts, immediately below, white, forming a
large spot; primaries brownish ash; middle secondaries black,
glossed with green, forming the speculum; tertials black, edged
with white, between which and the beauty-spot several of the
secondaries are white.
“The female has the whole head and neck yellowish-white,
thickly speckled with black, very little rufous on the breast; the
back is dark brown. The young males, as usual, very much like
the females during the first season, and do not receive their ‘full
plumage until the second year. They are also subject to a regular
change every spring and autumn.”
This fowl, it will be seen, resembles the English widgeon,
whewer, or whim, both in appearance and habits. The American
variety is, perhaps, a little heavier, and the plumage richer.
Widgeons do not feed much during the day, but remain listlessly
on the sand-flats or hidden among the herbage of the marshes; but
as soon as night comes they are in motion, and may be heard repair-
ing in considerable numbers to the various feeding-grounds which
they are wont to frequent. These fowl are very abundant on the
AMERICAN WIDGEON, OR BALD-PATE. 313
coasts of Great Britain, and the numbers slaughtered in the course
of a season by the sportsmen and fowlers are enormous. ‘They are
much esteemed in London, and eagerly sought after by the poul-
terers as a ready article of sale. They are pursued by the English
punters almost entirely by night; they lie in wait for them in those
situations which they are most likely to visit or pass over in their
course to the feeding-grounds. The best weather for this sport is
a clear, windy, half moonlight night, provided the wind does not
blow from you, as the ducks may smell you: in fact, it is always
necessary to get to the leeward of wild fowl of all kinds, as their
power of scenting is very great. The English variety is easily
‘‘domesticated in places where there is plenty of water, and are
much admired for their beauty, sprightly look, and frolicsome
manners.” The same is said of the American widgeon.
Bald-pates can be decoyed within gunshot by imitating their
peculiar shrill note; are not apt to dart at decoys off points, ex-
cept in foggy weather. They are migratory, and breed in the
North, on the coast of Hudson’s Bay; they visit the ricefields of
the South during the winter in considerable numbers, and are much
esteemed by the planters as an article of food.
For further information on the subject of widgeon, we beg to
refer the reader to Colonel Hawker, the Magnus Apollo of wild-
fowl shooting, as he has very justly been styled.
Ups')
“pty
ANAS BOSCHAS. MALLARD, OR WILD DRAKE,
ALLARDS are widely disseminated over
almost every habitable portion of the globe,
and their flesh is alike esteemed in all
; parts; and wherever they make their ap-
pearance, sportsmen resort to all kinds of
expedients to secure them. Ata glance,
it will be seen that the wild drake is the
original stock from which is sprung the
puddle-duck of our barnyards, as they differ but little in plumage
and general form. The wild bird, however, is a much more noble-
looking fowl than those of the same race that have been enslaved
by man; and instead of the silly, discordant quack! quack!
quack! lazy waddle, inactive life, and singular propensity for
dabbling in the filthy oozes of the stable-yard, common to our do-
mestic duck, they pursue a cunning, silent, active, and free life.
314
MALLARD, OR WILD DRAKE. 315
DESCRIPTION.
‘The mallard, or common wild drake, is so universally known as
scarcely to require a description. It measures twenty-four inches
in length by three feet in extent, and weighs upwards of two
pounds and a half; the bill is greenish yellow; irides hazel; head,
and part of the neck, deep, glossy, changeable green, ending in a
narrow collar of white; the rest of the neck and breast are of a
dark purplish chestnut; lesser wing-coverts brown-ash; greater
crossed near the extremities with a band of white, and tipped with
another of deep velvety black; below this lies the speculum vr
beauty-spot, of a rich and splendid light purple, with green and
violet reflections, bounded on every side with black; quills pale
brownish-ash; back brown, skirted with paler; scapulars whitish,
crossefl with fine undulating lines of black; rump and tail-coverts
black, glossed with green; tertials very broad, and pointed at the
ends; tail, consisting of eighteen feathers, whitish, centred with
brown-ash, the four middle ones excepted, which are narrow, black,
glogsed with violet, remarkably concave, and curled upwards to a
complete circle; belly and sides a fine gray, crossed by an infinite
number of fine, waving lines, stronger and more deeply marked as
they approach the vent; legs and feet orange-red.
“The female has the plumage of the upper parts dark brown,
broadly bordered with brownish yellow, and the lower parts yel-
low ochre, spotted and streaked with deep brown; the chin and
throat, for about two inches, plain yellowish-white ; wings, bill,
and legs, nearly as in the male.
‘The windpipe of the male has a bony labyrinth, or bladder-like
knob, puffing out from the left side. The intestines measure six
feet, and are as wide as those of the canvas-back. The windpipe
is of uniform diameter until it enters the labyrinth.”
Like most wild fowl, the mallard breeds in the Far North,
and makes its appearance in the autumn among the first of our
ducks. It is common throughout all our rivers and fresh-water
lakes, but is seldom met with on the sea-coast. As the winter
316 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
progresses, large numbers continue South, and take up their abode
among the ricefields of the Carolinas, where they become very fat
and particularly palatable. Their flesh, at all times when the wea-
ther is not very severe, is good, as they feed on vegetable matter
in preference to any other kind of food, and only partake of fish
when they cannot obtain any thing else.
Mallards are easily brought within gunshot by means of decoys,
used in the way already described under the head of canvas-backs.
They are numerous at times on the Delaware, and numbers are
killed by shooters hiding themselves in boats and the reeds within
range of their stool-ducks, which are set out on the edge of the
reeds. They are very fond of the seeds of the wild oats that
flourish so profusely on the flats of the Delaware, and their flesh
soon becomes delicate and juicy.
In England and on the Continent many singular contrivances
have been invented to entrap these birds; and so successful are the
fowlers now in this lucrative business that many hundreds are
often taken at one draw of the net.
The most destructive way of trapping mallards is the plan
adopted on the decoy-ponds of England and France, a full account
of which may be found in Bewick’s British Birds.
waa
a
4 y 5
is
Wit BA 3
SNE OE ee
Beis
FANNIE Fes
ANAS DISCORS. BLUE-WINGED TEAL.
LUE-WINGED TEAL are among the
first of the water-fowl that visit the
shores of the Delaware and Chesapeake
from the far regions of the North. They
arrive among us in September, and
remain feeding along the fresh-water
shores and mud-flats until driven farther
south by the chilling frosts of these
regions, as they are a very tender bird,
and spend the most of their time in parts where the weather is
mild. This little duck appears to be much less cunning than most
other varieties of wild fowl, as it is not difficult to approach in a
boat or under cover of any simple device.
The shooters on the Delaware kill great numbers from the reeds,
over stool-ducks set out on the mud; they stool without difficulty,
and drop down among the decoys and go to eating as if they were
surrounded by busy companions like themselves.
They stool better if the decoys are set in the mud than if in
the water, and in this respect differ from every other duck.
317
318 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
They are fond of the seeds of the wild oats, and become very
fat after feeding on them for a short time. In the South they
also become very fat, and are considered most excellent eating ;
great numbers are shot as well as caught on the ricefields in traps
set by the negroes.
The markets of Philadelphia abound with these ducks, which are
sold for a mere trifle. They are considered best by epicures when
split open and broiled, with a dressing of butter: we prefer them
in this way to all other modes of cooking.
Blue-winged teal fly with great rapidity and considerable noise;
they drop down suddenly among the reeds, much like a wood-
cock.
DESCRIPTION.
“‘This species measures about fourteen inches in length and
twenty-two inches in extent; the bill is long in proportion, and
of a dark, dusky slate; the front and upper part of the head are
black; from the eye to the chin is a large crescent of white; the
rest of the head and half the neck are of a dark slate, richly
glossed with green and violet; remainder of the neck and breast
is black or dusky, thickly marked with semicircles of brownish
white, elegantly intersected with each other; belly pale brown,
barred with dusky in narrow lines; sides and vent the same tint,
spotted with oval marks of dusky; flanks elegantly waved with
large semicircles of pale brown; sides of the vent pure white, un-
der the tail-coverts black; back deep brownish-black, each feather
waved with large semi-ovals of brownish white; lesser wing-covert
a bright light-blue; primaries dusky brown; secondaries black;
speculum, or beauty-spot, rich green; tertials edged with black or
light-blue, and streaked down their middle with white; the tail,
which is pointed, extends two inches beyond the wings; legs and
feet yellow, the latter very small; the two crescents of white before
the eyes meet on the throat.
‘“‘The female differs in having the head and neck of a dull dusky
slate, instead of the rich violet of the male; the hind-head is also
GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 819
whitish; the wavings on the back and lower parts more indistinct;
‘wing nearly the same in both.”
ANAS CRECCA. GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
This variety is a little larger than the preceding, and resembles
more closely the English teal—is, in fact, considered by naturalists
as the same duck. Its habits and disposition are similar to those
of the blue-winged, and its flesh of like quality.
ANAS ALBEOLA. BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK, OR BUTTER-BALL.
HIS little duck is more commonly known
as the butter-box, or butter-ball, from the
circumstance of its fat, plump little body.
It is one of the very first ducks that comes
from the North. Its flesh is rather fishy
at times; but we have shot them on the
\ Chesapeake and Delaware of very good
~ flavor. It breeds in the North, flies with
great velocity, and dives with considerable
facility; and, when on the wing, utters a
quick, guttural note—quack! quack! quack!
DESCRIPTION.
“The buffel-headed duck, or rather, as it has originally been,
the buffalo-headed duck, from the disproportionate size of its head,
is fourteen inches long and twenty-three inches in extent; the bill
is short, and of a light blue or leaden color; the plumage of the
head and half of the neck is thick, long, and velvety, projecting
320
BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK, OR BUTTER-BALL. 321
greatly over the lower part of the neck; this plumage on the fore-
head and nape is rich glossy green, changing into a shining purple
on the crown and sides of the neck ; from the eyes backward passes
a broad band of pure white; iris of the eye dark; back, wings,
and part of the scapulars, black ; rest of the scapulars, lateral band
along the wing, and whole breast, snowy white; belly, vent, and
tail-coverts, dusky white; tail pointed, and of a hoary color.
“The female is considerably less than the male, and entirely
destitute of the tumid plumage of the head: the head, neck, and
upper parts of the body and wings are sooty black, darkest on the
crown; sides of the head marked with a small oblong spot of
white ; bill dusky ; lower part of the neck ash, tipped with white ;
belly dull white; vent cinereous; outer edges of six of the secon-
daries and their incumbent coverts white, except the tips of the
latter, which are black; legs and feet a livid blue; tail hoary
brown.”
21
ANAS OBSCURA. DUSKY DUCK, OR BLACK DUCK.
USKY or black ducks are known to all.
our sea-shore shooters, and innumerable
quantities are brought to the Philadelphia
_ markets. They meet with ready sale,
mn. although their flesh is far inferior to that of
* mauy other varieties of wild fowl. They
are better known as the black duck, and are
shot on the salt marshes of the Delaware.
They are very wary, and will not stool.
They feed on the small bivalves that are so abundant in these
waters, as also along the shores of the creeks and inlets of the Mid-
dle States. Black ducks swim and fly with great velocity: their
notes resemble those of the mallard, but their flesh is much inferior.
As before stated, wild fowl rise almost universally against the
wind; black ducks, however, are an exception to this general rule,
as they spring indifferently either with or against the wind.
Numbers of black ducks are killed by the gunners lying in wait
for them in the route of their return from the sea to the marshes
to feed after night. This kind of shooting is termed “dusking,”
822
\
DUSKY DUCK, OR BLACK-DUCK. 823
and of course can only be practised with much success on a moon-
light night.
When the weather is not severe and the ducks are plenty,
“dusking” is an agreeable pastime. Black ducks are very wary
and sagacious; and it is necessary to hold the most profound
silence when dusking, as they change their course or tower high
at the slightest noise.
DESCRIPTION,
“The dusky or black duck is two feet in length and three feet
two inches in extent; the bill is of a dark greenish-ash, formed
very much like the mallard, and nearly of the same length; irides
dark; upper part of the head deep dusky-brown, intermixed on
the forepart with some small streaks of drab; rest of the head and
greater part of the neck pale yellow-ochre, thickly marked with
small streaks of blackish brown; lower part of the neck and whole
lower parts deep dusky, each feather edged with brownish white
and with fine seams of rusty white; upper parts the same, but
rather deeper; the outer vanes of nine of the secondaries bright
violet-blue, forming the beauty-spot, which is bounded on all sides
by black; wings and tail sooty brown; tail-feathers sharp-pointed ;
legs and feet dusky yellow; lining of the wings pure white.
““The female has more brown on her plumage, but in other
respects differs little from the male, both having the beauty-spot
on the wing.
ANAS ACUTA. PINTAIL DUCK, OR SPRIGTAIL.
HIS handsome-looking duck is known to
our shooters indifferently as the pintail or
sprigtail. The latter appellation is per-
haps the most common. They frequent
the fresh-water streams of almost every
section of our country, both inland and on
the seaboard. They are not very partial to
salt water. Sprigtails are shy and vigi-
lant; when aroused, they fly confusedly together, so that the
shooter has always a fine opportunity to rake the flock when on
the wing. They remain with us all winter and breed in the North;
their flesh is sweet and often delicious.
DESCRIPTION.
“The pintail duck is twenty-six inches in length and two feet
ten inches in extent; the bill is a dusky lead-color; irides dark
hazel; head and half of the neck pale brown, each side of the
neck marked with a band of purple-violet, bordering the white ;
324
PINTAL-DUCK, OR SPRINGTAIL. 325
hind-part of the upper half of the neck black, bordered on each
side by w stripe of white, which spreads over the lower part of the
neck before; sides of the breast and upper part of the back white,
thickly and elegantly marked with transverse, undulating lines of
black, here and there tinged with pale buff; throat and middle of
the belly white, tinged with cream; flanks finely pencilled with
waving lines; vent white; under tail-coverts black; lesser wing-
coverts brown-ash; greater the same, tipped with orange; below
which is the speculum, or beauty-spot, of rich golden green, bor-
dered below with a band of black and another of white; primaries
dusky brown; tertials long, black, edged with white and tinged
with rust ; rump and tail-coverts pale ash, centred with dark brown ;
tail greatly pointed, the two middle tapering feathers being full
five inches longer than the others, and black ; the rest brown-ash,
edged with white; legs a pale lead-color.
“The female has the crown of a dark brown color; neck of a
dull brownish-white, thickly speckled with dark brown; breast and
belly pale brownish-white, interspersed with white; back and root
of the neck above black, each feather elegantly waved with broad
lines of brownish white—these wavings become rufous on the svapu-
lars; vent white, spotted with dark brown; tail dark brown,
spotted with white; the two middle tail-feathers half an inch longer
than the others.
“The sprigtail is an elegantly-formed, long-bodied duck, the
neck longer and more slender than most others.”
ANAS SPONSA. SUMMER-DUCK, OR WOOD-DUCK.
UMMER-DUCKS are remarkable for
the richness and varied hue of their
plumage, and are considered the most
beautiful of all the duck tribe. It is
spread throughout the whole extent of
our country, breeding in almost every
State of the Union, and familiarly known
to country-people as the wood-duck, from
the circumstance of its selecting the hollows of trees to breed in.
This fowl delights in the small streams and mill-ponds of the in-
terior, and is but seldom met with on the large rivers. They are
not often met with in flocks, but are generally found in small
families of two or three. The followers of Sir Isaac Walton are
generally much more familiar with this fowl than the professed
sportsman, as they, in the pursuit of their favorite amusement,
spend much of their time in the quiet and secluded haunts which
326 |
SUMMER-DUCK, OR WOOD-DUCK. 327
these birds affect. Their food consists of seeds and insects, and
their flesh at times is excellent. They are easily tamed when
taken young, and soon become completely domesticated.
DESCRIPTION, |
‘The wood-duck is nineteen inches in length and two feet four
inches in extent; bill red, margined with black; a spot of black
lies between the nostrils, reaching nearly to the tip, which is also
of the same color, and furnished with a large hooked nail; irides
orange-red; front, crown, and pendent crest rich glossy bronze-
green, ending in violet, elegantly marked with a line of pure white
running from the upper mandible over the eye, and with another
band of white proceeding from behind the eye, both mingling
their long pendent plumes with the green and violet ones, pro-
ducing a rich effect; cheeks and sides of the upper neck violet;
chin, throat, and collar round the neck pure white, curving up in
the form of a crescent nearly to the posterior part of the eye;
the white collar is bounded below with black; breast dark violet-
brown, marked on the forepart with minute triangular spots of
white, increasing in size until they spread into the white of the
belly; each side of the breast is bounded by a large cres-
cent of white, and that again by a broader one of deep black;
sides under the wings thickly and beautifully marked with fine
undulating parallel lines of black, on a ground of yellowish drab ;
the flanks are ornamented with broad, alternate, semicircular bands
of black and white; sides of the vent rich light-violet ; tail-coverts
long, of a hair-like texture at the sides, over which they descend,
and of a deep black, glossed with green; back dusky bronze,
reflecting green; scapulars black; tail tapering, dark glossy green
above, below dusky; primaries dusky, silvery hoary without,
tipped with violet-blue; secondaries greenish blue, tipped with
white; wing-coverts violet-blue, tipped with black; vent dusky;
legs and feet yellowish red; claws strong and hooked.
“The female has the head slightly crested; crown, dark purple;
828 LEWIS’S- AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
behind the eye a bar of white; chin and throat, for two inches,
also white; head and neck dark drab; breast, dusky brown,
marked with large triangular spots of white; back dark glossy
bronze-brown, with some gold and greenish reflections ; speculum
of the wings nearly the same as in the male, but the fine pencil-
ling of the sides and the long hair-like tail-coverts are wanting ;
the tail is also shorter.”
ANAS CANADENSIS. CANADA GOOSE.
“‘Hawnk! honk! and for’ard to the nor’ard is the trumpet-tone !
What goose can lag, or feather flag, or break the goodly cone?
Hawnk! onward to the cool blue lakes where lie our safe love-bowers,
No stop, no drop of ocean-brine, near stool or hassock hoary,
Our travelling watchword is ‘our mates, our goslings, and our glory!’
Symsonia and Labrador for us are crowned with flowers,
And not a breast on wave shall rest, until that heaven is ours.
Hawnk! Hawnk! E—e Hawnk!”
ILD GEESE are widely spread over the
whole of the country; and there are
few portions of the United States where
the honking of the goose is not familiar
to the inhabitants. These fowl, in their
migrations south and north, are con-
sidered the sure harbingers of dreary
winter or the near approach of cheerful
spring. They breed in the remotest regions of the North, even
329
330 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
perhaps under the very Pole itself, where, undisturbed by the
cruel hands of man, they rear their young in the most perfect
security, and only leave those peaceful climes when driven from
them by the severity of threatening winter.
Wild geese make their appearance on the Delaware and Chesa-
peake Bays in October; and when many are flying early in the
season it is considered a certain prognostic of a long and hard
winter,—a belief in which all the inhabitants of those parts which
they visit place implicit confidence.
During their journey through the Canadas, their thick ranks
are considerably thinned by the slaughter made among them by
the Indians, who kill immense numbers for their own support and
for that of the English settlements about Hudson’s Bay.
The geese are cleaned and salted away for the winter’s use, and
afford the principal article of flesh that the people have to rely
upon for several months in the year.
Mr. Pennat says, “The English at Hudson’s Bay depend greatly
on geese of this and other kinds for their support, and in favor-
able years kill three or four thousand, which are salted and
barrelled. Their arrival is impatiently expected by the inhabit-
ants, as they are one of the chief articles of their food and also
the harbingers of spring; and the month is named by the Indians
the Goose-moon. They appear usually at our settlements in num-
bers about St. George’s day, and fly northward to nestle in se-
curity. They prefer islands to the continent, as farther from the
haunts of men. Thus, Marble Island was found in August to
swarm with swans, geese, and ducks,—the old ones moulting, and
the young unfledged and incapable of flying. The English send
out their servants as well as the Indians to shoot these birds on
their passage. It is in vain to pursue them; they therefore form
a row of huts made of boughs, at musket-shot distance from each
other, and place them in a line across the parts of the vast marshes
of the country where the geese are expected to pass. Hach stand
is occupied by a single person; these, on the approach of the
birds, mimic their cackle so well that the geese will answer, wheel,
CANADA GOOSE. 331
and come nearer the hovel. The sportsman keeps motionless and
on his knees, with his gun cocked, and never fires till he has seen
the eyes of the geese. He fires as they are going from him, then
picks up another gun that lies by him and discharges that. The
geese killed he sets up on sticks, as if alive, to decoy others; he
also makes artificial birds for the same purpose. In a good day (for
they fly in very uncertain and unequal numbers) a single Indian will
kill two hundred. Notwithstanding every sort of goose has a differ-
ent call, yet the Indians are admirable in their imitation of every one.”
The geese, on their return to the North, pass through the East-
ern States in the months of April and May, early or late, accord-
ing to the state of the weather. When in our waters they feed
on the leaves, blades, and berries of different marine plants, and
the roots of the sedge which grows so abundantly on the salt
marshes. Their flight is heavy and laborious, and in the form of
a triangle, the flock being led by an old gander. When wounded,
they swim and dive with great facility, going long distances under
the water. When taken alive, they are easily domesticated, and
will breed readily with the tame goose. It is a very common
circumstance to see flocks of these geese entirely domesticated in
the neighborhood of the waters which they frequented in their
original state of freedom. Although they may have become quite
tame, and perhaps have reared a brood or two, they are all apt to ex-
hibit symptoms of uneasiness as the period for migration approaches,
and will sometimes fly off with the wild ones that they hear honking
overhead. The Canadian goose is domesticated in England and
France, and is considered superior to the common gray goose.
Many plang are resorted to by the shooters on our coast to
decoy these wary fowl within gunshot, and none more successful
than that of imitating their honkings, which most of them can do
to perfection.
Domestic geese are also used to decoy the wild ones flying over-
head; and they not unfrequently entice them from great heights
in the air to alight among them, supposing them to be some of
their own companions feeding in safety below.
A ioe LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
They are also shot at night on the ponds and marshes where
they go to feed.
Numbers are shot over decoys from the sand-flats, or points
upon which are sunk boxes, in which the shooter conceals himself.
When only wounded, they are difficult to capture, as they swim and
dive well, and also possess the power of sinking their bodies in
the water with the bill only projecting above the surface, and will
continue in this position for some time.
Wild geese, when migrating South, sometimes lose their way,
more particularly in foggy weather, when they have been known
to alight in the immediate vicinity of the farm-houses, apparently
much confused and wonder-struck at their peculiar and dangerous
position. When feeding, sanding, or sleeping, they always place
sentinels on guard, who are regularly relieved at the lapse of an
hour or so. ‘These sentinels are ever on the alert, with wide-
extended necks, and give the alarm to their companions at the
slightest intimation of danger.
DESCRIPTION.
“The length of this species is three feet; extent five feet two
inches; the bill is black; irides dark hazel; upper half of the
neck black, marked on the chin and lower part of the head with a
large patch of white, its distinguishing character; lower part of
the neck, before, white; back and wing-coverts brown, each feather
tipped with whitish; rump and tail black; tail-coverts and vent
white; primaries black, reaching to the extremity of the tail;
sides pale ashy-brown; legs and feet blackish ash.
‘The male and female are exactly alike in plumage.’
SNOW-GOOSE. 333
ANAS HYPERBOREA. SNOW-GOOSE.
‘‘Hoarse, heavy geese scream up the distant sky
And all the thunders of our boat defy.”
This beautiful fowl is known upon our coast as the red goose,
and makes its appearance in the rivers of the Eastern States early
in November, and as the winter progresses proceeds farther South;
it also stops with us on its return to the North early in the spring,
or rather late in the winter.
Snow-geese are numerous on the coast of Jersey and in the
Delaware Bay. They frequent the marshes and reedy shores to
feed upon the roots of various marine plants,—more particularly
that called sea-cabbage. Their bills being very strong and well
supplied with powerful teeth, they pull up with great facility the
roots of sedge and all other plants.
Their flesh, though not fishy, is strong, but, we think, better than
that of the domestic fowl.
The same stratagems are used to shoot these fowls as are put
into practice to kill the other variety.
DESCRIPTION.
“The snow-goose is two feet eight inches in length and five feet
in extent; the bill is three inches in length, remarkably thick at
the base, and rising high in the forehead, but becomes small and
compressed at the extremity, where each mandible is furnished
with a whitish rounding nail; the color of the bill is a purplish car-
mine; the edges of the two mandibles separate from each other in
a singular manner for their whole length, and this gibbosity is
occupied by dented rows, resembling teeth, these and the parts
adjoining being of a blackish color; the whole plumage is of a
snowy whiteness, with the exception, first, of the forepart of the
head all round as far as the eyes, which is of a yellowish-rust
color intermixed with white; and, second, the nine exterior quill-
334 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
feathers, which are black, shafted with white, and white at the
root; the coverts of these last, and also the bastard wing, are
sometimes of a pale ash color; the legs and feet of the same pur-
plish carmine as the bill; iris dark hazel; the tail is rounded, and
consists of sixteen feathers; that and the wings when shut nearly
of a length.”
Wilson remarks that “the bill of this bird is singularly curious:
the edges of the upper and lower gibbosities have each twenty-
three indentations or strong teeth on each side; the inside or
concavity of the upper mandible has also seven lateral rows of
strong projecting teeth; and the tongue, which is horny at the
extremity, is armed on each side with thirteen long and sharp bony
teeth, placed like those of a saw, with their points directed back-
wards; the tongue turned up, and viewed on its lower side, looks
very much like a human finger with its nail. This conformation
of the mandibles, exposing two rows of strong teeth, has probably
given rise to the epithet ‘laughing,’ bestowed on one of its varie-
ties, though it might with as much propriety have been named the
grinning goose.”
ANAS BERNICLA. BRANT, OR BRENT,
ILSON considers the brant and barnacle
goose the same bird. Large flocks of
these fowl arrive on the coast of Jersey
in the latter part of September or early
in October. They remain in these re-
gions till the weather gets very cold, and
then move off to the South. They feed
on shell-fish and marine vegetables: their
flesh is sedgy, and often extremely fishy.
Our markets are crowded with brant in
autumn and spring, and they sell for a mere trifle. They havea
hoarse, honking, disagreeable note, and may be heard at a great
distance. They are shy birds, and fly high and in long lines.
Great numbers of brant are killed about Long Island by shoot-
ers concealed in batteries somewhat similar to those used on the
Chesapeake Bay for the capture of canvas-backs. Those shot
late in the spring are much better eating than at any other time.
Unsuccessful attempts have been made to domesticate them, but,
885
836 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
owing to their wild and wandering disposition, but little has been
accomplished towards this end.
DESCRIPTION,
“The brant generally weighs about four pounds avoirdupois,
and measures two feet in length and three feet six inches in ex-
tent; the bill is about an inch and a half long, and black; the
nostril large, placed nearly in its middle; head, neck, and breast
black, the neck marked with a spot of white about two inches below
the eye; belly pale ash, edged with white; from the thighs back-
wards, white; back and wing-coverts dusky brownish-black, the
plumage lightest at the tips; rump and middle of the tail-coverts
black; the rest of the tail-coverts pure white, reaching nearly to
the tip of the tail, the whole of which is black, but usually con-
cealed by the white coverts; primaries and secondaries deep black ;
_ legs also black; irides dark hazel.
‘“‘The only material difference observable between the plumage
of the male and female is, that in the latter the white spot on the
neck is less, and more mottled with dusky. In young birds it is
sometimes wanting, or occurs on the front, cheeks, and chin, and
sometimes the upper part of the neck only is black; but in full-
plumaged birds of both sexes the markings are very much alike.”
MH, ) Wess
AMERICAN SWAN—CYGNUS AMERICANA 5
AND
TRUMPETER SWAN—CYGNUS BUCINATOR.
«The stately-sailing swan
Gives out his snowy plumage to the gale;
And, arching proud his neck, with oary feet
Bears forward fierce, and guards his osier-isle,
Protective of his young.”
WHERE FOUND, ETC.
E have two or more varieties of swans
which visit the shores of our Atlantic
States. At times they are quite nume-
rous in the vicinity of Carrol’s Island,
more particularly if the weather continues
boisterous for several days, when they
=~ retire from the mid-bay to seek food on
the shallows of the coves or under the
protection of the islands a considerable distance from the sea,
22 337
338 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
Swans are very shy, fly high, and are not easily brought down un-
less struck in some vital part. The flesh of the cygnet, or young
swan, is considered excellent. We have eaten of it frequently, but
cannot say that we have any great predilection in its favor. One
thing is certain, however: it 1s superior to the wild goose, but in-
ferior to the canvas-back.
Swans are frequently—and, we may say, easily—domesticated ;
but they will not thrive save where they can pass most of their
time on the water. In such favorable situations for their mode
of life, they will breed and live for years contented and happy.
Swans, par excellence, are the most beautiful, most elegant, most
graceful, and most spotless of all fowl. Their plumage is perfectly
white.
The Cygnus Americana is the species most commonly met with.
The other varieties are but seldom shot in these parts. Swans, like
the rest of the wild fowl, retire to the Far North in the early
spring.
—=
SSS SS
CHAPTER XXV.
AMERICAN HARE, OR GRAY RABBIT. LEPUS SYLVATICUS,
DESCRIPTION, HABITS, GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS, ETC.
‘“SSUMMER DRESS.
UR on the back yellowish brown; soft fur,
from the roots to the surface plumbeous;
the long hairs which extend beyond the
fur, and give the general color to the ani-
mal, are for three-fourths of their length
lead-colored, then yellowish, and are tipped
> with black; ears dark brown on the outer
surface, destitute of the distinct black bor-
der seen in the Northern hare, and not tipped with black like those
of the Polar and variable hare; whiskers nearly all black; iris
light brownish-yellow; a circle of fawn-color around the eye, more
conspicuous nearest the forehead: cheeks grayish; chin, under
309
340 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN,
surface of body, and inner surface of legs, light grayish-white; tail,
upper surface grayish brown, beneath white; breast light yellowish-
gray ; behind the ears a broad patch of fawn-color; outer surface
of fore-legs and thighs yellowish brown.
“WINTER COLOR.
‘“‘ Very similar to the above; in a few specimens the hairs sre
whitest at the tips; in others black tips prevail. This hare never
becomes white in any part of our country, and so far as our re-
searches have extended we have scarcely found any variety in its
color.
‘¢ DIMENSIONS.
ADULT MALE. INCHES, LINES.
“Tenvth oF head and bedy.........:escacessseseseabpacmernone 15 0
ob 1 DYSENG ye SO CRO IR SS OE SIS S55 56 3 ma § 4.0 7 5
ee GATS csusiese ve docsdsnccleee tne ante etme cease ene 3 0
ss trl ((VEEtOTES)o4c0i.bscnsseaccresestenexesccawseuns 1 2
_ tails ine lhading Mir...s...sssrssnsnnaecweseasvenete 2 2
From heel to end of middle claw..........-.c.ccssscecessce 3 7
Weight 2 lbs. 7 oz.”—AupuBon.
LOCALITY.
The gray rabbit is met with as far north as New Hampshire,
and abounds in the Middle, Southern, and Western States.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.
The timid and interesting little creature now under considera-
tion, we may say, is universally known as the rabbit; this appella-
tion, however, notwithstanding its general use, is a very unjust one,
as will be learned from the following remarks on this head.
Those naturalists who have studied the habits and characteristics
of the genus lepus of America do not hesitate for a moment in
placing all the varieties yet met with in their proper rank of hare.
And, moreover, we shall, without doubt, surprise some of our
readers when we tell them that we have no rabbit—that is, true
rabbit—indigenous to this country.
The hare and rabbit so closely resemble each other in many
THE AMERICAN HARE. 841
points that it is not at all astonishing that they should often be
confounded one with the other; in fact, nothing but the discrimi-
nating eyes of science could have pointed out the dividing-line
between these two nearly-allied species.
The principal and most striking difference in the habits of these
two species is the circumstance of one living in communities and
burrowing in the ground, while the other lives singly or in
pairs, and makes its nest upon the open surface; this peculiarity
of the American hare is almost sufficient of itself to prove the en-
tire identity of the species with that of the English hare, (Lepus
cuniculus. )
We have, however, still stronger grounds than this for placing
our rabbit, as it is termed, in the same rank with that of the Euro-
pean hare.
The American hare, as the English, breeds about three times in
the course of a year; in the South they may possibly, owing to
the effects of climate, bring forth more frequently. Their nest is
of the rudest character, and constructed with little or no care for
any thing like warmth or comfort; it is generally found upon the
open ground, in an old field, perhaps protected somewhat from the
‘weather and easy observation by the overhanging leaves of a
shrub or other small plant.
The rabbit, on the contrary, kas several litters in the course of
the year, and selects with some degree of care the choicest part of
its burrow for the deposit of its young; the nest is made of the
softest materials within the reach of the anxious mother, and she
even plucks the downy fleece from her own body to furnish a soft
and warm bed for the reception of her tender offspring.
The young of the Lepus sylvaticus, at birth, are covered with
hair; their eyes wide open and ready for immediate use; their ears
fully developed and eager for action; their bodies supple and thei
limbs pliant, even so much so that they possess sufficient strength
to run almost at the moment of birth.
The young of the rabbit, on the contrary, are deposited in the
dark recesses of the burrow, entirely destitute of any protection in
342 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
the way of fur, their eyes shut up and their ear-flaps even closed;
their bodies also are soft and delicate, and their limbs feeble; in
fact, the litter is entirely dependent upon the anxious care of its
parent for protection and support for a considerable time after
birth.
The flesh also of the hare and rabbit is quite dissimilar; the
former when boiled is dark, the latter white; there is also a game-
flavor about the one that the other does not possess.
The rabbit is a lively, frolicsome little animai, delighting to pop
in and out of its burrow at all hours of the day, to bask for a few
moments in the sun and collect something to eat, and then away
at the slightest token of alarm to the depths of its subterranean
abode.
The hare is a timid, lonely creature, sitting motionless for hours,
crouched up within its form,—a mere space the size of the animal
upon the open ground,—or perhaps snugly stowed away under a pile
of brush, stones, or rubbish of any description whatever.
The rabbit, when pursued by dogs, takes to his burrow as the
only secure refuge.
The hare, on the contrary, trusts in a great measure to his speed
and cunning to insure his safety; and when pursued by dogs the
American species resort to the same method of escaping from their
enemies as the English variety,—that is, doubling. The construc-
tion of the hind-legs is also the same in the one as in the other,
being not less'than ten inches in length, which is large in proportion
to the size of the body; those of the rabbit are much smaller.
The American hare has from three to five young at a litter,
sometimes six, and rarely seven. If it were not for the wonderful
fecundity of this animal, the whole race would soon become extinct,
from the constant and never-ceasing depredations of its numerous
enemies. Nature, however, wise in all her plans, compensates for
the waste on one side by an extraordinary fruitfulness on the other,
thus balancing the losses from destruction by that of reproduction,
in a ratio which is always sufficient to insure the prolonged exist-
ence of the race.
reer
THE AMERICAN HARE. 343
The hare is peculiarly adapted for speed, not only on account
of the general muscularity of its body, but also from the peculiar
construction of its hind-limbs, which, being so very long, assist the
animal greatly in going up-hill,—in fact, gives it considerable ad-
vantage over the pursuer, and of which, from cunning,
properly, instinct, it avails itself by taking to rising ground as soon
or, more
as come upon. The hare is always in good running condition at
that season of the year when it is most likely to be pursued by
dogs or other less dangerous foes; this circumstance also we may
regard as a peculiar provision of nature, for if the timid little
creature were permitted to repose in ease and silence, entirely free
from apprehension of danger except at the moment when really
attacked, the body would soon become overloaded with fat, which
would necessarily prevent it from taking advantage of that fleet-
ness which, when in condition, insures its safety.
The American hare has considerable speed, and can run for a
short time without giving out; the hairy covering of its feet gives
it a decided advantage over the dog in a race, during dry or frosty
weather. When hotly pursued, hares most frequently take to
holes, hollowed trunks of trees, or secrete themselves under brush-
heaps, old logs, or piles of stone. When first roused, the hare
dashes off in good style, and at a speed that soon leaves its pur-
suers far in the wake; but, unfortunately, for want of sagacity,
puss exhausts her strength long before the scent grows cold or
the hounds begin to tire, and, if it were not for their taking to
holes, piles of logs or brush, they would soon fall victims to almost
any cur that has the botiom and perseverance to follow in their trail.
The construction and position of the eyes in the head are such
as to enable the hare to encompass nearly a whole circle in its
glance, with scarcely any motion of the head; the eyelids are
never completely closed, not even in sleep. The ears also are so
contrived as to collect the slightest sound arising in any quarter.
With such endowments, it is seldom that a hare is come upon un-
awares. although he may spring up from beneath our very feet, or _
from before the nose of our dogs; he was well apprized however, of
044 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
our close proximity, and only trusted, as he had often done before,
that, owing to the striking semblance between his color and that of
the ground or surrounding herbage, he would escape unnoticed.
The hare may be termed a nocturnal animal, ‘as it is commonly
at the earliest dawn, while the dew-drops still glitter on the herb-
age, or when the fresh verdure is concealed beneath a mantle of
glistening frost, that the timorous hare ventures forth in quest of
food, or courses undisturbed over the plains.”
Although sportsmen meet with hares in considerable numbers
at all hours of the day, it must be recollected that they are not
found feeding, but, on the contrary, are generally roused from
their forms, where perhaps they have been crouching for hours in
undisturbed repose.
* During moonlight nights, the timorous hare may be seen
sporting with its companions in unrestrained gambols, frisking
with delighted eagerness around its mate, or busily engaged in
cropping its food.”
THEIR FOOD.
The hare is not a very dainty animal as to the choice of her
food; every thimg produced upon a farm or cultivated in the
garden is alike palatable to her, and she not unfrequently makes
great havoc with the autumnal turnip and cabbage-crops; she also
frequents the cornfields to glean the scattered grains, and visits
the orchards in quest of the juicy apple. ‘The partiality on the
part of the hare for the last-mentioned fruit is turned to fearful
account against them by those who bait their traps and snares
with it, for the dainty morsel thus laid in their very path seldom
fails to entice an unwary hare within its deceptive clutches.
Later in the season, when food is scarce and nothing more
palatable is at hand, hares often become very destructive to the
young nurseries, by gnawing the tender bark from the fruit-trees,
which they greedily devour.
Hares are fond of every description of wild fruit and berries;
and it is not until after the commencement of the frost, when all
THE AMERICAN HARE. 345
these various productions are ripe, that they become fit for the
table.
In the North, they depend for support during the long winters
upon the buds and bark of the pine and fir, upon which they
grow fat.
THEIR FLESH.
The flesh of the American hare, when cooked, is dark and of a
game-flavor, and, if it were not for their great abundance, would be
highly esteemed as a delicacy for the table; but, so long as they
ean be purchased in our markets at twelve and a half cents apiece,
the public will not think a great deal of them.
The hare is not in condition for the table until after several
severe frosts, when the meat will be found clean, delicate, juicy,
and tender, provided it is cooked in right style and with the pro-
per condiments. In the summer season, hares are not fit for the
table at all; thei flesh at this time is tough and stringy, and,
moreover, their bodies, more particularly about the head and
upper part of the neck, are infested with a species of cestrus, that
lays its eggs in the skin, and which, when hatched, grow sometimes
to an enormous size before leaving its nest; we have found them
buried in the very flesh of the neck, as much as an inch long, and
as large as the point of the little finger. Their presence must
worry and torment the poor animal much, as we have always
found those with these worms in them very lean, and to all appear-
ance weak and sickly. We have shot them as late as November
with these worms in them, but they generally fall out much earlier
than this.
( Mil)
MANA
a +N )
HUNTING HARES.
NSTEAD of coursing hares as they do in
England and on the Continent, we either
take them in snares and traps, or rous-
ing them with a dog, shoot them as they
make off. They are easily killed, and it
will require but a few pellets of partridge-
shot to bring a lafge one to bag.
They possess a strong scent, and perplex
the dogs very much when in pursuit of
partridges: the best of dogs can hardly
refrain from chasing a hare, after pointing it and seeing it jump
up and make off from before his very nose. They lie very close,
and it will be necessary oftentimes to kick them up from their
form when the dog points them; we have done so repeatedly.
Hares affect marshy thickets, or rather the open fields adjoin-
ing thickets; as they retire to these situations for refuge as soon
as roused, and in fact remain there during the greater portion of
the day. They bound along with considerable speed and gene-
346
THE AMERICAN HARE. 347
rally in a straight course, but when hard pressed resort to the
artifices of doubling,—a manceuvre practised constantly by the
European variety. They will also hide themselves away in the
trunk of a hollow tree, which they ascend by pressing the feet
and back against opposite sides of the hollow.
The kind of dogs most generally employed in the pursuit of
hares in this country is a small species of beagle, the production,
we believe, of a cross and recross of the fox-hound and beagle.
These animals, as well as most other mongrels found on our farms,
become very fond of the sport, and acquire considerable sagacity
and speed in the chase.
There are few dogs that live in the country but will hunt rabbits,
or, more correctly speaking, hares; some of course are far superior
to others, according to their build and the intelligence bequeathed
them by their ancestors.
DOMESTICATED.
American hares have in some few instances been domesticated,
but, when confined in enclosures, are ever making efforts to escape;
they will, however, breed in warrens.
THEIR CRY.
‘“‘This species, like all the true hares, has no note of recognition ;
and its voice is never heard, except when wounded, or at the mo-
ment of its capture, when it utters a shrill, plaintive cry, like that
of a young child in pain; in the Northern hare this cry is louder,
shriller, and of longer continuance.”
ENEMIES.
It is not surprising that a timid, defenceless creature like the
hare should have numerous sanguinary enemies; and among them
none are more destructive than the weasel. This formidable and
courageous little animal is constantly on the look-out for hares,
and, tracking them, enters the holes, hollow trees, or other places
where they are secreted, and dispatches them with the greatest ,
348 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
ferocity. Skunks, wild cats, foxes, hawks, owls, snakes, &c. all
prey upon the hare whenever they can succeed in capturing him
either by pursuit, stealth, or stratagem.
DIFFERENT VARIETIES.
There are several varieties of hares distributed over different
sections of our extensive country. Their habits are generally
very analogous to those of the Lepus sylvaticus.
Some varieties, however, are smaller, while others are larger;
and those inhabiting the more northern latitudes change their
sombre summer pelage during the winter months to a spotless
white. Their flesh at the proper season is universally esteemed,
and the timid creatures are consequently much persecuted by the
inhabitants of the districts wherever they are found.
MEMORANDA.
1. The American hare is not a rabbit, but a bona fide hare, both
in appearance, flesh, and mode of life: no naturalist disputes the
point.
2. Different varieties of foreign rabbits have been imported into
the country from time to time; but there is no species of rabbits a
native of this continent as yet discovered.
3. American hares, like the European, live singly above ground,
and never burrow; they also breed far less often than the rabbit,
and have fewer at each litter.
4, The English rabbits live in communities, and form extensive
excavations in the ground, termed burrows or warrens, where they
mostly reside and deposit their young.
5. The young of the Lepus sylvaticus, as the foreign hare, are
covered with hair at birth, their eyes open, and their limbs strong
enough for immediate action.
6. The young of the true rabbit are quite bare of hair; when
first brought forth, their eyes are closed and their limbs tender
and weakly.
7. The American hare is a lonely, timid creature; the rabbit,
THE AMERICAN HARE. 349
on the contrary, is a social, frolicsome, bold or rather pert little
animal.
8. The hind-legs of the Lepus sylvaticus are very leng, and
formed like those of the European hare, and are consequenty quite
different from those of the rabbit.
9. The Lepus sylvaticus, when pursued by dogs, trusts in a great
measure to her speed for safety, and resorts to the same devices to
insure her escape (that is, doubling) as the English variety.
10. The rabbit, on the contrary, takes to her burrow as her only
safeguard.
11. The flesh of the hare, when boiled, is dark; that of the
rabbit, white
12. The hare is almost entirely a nocturnal animal; the rabbit,
but little so.
¥
Tinie
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE SQUIRREL.
‘From bough to bough the scampering squirrels bound,
But soon in smoky thuners bite thé ground ;
Life’s gushing streams their sable furs defile.”
E hardly think it will be expected of us
to include the subject of squirrel-shoot-
ing in this volume; however, as we know
something about the matter, (perhaps
nothing new,) picked up during our early
school-days in a great squirrel-country,
it may not be amiss in us to devote a few
pages to these interesting little creatures,
that enliven the solitude of our deep
forests with their frolicsome gambols.
Our friend Porter, in his reprint of Hawker,—by-the-by a most
excellent work in itself, and made still more so by the valuable
350
THE SQUIRREL. 3851
additions of the editor,—gives a most interesting account of
sqguirrel-shooting. .
If all our readers would peruse the articles referred to in the
above publication, they would have nothing further to learn on
the subject, save a few hints as to the habits of the animal.
VARIETIES OF SQUIRRELS.
‘There are no less than sixty or seventy varieties of this genus
described by naturalists, of which twenty well-determined species
exist in North America.”
HABITS, LOCALITY, AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.
The habits of the whole race of squirrels are nearly akin; and
their bodies are covered with long, soft, and beautiful fur, and
furnished with a long, wiry, and bushy tail, which latter appendage
adds greatly to their graceful appearance, as they are all alike
remarkable for their sprightliness, agility, and elegance of ferm.
Squirrels are at all times, even in a state of captivivy, of a
restless, active disposition. In their native wilds thev are ever
frolicsome and gay, jumping from tree to tree. They pass their
time in joyousness and unrestrained freedom in the midst of the
rich abundance of our forests. When moving on the ground, the
squirrel seldom runs, but advances by a series of jumps. They
are of a sly, mercurial temperament, seldom remaining still for a
moment, except when alarmed; then they will stretch themselves
out at full length, on the topmost branch of a high tree, on the
side opposite to the seat of danger, and thus remain perfectly
motionless, as if a part or parcel of the tree itself, until the cause
of the alarm has moved off.
They generally build Jarge nests formed of twigs, moss, and
leaves, in the notches of the highest forest-trees, or take up their
abode in hollow trunks, or burrow in the ground.
The whole race of squirrels is very prolific; and some species
increase so rapidly and to such a surprising extent in certain
sections of country that they actually become a severe scourge to
352 LEWIS’S. AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
the farmer, who, with the assistance of all his family, is not able
to protect his hard-earned crops from the depredations of these
lawless little fellows, that swarm in the cornfield at such times by
hundreds, and even thousands, consuming all within their reach,
and destroying still more by throwing it down on the ground.
When eating, or occupied in listening, they sit erect on their
hind-legs, with their long, bushy tail raised beautifully along the
back as far as the shoulders, then falling in a graceful curve near
the extremity, and hanging towards the ground. Their food is
always held in their fore-paws.
The teeth of the whole race are remarkable for their sharpness,
power, and durability ; they cut with ease, in an incredibly short
time, through the hardest hickory-nut, and have the sagacity to
tell a withered or rotten nut from a good one by the mere feel or
smell; and no sooner do they pick up one of these bad ones than
they turn it round in their nimble paws and discard it. This fact
we have again and again tested with the common gray squirrel.
The gullet of the squirrel is said to be very small, or rather con-
tracted at one point, to prevent the food from being disgorged
when descending trees. We do not know if such is the fact, and
we have no squirrel at hand at this present time to examine.
The whole race, with one or two exceptions, inhabit the thick
woods, living upon the profusion of seeds, acorns, hickory-nuts,
chestnuts, and the various other products of our rich and grand
forests. Several varieties of squirrels, more especially those
at the North, are very provident and thoughtful of the morrow,
always collecting and laying up in secret storehouses the surplus
food, which they partake of during the winter season, when the
nuts-are all shaken by the cold blasts from the trees, and perhaps
covered up a foot or more in frozen snow. ‘These well-stocked
granaries are generally in the neighborhood of their nests, either
in the hollow of a tree, in the bottom of an old stump, or in the
wide fissure cf an overhanging rock. The quantities of nuts thus
stowed away by a single squirrel is sometimes enormous. We have
seen as much as a bushel of hickory-nuts, chestnuts, acorns, beech-
THE SQUIRREL. 853
nuts, chincapins, &c. &c. deposited in one of these spots. The
whole, however, may not have been put there by a single indi-
vidual,—the stock, perhaps, having been collected together by
several, who made this the general depét for all their contribu-
tions, each one laboring for the general good, and all, in turn,
entitled to a full share of the booty. Each squirrel, most
commonly, has several different storehouses, to which he respect-
ively resorts according to circumstances. The fact of these in-
dustrious little animals providing themselves with more granaries
than one for the guarding of their treasures is a striking example
of that instinct which we so often see displayed in the inferior
works of creation; for their storehouses are often discovered by
the keen-scented hog, and the whole devoured at a single meal;
strange squirrels, of a larger variety, will also sometimes locate
themselves near one of these deposits, and not only rob it of all its
provender, but even deny the anxious owner the privilege of
sharing in the general division; a drift of snow, or some other
mishap, will occasionally cover one up for weeks at a time. In
either of such emergencies as we have described, the poor squirrel
would have but a slim chance to get through the winter if he had
not provided himself with other secret stores.
Squirrels are all very cleanly and nice in their habits and gene-
ral appearance, and are seen frequently in the course of a day rub-
bing their faces with their paws, as if on purpose to wash them off.
THEIR ACTIVITY AND STRENGTH.
Squirrels are possessed of great muscular power, and leap with
surprising agility and precision from tree to tree; and, when hotly
pursued and unable to reach the adjoining tree so as to effect their
escape, will not hesitate to drop themselves from tremendous heights
to the ground, and then make off with rapid bounds to the next
favorable cluster of trees that stands in their path.
Audubon remarks that ‘the squirrel is admirably adapted to a
residence on trees, for which nature has designed it. Its fingers
are long, slender, and deeply cleft, and its nails very acute and
23
°
3854 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
greatly compressed; it is enabled to leap from branch to branch,
and from tree to tree, clinging to the smallest twigs, and seldom
missing its hold. When this happens to be the case, it has an in-
stinctive habit of grasping in its descent at the first object which
may present itself; or, if about to fall to the earth, it spreads out
in the manner of the flying squirrel, and thus, by presenting a
greater resistance to the air, is enabled to reach the ground with-
out injury, and recover itself so instantaneously that it often
escapes the teeth of the dog that watches its descent and stands
ready to seize upon it at the moment of its fall.”
CAPTIVITY.
In captivity the most of squirrels are gay, lively, and mis-
chievous; they are easily tamed, and become very interesting pets;
the most docile, however, will bite, at times, if worried; they are
very destructive and troublesome if not perpetually confined to
their boxes, as when at liberty they try their long and sharp teeth
upon every thing within their reach; no article of furniture can
escape them.
Squirrels, we have noticed, sleep very soundly, and are not
easily aroused from their slumbers. They become attached to their
keepers, and some of them will allow no other person to handle
them. They are usually high-tempered, and are easily irritated.
Great alarm or sensation of pain is expressed by squirrels by a
sharp, piercing cry; that of pleasure by a soft, rumbling noise,
somewhat like the purring of a cat; when fretted or roused from
their slumbers, they give forth a loud and angry growl.
Although, in a state of nature, nuts, seeds, insects, and grain of
various kinds form their principal food, they soon learn to partake
of almost every thing; several that we have had partook of bread
and milk with the greatest relish.
They also become quite fond of sugar and all kinds of sweets,
as well as fruits of every description; they are also very partial to
locusts, which they tear to pieces and devour with the greatest
zest.
THE SQUIRREL. 355
When wild, squirrels are said never to resort to the streams for
water, but quench their thirst by sipping the dew and rain that
collects on the leaves or in the hollows of trees; when domesti-
eated, they drink freely and often: this may be occasioned by the
difference in diet, as the sweets they eat in confinement will pro.
duce a thirst in any animal.
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS.
“In the spring the squirrels shed their hair, which is replaced
by a thinner and less furry coat; during summer their tails are
narrower and less feathery than in autumn, when they either re-
ceive an entirely new coat or a very great accession of fur. At this
season, also, the outer surfaces of the ears are more thickly and
prominently clothed with fur than in the spring and autumn.”
Some species of squirrels breed twice in the course of the spring
and summer months; they all have several at a litter. In the
northern latitudes, where the earth is shrouded for months in a
chilling mantle of snow, the various species of squirrels indigenous
to these inhospitable climes retire to their secure retreats, either
in the ground, or in the fissures of rocks or hollows of trees, where,
surrounded by their winter store, they pass the time in a state of
sluggish and benumbed existence, not very far removed from the
dormancy observable in many other quadrupeds. Some varieties, to
a certain extent, live in communities, more especially during the
time they pass in their winter quarters. Several species have
cheek-pouches, in which they can stow away an increcivle quantity
of nuts and seeds.
356 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
THEIR ENEMIES.
The whole tribe of squirrels, like the more timid and defenceless |
hare, have 2 host of enemies constantly on the look-out to make !
them their prey.
The fox, weasel, wild cat, and mink, are ever on the prowl, and |
ready to pounce upon the active little squirrel whenever they can
secure him by stratagem or pursuit; the weasel is ever on the alert, —
and, following his victims into their otherwise secure retreats, at-
tacks them with the most sanguinary spirit, and soon dispatches |
the anxious parent as well as her tender and unconscious litter, !
impelled alone to such savage deeds by an unquenchable thirst for
blood, for he seldom partakes of but a small portion of that which |
he so wantonly destroys.
Several varieties of hawks, owls, and even snakes, capture
squirrels, and prey upon their young.
SQUIRREL-SHOOTING.
In sections of country where squirrels are numerous and the pur-
suit of them is followed as a sport, they are killed entirely with a
small-bored rifle. Our squirrel-shooters become surprisingly expert
in the use of this weapon, and perform some wonderful feats with
it during the squirrel season; they always aim for the head, so as
not to injure the skin, which is valuable to the furrier if not per-
forated with a ball. It is seldom that they miss a squirrel, even
when hiding in the topmost branches of our tallest forest-trees.
In portions of country where they are not so numerous, it is
necessary to repair to the woods attended with a squirrel-dog,—
that is, any kind of a terrier or spaniel mongrel which has been
taught “to tree a squirrel,” or, in other words, to rush about in
the woods till he either sees a squirrel run up a tree or gets upon
the fresh scent of one that has just taken to a tree. The dog
stops at the foot, and, looking wistfully and knowingly up the
tree, breaks forth into an incessant and musical bark that resounds
through the woods and soon brings the huntsman to his side. The
THE SQUIRREL. 351
next tuing is to find the squirrel, which, perhaps, is spread flat out on
his belly, on one of the topmost branches of the tree, the color of
his fur assimilating so closely to that of the bark that it is almost
impossible to discover him. In a few moments, however, the
hawk-eyed shooter catches sight of his victim as he moves for
an instant to hide himself more securely from observation; the
sharp report of the rifle is immediately heard resounding afar in
the distance, and down tumbles the once frolicsome little squirrel,
a lifeless thing.
When pursued or watched, squirrels instinctively dodge around
the opposite side of the tree occupied by the sportsman, and, by
perseveringly pursuing this course, will often baffle the shooter till
his patience becomes entirely exhausted; it is, therefore, always
better to go in company when squirrel-shooting is the sport, so
that either yourself or companion may contrive to get sight of
every one that takes to a tree.
BARKING SQUIRRELS.
his original method of killing squirrels is pursued as a pas-
time by shooters inhabiting districts of country where these ani-
mals are numerous. The whole secret, or rather art, of barking
squirrels, is to strike with the bullet immediately under that por-
tion of the limb upon which the animal is stretched out, in such a
manner that the blow will shiver the bark, and, killing the squirrel
by the concussion, send it whirling in the air to the ground, “as
if it had been blown up by the explosion of a powder-magazine.”
This is a very artistic way of killing squirrels, and many of our
Pennsylvania hunters are very expert at it. The skin is not in-
jured, nor the flesh torn, by this mode of shooting.
FLESH.
The flesh of several varieties of squirrels is most excellent.
They should be voided and kept several days in cold weather.
358 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
SCIURUS MIGRATORIUS. MIGRATORY GRAY SQUIRRELS.
DIMENSIONS.
** An old male in winter pelage. INCHES. LINES.
Bength of head and body -..5.02-.-c-rcetekavs-sseeheciinn a
7% tail (vertebrae) ’..;.c0d-cce.ncstrer ce gos toteeee LETH
es tail to endof hair s.cc.sc.ccestcsveues seco 14 0
Hoight of ear. ...c.2. 0 vecccumye sce manenbs aukneweseemersaewe Oar
ae ear {0 end :of TUES A...-cccva.casncctesemsanes org
Heel to end of “longest atl ...c.5...0.ds0s..sdedeeccneeed 27°26
Length of fur‘on, the back... ..:.dcssonscseesssdenebanies 0 8
Weight 1 pound 6 ounces.’’—Aupupon.
LOCALITY.
This species is the common gray squirrel of the North; it is
found in considerable abundance throughout the wild districts of
the Eastern States, and is very numerous in the mountainous
regions of Pennsylvania, but does not exist farther south than the
northern counties of Virginia.
HABITS.
The gray squirrel has few characteristics different from the
whole genus as before described.
They are much sought after as pets by our youth, as they bear
confinement with great good-humor, and soon become quite recon-
ciled to a captive’s life. Although mild and gentle, they are rather
uncertain in their disposition, and will at times bite their keepers
very severely. This species was formerly so abundant in the
agricultural districts of Pennsylvania that they committed great
depredations by invading the grainfields. ‘To such an extent was
this havoc carried during the period of the early settlements, that
an ancient law existed, offering a reward of six cents for every
squirrel destroyed; and Audubon informs us that in the year
1749 the bounty paid out of the treasury, in consequence of this
THE SQUIRREL. 859
enactment, was equivalent to 640,000 squirrels. 'Y'his circum-
stance alone will prove the amazing numbers of these active little
animals. Even at the present time they are quite abundant in
the less-cultivated districts of Pennsylvania; and it is no uncommon
thing for a shooter to bring home a dozen or so, the result of a
day’s ramble through the dense forests.
THEIR MIGRATIONS.
During some seasons, in particular localities, squirrels, more
especially the Sciurus migratorius, appear to be seized with an
extraordinary desire to ramble or migrate from one section of
country to another. Speaking of this peculiarity on the part of
this species, Audubon remarks:—‘“It is stimulated either by
scarcity of food, or by some other inexplicable instinct, to leave
its native haunts, and seek for adventures or for food in some, to
it, unexplored portion of our land.”
At such times they collect together in multitudes and move off
in immense droves; nothing can stop them in their onward
progress, and they never hesitate to swim the widest rivers which
intercept their march. Great numbers are necessarily drowned in
these bold undertakings, as well as destroyed by their enemies.
The circumstance of squirrels crossing rivers during their
migration proves the indomitable energy of character that these
active little creatures possess, as they are not at all partial to
water in any form, and always keep within-doors during a storm ;
and, if they should accidentally wet or even soil their feet, they
immediately stop to dry them by passing them through their bushy
tails several times.
Godman remarks on this subject:—‘‘ While travelling through
the State of Ohio, in the autumn of 1822, we had an opportunity
of witnessing something of this sort. Parts of the country ap-
peared to swarm with squirrels, which were sc numerous that, in
travelling along the highroad, they might be seen scampering in
every direction; the woods and fields might be truly said, in the
country-phrase, to be ‘alive with them.’ A farmer who had a
360 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
large field of Indian corn near the road informed us that, notwith-
standing the continued exertions of himself and his two sons, he
feared he should lose the greater part of his crop, in addition to
his time and the expense of ammunition used in killing and scaring
off the little robbers. This man and his sons frequently took
stations in different parts of the field, and killed squirrels until
their guns became too dirty longer to be used with safety: yet
they always found on returning that the squirrels had mustered as
strongly as before.”’
The following extract, taken from Porter, will also give a good
idea of their numbers in Pennsylvania during a season of plenty :—
‘These pleasant little fellows are at some seasons as scarce as
specie; at other times they migrate in millions. A few seasons
since, they pervaded the northern part of Pennsylvania to such
an extent, and in such numbers, that they did serious injury to
the crops; and they were slaughtered as enemies,—not popped over
humanely after the manner in which we murder those we love. The
squirrels were followed in due time by stately droves of turkeys;
and, later in the season, the rear was brought up by scores of
very serious half-famished-looking bears. A war of extermination
was declared against the squirrels; and I am sorry to say that
many overt acts of violence and bloodshed towards them preceded
the formal declaration of hostility.
cure ;’’ and no sportsman will do himself any harm by attention to
the few hygienic rules that we are about proposing for his future
comfort. He will rather derive much benefit from them, and be
able at an advanced age to exclaim,—
“‘Temperance, joy, and repose,
Slam the door upon the doctor’s nose.”
If wet after returning home, the clothing should by all means
be changed as speedily as possible, and, if necessary, a little warm
spirits may be taken. A cup of hot tea or coffee will often answer
every good purpose, especially with those unaccustomed to the
stimulus of strong drink. Nothing is more apt to produce a
catarrhal or rheumatic affection than the pernicious habit of re-
maining in wet clothes after coming from the field, particularly
the careless and common practice of keeping on wet stockings.
STATE OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 495
s Off with them at once, or your joints will ache long before you
have seen twoscore and ten, and the sports of the field will no
longer hold out any charms for your rheumatic limbs. Do not sit
| nodding and toasting your wet feet before the blazing fire, but off
| with those uncomfortable appendages to your lower extremities,
) and replace them with dry ones.
| OVERHEATED.
When overheated from extraordinary exertion, avoid placing
yourself in a draught of air, and shun the almost uncontrollable
desire hastily to quench your burning thirst with the crystal waters
of some sylvan stream that bubbles seductively at your feet; as
-a sudden checking of the perspiratory functions by these means
often produces the most serious consequences, and death itself has
followed in the track of such imprudence. Do not be tempted, no
matter how great your fatigue, to remain quiescent for any time,
while ina state of free perspiration, in a damp or wet place; do
not sit down to rest your wearied limbs, but keep in gentle motion,
until your skin has assumed its natural temperature, and then you
may quaff freely and rest in safety. A professional acquaintance
of the author, a few years since, fell a victim to his own folly by
going into a damp cellar, and remaining for some time, by way of
cooling himself during an excessively hot day in summer.
If hot or thirsty, mix a little wine, spirits, or vinegar,—the latter
if you be a teetotaler,—with the water before drinking it: this
precaution will counteract any bad effects arising from partaking
of the fluid when in an excited state. It is also well to bathe the
wrists and temples before drinking.
STATE OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
There is certainly a vast difference between the air of the moun-
tains and that of the low, marshy districts of our country. The
former is pure and healthy, while the latter is corrupt and often
poisonous. The one contains all the natural constituents for sup-
plying the respiratory functions with that food so essential to their
496 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN,
well-being, while the other is tainted with the germs or exciting
causes of numerous epidemic and endemic affections.
Therefore, if the sportsman should visit the malarious districts
during the season of these poisonous exhalations, it behooves him
to be extremely cautious how he exposes himself to their delete-
rious influences. He should not, in the first place, be too eager to
sally forth to the fields before the morning mists are absorbed by
the benign rays of the sun and all the malarious effluvia wafted off
by the gentle morning breezes. Nor should he toil too much in
the heat of the day, so as to enervate his frame to such an extent
as to destroy the equable balance of health, and thus render his
system more susceptible to the poisonous malaria engendered
around him. Nor should he permit his love of sport to beguile
him to remain out in the field after Father Sol has dipped below
the horizon; otherwise, the evening’s fog may shortly treat him to
an unfriendly “shake.” But, above all, he should avoid sleeping
in malarious districts with open windows. If the weather be chilly,
have a fire, if possible, in your bedroom, or fumigate it thoroughly
with cigar-smoke before retiring: we say cigar-smoke, as this is
generally the most pleasant mode of fumigation to which a sports-
man has it in his power to resort. In the absence of this, however,
have recourse to the burning of paper or rags, or adopt any other
method that the ingenuity of the party may suggest. A little
brown sugar or a handful of feathers thrown on a hot shovel will
assist materially in disinfecting a sleeping-apartment in a ma-
larious region.
The exhalations of a noxious country are all destroyed by the
cold weather, and we may then visit those districts which are quite
unapproachable during the sprmg and summer months, owing to
the existence of this aeriform substance, termed ‘“ miasma,” that is
sure to fix upon a stranger who is so imprudent as to venture there
in the sickly season.
DIET AND DRINK. 49T
DIET AND DRINK.
“With relish would you taste your rich repast?
’*Tis appetite must make that relish last;
If the great orator did right to say
That eloquence in action, action lay;
And will you ask me, Appetite comes whence?
A fortiori, I should answer—thence.
You want—what you may think an idle notion—
Perpetual exercise! perpetual motion!
A substitute for bread, your poorer neighbor ;
But you require a substitute—for labor!”
** Hat and drink with moderation, if you wish to live long,” is a
saying not less applicable to sportsmen than to other persons; but
to quaff lightly is absolutely necessary, not only for the comfort
but for the success of the shooter, as much depends upon his
temperance in all things appertaining to the bottle. It is im-
possible, as all will grant, (old topers not excepted,) that any one,
no matter how hardy he may be, can take the field with a steady
hand and sure eye on the morning following an evening’s debauch;
we will use even a milder term, and say after a night’s frolic.
Laying aside the headache and the general malaise that most
usually attend excesses of this kind, the nervous system, even in the
| most robust, must suffer more or less from the reaction that takes
place on such occasions; and the muscular system, sympathizing
with it in its derangement, renders the whole vital apparatus unstrung
and unfit for arduous duty, such as the sports of the field require.
These conclusions are so evident that it requires no argument
to support them; and we suppose no one will deny that such are
the inevitable results of any excess in drinking.
No drink insures better health, and produces a more equable
tone throughout the whole system, than the exclusive use of un-
adulterated water,—nature’s gift,—the only beverage to which all
animated creation instinctively resorts to quench he natural
cravings of thirst.
_ A fondness for other fluids, especially vinous liquors, is the
effect of education and habit, as few persons like the taste of
any description of spirits the first time they venture to apply
32
~
498 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
their lips to the brimming bowl; moreover, there never was aj}
drunkard made a sot in a week; the dreadful vice is the conse-
quence of a long and obstinate use of these liquors, which actually
at first were very obnoxious to him. Water is the best solvent of ||
all food taken into the stomach, and there is no drink that favors,
or rather assists, the digestive apparatus so much, in a state of
health, in the performance of its duties. It should therefore be
used in preference to all other beverages by the sportsman, as well
as by all others who wish to live to an advanced age. It is a well-
known fact that all those individuals who have attained a great
age were and are water-drinkers; and it is seldom that we hear
of an inebriate, or even of what are termed moderate drinkers,
arriving at old age free from chronic affections.
If, however, it be necessary, either from habit or the peculiar
condition of the constitution, to take a “little something” occa-
sionally during our excursions, let that little be of the very best;
and, in order to insure this, carry it along with you.
Avoid, by all decent means, partaking of the poisonous drugs,
called spirits, that are so generally found at the bars of our country
taverns. Such liquors, most frequently, are not fit even to bathe
the feet in, let alone putting into your stomach. A dose or two
of such trash is often sufficient to upset a temperate man for days,
To avoid the necessity of having recourse to this vile stuff, in case
of sickness or otherwise, take, as before recommended, a small
store of good spirits along with you, as a part and parcel of your
necessary ammunition; but, as before observed, consider it as a
medicine, only to be used when circumstances demand it.
It is often very difficult, either from motives of politeness, or of
actual policy on the part of the sportsman, to avoid drinking at.
the bars of country taverns; in such cases, take as sparingly as
possible of the liquor, and largely of the water, and then take as
little of the abominable mixture as you can well get off with. We
have more than once been placed in this unfortunate position, but
have always succeeded in extricating ourselves by a little manseuy-
ring, without suffering from an overdose of the nauseating drugs,
SLEEP. 499
—
SLEEP,
It is absolutely necessary that the wasted forces of the body
should be restored by refreshing sleep. The amount of sleep
should be proportioned to the fatigue undergone; therefore, after
a hard day’s hunt, retire as soon as possible, and do not sit dozing
and nodding before the fire. Rest, so natural to all animal life,
Will soon restore the wearied functions to their normal state of
existence, and impart fresh vigor and strength to the exhausted
frame of the ardent sportsman, and thus make him ready for the
pleasures or business of the succeeding day. Sleep acts asa balm
to his excited system, and restores that just equilibrium of the
vital functions so much deranged by long-continued efforts in
search of game. Without a fair quantum of healthful repose, it
is impossible for any one to pursue the sports of the field with that
zest and ardor that every lover of the gun and dog should possess.
Sleep, however, to be beneficial, should be moderate and not
indulged in to excess, but, as before observed, should be regulated
by the amount of labour undergone. Excess of sleep relaxes the
system, and even enervates the whole physical as well as mental
apparatus. Less sleep is required in warm weather than in cold;
and Nature herself seems to have regulated this fact by giving us
the long nights of winter for sleep, and the short nights of summer
for siestas only.
Some individuals require much more sleep than others. Weare
satisfied with six or seven hours under ordinary circumstances, and
are led to believe that most persons can get along with a similar
quantity. It is astonishing with what little sleep some persons of
active disposition accustom themselves to, either from necessity or
habit; while, on the other hand, many slothful drones, whose whole
time is spent in strutting about like turkey-cocks up and down our
principal streets, are not satisfied with double and treble—nay, even
quadruple—the repose that many of our most active citizens
require.
It is well known that many of the most ‘distinguished com-
500 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN,
manders who have made the earth tremble with their great deeds |
allotted but two or three hours of the twenty-four to sleep, even
during the fatigues of the most exciting campaigns. Napoleon and |
Frederick the Great are both instances of this fact. |
|
|
GALLED HEELS.
If by any mishap your heel should get galled, the inconvenience
can often be remedied by adopting the plan recommended by
Hawker, but which we, as well as many others, adopted before
reading it in the colonel’s work:—Take a small particle of gold-
beaters’ skin, and apply it over the wounded surface; when this is
perfectly dry, and adheres well without wrinkling when the foot is
set in motion from the ankle-joint, take a piece of court-plaster cut
perfectly round, or, what is better, stamped with a wadding-punch,
so that there be not the slightest irregularity or inequality on its
circumference; wet it with the tongue, and, holding it to the fire
for a moment, apply it directly over the gold-beaters’ skin. Hold
the foot still till the court-plaster is perfectly dry, then rub it over
with a little sweet-oil, tallow candle, or any other kind of grease
more convenient; this latter application repels the moisture and
consequently prevents the loosening of the plaster. A galled heel
thus treated, with a change made in our boots, need give us no
trouble, as the plaster will stick as tightly as possible through a
whole day’s hard work, if it be not immediately rubbed with a con-
tracted heel, which will not allow the foot to go down into it, but
keeps it seesawing up and down at every step we take.
If we should suffer from having our ankles occasionally galled
with a wrinkle in the boot, as we have suffered more than once, the
plan proposed by Hawker will remedy the evil. We have tried it,
and found it to answer a good purpose. It is in fact the only
plan to pursue. In the absence of the pad, one’s own ingenuity
can construct something analogous. The colonel says, ‘‘Get a
square silk pad similar to a kettle-holder. Then have sewed on
the opposite corners of it pieces of list long enough to go twice
around and tie onthe ankle. No wrinkle of a water-boot can
CORNS. 501
en cut or bruise your ‘tendo-Achillis,’ or back-sinew, provided
you secure the pad firmly by putting it over your common stock-
ing and under your yarn stocking.”
CORNS.
As writers on sporting-subjects, even those of the highest rank
in this department of literature, have deigned to speak upon the
subject of corns, it may not be deemed amiss in us to follow the
precedent, although we may not be able to add much that is new
upon the subject.
A corn is nothing more than a portion of hardened cuticle,
generally produced by the pressure of the boot, or of one toe
against another. Those formed by the latter cause are usually
the most painful and difficult to be treated, as they are situated
between the toes; and it requires much management to relieve
the pressure sufficiently long to effect a cure, so long as the sufferer -
is obliged to incase his foot in a boot.
These formations on the feet are called corns, from the circum-
stance that a piece can be picked out very like a corn of barley,
which fact no doubt many of our readers who are troubled in this
way have observed. The curing of corns, in these modern days
of improvement and charlatanism, has been promoted into a science
by some few pretending worthies who have sprung into existence
from the Lord knows where, and taken to themselves the high-
sounding title of chiropodist to his or her majesty’s big toe, we
502 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
suppose! These fellows vaunt themselves much upon their skill
in the treatment of these deformities, and even produce certificates
from respectable sources in commendation of their great success,
which certificates are oftentimes obtained from the various parties
without proper consideration or the lapse of sufficient time after
the operation to judge of its real efficacy. The public, however,
is perhaps better able to judge of the merits of these scientific
operations than we are; nevertheless, as far as our experience
teaches us, these ignoramuses, with their high-toned titles and
great pretensions, are a set of bunglers, and the most of them’
entirely unworthy of confidence. Some of them even go so far
in their charlatanism as to succeed in gulling their victims into the
belief that there is some great secret attached to the operation of
extracting a corn, as they term it, and make a great ado in the
matter, as it were to confuse the looker-on and involve their clumsy
operation in a certain degree of mystery. All we have to say of
these impudent humbugs is, that ‘‘the less our readers have to do
with them the better.”’
If, reader, you have been foolish enough, or rather vain enough,
to wear a tight boot in order to exhibit the beautiful proportions
of your foot, and consequently have thus produced corns and
brought upon yourself a good deal of suffering, the first thing to
be done towards relieving yourself of these littie tormentors is to
call on an expert disciple of Saint Crispin and order forthwith a
pair of easy, non-pinching boots.
This being done, procure some soft chamois-leather, and cut
with your wadding-punch several pieces of it; through the centre
of these pieces punch again another hole still smaller with a large-
sized shoemaker’s punch: this hole should be about the size of the
corn we propose to operate on.
These pieces of chamois may now be stuck together with a little
thin glue or any other kind of strong paste, and as many thick-
nesses used as will be necessary to protect the corn from the
pressure of the boot when it is laid over it. The under surface,
or that part of the chamois-pad .to be applied around the corns,
CORNS. 503
| should be spread with diachylon-plaster, (to be obtained from any
-apothecary,) and, when warmed at the fire, is to be nicely adjusted
over the corn in such a manner that the hole in its centre will
come immediately over the corn, and thus protect it entirely from
the direct pressure of the boot and consequently permit the patient
to walk with ease. This application will oftentimes not require
readjusting for several days, and, if persevered in for a short time,
the corn will entirely disappear. If the corn is between the toes,
something of the same sort must be contrived for its relief. We
suffered for several months with one of these formations in this
situation; and we must confess that the treatment of it tried our
patience and exhausted nearly all our skill before our efforts were
crowned with success. We have heard of many empirical and old
women’s applications for the cure of corns, but do not believe that
any one of them ever performed a cure if the primary cause of
the deformity was not first removed,—that is, “the tight boot.”
This being done, any one of them may without difficulty effect a
speedy cure.
The following recipe, picked up we know not where, we have
used successfully on several occasions in the cure of corns, and
therefore can recommend it with some degree of confidence :—The
corn should be pared as close as possible, and the chamois-pad
applied as above directed, and the mixture put on with a camels’-
hair pencil, every other evening, for a week or ten days; the pad
should then be removed and the foot soaked in hot water, and the
gorn again pared of all the softened cuticle that will come off
without using any great effort or producing pain; the pad may be
again applied and the mixture used as before. This will generally
be sufficient to remove the enemy.
R.—Tincture of iodine................8. Zilli;
Jodutet. of WO cess. cs-rescateceses: grs. xii;
Chloride of antimony............... Biv.
An excellent corn-salve, put up in little tin boxes, may be ob-
tained from the great herb depét in Dock Street. It appears to
504 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
be of about the same consistency as the plaster known as Bur-
gundy pitch. It softens the corn, and causes it to peel off.
Hawker furnishes the following recipe, which he recommends
strongly. We have never had occasion to try it:—
“ R.—Mercurial plaster ;
Diachylon-plaster, with resin;
Diachylon-plaster............00+0 Ha 3ij;
Surar On (OAC eccecssesecnscseeen grs. XX.
All mixed together and spread on leather.
*“ Apply a piece of this plaster for three or four days. Then
soak the foot, and rub the corn with a piece of pumice-stone.
Again repeat the plaster, and the corn will soon disappear.
““N.B.—The corn never to be cut.”’
TREATMENT OF A FALL, SPRAIN, BLOW, OR BURN.
If the sportsman, by any one of those mishaps incident to his
pursuit, should meet with a fall and consequently sprain his
ankle, wrist, or any other of the articulations of his body, the best
and most convenient remedy, and one nearly always at hand, is
the application of cold water, which should be poured on the
injured part in a continuous stream for half an hour or more imme-
diately after the accident. If the sufferer can get near a pump or
by the side of a small waterfall, and place the limb directly under
the stream, so much the better; otherwise, he will have to content
himself with pouring the water over the parts from his hand or
sporting-cup.
By pursuing this plan the pain will be diminished, the swelling
prevented, and the inflammation of the parts powerfully opposed.
The operation, however, to be of much advantage, should be com-
menced as soon after the accident as possible, and persevered in
for a long time. The colder the water the better. The limb
should not be used for some time after the accident,—in fact, so
long as it feels tender and weak; otherwise, the cure will be
retarded to an indefinite period. Sprains, apparently of the most
trifling character, are sometimes attended with the most serious
TREATMENT OF A FALL, SPRAIN, BLOW, OR BURN. 505
consequences, perhaps laming the party for several months.
Those affecting the ankle are the most troublesome and require
great attention.
On one occasion, some time during our college life, we rather
officiously proffered to hand a country-lassie from her carriage,
which feat, by-the-by, she could have performed with far more
ease, grace, and elegance, without our assistance, and perhaps have
jumped clean over our head besides, if we had desired her so to
do, or, rather, had bantered her upon her want of agility. The
ground was slippery, with a high pile of snow on the side-walk
directly in front of the vehicle. In her over-anxiety to grasp our
extended hand, or rather in our great desire to support her delicate
frame, she neglected freeing her garments from the projecting
step, and the consequence was a trip up, and down she came on
top of us with a perfect rush, knocking us over and burying our
head and face almost a foot under the snow. In an instant she
sprang to her feet, shouting and laughing at the top of her voice,
at the same time plying us with handfuls of snow, as a reward, we
presume, for our awkwardness. Without any complaint whatever
she walked or rather ran into the house, standing a few rods from
the street. In the course of half an hour or so she felt a slight
pain in her ankle-joint, and discovered that the parts around were
swollen. Little attention, however, was given to the matter that
day.
On the following morning the ankle and foot were enormously
swollen and painful; on the next day the swelling increased, and
the inflammation was very great; and so it continued for days, and
weeks, and months, and the upshot of the occurrence was a rigid
confinement to the house for about nine months, with the dread at
one time of losing the whole foot; and after the lapse of two years
she had not entirely recovered the use of her limb, (so she informed
me,) although we can vouch for her being now able to cross over,
back to back, lady’s chain, right and left, during a whole winter’s
evening, without ever refusing a single proposition to dance from
the country beaux.
506 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
After the application of the water, and the limb being at rest,
it will be well to bathe or rather gently rub the parts with some
kind of opodeldoc. Sweet-oil, goose-grease, laudanum, spirits of
camphor, hartshorn, brandy, alcohol, rum, whiskey, &c. &c. are
the bases of all the mixtures known under the term opodeldoe.
Any one or two of these substances, or all of them, may be em-
ployed. Jor the purpose of friction, the mixture should be strong
enough to produce a smarting sensation and impart a certain de-
gree of redness to the skin when rubbed in. Brandy and salt is
a good application for this purpose, and can be obtained with con-
venience at almost any place.
This done, the parts may be bathed or kept wet with a solution
of sugar-of-lead, made with equal parts of water and vinegar. If
the limb, in spite of all these precautions, should be painful and
continue to swell, it will ease it very much to apply a large poul-
tice of flaxseed, corn-meal, onions, &c. If it gets worse, send for
a doctor, if within a hundred miles, and he will order the joint to
be leeched and prescribe a dose of salts and magnesia.
Perfect rest to the limb is of the greatest importance, and with-
out it no treatment will produce a cure. If the ankle is the affected
joint, the foot should be kept up on a pillow, and never put to the
ground till free of pain. A blow or bruise may be treated pretty
much in the same way.
The following lotion for sprains and bruises we give as recom-
mended by an old English sportsman and soldier, — General
Hanger. The reason why we give this old-fashioned recipe in
preference to any other of more modern date is that we adopted
it several years ago as a kind of family ewre-all, for man and beast,
and found it to answer a most excellent purpose.
Beso EGAeS GL: WING. y ac uewessceasarceereeeety es adesan Kanan 3viij;
REPT EATA DOYS... cs cevenauacaererereeereicsesen.Amcktente 3);
Spinvisiok turpentine. 2c iaccercec.gkvawwnc.vevsetesedtem 33
Spirits of dal AMMONIA... .i.cdciseseasvsessnsestasventes Bis
OU OHGRPHMNIM, ....9 soissssahcabarpeynbuainienessecneenmeaees 38s;
APAAUAMERBEER 05h SctkveecuceysStpenentese ss sceeteeeoreeeee Si
BURN.—WOUNDED EYE. 507
Dissolve the camphor in the spirits of wine first, then add the
other ingredients. ‘Io be rubbed in with the hand, for a quarter
of an hour, several times each day. This mixture will be found
very efficacious in the case of men, women, children, horses,
dogs, and cattle. If the surface of the wound be excoriated, it
will not do to apply this mixture directly to the spot, as it wiil
cause too much pain; it may be used, however, on the parts ad-
joining.
BURN.
The best application to a fresh burn is raw cotton dipped in
sweet-oil or molasses; lime-water and sweet-oil also make an ex-
cellent dressing.
WOUNDED EYE.
If a bug, seed, or twig, should fly into the eye, it ought to be
removed as soon as possible. If you have a companion along,
make him explore the eye thoroughly till he gets it out, whatever
it may be, with the corner of a handkerchief; else you will be
tormented all day with it, and the eye will become irritated and
inflamed from its presence. A small seed will sometimes bury
itself in the lining membrane of the lids, and remain there for
hours if not removed by a skilful hand; to do this, it will be neces-
sary to take a small pencil-case, or any smooth article about the
same dimensions, in the left hand between the forefinger and
thumb, (provided our patient’s right eye is affected,) gently press
the pencil lengthwise against the lower part of the lid, at the same
time seizing the eyelashes with the forefinger and thumb of the
right hand; with a dexterous motion the lid is everted, and its
whole surface can be examined. This operation may appear dif_i-
cult to the reader; but we can assure him it is very simple, and
can be performed by any one with a little practice.
Bathing the eye in cold water will often remove particles that
may have blown into it, as well as afford considerable relief after
the removal of such substances. The eye, during the evening,
508 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
should be protected from the heat of the fire and the glare of the
candle, not by bandaging it up, as some foolish persons would sup-
pose, but by shading it with a broad-brimmed hat, or, what is
better, sitting with the back to both. A bandage will heat the
eye and increase the inflammation.
The following is an excellent collyrium to be used in slight
inflammation of the eye arising from wounds, colds, and similar
causes.
B.—Vinegar .. cesssesccenceers Sa weee ws «.. one teaspoonful.
Laudanum ...c-.e. eens ote ccase -seeseee thirty drops.
LUMEN Pd IORI ICIS COTTA cra suse icra et genta eight teaspoonfuls.
This preparation can be had at all times, as there is hardly a
family in any part of the country that has not a little laudanum
with which to dose a squalling child or to cure an attack of cholic.
SORE THROAT.
If the throat should feel sore, from exposure to wet feet or any
other of those numerous causes to which all sportsmen are open
during their excursions, have recourse to the following gargle,
which we have used over and over again with perfect success
in such cases. We have also recommended it frequently to our
friends with like results :—
Fe Bar ley-wWater: sass snoxensuenssosppaxcsauseans two and a half teacups;
TRON Yin. sa0s'ssessvsiaeas camactasaeds tucpiesencne two tablespoonfuls ;
WME PAR sc edaeticaceanceniensssotonscenenccachen four tablespoonfuls ;
Mincture:.of maryrnhizie..gceaveneemees noon erec three teaspoonfuls.
Mix, and use frequently.
If these ingredients cannot be obtained, take equal quantities
of vinegar and water with a sprinkle of Cayenne pepper, and
gargle. The throat should be rubbed with hartshorn, oil, and
laudanum; even goose-grease will help.
TO STOP HEMORRHAGE.
If by any accident an artery should be opened in any part of
the limbs, the bleeding is very easily arrested by tying a hand-
TO TELL THE AGE OF A DOG. 509
kerchief around the limb; it should be drawn tightly, and answers
better if a knot is put in it, which is to be placed directly over the
course of the bleeding vessel. By this means the pressure will be
exerted more directly upon it. This bandage should not be re
moved till a surgeon is present.
All the principal bloodvessels run on the inside of the limbs, and
can be casily discovered by the pulsation.
TO TELL THE AGE OF A DOG,
It just occurs to us how ignorant many of our friends are as to
the mode of telling the age of a dog; we therefore give in this
place a few hints on the subject.
Take, for instance, a puppy at one year old; open his mouth,
and examine his front teeth; take no heed of the side or jaw-teeth,
save to admire their ivory-like appearance.
These front teeth,—or, more scientifically speaking, these in-
cisors,—both in the upper and lower jaw, will be found jagged and
uneven: this appearance may be termed the marks of the dog.
The age of a dog may be determined by these marks with the same
degree of certainty with which a jockey guesses at the age of a
horse. These marks continue longer in the upper teeth than they
do in the lower, and the jagged, uneven appearance noticed in the
pup is half gone at the age of three or four years; when it has en-
tirely disappeared and all the front teeth have become worn
smooth and even, the dog is nearly or quite full six years old.
510 LEWIS’S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN.
When the front teeth are not only worn smooth, but worn
greatly away, the dog is well on to eight or even ten years; and
we may then notice, in the majority of dogs, other signs of age
which are not to be mistaken,—such as the turning gray of the
hair, about the eyes particularly, and which gradually spreads
over the whole face. Dogs are seldom good for any sporting-pur-
poses after ten years of age; and but few of them, even at this
early period, if they have not had kind treatment and good atten-
tion, are worth taking to the field except for a few hours’ hunt.
is U
Cie Ct gS 2
iy ;
y
: NE
a -7/ yn
< Yi)
77
oe
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
DANN
02 911 254
|
0