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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mi»w.!igi|iiwiiuy iyiBp|,.|npiini,iii[.iiDiui...iinii|i||aj>. .iiiijuipiiiwiMIBiiiipgwgjiiil I AJWERICA.N ELK. fSH ii FOiiESTEE ' L < .^ f> SPORTS OF THIS i> .STATES *ND ^-OKTHAMRJOA. fti ■ 'Mlng|..i.i , Tl»- Ssrtltly kM "^ H.\ W I f '-•♦It »:> lit'! \, / N *■ ^ ■* *K».w». %: ^<, c. y. «A# I I iiiMLi (.1. mmmmm^i^ffmimmffii'mm/ifmiimii^^ I Xt '""1-. "Wch can minUter to .hi 8 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. varieties of Curlew, Sandpiper, Plover, Godwif;, or Phalarope, sometimes as passing visitors, sometimes as denizens and owners of the soil, on which thoy build their nests, and raise their am- phibious young. The greater portion of these winter on the shores of the South- ern S ates, and many in countries yot to the south of these, and during the spring and summer, pass eastward and northward along the coasts of the Atlantic, to their breeding places in the extreme North, on the cold shores of Labrador, returning thence in autumn to tho milder climates of Florida, and the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico The great tract of shallow, land-locked water, which lies along almost the whole southern side of Long Island, impro- perly called the Great South Bay, for it is rather a lagoon than 1 bay, "occupyixg a distance of seventy miles uninterrupted in- land navigation," bounded on the south by the shingle beach and sand hills, which divide it from the open Atlantic, and on the north by the vast range of salt mead(>ws, which form the margin of the island, is the resort of countless flocks of aquatic fowl of every ddscription, and is especially the paradise of gun- ners. The marshy shores of South-western Jei-sey, the broad embouchure of the Delaware, the many beautiful streams wliich flow together into the Bay of the Chesapeake, the inlets of Albe- marie and Pamlico Sounds, the tepid waters of Florida, the great b?y of Mobile, anc the sea-lakes Borgne and Pontchar- train, at tlie mouths of the Rlississippi, all abound in their season with these aquatic myriads ; but in none, perchance, are they more systematically and regularly pursued, than in the waters of Long Island, The mode of pursuing and taking them, is nearly the sams everywhere, as they, like all species of wild fowl, nmst be taken by stratagem, and from ambush, not by open pursuit. The tribes and varieties of the e birds are so numerous, that to attempt a detailed account or description of them all, would far exceed the possible limits of such r work as this, and wohiI cause it to asi^unie the charactei , to which it does not aspire, of BAY SNIPE, g a regular ornithology, rather than a guide and companion of the BportKman. Of the Rallidae, or Rail family, there are nine varieties- of the Charadriads, or Plover family, there are ako nine ; of the S.olopacid^. or Snipe family, including Sandpipers, Tatlers Godwits, Snipe, Avoset, Stilt, and Curlew, there are no less' than twenty-eight; and of the family of Pinnatipedes, or Lobe- footed Swimming Birds, there are three varieties ; besides six Geese, two Swans, sixteen Sea-ducks, und four Divers all of which come, to a certain degree, within the definition of game as being objects of pursuit to the sportsman, both for the plea' sure of the chase, and for *he purposes of the table; and in ad- dition to these, there are seventeen members of the family of Crrjiid*, mcluding Cranes, Herons, Bitterns, and Ibises, which are generally shot by the sportsman, when he finds an oppoitu- nity, although they cannot be in anysori regarded as gamo and are not, in general, suitable for food, their flesh bein<., for the most part, coarse, dark, and fishy. A certain number of these birds however, must be dealt with and regarded as game; I be- gin, therefore, this department of my work, with what are com- monly called, although only one of them correctly, BAY SNIPE. No. I. Red-breasted Sandpiper- TV/^^^ Mandica,- Linn.— Vulgo, the Robin Snipe. Ash-colored Sandpiper. Tringa cinerea, Wils. Winter.-Rea-breasted S.n^ cnerea. Sw. & Rich.-K„ot or Ash-colored Saadpi er. Nu^t MaalZ or Ash-colored Sandpiper. Tringablundica,Aud. Man.-Kn.t " Specific Gharacter.-Bni straight, longer than the head ; tarsi one inch and three-sixteenths long ; rump and upper tail civer white, ban-ed with dark brown; region of thTvent and" he lower tad ^coverts white, with dusky markings. In spring he 10 FRANK FOHESTER's F,fiLD SPOKTS. •nargmed wid, d„,j „|,i,e. ruL 7"^ ' P^"" ""-o '"'■-gray, -«. black and white; WrTil t""''" '"'' "°'^"'' '•""'S martod with da.ky ; : dXCr, ' "■" "''°' -"■""' Wy -Prtog-biU black , a b,tad W f"" Tl '*"" ''"■ ^<'"" '» "here i. .Unge. ZeM^t^CT^ '"""^^ '" "'^ ^^». the hind neck dusky, ,he feathe™ ^^'" '""^ "^ "'»'") ""d a few touches of pa^ r^^^TZr^'f "'"■ «"=y»h->vhite , -eck, breas., and abdomen tddilV" ° '"'"' ""■-'■ '»- •a" covert, white, spotted wi h d„Sv u" ' T' ""'° ' '""" •Town; upper tail covets battd'^ithT f^r """'''*. P-'eWown, margined with whitrnri" '"'' ""'"=' '"" ""■■ "We, secondary covert I^ '77"°™"' """''■ 'W^d "hue. Young, with the np;e?pf3t,T' '^''^"'^ "'* W'h central dusky streaks a ^ ^ '"""'"'" '"'""'"»" •-ard tl.eir margins, wWch a^H "J "' ™"''"«>" -'- a«h-g.By. Length of .dulteTin °' *° ''"''■- P^™ quarters. '' '™ '""he', wing six and thise- "ense salt ma«hes are eoaS' ^T ''""''' "'""» "">»» ™- each having an app,„pri«„ Zme ,t "'^ '" ''^ and form. -ng feature in .he gfogrlrv of ' tb"^ f'T ''''"'''''' '°'»<'«'- breasted Sandpiper durS^i, , "'""''' "'"<= *e Red. i" abode, ShLV'at ™t"r'"' '" *"° '''""^' ■»"- 4 ■"«earch„ffood,vWting,heTalL commences its daily labo^ ;hell-fisb, on which they^cht^ Lu"* t' t""' """ ^'""" 'o profit ^ythe readysaleof this ■ ';'"' "l'^ Suuner, eager preparation to receive them itt ''™°'' ^'"'' ""^ '4 ■*o haunts, by imitating the" ' no "f '^"""'"^ "•"" ""^- ft™"! -y bringing then, withit tach Jf m"" n!i. *'"^ '""" -k' •• A. the period for mlgtat LV , ! ""'":''"^«'='l S""- ""g-atmg, this speces assemble in flocfa. tl pale yel- fore-iieck, 3 ash-gray, 'Its, barred )f the body Adult in ommences 0 the eye, head and sh-white ; oat, fore- 3 J lower blackish- »te; tail K tipped led with teathers >n color Br part8 1 three- fKobin oso im- inels, a i form, iterest- Red- kes up labor small eager early favo- ■aiiks c>cks. BAY SNIPE. 11 aT,d ateer for the North, where it passes the season of reproduc- non; about the middle of August it returns with its young when the change of plumage is quite visible-the abdomen S th,3 time IS white, the breast pale rufous. Late in September It moves southward; at this period the lower plumage is white spotted on the neck, breast and flanks with dusky; the uppei^ pumageash-gi-ay; in this dress it is the ' White Robin Snipe' ot our gunners. ^ " In the autumn it generally frequents the inner beach, and -s sometimes observed along the surf, collecting minute marine productions that are cast on the shore by the waves. In the fall It IS more timid than it is in the spring, frequently passing within hearing of the fowler's treacherous whistle, without ap^ irtV^u '\ ^"*^ ^P""°^"« lower plumage resem. bles the Red-breasted Thrush, or Rohin^TurdL migratorius^ from which It receives its name. Common to both continents and 18 said to lay four eggs." ""nencs. No. 2. Red-Backed Sandpiper- 7W«^a Alpina; Linn.^ Vulgo, Black-breasted Plover. Trbga alpina. Red-backed Sandpiper. Wils. Tri.ga alpina. Bonap. Syn " Man. Red-backed Sandp.per, Tringa Alpiua, Aud. "Specijic CAaracter.-Bm about one-third longer than the ttblllirr f-^T'' length oftarsi one inch. Adultwith he bill black, one-third longer than the head, slightly bent toward the end. and rather shorter than that of T. Subarquata ; uppe. part of the head, back and scapulars chestnut-red. the centre of each feather black, which color occupies a large portion of the scapulars; wing coverts and quills grayish-brown; the bases and ips of the secondaries, and part of the outer webs of the middle primaries, white ; forehead, sides of the head, and hind- neck, pale reddish-gray. streaked with dusky; fore-neck and upper part of breast, grayish-white, streaked with dusky on the lower part of the breast a large black patch ; abdomen 12 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. =?,'«,,: r'-i-" ''—'•-tit en.i,.ly different fr„™ ,ha. of .pn" T.T; ' '"'""=«^ '^ »° i. i» considered „ di.i„c. spec Candt calXTe*"?,"^ season ' Winter SnmP ' u .i> ! ^ *^^™ ^^ ^'>«' «^^p:jeU-r::r:ts cha„g.ng ,^ p „. s„„„ ^^^^ collect o°efc er and make a sl.on excursion over the water/again aliXl a ,ho„ d.,ance fron, whe,. they bad previo^.ly taken t" Dutnng thetr .«nal excu„i„„,, „hen whirling about thev cZd » ckse together, that „,any are killed at a .ingle .h' o"°I of these occaBtons, Mr. Brasher i„f„r„,s „e that he killed H^. -1 y; tail light oat grayish- d, and sides ith darker; and a half ; le name of md in the i is said to ptember it igh not so ey. It as- md muddy abound in '7 fat, and nage is so generally !m at that inal dress )ills being ng birds, ck of the md more genera] in on the coast of :leans its itinually ; togeth- lighting n wing. y crowd On one id fifty. BAY SNIPS. 13 tw.. i^y discharging both barrels into a flock. This number is nTuit aT ' ''-' '''-' ''-' ''■' '- ^-- - - «t : ;: wili men'ron """ "f' '" '''"' '' ^^^^"'^^^"^ ^ -'^-^l-. 1 sT cirTat :r at T '"""^'' ""'^ '^^ ^"^^^^^^-^ «^ *^is species that I am at a loss to account for. In the month of November. 1840, a gentleman shot a Red-backed SandpU Not recogmzmg zt in its winter dress, and supposing it ^be ddrt\7;"^'' '' '-' ''' ^^"^^"-^ toJo'rwar^rtr.'; address. It being a very common species, and having in my cabmet severa duplicates in both spring and winter 11^6 my table, where it rema ned for two or thro. , i • , receiving further notice At Z '' """""" .„.„,■ ^o" nM'ce. At the expiration of that time mv «.ant,o„ wa, again called to it, when I waa somewhat aulriL ^ «nd ,, in aa good condition as when I had fi™, recerdlt I. having been shot about three weeks, and during thetimel, ; i;:Lrir;:eTdeSd^s\rtt'" r^'™- ^ i. ta order to ascertain hoJlo'g U IZZ^JllT'' 1 """ position would take n1«.. n , ^""''^ ^^'''''"- Piration of two year,, it i. perfectly dta^d h^rd" 7 "" .he feather,, are complete , in th 11' i 'i ": ^^ ""' 1 mwrnmy. The e„t™ils were not removed ^eilVw '">■''""'' ed. nor artificial mean, of any kind rro„ed t Had t^"'" cnned with an upland bird esDeoiallv tr *" °°- I *ould not have'th„„,ht sTranl 'w I," ■"P--""*'-". rteir being so excessivlly oily areprevebM T"' '''■ '""" after shooting." ' proverbial for spoiling soon 14 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. No. 3. Pectoral Sandpiper- Th'^^^ PectoralU ; Banap.^ Vulgo, Meadow Snipe. M.»n. P,o»,.l Sandpiper, T^g. p„u,r.B., Aud. Om. Biog. ■■ Specific CAaracler.-Bm straight, base orange-green • length edged wuh reddish-brown, throat white; fore part of neck and zz'ZV"' '""''''''" --^'-s™. ..-kef:: m, ^ 1^ ?," ^ ""■"'«'" ' '"P "f *= '"'"> daA-brown, inter, mixed with black , aides of the head, neck and a large „„, ^of streak of dark-brown before the eye, continuing to the noatri _ direcly above, faint line of white: back dark-brown ; feaftl" L?wbt""* :""' "T"^ """'» dark-bi^wn-shlft „ .: tot wh.1^ ; outer secondaries slightly edged with white , tail feathers brown, margined with brownish white-two m ddTe feathers darker, longest and more pointed, lower part of the breast, abdo.en, and sides of the b^y, and' unZr t'a^l covet white, feet dull-yellow; tibia bare, about half the length T h"al^ wLT"' f """*' "«'"'^- ^^S* ™- -■^-■a-d a nalt ; wing live and a quarter. " During some seasons, this species is quite plentiful on the shores of Long Island. It is generally overlooked by the gl„! ners, and I find that most of our sportsmen ate notVw if" the claims it has to their attention. from this circumstance I am inclined to the opiln that it Zt part of Angus it returns, and increased numbers appear on the necks of land in the immediate vicinity of tide w.'er, and 1 also found in the islands in the bay. Although large numbe" ai-e sometimes seen occupying the same feeding gf„„nds, Z BAY SNIPE. 15 ; Bonap.-^ sctoralis, Nutt . Biog. een ; length tvnish-black of neck and saked with verts white, own, inter- 5 portion of 1 white ; a e nostril — I ; feathers baft of the vhite ; tail vo middle •art of the lil coverts 'gth. Fe- hes and a ill on the ^ the gun- aware of ibers, and tt it pass- the latter ar on the and are numbers nds, still the.^ appears to be a great want of sociability among them- each one seemingly so intent on providing for its own M T as to be entirely regardless of thi of its^cX^il" ^"'"'^"' When feedmg, the flock scatter over thp J,„ro i employed, are silent. They are bv n/.r,.. . I feu in „,* a large „™ber, .he near! o„e oZZ 172:^ .^e. .ere J^Z^1^ZI7.T::^ 1^ .^ ^'°^' langc, nor did I dnrJn,, . ^^^ ^^^ i" ^ of my gur,, fhose .ha. We7„ra,„ld T^' "" "" ™P"« tanco, and resumed ,1,7 •»''"' ''°'> "»»• "■> » »hor. dis- repea ed L7„n did „„ oT"''"™ " '"'■"°' "<• """""S ""' it spring, up, presenting a fair mark • 1^T„, T '"'P"'"^' flies ..eadily at a sho« distance Tw .he „rf el.T ""■""''• " It feeds on various anprl.. J of *e ground. which lie near thrsurfj, a 1 it rtC"' "f" "-"■"*• — ;srs X on dis^rx:- - ■: xo some of the residents of the island it ,'« t , r.rho:;^t"r:rmnt i! -t '-^ - '^-"" - andsome.imesremarrh:r:;:,?re:rpr:f"&^'^°r'' Toward the latter part of the season it' November. On .he sea^as. of ^ew-C irrdlr. ^B-r^', «-'• w«ch:e!^::^ .l:t:t^.r''T-^'""-"''™-■•■■ Il.ave occasionalWenTL f'''': "'"" of • Jack-Snipe.. July,- hut in suchlZc Z^:7 ''"™! *= "»»* of at .ha. period looked upon .hemas s.;;^^" f'" ''^'" mclma.ion or ability to perform ,!,„/' ' ""■ "■"« "^ l.»tered behind the migrat'orr" '^'■^"■"S J-™y. have 16 FRANK FORESTEh's FIELD SPORTS. " On Long Island I do not think it breeds, and I am not aware that their nests have been found on the seacoast of the United States. In autumn its flesh is very juicy and well flavored ; when procured lato in the season, I think it superior to any of our shore birds; and I have partaken of it when I have thought it equal to any of our upland game. " The Long-legged Sandpiper, the Curlew Sandpiper, and the Semipalmated Sandpiper, I purposely omit as so rare that they must not be regarded by the sportsman as regular game Wilson's Sandpiper and Schinz Sandpiper, I also omit on ac count of their rarity, small size, or worthlessness." No. 4. Yellow-Shanks T Ati^Y^n—Totanus Flavipea ; Latham. Vulgo, the Yellow- Legs. Scolopax flavipes, Wils Amer. O.n. Totanus flavipe., Bonap. Syn. Tota- nus flavipes, Ydlow-slmnks Tatler, Sw. & Rich. Yellow-shanks. Totanus flavjpes, Aud. Orn. Biog. " Spedjic Character.— BxW along the ridge one inch and three- eighths; length of tarsi one inch and seven-eighths; legs yel- low. Adult with the bill black; throat white; upper part of the head, lores, cheeks, hind part and sides of the neck, deep brownish-gray, streaked with grayish-white; eye encircled with white, a band of the same color from the bill to the eye ; fore- neck, sides of the body, and upper part of the breast, grayish- white, streaked with grayish-brown ; lower part of the breast and abdomen white ; lower tail coverts white, the outer feath-' ers baiTed with brown; scapulars and fore-part of the back brown, the feathers barred and spotted with black and white • primaries blackish-brown, the shaft of the outer brownish- white, whiter toward the tip-the rest dark brown; secondaries margmed with white; hind part of the back brownish-gray tail barred with grayish-brown, white at the tip ; legs feet and toes yellow; claws black. Length ten inches and three quar- ters ; wmg six. Young with the legs greenish-and by those who have not recognized it as the young of the year, I have heard the propriety of its name questioned. t % * m not aware the United sH flavored ; !rior to any hen I have )er, and the re that they liar game. >mit on ac- / Latham, Syn. Tota- nks, Totanus and three- i legs yel- fr part of leck, deep ircled with 'ye ; fore- t, grayish- the breast Iter feath- the back, nd white ; brownish- condaries ish-gray ; feet, and ice quar- by those r, I have BAV SNIPE. 17 il '"^^^ common species, well known throuirho.iff>.«TT • rives on the shores of New Jersev ,.n.l r r , , ^"'°"' "* part of May. U associatl irflocks andle ^"^ ' V'^ ^"^^ flats that are left bare at the recll oV he t r^T/n t" "''' It resorts to the ponds on fh« »,« i. , ^^^^ ^**®'"' proach. It obevfl thp ^« ^ mionns the gunner of its ap- WM.H. „He„ «,i„„ .ppf^ ^xtr::;^ ;: xr — and gently aliirhts on f>,« » a , ''j^'^Jiu tne tail leathers as to avoid detection 1,. 4"«ntiy so well concealing itself -o ou. ^j:"l i i.™r:i:rB"""''■™-''-«*"°- meat, with ™dy .alo in the New yf " ,""' '"J"""' " A noted gunner residing in the vicinifv nf p n -e that he killed one hundred and sT Ye,lo f^' "''^^'"''' charging both baiTels of his gun inla^ Ifr^'' ^^'^'^■ sitting along the beach. This is a hlw k" '' ''^^ ^^- have hit upon, had I been as! t t ::! ^'^^ ' ^^^uU result of a very unusually successful Zt s"l f -T *'^ credit. Wilson speaks of eighty-five Rejt " T^'^ '"^ having been shot at one discharge of a ^ ^ed-breasted Snipe mentions that he was present wt ^ ''' ^'- ^"^"^on seven were killed hy^aZllJnZ''''' ^'^'"'^^^ ^"'^ *-"^y- voi. u. ^ 'I'schargmg three barrels. Mr. Brasher IS FRANK FIRESTEr's FIELD SPOUTS. noCflo . ;""''^ ®"'P*''^y discharging both barrel, hm,I n "' ^^ """^ P''"^"^ ^^ *''™- Tl.is number, al- hough small m comparison with those mentioned above is « / "^ '"P^"^ °' "y °«^"' «"^- with he present or former spec,es~of both of which I have killed a vuh the number shot on any one occasion, to further illustrate the gregarious habits of this familiar bird low !h '\' ^'""' ^"'''" Americana, it is stated that the Yel- ow-shanks is a veiy common bird in the fur countries, and is een either solitary or in pairs, on the banks of evexy river Mr. Audubon found a few on the coast of Labrador, but did hat they breed m considerable numbers about Pictou. In the outh ^'':; /T^' ''*' Yellow-shank commences moving southward, and in September they have usually all retired from the shores of Long Island." No. 5. Trll-Tale Tati.er— Totanus Vociferus ; Vulgo, the Greater Yellaw-Legs. Wilson.—- Tell-tale Godw.t or Sn.pe. Scolopax vociferus. Wils. Amer. On,. Tetanus me aneleucuB. Bonap. Syn. Tetanus veciferus. Tel.-tale. Sw. & R^ t" tale erGreaterYelIow.shank8.Nutt. Man. Tell-tale GodwirTnr lanoieucus, And. Om. Bieg. '^"' ^°'*""« '"" inZrf ' ^^'"'"'^^'r^^^ «J«"g Ae ridge two and one-fourtl bin biicra; 7 b rf '' '^'^ ^^"°"- ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ bill black, at the base bluish ; upper part of the head loral whT; T: f ""'' ''''''''' ""^ brownish-black an white; throat white ; a white line from the bill to the eye • a white nng round the eye; breast and abdomen white, spott'ed and baned with brownish-black; sides and tail cov^r the same ; lower surface of the primaries Hght-gray-upper bt.nT iBb black, the inner spotted white; .ing%overtr'and ba k L Harbor, killtul r both barrels is number, nl- ned above, is ther with the have killed a IX my memory rthor illustrate that the Yel- mtries, and is f eveiy river, the continent, rador, but did cen informed ctou. In the >nces moving retired from / Wilson.— Totanus me & Rich. Tell t, Totanus ine d one-fourtl ult with the head, loral i-black and the eye ; a lite, spotted coverts tlie per brown- and back, BAY S.VIPE. 19 '--%. Length ,b ::„*:: :t ■"" 'r' """"' "■■" It arrives on Lonir Tslnn,! „k . 'greater Yellow-shanks. ■ion. I. has a„ a„a„w„ for he',, If"! " "' ""'" *"• pond^where i, collect Ijj ^ , ,^ ''''°"'" "' "<«''" ""i on .e ™-o.ji/riX7oZrp'irf h"n^'' iiosn IB at that season well flavoiv.,) Ti. j usually associate in large flock, ^n J ,,"'*''• ^'"'y i" "ot ■Imtof.heforn.er.and^^IsisJ'Vr''"' ""'"'' """^^ ■•""■ tins, it obevs It ;. ""'"."f f""""- "otes, which by imita. s..a;ks,:hrgh if. e ::„:;?" r "■""'"' ^"-^^euow. .ua or^ririir irnrat/'"- - '^"»«" -"^•^• pable of rapid flight SJT ""'^ '"^'""- '• " -^a- »bichelevaLnif, 'nd ele r Td'frT'' '"'*'' ™ ""' "■•• <■-"• great resemblance in marking On 1 *' * " ^"^ " it is common, and I have !;«„ inf , 1,\""^ "^ ''''" J"™/ On Long Island I can find ^ Z^ot .7 '°" ^'"'^ '''"'■ '■reeding, and I have no recolte on „ f '°* ""^ '"'""' Ouring the month of June, ty" ^ oTT ^ ""*" *-« part of the ta named month 7. P'" """'^ ! ■» the latter period is nnusually early as h ' '"'™„"'^' «"""•. !">' that the North, from two to htr f T""'j' '«»™ to us from low-shankl" ''° ™''' '"»■■ "-" •'■e Lesser Vel- -0 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. No. 6. Semipamwated TATi.F.n—Totanua Semipalmatkn , Lath. — Vulgo, the Willct. Spolopax wmipalmata, Wil». Totaniw Mmipalinatui, Semipalinated Tatler, Sw. & Rich. Seinipalmated Huipe or Willet, Nutt. Sei lipalinated 8iiip« or Willet, Aud. " Specific Character. — SecondoricH and basal part of the pri- maries white ; toes connected at base by broad membranes. Adult with the head and neck brown, intennixed with grayisli- white ; breast and sides of the body spotted and waved with brown on white ground ; abdomen white ; tail coverts white, barred with brown ; tail grayish brown, barred with darker brovm — the outer two feathers lighter ; rump brown ; fore part of the back and wing coverts brown, largely spotted with dull- white ; primaries blackish-brown, broadly banded with white ; secondaries white. Length fifteen inches and a half, wing eight. " This handsome species is well known to all our bay-men by the name of ' Willet,' by which appellation it is equally fami- liar to all sportsmen who fancy bay shooting. " It passes the winter in the Southern States, and at the ap- proach of spring commences migrating northward. It arrives on the shores of Long Island about the first of May, and is com- mon on the seacoast of New Jersey at the same period. It is quite common to the Island, though it cannot be said to be very abundant, nor is it so plentiful as it is at Egg Harbor, where it breeds. In the latter part of May its nest is found on the salt marshes among the grass, of which material, and a few rushes, it is formed. The eggs — four in number, are rather n)ore than two inches in length, and abouf an inch and a half in nrcadih, and very thick at the largest end — the color dark c' , ' '-lo' , d ^vith blackish-brovni, which markings are more numerous at the great end. " During the season of incubation, if you approach its nest, it rises from the marsh and flies wildly around, filling the air with its s'lriJ cries, which consist of three notes, which are so vie- BAY SNIPE. SI of the pri- nembrancH. ith graywli- waved witli r^erts white, i^ith darker I ; fore part I with dull- fc^ith white ; wing eight. )ay-men by [ually fami- at the ap< It arrives ind is com- •iod. It is to be very r, where it >n the salt ew rushes, 11) ore than in brcadih, , '"lo' . (1 rous at the its nest, it le air with .re BO vio- lently repented wlion defending ifs e-irs or vo.mry „- * t ,i;ui- i>c •! !• * ^-'h" or )oung, ns to he an- 'I'ble half a mile distant. I have heard the gunners assert M. r on such occasions they have distinctly heard ftrvThle" ' erations at a still greater distance. ^'°' "°"^- "During the breeding season, if not disturbed, it passes fh.t ■•TlM,;igheof the Wille.i..wift,.nd performed mU, e«e and 2-- I" general i. inhabit .he >.>tr„.r.Ue^ZTXt mnkmg oxcursioni about the bays and inlet, it .,< amve within .hooting distance. viJilanTe'^TT f """ T" «!«"™-i " "Mom equal ,o its l'«red^notwith8tan,i;n„ .i, ^ ""^ '"''^"^ easily al. niousiy er t^trj zTdr;^^^^^^ -' ^r""^^- perfect imitation he gives of its p:euTar cTwhtht: ' if answered by the advancing Wi let whose kJn -^TP' tecting the deception, it prLkesl tl/b: Z^"^ '''' >ng Its course, and dartintr off lik« o ^ ^ ^ ''^^''S- a- it passes on. ^ ' '" '""^' "«"^"y -«<=ending " The Willet seldom associates with others of it« frJl. .u u occas bnallv strno-o-lo™ "tners ot its tnbe, though . conipa„;::;t o:,L':rs:d:ir^ "^'^- "-^ and ac'cordiuV o M l^^tuTt h" T"'f "^ *"* «•"- "/• New Bedford WhfnT " ^"""^ '" "-^ ™'»i'y '..^e promine'n. »X':^' 2 ::r Itlr 77""' -T:i.:\tde::s„r<,r- -" -■"""^^- i 22 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. Many of those birds that frequent the marshes are annoyed by insects which intrude themselves under the feathers-par- ticularly under the wings. The Willet s.ems to be a favorite bird for those tormentors to quarter upon-so much «o, that 1 have frequently supposed that I had performed an act of kind- ness by dhootmg it." No. 7. The Maki^in— Genus Limosa; Briss. Godwit. " Bill very long, a little recurved from the middle-rather slen- rate neck rather long; wings long, very acute; tail short, e en ; legs long; toes four, rather slender-hind toe small, mid- dle toe longest, ..^erior toes connected at the base by webs tlu- outer web much 1 xrger. ^ ' Limosa Fedoa; Unn.- Great MarUed Godmt ish brown ; upper parts spotted and barred with yellowish gi-ey and browmsh-black; lower parts pale reddish-brown tlil' daj ker barred with black. Adult ma e with the bill at^^ b yellowish-brown, toward the end black ; hea^an nLk ' 7 darker on the upper part of the head, and hind neck- throat whitish; lower parts pale reddish-brown- under fUrnZ Wed with brown; tail reddish-brown.Ta red w^l rLr^^^^ per tail, coverts the same; upper parts bar.ed with brownisJ" black, and pale reddish-brown, spotted with dusry inneTpn varies tipped with yellowish-white ; scapulars and Xgr ve ts barred with pale reddish-brown, and grayish- whire^sb I dusky LeZl ^'^'"-'^™-"' ^^-Pting the tips, which are ^ sky. Length sixteen inches, wing nine and a half. Female 1- ger, exceeding the male from three to four inches. BAY SNIPE. 38 are annoyed feathers — par- ' be a favorite luch bO, that 1 ti act of kind- Godrnt. — rather slen- ; head niode- < ; tail short, 36 small, mid- by webs, the iicit. a, Bonap. Syn. Marbled God- A. le end black- lowish gi-ey, )rown ; tail 1 at the base neck gray- th dusky — eck; throat tail coverts dusky; up- 1 brownish- inner pri- 1 wing co- hite; shaft tiafts at the which are '• Female 23 " The Great Marbled Godwit, or ' Marlln.' as our gunners term it, arrives on the shores of Long L-land in the month of May ; xt cannot be said to be an abundant species-still, we ob- serve. U visits us regularly every spring and autumn. t associates in flocks, and usually passes its time on the shoals and salt marshes ; it is exceedingly watchful, and will no allow of near approach-but when any of their dumber a"^ wounded, their associates hover round them, uttering loud a„d sbrill cries. On such occasions they crowd together, oflbdn. an excellent opportunity for the gunner to secure' them if ar better success on ' Pelican Bar.' which at low water is a l>;td ll^^ ""' ''- ""'''- ^' -^- -^ J-y. and is No. 8. Thk H.nso^c.. Gon wxt-L.W ^Wca; Laaum. t'ulgo, Ring-taUed A'T.rUn. M»ni. H,.^ ,, . "**^"' '^^- *• Kieh. Hudsoniau Godwit. Nutt Mauu. Hudsonma Godwit, Li.nosa Hudsonica. Aud. Orn. Biog. "Specific Cr^amc^er.—BiU blackish-brown at base ofl. mandible yellow; upp.r pa.s light-brown. maLrwUhd^ b own and a few s.nall white spots; neck all round hrLt gray; lower parts white, largely marked wifh f l-al part of tail feathers, and a banL osstrl ^^"T ' Aault with the bill slende. b,ackish-br:rt I ^,^ auhe base, particularly at the base of the lower maldile'r" ot l)rownish-white from the bill m ,h. 7 '"andil.le ; a line ^Lroat white, spotted wilh r "^1 ! fai T^'Tb' "''^ ' gray; lower parts white, marked with TI^^^^^^ nous ; under tail coverts barred with brownish bTak andT"" gmous ; tail brownish-black wifh o u- T ? ^'^"■''■ band over the rump, t^s o^mW ^^"^ ^^ ^^^^ ^ase ; a np , tips of pnmary coverts and bases of quills 24 PRANK FORESTEH'S FIELD SPORTS. White; upper tail coverts brownish-black th • x. markings wanting ^ ^' ^''^ ferruginous so called from the wHf. 1, i • ^'"g'tailed Marlin,'- ■ionally procured „„ fte sea-coa , Xa Z ! 1' '"'' "" °''"" n« abundant in the middle district, ft fabv ''• "'""«'' specie,. It i, aaid tc breed abu^t '„„ V°k""'™ " ""* near the Arctic seaa, from whS^T- '"'™" S^'M-J^ no- or aiou, the ^o^o^Z^iZ'TTr'' "" ""'■ ....cd to the preceding „i.h whichl;!^ ralrte";"'' I'M.-'. Wir„, D<«„fcA«._ „ f^-i ^.^_ Red.bre„wl S,,lpe, Soobp,, Nov»b«,„„„|, wi . S»lo,«x N.v,bo„c.„.i., Aud. o™ Lr ««''-l»««»'f Snip.. black, variegated ^th lijht itZ'lT'T^' '''''^'''^ orange-red. abdomen paler snotfpT 7,: ^^" ^'''' *^"" ™p white, the tail LhLTndV "'' ""' ^'^^^'^ '' coverts alten,atel,Ba.edwi':lt:dr:k 7' ^^^'^^ "^' upper parts are brownish -^rav Z, ^" ^"'"™" '^^ the tail feathe... and the u^er 'and In"""'' "T ^^^^^-^i^e J as in spring. Adult with the hi^,t T f' '"'^"^' *^ ^^^^ at the ba^e; top of the head W ^fte 'f ''-^' '^^^-^ tmls. and fore part of the back IZ^ u^ "''''' ''"P"'^'^' ^«'- feiTuginous; sLndaries and ^C ! '"""; --^^^-'-tl, and wmg coverts clove bro;vn. the BAY SNIPE. I" bases wlii'f ^ • h darker; feet ght and a half, le ferruginous former, and is ed Marlin,' thers, A few and are occa- ates. Though neans a rare irren grounds >ugh the inte- :» are nearly isociates," 2.5 veboroi e. censis ; )rn. Scolop.n fodwit, Sw. v'v reasted Snipe, s brownish- parts dull •ith black; lower tail lutumn the '■ish-white ; ', the same ck, lighter )ulai-s, ter- gated with rovvn, tlie latter edged with white, the former tipped with the same ; hind part of back white; the rump marked with roundish spots of b acbsh-brown ; upper tail coverts dull white, baiTed with black ; tail feathei^ crossed with numerous black bands, then- Ups whue; loral band dusky, the space between which and the medial band on the fore part of the head, grayish white, tinned with ferruginous, and slightly touched with dusky; sides of^the head spotted ^th dark brown; lower parts du' orange- ed with dusky; he sides of the body with numerous ba s of the same color; legs and feet dull yellowish-gi-een. Young wi h the lower parts paler. Winter dress, the upper pam brown- ish-grey ; neck ash-grey, streaked with dusky .IJr parts Z- I3h white, with dusky bai. on the sides o/ the body' Le'nl ten inches and a half, wing six. -t-engtn "Our gunners, as if fearful that nothing would be left to con- nect the past with the present generation, cling to the old "o- vmcial names for birds, recognising this specie! by the singZ and unmeaning name of « Dowitcher.' ^ " At the close of April, the Red-breasted Snipe arrive on fl,« coasts of Long Island. Invited by a bountifulTup^yof " ' at the reflux of the tide, it resorts to the mud-flats aL shoals to partake of the rich supply of shell-fish andinsects, which Natue m her plenitude has provided for it. As the tiJe advanced" retires to the bog meadows, where it is seen pro,,ingThe 'o short time. Soon after recruiting, it obeys the call of unerring Nature, and steers for the North, where it passes the season of reproduction. About the middle of July'it returns whh it young, and continues its visit during September; and nhe tr:t^:-rmor "^-^ '- '--^^^ ^-^-^--^^ -^ as;?;i::rt!:^:i:-/:::^--^ the I .eal, ay-gunner, and he so :::^t:r^ZV: call IS obeyed at a great distance. Pond of associating in Lge 26 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. it, a..d attended wi,|, ,„„ |i„|err W ° '"' I"-"™^"? lie, concealed in tl.o rank tZ w *''"''" '''7''"""' "''" cue g,a.s, a. a convenient shootLrdi ance Th , ,' 7 -:CJt?i,::;;oXii'\.^zi:— - gunner .h,n, .heir .™k. by p„„ri„, i„,„ „„ b^/; ™ 'e1i;^\' h.s deadly fi„. No.v,i,l,.,andi„g g„,a, fc.,^ is n,ade i^no. unfrequen.ly happens tlm. some of .hose whirl, „. »d .%h. .„en« ,ho .lead hodie, oJ^rc'^^/IrCn™ -w,.h he reloadinjof ,ho,u„„ert piece_,heir ftte ' ..on. in .he shoa, „„,e. .h:;!, ."I^jT^ ^ ^tj^^^ deep, and seldom to so ?reat a dentin P • I- feed,n. .n company wi.h various species of shore bird, ' Long before .he gnnner thinks of .aking aim, .he wa.chful i for its UTisus* he fresh ponds oadow, during for procuriug 3 gunner, who the salt mea- I ponds on the 'sea-wocd, or us concealed, r around him. '8 of a distant le in accord- Y the leaders nner, wliose their course, oil-trimmed, lery. )on«l several iscovers the >verbial for truction, the of the flock nade, it not ape, return ns, sharing e. isappeared, Lts, wading vend knee- is exposed thin shoot- witnessing they were Is. 3 watchful BAY SNIPE. 27 % Gull unfolds its wings, and passes still farther on from danger— quickly followed by the shy Willet. The loss timid Yellow- shanks begins to feci insecure— it moves about with hunied steps— stoops to take one more morsel from the various delica- cies-that are profusely scattered round it— casts a glance at the approaching gunner, feeling that it has lingered too long for its safety, raises its wings, utters a suppressed and tremulous note, and leaves to finish its repast in some distant place of greater security. The host of small Sandpipers that are busily engaged in gleaning their fare, become apprehensive, neglect their occu- pation, take wing, and wheel off*, leaving the Red-breasted Snipe alone with the gunner. The friendly « Tern,' from its elevated and secure retreat, observes what is passing below, flies around in circles, uttering loud screams, urging the loiter- ers to depart, which kindly waniing is unheeded, until the sportsman has arrived too near for the game to escape. As he levels his gun, the temfied Snipe becomes aroused, springs up, and the next instant lies like a clod upon the muddy shore. " The Red-breasted Snipe is bapable of rapid and protracted flight, at times performed to a great elevation. During dry seasons, when in search of its favorite pools, it flies high, and at such times is not so readily decoyed. At Egg Harbor, where it is abundant, it is called by the gunners ' Brown-back.' " No. 10. Semipalmated Sandpiper— 3W«^a Semipalmata; Wilson. Semipalmated Sandpiper, Tringa Semipalmata, Wife. Amer. Orn. Semipalmata, Bonap. Syn. Semipalmated Sandpiper, Nutt. Mann. Semipalmata, And. Orn. Biog. Tringa Tringa ^^ Specific Character.-BiW rather stout, broad toward the pomt ; along the gap about one inch ; length of tarsi seven-eighths of an mch ; bill and legs black ; toes half webbed. Adult with t!ie bill slender, about the length of the head-dark green neariy approaching to black ; head, sides, and hind part of neck ash-gray, streaked with dusky ; upper parts blackish- as FRANK FORKSTER'S FIELD SPORTS. eZLt *.'^™.^8°^ "'* g^yiBh-white, .econdary co,- the feather, on die rump; upper tail coverts the same „i„, lit 1 ■""■ '""°'' ^'''"^i o™-- 'he eye a white h:.i' J::;;::"' """"' ■°^' "'^''- ^«-«* - '-'- -o » nZI' °"""""° T"'" '"'■>W» «1»°« overy part of the North Araencan continent. In large flock,, they congregate on the beache. and ,and-ba„, and meadowa, along fte Tac^aat, a" we^l a» on the shore, of the interior lake, and .t»an,.. When S^'if ™r >r"°"" f"""" ™°" <""'''■' ""- ->•- tor,h; \ 7 I ^^^'"^^ '^f'^ movement-collecting together .n .uch clo«, bodies, that as many as twenty, and some omea a larger number, a™ killed at a single dischaL. Wton note which by mitatrng they shortly obey. 'Hiev subsl.! c.efly on minute animal productions, 'on dLctingIt h. " found mits stomach small panicles of .ea-weed and^aand. T the fall ,. gets ver^ fat, and is considered a delicacy. I. In-eej" ^1^'^"' '- - «- -'-..-potted ": ,J" "^r ""°°* '" '" "P"".' ="'' ■■™"°» »i* us, should the season be open, until quite late in autumn, when it depam for It. winter quartets at the .South." '^ No. 11. Wilson's SANDP,PEH_i„J,>« mhmii,- Aud. finlTT"" """"^ ^^'"'^'"" ™ *° "'""• ■' « "« entirely con- fined to the sea-shore, but is likewise met with along the marls of the mtenor lakes and rivers. On the shores of Long Maud " ■. ve,^ plentiful, and during the month of September b "ua, y m excellent condition for the table. By gTnnet. gene™"ly tt IS neglected on account of its inferior sizefthough by many' .... esteemed fer superior, both in flavor and juicinL, t' many of our larger shore birds. This species has a low lisp „g n ,te i secondary cov- ish-black, as are he same ; wing -gray, the inner he eye a white ix inches and a ry part of the congregate on the seacoast, as leams. When esj when sur- mt— collecting nty, and some- large. When ing a chirping They subsist Jting it I have ind sand. In ;y- It breeds , spotted and ith us, should en it departs nii; And. sntirely con- the margins Long Island ber is usual- 8 generally, ^h by many S8, to many jping note j BAY SNIPE. 29 ■.If when alarmed, it moves off i„ a confused and irregal.r manner u..e„ng a shrill .witter. During the month of October t™! grates southward. \ " Early in spring it appears on the shores of New- Jersey and Long Island, and like the Semipalmated Sandpiper, numbers are seen durmg the summer months ; but in either locality their nests are not found, and I am not aware that they breed wthi the hmits of the Union. On the coast of Labralor, duri:; breedmg season, both species were observed by Mr. Audubon." No. 12. The TvnmTo^^.-Strepsila. Interpres*^Vulgo, Brant Bird—Horscfoot Snipe. " Specific Character.~B\\\ blarlc • f«of ^ , , hre;rr.^;trxrrarr„f ih-e itrr " '^ ooven. white, rump dusk,, Z^ .he np; ' ;"lTdd^;'' brown, mottled with black; primaries iu.V„ u I *e wings, and the throat X yXt'th "thet T""^ neck all round, fore nart „f ,1,, k 7 f " '"'"' =""* ausk,brown,;.re:Lr:;mt;^:aX"r:i:re.''"'^'' covem and tertials broadly malirined „i,if? n T, . ' "^ I. can at all times be identS by^ rll" " ''"-'T"- parts, hind part of the back, and fhruppe7tai, ' T' "^ and the feathei-s on the rump dusky 111 I TT "''""• .hroat white, sides of the hid mLit^S,Ta: 'and T' crown screaked with black on white ground on the ^ J *°,: .patch of white, a patch of black o^ thelideTonh^rer:"; 30 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS, Which color are the fore-neck and the sides of the breast ; lower parts white; tail l.lackish-brown, white at the base, of which color are the lateral feathers, with a spot of black on the inner vanes near the end-the rest margined with reddish-brown and tipped with white; upper tail coverts while; hind part of the >ack white; the feathers on the rump black; fore part of the back mottled with black and reddish-brown; primaries dark- brown, inner webs white; secondaries broadly edged with white, forming a band on the wings; outer secondary coverts reddish-brown ; inner black-outer scapulars white, with dusky Bpots ; inner scapulars reddish-brown. In winter, the colors are duller. Length nine inches, wing five and three-quarters. " In this vicinity, this species is better known to the gunners by the name of « Brant Bird;' at Egg Harbor it is called Horse-foot Snipe,' from its feeding on the spawn of the king- crab, or ' horse-foot,' as the bay-men tei-m it. " f a^ly j" tl^e n^onth of April it airives among us from the boutheriF States, where many pass the winter, and leaves for its breeding place at the North in the latter part of May. It re- turns to the shores of New-Jersey and Long Island about Sep- tember, where it remains until late in autumn. This is not a numerous species. In its habits it is rather solitary, and is seen smgly or m small parties at that season, wandering along the beach m search of insects and minute shell-fish, which it pro- cures by rolling over the small pebbles, from which it recehxs US name. In the fall, it is generally in fine condition, and es- teemed a delicacy. At Egg Harbor, the young of the species are called 'Beach Birds.' " ° f i No. 13. The Sandehling— Ca^/e^m Arenaria; llliger. Sanderluig, Tnnga arenaria, Aud. Orn. Biog. " Specific Character.-Bm straight, black, along the .rap one m BAV SNIPE. 31 breast; lower jase, of wl)ich k on the inner sh-brown and i part of the re part of tlie imaries dark- edged with indary coverts e, with dusky the colors are [uarters. I the gunners ' it is called of the king- US from the leaves for its May. It re- i about Sep- rhis is not a % and is seen ig along the rhich it pro- h it receives tion, and es- r the species ; llliger. r. Sanderliiig lidris arenaria, ia.Nutt; Man, inch and one-eighth ; length of tarsi one inch; hind toe want- nig. Adult with bill straight, about as long as the head. Spring plumage, upper parts, with the throat, fore-neck and upper part of the breast rufous, intermixed with dusky and grayish-white deeper red on the back; lower part of the breast, abdomen' and sides of the body pure white; tarsi and feot black; claws small compressed; primaries, outer webs black, inner webs hght-brown ; shafts brown at the base, tips black, rest pure white ; secondaries light-brown, broadly margined with white. Winter dress lower parts white; upper parts grayish-white. intermixed with black or dusky, darkest on the back. Length seven inches and three-quarters, wing four and seven-eighths 1 he Sanderimg is said to be an inhabitant of both Europe and Amenca According to Latham, it is known to be an in- habitant of the remote coasts of Australia, and is found on the shores of Lake Baikal in Siberia. To the coast of the United States 1 IS one of the most common species, but with us I have never observed very large numbers during spring. About 7e middle of August it amves in flocks on the shores of Long Is- land and usually by the first of September is very abundant Sometimes it is seen occupying, with other small species of 1« 7r\ f '\'"' ""'-'^^^ that occur in the\hallow part of the bay though generally it seems to prefer the more immediate borders of the ocean. I have rarely, during tl" early pan of autumn, visited the surf without meed;g withLge groups of Sanderlings collected along the beach, of°which Z have almost entire possession, as most of our shor-^ bi-ds find more productive feeding-grounds on the richer soil that is daUy overflown by our inland bay. ' "The Sanderling is of . sociable diBposition, and aearchea for food m company, and is observed probing the sand for small bmlve shell, and marine worms-to wbicf article of Z ho^ ever, ■ .s no. altogether confined, as at times it is seen attendl; the r«,nng wave, which furnishes it with shrimp, and hehke When feedmg along the extreme verge of ,he ocean t i." pleasmg to watch it. active movements, „L adv nlgjr re 32 FRANK FOKESTEr's FJBLD SPORTS. treating with the influx or reflux of the sea. It is naturally very unwary, and regards man with less suspicion than most of <,ur inngas. When fired into, those which survive rise with a low vvhisthng note, perform a few evolutions, and presently resume then- occupation with as much confidence as previously exhibit- ed. When wounded in the wing it takes tp the water and swims well. " Late in the season it gets veiy fat, and is excellent eating. The plumage of the Sandeiling. like most other species, varies with the seasons. In spring, the fore part of the neck and up- per portion of the breast, is of a pale rufous color; in autumn, the entire lower parts are pure white-exceeding in whiteness the bleached sand on which it dwells. "Early writers have classed this bird under the genus Chara- |fr^^«-Plove^-to which the only claim it has, is, that the hind toe 18 wanting. Wilson, in his excellent work, speaks of the impropnety of this arrangement-though not wishing to disturb previous classification, he has followed thesame system as that adopted by his predecessors. "In our more modem nomenclature, it appears in a new genus-OaZe^n^f Illigei-and up to the present day is the only species of that genus discovered. In Mr. Audubon's work It IS classed with the Tringas, and with the next we close our remarks on that genus." No. 14. The Spotted Sandpiper- y^«^a Macularia,-. Vulgo, Teeter. Tikup. TriiiiTa macularia, Wils. Amer Om T«t».. i • « ♦-HT»n D "^- ^'"*'^- "^"^n- ^"'a"U8maculanus, Bonap.Syn. Soot- ::'. 'r orfc'' ''""• ""'''- '^"^' '-'''''''" ""^-- ~" - jSpeoiJlc Ckaracter.-Bm along the gap about one inch ; length of tarsi seven-eighths ; upper paits brown, barred with dusky • lower parts white spotted with blackish-brown. Adult with L ^1 Trl f ''"'^' ^^'"'^^^' ?-enish-yellow at the base, dusky at the end; lower paits white, distinctly spotted with s naturally very m must of our rise with a low esently resume riously exhibit- the water and :cellent eating, species, varies I neck and up- r; in autumn, I in whiteness genus Ckara- that the hind speaks of the ing to disturb stem as that irs in a new nt day is the lubon's work we close our Macularia. — ap.Syn. Spot- taiius macula- inch ; length with dusky ; lult with the at the base, potted with BAY SNIPS. 33 ( l.'lnc\i8h brown; tail olive-brown, faintly barred with dusky and tipped with white ; upper parts brown, barred with dusky ' inner primaries tipped with white ; secondaries more broadly tipped with the same; a band of white behind the eye—a white ring round the eye; outer toes connected by a mem- brane as far as the first joint. Length eight inches, wing three and seven-eighths. Young without the spots on the lower parts. ' This small and well-marked species is the first of this family that visits us in the spring. It appears on Long Island about the middle of April, and resides with us permanently until late in autumn, continuing its sojourn aftermost of the other species of Tringa have departed for their winter quarters. " It is distributed throughout the United State8,'and occm-s at Labrador, where, according to Mr. Audubon, as with us it breeds, as well as along the coast of the Middle and Eastern States and the interior. It is a very common species, and from »t8 habit of constantly raising and lowering its tail, it is familiar to persons residing in the country by the cognomen of ' Teet er,' or ' Tiltup.' " They do not associate in large flocks, and like the former are rather solitary. They inhabit the moist grounds in the vi' cinity of streams and ponds, and often resort to the ploughed fields to glean up the worms that lie exposed in the furrows Early m the month of May, it commences preparing its nest' and retires to a neigh],oring field for that purpose. The tene' ment-which is formod of dry grass and straw-is placed on the ground in a cluster of weeds or briars ; sometimes it is found in the most exposed part of the pasture ground only partially hidden by the stinted vegetation by which it is sur- rounded. It is also found along the banks of small streams, and on the margins of ponds. The eggs, four in number, are of a pale yellowish cast, iiTegularly spotted with blackish-brown 1 he young, soon after being hatched, runs among the grass uttering a low, feeble, whispering note, which soon increases in cadence, so as to be undistinguishable from the full and clear voic^e^ofitsparents-andat that early period it is seen giving o 84 FRANK FORESTBB's FIELD SPORTS. that peculiar movement to the tail feathers for which this species is noted. The flight of the Spotted Tatler is very uneven, seldom heiiig seen flying in a straight line to any distance, and usually performs its avol. „l ,1,0 „„,o, pri™„ri,, „,,;,„ , t„,|, „^^, ,^^ ,1^^ ra.no, pa«,aUy wl„to , «,c„„dario, wl,i,„ at ,l.o ba.„, ma,™ ,„d Fomale .mallor 1 ,.u„g with ,l,o upper plumags grayish. brown,, ho fca,hor..po„„,l„i,hwhi,o, ,hr,„.,, folnort '.„d ZVrf " '"""' «"'J'*-W». "-ked Wirt, .u2, ro. ol .ho l„„or parte whi.o. Longth „f „J„„ „„,„ „,„4„' .ncl,o, and .hroo-,uar.e„, wing ,o,on and a half " Early in ,ho month of May the Black-bolliod Pl„,or arrivo, »mong ,.a ,.„n, ita wintor ,„„rto«. Afto, .ponding a few Z ZlTl " "' ''™"''"- " """" «"■ •'■0 No«h. 7n ho m pinmago that hy many it ia considoi^d a distinct apocioa bcng oalW .Ball or Bootlo-headod Plover.' Thongh Z U .. fto,„ontlyontioodwirt,i„g,.„.h„t hy imi,a,i„g .^"''p,,^;;' ™ m n„.o ,holl.«.h and marine inaocta, on which i go.a v ry fat. Itrema,n, w,th „. until the latter par, of Sop.omber whe' t move, southward, its migratory eou^e extending „, he "oufhornmost extremity of .ho Union. " E ,rly in au.„mn this spocio. is very abundant on Montauk Dunngthomomh of September, I met with it throughoTm, large bald place, abounding „i,h grubs, worms, and insects of loJ|.,ale-r. »«/OT,-quite abundant. Those I f„„„,I i„ .^er „nm„e„ i„ .ho valleys, along the margins of ^U^Z II If 36 FPANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. No. 2. American Golden Plover— FwZ^o, Frost Bird— off en confounded with the Upland or Bartramian Sandpiper. — Char a- drius Marmoratus. Golden Plover, Charadrius pluvialis, Wils. Amer. Orn. Charadrius pluvialis, Bonap. Syn. Charadrius pluvialis, Golden Plover, Sw. & Rich. American Golden Plover, Charadrius marmoratus, Aud. Orn. Biog. " Specific Character.— BiW rather slender ; along the gap one inch and an eighth ; tarsi one and nine-sixteenths. Adult with the bill black, much slighter than C. helveticus ; forehead, and a band over the eye, extending behind the eye, white ; upper parts, including the crown, brownish-black, the feathers marked with spots of golden-yellow and dull-white ; quills and coverts dark grayish-brown ; secondaries paler— the inner margined with yellowish-white ; tail feathers grayish-brown, baned with paler ; the central with dull-yellow ; shafts of the wing quills white toward the end, which, with their bases, are dark-brown ; lower parts brownish-black, though in general we find it mot- tled with brown, dull-white, and black ; lower tail coverts white, the lateral marked with black; feet bluish-gray. Late in autumn, the golden markings on the upper paits are not so distinct, and the lower parts are grayish-blue. Length ten inches and a half, wing seven and one-eighth. " This bird is closely allied to the Golden F\over—C. pluvialis — of Europe. The latter is, however, superior in size, as well as having the feathers on the sides of the body under the wings — the axillars — white, whereas those feathers in our species are gray, and in the European species which I have had an oppor- tunity of examining, the golden tints appear more numerous, and of a richer color. " The American Golden Plover arrives on Long Island in the latter part of April, and soon passes on to the northern regions, where it is said to breed. In the early part of Septem- ber, on its return from its natal abode, it frequents the Hemp- stead Plains, Shinnecock Hills, and Montauk, where it feeds on BAY SNIPE. 37 ost "Bird — oj^en piper. — Char a- iradrius pluvialis, Rich. American ig the gap one (. Adult with forehead, and white ; upper ithers marked Is and coverts ner margined 1, baned with 3 wing quills dark-brown ; 3 find it mot- coverts white, ly. Late in s are not so Length ten — C. pluvialis size, as well ler the wings ir species are ad an oppor- e numerous, ig Island in ;he northern t of Septem- i the Hemp- re it feeds on a variety of insects abounding in such places. Graashoppers seem to be its favorite fare, and when berries can be obtained, they also contribute to its support. " I have occasionally shot it along the shores and about the ponds on the low wet meadows ; but in general it prefers high, dry lands, unencumbered with woods. The Hempstead Plains are well adapted to its habits, and during some seasons it is quite abundant on this miniature prairie. It is better known to our gunners by the name of ' Frost Bird,' so called from being more plentiful during the early frosts in autumn, at which season it is generally in fine condition, and exceedingly well flavored. Commanding a high price in the New York markets, it is eagerly sought after by the gunners, and not requiring the fatigue and exposure attending the shooting of shore birds, it affords much amusement to sportsmen. " On the ground, the Golden Plover displays a great deal of activity, and when observed, often runs with considerable rapi- dity before taking wing. It is less timid than the Black-beUied Plover, and is easily decoyed by imitating its peculiar mellow note. I have often observed it, when passing in a different direction from that in which I was lying, check its course, wheel round, and present an easy mark. " Its stay with us, as before mentioned, is very short, and as the season advances it returns southward. It associates in flocks, and when migrating, moves off" in a regular manner." No. 3. Ring Plover — Charadrius SemipalmatTts. Ringed Plover, Tringa hiaticula, Wils. Amer. Orn. Charadrius Somipalma- tus, Bonap. Syn. American Ring Plover, Charadrius semipalmatus, Sw. St. Rich. Semipalmated Ringed Plover, Nutt. Man. American Ringed Plover, Charadrius semipalmatus. And. Orn. Biog. " Specijlc CAaroc^er.— Bill shorter than the head; base orange color; toward the point black ; a broad band on the forehead white ; margined below with a naiTow black band, above with :i broad band of the same color ; rest part of the head wood- I 38 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. brown; lateral toes connected by a membrane as far as the the b,7fl ' r7 '"'?^'"' ^^'^'^'' '^^^^^"^^- ^^^^' "^-J« with the b,il flesh-color at base, anterior to the nostrils black ; a line back to the eye. curving downward on the sides of the neck: a band on the fore part of the head pure white ; fore part of crown black; occiput wood-brown; chin, throat, and fore-neck passing round on the hind-neck, pure white ; directly below, on the lower poztxon of the neck, a broad band of black; up^r plumage wood-brown ; primaries blackish brown ; shafts white --blackish-brown at their tips; secondaries slightly edged with white on the inner webs ; outer webs nearest to the shafts an elongated spot of white ; wing coverts wood-brown ; secondary coverts broadly tipped with white; breast, abdomen, sides and lower tail coverts pure white; tail brown, lighter at the base • ce";if!l T'"'-'.'^'"' ^^^""y tipped with white, ex- cepting the middle pair, which are slightly tipped with the same. Female similar, with the upper part of the head and the band on^the neck brown. Length seven inches and a quarter. ;Th« species though smaller, resembles in plumage the Ring Plover of Europe. In the month of May the American nlv rr^''^ ^?^ ^'^'^^ " ^^^" P™"g ''' annual jour- ney to the North. It returns to us in the latter part of August It requents similar situations with the Semipalmated Sandpiper' wi^ which It IS often seen gleaning its fare-and like that'^bird.' admits of near approach. When alamed it utters a sharp Tm a T r ^"'"™" '' "''^'"''^' *^ '^^ S«"*' ^°d according to Mr. Audubon, spends the winter in the Floridas." as far as the dult male with I black ; a line mdible, passes )f the neck ; a fore part of and ibre-neck ctly below, on black J upper ; shafts white ly edged with the shafts an n ; secondary en, sides and at the base ; th white, ex- ed with the head and the d a quarter, ilumage the le American annual jour- t of August. Sandpiper, :e that bird, 3rs a sharj) i according 9 No. 4. BAY SNIPE. Piping Plover — Charadrius Melodius.- Bird. 39 •Vulgn, Beach King Plover, Cliaradrius hiaticula, Wils. Amer. Ora. Charadrius melodius, Ord. PipiufT Ring Plover, Nutt. Mann. Piping Plover, Charadriue melo- dius, Aud. Oru. Biog. " Specific Character. — Bill shorter than the head ; at base orange color, toward the end black ; fore-neck and cheeks pure white ; bordered above with black ; rest part of the head very pale brown. Adult male with the bill short, orange at the base, anterior to the nostrils black ; forehead white, with a band of black crossing directly above ; upper part of the head, hind- neck, back, scapulars, and wing coverts pale-brown ; rump white, the central feathers tinged with brown ; tail brown, white at base, tipped with the same ; lateral feathers pure white — the next with a spot of blackish-brown near the end ; upper tail coverts white ; primaries brown ; a large portion of the inner webs white ; a spot of the same on the outer webs of the inner quills ; secondaries white, with a large spot of brown toward thfe ends ; lower surface of the wings white ; a black band round the lower part of the neck, broadest on the sides where it terminates; entire lower plumage white. Female similar, with the band on the neck brown. Length seven inches, wing four and a half- " To the south shore of Long Island the Piping Plover is com- mon. On the north side of the bay 1 have seldom seen it. It seems to prefer the sandy beaches and shoals, where it collects email bivalve shells which lie exposed at low water. I have also observed it along the surf, feeding on the deposite of the receding wave. It breeds here, making no nest, other than a slight excavation in the sand ; the eggs, four in number, are of a pale-yellowish or cream-color, speckled with brownish-black. " When pursued, it runs rapidly ; if closely followed, it takes' wing, uttering a mellow note— though at such times its voice is more shrill than the soft tones it makes when not disturbed. In 40 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. of ■ Beach Bird • ., l.^^^y-™" '' " ^"""iar by the name acn c,rd. —Gtraud; Bird, of Lmg hUmd. .-e Rock; M^tC^" P^rair V "^ ^""-' is too rare an^ W,,. , *'^'="' ^haradnus Mmtanus, which shall accordinBlypas^Tn / "" """'''• "«' ™ the Avo.,x n ■ ^ ""^ '•""«'• no' considering *»• B,:: s'JiT^:::: i'"™"' '"■°"" -^ «■■"»- - any notice beyond X„e"«on f '.r'""" °"""'' "°""^ "' No. CURLEWS. 1. The Lono-billed Curlew, or SicKLE-B,tL-iV«;;»e. »««* Longirostris. " Specific Character.— B\\\ towarr^ fT,« ^ j j par. of ,he .hroa, and a b nd W he bm .oT ' Tf ' buff, genera, plu.age pale reddlbr„„ ' hfa^ Id "I" Streaked with f]iislrv • „„ '"vvu , nead and neck .ai. barreT^th he ;ar abd"' ""I""' "'"■ '■'"**-''™"n; bluish. Length twentv si', 7'" ''.''"" ■^'J**-brown , fee. .he .peci™en*^Lr;wr.;r d"' "■•'"* °'™"- ^•■° •'■" of eigbtLhes. ThT bttf ndivt:r;;"' '°'^"' """'"^=' ...e length is a. all .in.e, sufficien.' t e ^i^r^^^ ""* BAY SNIPK. 41 i^ery fat, and is 11' by the name md. , common and drius Vociferufi, cruel and use- ded as game ; mtanus, which WUsonitis, too ler the same med, and we * varieties of t considering ' gunners as , Himantojma 3d, worthy of Ithough they " This bird is more abundant at the south. On ' Folly Island,' about twenty miles below Charleston, I am informed that many of them breed. They are regular visitors at Egg Harbor and Long Island in the spring and summer, and have been seen in the latter place as late as the middle of November. Mr. Brash- er infoiTOS me that he has met with it on the prairie lands in Illinois in the month of May. " The Long-billed Curlew, or ' Sickle-bill,' as many tei-m it, frequents the muddy shores of beaches and marshes, where it collects minute shell-fish, which, with wonns, and various in- sects, constitute its food. When moving about in flocks, they fly much after the manner of Wild Geese, the leaders uttering a hoarse, dull note, which, by imitating, the group readily obeys, and are proverbial for answering the fowler's call when at a greater distance from his decoys than any other species of shore birds. When approaching near to the decoys, they spread their wings, and sail slowly up, presenting such a fair mark, that those singled out by the gunner seldom escape. Its flesh is rank, the young partaking of the same flavor. The sympa- thy existing in these birds is so strong, that I have known of instances of flocks being kept within gun-shot by the cries of their wounded companions, until as many as fifteen have shared a similar fate." ILL — NumC' ved; upper eye, ligl N and neck ish-broun; rown ; feet "he bill of , measures ' vary, but )ecie8. iJ No. 2. The Hudsonian Cvrvew— Short-billed Curlew^Jack Curlew. — Numenius Hudsonictis. Esquimaux Curlew, Scolopax borealis, Wils. Amer. Ora. Numenius Hudson!- cus, Bonap. Syn. Numenius Hndsonicus, Hudsonian Curlew, Sw. & Rich Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius Hudsouicus, Nutt. Man. Hudsonian Curlew" Numenius Hudsonicus, Aud. Orn. Biog. * " Specific Chareir covens blLklTirow ^• '^^'^^?"^-^^^^^^^ P"'"-- ^'^ "^arkingaontheinnerwebMhe • /^"T^ ^^^^--h-gray the rest brown ; breast an 1 iT 1 ^''' ^"'" white-of tinged with cre^ni o ;:tlt^^^^^^^ «i^es rather mora than twice tl!!l Zl .T ^^^^'^h-brown ; bill black color-at "rb ; Jf r^^^ °' ^'^ '^^'^' «^ ^ ^-wnish. ^re.ue:r;;^ zires^diiS^^^^^^^^ Tr' " "- ^^ minute shell-fish. With „«T- ' '''"« °" "'°™» """i billed species with „ L , " °°.' '° ''"'"''''"' "^ *= '»"g- June itLve ZlotellTT"''' °"°™"^- ^^'^ ^» southward, it again make, ,V. , ^"S""' i»l>ile journeying and some, mes ffrerel u "PPf T"" "" *" »"" ™«1'4 ries and insect/of Tarorktdst: i".''™ " ''-°™''» "- ...oug. in general its flelis r^^l L":* d '"-' "'^ '="- oi>e;i"treVs^;«:r:d ?^''" '^ --^ -^ --^ • ^ This bird is remartib le 1 ^'"T' "" "^'^""»' ■"»*• comp.„i„„s_a ."'. of ehtU^"''""'"^'"* "■'"" '«» bounded billed Curlew. ^^' "^ P^^'Wal in the Long- ■h^r^t'^rtlTer-^br^™^'" 'r-^^^^--'" winter qua'rte.. b, the midd ^ of" Lr "tL"' "^^ ""' f'- y..ve„toitbyo„rg„n„e.,.s.Sh„„ltd.r.ZTcu^::T:; I >ting the upper r parts in gene- ts of brownisli- 'f each feather ; :overt8 and tail primaries and yellowish-gray quill white — of 'hite, the sides ih-brown; bill )f a brownish- , flesh-colored. h of May. It )n wonns and t as the long- ss. Early in he season of e journeying lalt marshes; jrocures ber- vs very fat — id steady ; it client mark, ts Wounded I the Long. behind until ave left for ne general- c Curlew.' " BAY SNIPE. 43 No. 3. Esquimaux Curlew—" Doe Bird"—"Futes:'—Nume- nius Borealis. Numeniufl borealis, Bcnap. Syn. Numeuius boroalis, Esquimaux Curlew, Sw. & Rich. Esquimaux Curlew, Numeuius borealis, Nutt. Man. Esquimaux Curlew, Numeuius borealis, Aud. Orn. Biog. " Specific Character.— BiW along the gap about two inches and a quarter; tarsi one inch and five-jighths; upper parts dusky- brown with pale yellowish-white, marked all over with pale reddish-brown. Adult with a line of white from the bill to the eye; eyelids white; upper part of the head dusky, spotted in front with grayish-white, a medial band of the same color • tlu-oat white; neck and breast yellowish-gray, with longitudi! nal markings of dusky on the former, pointed spots of the same color on the latter; abdomen dull yellowish-white; flanks barred with brown; lower tail coverts the same as the abdo- men ; tail and upper tail coverts bari-ed with pale reddish-brown and dusky, tipped with yellowish- white ; upper parts brownish the feathers tipped with pale reddish-brown, the scapulars mar- gined and tipped with lighter; primaries dark-brown, margined internally with lighter-the first shaft white, with the tip dusky -the rest brown. Length fourteen inches and a half, wing Iaknd"tht""'""^' '''^■^''''' ^^^--h--««. and Rhode Island this species is seen every season. It frequents the open grounds m the vicinity of the sea-coast, feeding on grasshoppers msects. seeds, woi^s and ben-ies. It an-ives' am o'ng usT the latter part of August, and remains until the first of NovemW when It assembles in flocks, and moves off to its winter qu" e"' which are said to be south of the United States. I have 711^1' few straggle. ,n this vicinity as late as the twentieth of N 1 1 ber. It occasionally associates with the Golden Plover InT« autumn it is generally in fine condition, and unlike the fn^ two. Its flesh is well flavored. In the vicinity oftlyorkT" ^:^'%r^:^^^'-- ^-^« - ^^« North...^ 44 FRANK forester's FIET.D SPORTS. With this species, I conclude my notice of Shore Birds, or Bay Snipe, as they are usually and most barbarously termed ; there being but two birds out of the whole number the " Red- breasted Snipe," which is very common, and the " Semipal- mated Snipe" or " Willet," which belong to the species of Snipes, or can be so termed, even by a liberal courtesy. Be- fore proceeding, however, to enter upon the mode of taking these little waders, I shall proceed for the sake of unifonnity to the ornithological descriptions of the Swan, Geese, and Se» Ducks. ore Birds, or usly termed; er the " Red- le " Semipal- he species of curtesy. Be- ide of taking unifoiinity to ise, and Se» WILD rowL. 45 WILD FOWL. WILD SWANS. THE AMERICAN WILD SWAN. Cygnus Americanus — SJuirpless. — American Journal of Sdencea and Arts. " Male, 53.S4. "Common during winter, in the middle Atlantic districts especially on Chesapeake Bay. Not seen south of Carolina. Columbia river ; breeds in the Fur Countries. " Adult male : "Bill rather longer than the head, large, higher than broad at the base, gradually becoming more depressed. Upper mandi- ble with the dorsal line concave at the commencement, then descending and very slightly convex to beyond the nostrils, at the end decurved ; the ridge broad and flat at the base, gradu- ally narrowed, convex toward the end, the sides nearly erect, and somewhat concave at the base, gradually sloping, and toward the end convex, the margins nearly parallel until toward the end, when they widen a little ; the tip rather ab- ruptly rounded, unguis truncate, obovate. Nostril medial, elliptical, direct, near the ridge ; nasal groove elliptical. Lower mandible flattened, slightly recurved ; the angle long and rather narrow, the edges parallel, the tip truncate, the unguis some- what triangular. " Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender. Body -veiy large. Feet short, stout, placed 4fl PRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. . lutle b h,„d the ce„ re of the body ., .ibi. bare for .„ inch and a balf and reticulated. Tarsus short, moderately com p.e.sed. ret,culat„d all round with .„g„,„r si.,™, of w IhTe antenor are ,arg.r, l,h,d toe ve^ small, scutellate above, gra„! a^ beneath. Anterior toe. longer than the ,ar.u., the oute a Jutle shorter than the third, all reticulate above a. far as Tthe secoud jo,„,, scutollate in the ..st of their extent, conne" d W »e.» of „h,ch the margin is entire, the outer with a thick mar g.n, the mner w,th a broader two-lobed margin. ClawT of moderate .,.„, arched, strong, rather acute, that'of the mTdd a toe with the mner edge dilated. thrrT'^r *'""; ™"''"'" "''°™' """''='' '"'"»»">, feathers of the head and neck softer, small, ovate, rounded. Wngs am^le ZZ wh ?■ 1 ■""" T'-'^"""'' °'» "■* .ho„erTa:t lend aid t'd"^"' *""' """"'^ ""''""'' "" '«■■•> ' ""^ »«. wf / , ?' "■" °" *^ '""" "■'"'• Secondaries long broad and rounded. Tail very short, much rounded, of twenty broad rounded fea.he„, of which d,e lateral are aL incland n,ne.twelftbs shorter than the middle. The bill and bare space on the fore par, of the head black, with an orange oblong We and mstdeofmouth yellowish «esh color. Iris brown- fee, and claws black The plumage is entirely pure white Length to end of ,ail, «3 inches ; ,o end of wings, 50' • ,o end of claw, 58, ex,ent of wings, 84; bill along ,hVrM.e' t arsus 4 , from the tip to the eye, 4A , wing from flexure,"^ ,' • thM ," "•."'-" "'""• Ai -cond toe, 3,-_i.s claw , , th,rd toe, JV-„s claw. H; fourth toe, 4 A_its claw -' wetgh, 1 . Ihs. Another individual weighed »ly u it. ' " ' _ The female ,s somewhat smalle,., bu, otherwise similar. The young m its first plumage is of a uniform light bluish- gray, paler beneath, the fore and upper part, of the hfad tinld wuh :.d. The bill reddish flesh-color, dusky at the point Se spaces between the eye and .he bill, and between i„ wlal . ng es, covered with minute feathe„, which entirely dlsanpeTr ™ ^he adult. The feet are du'l yellowish flesh-color. " WILD FOWL. 47 )are for an inch loderately com 58, of which the e above, granu- 9U8, the outer a as far as to the :, connected by th a thick mar- fin. Claws of of the middle th ; feathers of Wings ample, lorter than the hird; the first, ondaries long, ed, of twenty ' an inch and and the bare range oblong lower mandi- brown ; feet '^hite, ings, 50] ; to the ridge, 4 ; flexure, 222} jl — its claw, its claw, -i\; 14 lbs. similar, light bluish- head tinged ■ point ; the ;n its basal y di8ai)pear lor. " I have never observed any Swans of this species along tho Atlantic coasts, or on the rivers that open upon it, beyond Cape Hattcras in North Carolina ; and although they are very nu- merous on the waters of Chesapeake Bay, and the streams adjacent, as well as m other parts of the middle districts, I am yet of the opinion that the great body of them spend tho winter about the Columbia River, extending their autumnal migrations westward, along the shores of the Pacific Ocean into California, and that the columns fonned by these birds when about to leave their breeding grounds in high latitudes, divide into par- ties, of which the less numerous bands make their way from certain points as yet unknown, toward our middle districts, while the rest are perhaps following the valleys of the Rocky Moun- tains. "When travelling to a distance they proceed at a great lieigh , with a steady and well sustained flight, though by no means so rapid as the Trumpeter Swan, tliis difference proba- bly arising from the greater weight and alar extent of the latter. They usually move in long lines forming the acute angle of a baseless triangle, the leader often changing his position and falling into the rear. On several occasions I have seen seven or eight leading the long single files behind them in a kind of disorderly crowded manner, which was continued until the birds were out of sight. "Not having had sufficient opportunities of studying the habits of these birds on the waters of the Chesapeake, where they are most numerous, while in the middle districts, I here pre- sent you with an account of them, kindly transmitted to me by Dr. Sharpless, of Philadelphia. " About the first of September, the Swans leave the shores of the Polar Sea. according to Franklin, and resort to the lakes and rivers in and about Hudson's Bay, (60 degs.,) where they re- main, preparing for a departure for the winter, until October, when they collect in flocks of twenty or thirty, and seizing fa vo- able weather, they mount high in the air, form a prolonged wedge, and with loud screams depart for more genial climes. 48 FKANK forester's PIKLD SPORTS. Whon making euhor thoir Homi-annual migration or shorter .x- pedmonB an occasional scream. e.,ual to ' how do you all com. m,. belund I issues from tho leader, which is almost immediately responded to by some posterior Swan, with an < all's-well ' vocif. eratu,n. When the leader of the party becomes fatigued with his ex ra duty ot cutting the air, he falls in the rear and his neigh, bor takes h.s place. When mounted, as they sometimes are Beveral thousand feet above the ear.h, with their .liminished ^nd dehcate outhne hardly perceptible against the clear blue of hea- ven tins harsh sound, softened and mo.lulated by distant, and -umg from the immense void above, assumes a supen.atural character o, tone and impression, that excites, the first tin.e heard, a strangely peculiar feeling. "In flying these birds make a strange appearance ; their lon^ necks protrude, and present, at a distance, mere lines with black pomts, and occupy more than one-half their whole len-th. their aZo th T' '"r"'" ""^^ ^^^'"'"^ ^"' mere^ppend- ages to the prolonged point in front. "When thus in motion, their wings pass through so few de- grees of the circle, that, unless seen horizontally, they appear almost quiescent, being widely different from the heavy, semi- circular sweep of the Goose. The Swan, when migrating with a moderate wind m his favor, and mounted high in the aif, cer- amly travels at the rate of one hundred mihs or more an hour I have often Umcd the flight of the Goose, and found one mile' a minute a common rapidity, and when the two birds, in a change of feeding-ground, have been flying near each other, do:>t?eZtr ^^" '"' '"^" ^"^^'^''^ ''''-' ^'' ""'-'' "The Swans, in travelling from the northern parts of America above the highest peaks of the Alleghanies, and rarely follow the water-courses like the Geese, which usually stop on the route, particularly if they have taken the sea-board. The Swans rarely pause in their migrating flight unless overtaken by stoim above the reach of which occunence they generally soar. They 1 " WILD FOWL. 49 ■avo been seen f<.Il,.wi„g tho coant in but very roy. i„„tance.. li.oyamvoatthe,rwintor homes in October and Nos ember ami .mm..cbately take posHOHHi,,,. of their re-mhu- feedi-. grounds' .y K«nerally n.ach the«e placcH in the night, and the first sig." nal '> .l..-.r arnval at their winter abode is a general burst of melo.Iy. mak.ng the shores ring for s..veral hours with their vo- c.hrat,„g congratulations, while making amends for a long fast, ad p,umn.g the. deranged feathers. From these loc litie ^l.ey rarely depart, unless driven farther south by intensely cold jea.he, untd their vernal excursion. When th 'spring afrivt lllT: Tri- "' '''''"' '' " ''^ "-•'»>' takes'plac: in March and after .hsturbing the tranquil bosom of the water for u.et neighborhood by a constant clatter of consulting tongues t^y depart or the north about daylight with a general/e.i "2' "The Chesapeake Bay i, a groat resort for Swans during tl e ™ er and whUs. there theyfo™ collection, of fron, one ,o C hundreds on the flats near the western shores, and extend C theoutletef the Susquehanna River almost to the R^Z Theconnectmg stream, also pre., „. fine feeding ground, Thev .Ways s„U.t places where they can reach their food by he length of the,r necks, as they have never, .o far as I can learT been seen in this part of the world to dive under water! thT; for food or safety. Hearne says that, a. Hudson's b:, ' by ..v.ng and other man„uvres it is impossible to take them by hand wh,k moultmg.. I have often seated myself for hou™ w hm a . o„ di.tance of several hundred Swan.fto wat h th Mbns and manners and never saw one pass emirely „„de he water though they will keep the head beneath the surface tor five mmute. at a time. sunace "The food they are most partial to i. the eanvass-back grass -I«,«m» Amcncana-.o,m,, insects, and shell-fish; n!v« I heheve, tone ,„g fi.h, however hardly pressed for upZ' Tl. Geese and Swan, frequently feed, bu, never fly, togerr The e b,rds are so exceedingly watchful, that if there are FRANK FOKESTEk's FIELD SPORTS. but three of them feeding together, one will generally he f)n guard, and when danger approaches there is some mute sign ni' alarm, for I have never heard a sound at such times. " However much noise has been made before, the instant an alai-m occurs there is perfect silence, their heads are erected, a moment's examination determines their course, when, if the case be not too urgent, they depend on swimming if escape be neces- sary. They raroly fly evsn from tlie pursuit of a boat, unless very closely followed, and when they do arise from the water, eitlier for escape or from choice, it is generally with a scream, and when alighting particularly among others, there is usually a *how dye do' sort of expression on all sidgs. Even when wing-broke they can swim with great rapidity, and if not other- wise hurt, a single oarsman in the best constructed boat, can rarely oveitake them. " Whilst feeding and dressing. Swans make much noise, and through the night their vociferations can be heard for several miles. Their notes are extremely varied, some closely resem- bling the deepest base of the common tin-horn, whilst others i-un through every modulation of false note of the French-horn or clarionet. Whether this difference of note depends on age or sex I am not positively assured. " The Swan requires five or six years to reach its perfect ma- turity of size and plumage, the yearling cygnet being about one- third the magnitude of the adult, and having feathers of a deep leaden color. The smallest Swan I have ever examined, and it was killed in my presence, weighed but eight pounds. Its plumage was very deeply tinted, and it had a bill of a very beau- tiful flesh-color, and very soft. This cygnet, I presume, was a yearling, for I killed one myself the same day, whose feathers were less dark, but whose bill was of a dirty-white ; and the bird weighed twelve pounds. This happened at a time when my attention was not turned scientifically to the subject, and I hav(i forgotten the other singularities of the specimens. By the third year the bill becomes black, and the color of the plumage Ifss intense, except on the top of the head and the back part of the WILD FOWL. 51 neck, wh,ch are the las, parts to be foraakan l,y tl,e color Swan, of the sixth year have assumed all the charac. s o .he adult, and very eld bird, have a hard protuberance ot.heL„d of the ta joint ef the wing. When le,. than six y a« old these birds are very tender and delicious eating I u ' color and flavor of the goose, the latter ;^,;;7,trL*! more concentrated and luscious Hp-.r.. "^^ver, being •when roasted, e,ual in flavr „ y^rheZtr ',T' cygnet, are very delicate.. As ..IZ^st^Z^^:^ Ley grew more tough and dry as they advance, the L"LS -"::: :::.eTHL;t;ar;::rth:':atr i r ■- ..en, while (lying with the wind, the wr,"eT ua. mT'"! declares ■ they are the most diflicul bird tlk 1 I uL T .,ue„^ly necessary to takesigl.t ten or L"™ ':Z::^:Z ..ed at^nd ^glt^a ^^e^ Ctt" 'a Z ^ ' the bill would be quite sufficient TJ,. ■ ^'^^'''''' Dickon old birds!that .h^X :ri,r=|f niess the Swan is struck in the neck or under the w n" a„d je:f:atTaX;a„:;:2.t7;--^^ a..ed duck shooter. They are often killed by riflbars thr^^ fron, the shore into the feeding column, an as a Un :"," ncochet on the water for several hundred vard. be disabled at the di«anceof half amHe ' ' '"" ""^ " These birtls are brought within shooting range by saii„„ down wm.l upon them whilst feeding and as thev !• ^ .^e wind, and cannot leave the waterCfitltCnV^X 62 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. against which they strike their enormous feet and wings most furiously, great advantage is gained in distance. They should be allowed on all occasions to turn the side, for a breast shot rarely succeeds in entering. " When two feeding coves are separated by a single point, by disturbing the Swans on either occasionally, they will pass and repass very closely to the projection of land, and usually taking as they do the straight line, each gunner, to prevent disputes, indicates the bird he will shoot at. " In winter, boats covered with pieces of ice, the sportsmen being dressed in white, are paddled or allowed to float during the night into the midst of a flock, and they have oftentimes been killed by being knocked on the head and neck by a pole. There is, however, much danger in this mode, as others may be engaged in like manner, and shooting at a short distance, the persons might not be readily distinguished from the Swans. These birds seem well aware of the range of a gun, and I have followed them in a skifF for miles, driving a body of several hundreds before me, without the possibiHty of getting quite within shootinp^ distance. " When more than one person is shooting, it is usual for each to select a particular Swan, and if there be not enough for all, two will take a particularly good bird, and, if it be killed, will decide its possession aflerward, by some play of chance. Few are willing to take the first bird, even though their position of last in the direction of flight would compel them according to usage to do so, not only from the difficulty and uselessness of killing the old ones, but because there is much less chance of a stray shot from a neighbor's gun assisting in the destruction. "In the autumn of 1829, the writer, with another person was on Abbey Island, where seven Swans were approaching the point in one line, and three others at a short distance behind them. The small group appeared exceedingly anxious to pass the larger, and as they doubled the point at about sixty yards' distance, the three formed with the second bird of the larger flock a square of less than three feet. At this moment both ■WILD FOWL. 53 guns were dischaiged, and three Swana were killed, and the iburth so much injured that he left the flock and reached the water at a short distance in the bay ; but it being nearly dark his direction was lost. These, with another that had been killed within an hour, and three which were subsequently obtained, were all of less than five years of age, and averaged a weight of eighteen pounds. " The Swans never leave the open shores of the bay for the side streams, and the Geese rarely through the day, though they often retire to the little inlets to roost or feed at night. Few of these large game are found, after their regular settlement above Spesutic Island, but lie on the flats in mingled masses of from fifty to a hundred, down the western shores, even as far as the Potomac. During a still night, a few Swans may often be seen asleep in the middle of the bay, surrounded by a group of far more watchfiil Geese; and the writer paddled at day-break one morning to within ten feet of an enormous sleeping Swan who had probably depended for alai-m on the wary Geese by which he had been surrounded, but which, as we approached, swam away By an unforeseen occuirence, when a few seconds more would have enabled us to stun him by a blow, he became alarmed, and started in a direction that prevented a probable chance of killing, from our position and the tottering nature of the skiff."— Audubon's Birds of America. THE TRUMPETER SWAN. Gijgnus Buccinator; Richardson. " Adult. 68 ; wing, 27 ; young, 52}„ 91. "Breeds fr.>m North California; northward. Fur Countries Abundant during the winter on the Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio* and m Texas. Never seen eastward of South Carolina. " Adult male : "Bill longer than the head, higher than broad at the baae, iii!tl{ 54 FRANK FORESTER S FIELD SPORTS. depressed, and a little widened toward the end, rounded at the tip. Upper mandible with dorsal line sloping, the ridge very broad at the base, with a large depression, narrowed be- tween the nostrils, co.vex toward the end, the sides nearly erect at the base, gradually becoming more horizontal and convex toward the end; the sides soft and thin, with forty -five tranverse little elevated lamellae internally ; the unguis obovate. Lower mandible narrow, flattened, with the angle very long, rather narrow, anteriorly rounded, the sides convex, the edges erect, inclinate, with about twenty-six external lamella?, and about se- venty above, the unguis obovate-triangular. Dorsal groove elliptical, sub-basal, covered by the soft membrane of the bill ; nostrils sub-medial, longitudinal, placed near the ridge, elliptical, pei-vious. " Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed ; neck extreme- ly long and slender. Body veiy large, compact, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little behind the centre of the body ; le-Ts bare an inch and a half above the joint. Tarsus short, a little compressed, covered all round with angular scales, of which the posterior are extremely small. Hind toe extremely small, with a very narrow membrane ; third toe longest, fourth very little shorter, second considerably shorter; anterior toes covered with angular scales for nearly half the length, scutellate in the rest n^ their extent, and connected by broad reticulated entire membranes. Claws rather small, strong, arched, com- pressed, rather obtuse, that of the middle toe much larger, with a dilated thin edge. " A portion of the forehead about half an inch in length^and the space intervening between the bill and eye are bare. Plu- mage dense, soft and elastic ; on the head and neck the feathers oblong, acuminate ; on the other parts in general, broadly ovate, rounded; on the back short and compact. Wings broad and long, the anterior prominence of the first phalangeal bone veiy prominent ; primaries curved, stiff, tapering to an obtuse point ; die second longest, exceeding the first by half an inch, and the third by a quarter of an inch, secondaries very broad WILD FOWL. n6 d, rounded at and rounded, some of the inner rather pointed. Tail very short, graduated, of twenty-four stiffish, moderately broad, rather point- ed feathers, of which the middle exceeds the lateral by two inches and a quarter. , " Bill and feet black, the outer lamellate edges of the lower mandible, and the inside of the mouth yellowish flesh-color. The plumage is pure white, excepting the upper part of the head, which varies from brownish-red to white, apparently without reference to age or sex, as in Ci/gnus Americanus and Anser Hy- perboreus. " Length to end of tail, 68 inches ; bill along the ridge, 4/^; from the eye to the tip, 6 ; along the edge of the lower mandible', ij'i; breadth of upper mandible near the base, 1.-%-, near the end, 1^; wing from flexure, 27; tail, 8| ; tarsus, 4^; firat toe, {|— its claw, T*^; second toe, 4rk— its claw, 1 ; third toe, 6— its claw, IpL; fourth toe, 5 J i— its claw, j§. " Young after the first month : " In winter the young has the bill black, with the middle portion of the ridge to the length of an inch and a half, li^ht flesh-color, and a large elongated patch of light dull purple on each side ; the edge of the lower mandible and the tongue dull yellowish flesh-color ; the eye is a dark brown. The feet d^ll yellowish-brown tinged with olive, the claws brownish-black, the wfebs blackish-brown. The upper part of the head and cheeks are light reddis'i-brown, each feather having toward its extremity a small, oblong, whitish spot, narrowly margined with dusky ; the throat nearly white, as well as the edge of the lower eyelid. The general color of the other parts is grayish-white, slightly tinged with yellow; the upper part of the neck marked with spots similar to those on the head. " Length to end of tail, 52^ inches; extent of wings, 91; wing from flexure, 23| ; bill along the ridge, 4' ; from the an- gle of the eye, 6 ; along the edge of the lower mandible, 4^ ; tarsus, 4! ; hind toe, H— its claw, ? ; middle toe, 6';— its claw,' t; inner toe, 4^— its claw, f^; outer toe, 6 —its claw, weight, 19 lbs. 8 oz. The bird was very poor. T > sa FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. " The Trumpeter Swans make their appearance on thelo^-er portions of the waters of the Ohio, about the end of October. They throw themselves at once into the larger ponds, or lakes, at no great distance from the river, giving a marked preference to those which are closely surrounded by dense tall cane-brakes, and there remain until the water is closed by the ice, when they are forced to proceed southward. During mild wintere I have seen Swans of this species in the ponds about Henderson, until the beginning of March, but only a few individuals, which may have staid there to recover from their wounds. When the cold became intense, most of those which visited the Ohio would re- move to the Mississippi, and proceed down that stream, as the severity of the weather increased, or return if it diminished ; for it has appeared to me that neither very intense cold, nor great heat, suit them so well as a medium temperature. I have traced the winter migrations of this species so far southward as Texas, ■ where it is abundant at times. " At New Orleans, where I made a drawing of the young bird here described, the Trumpeters are frequently exposed for sale in the markets, being procured on the ponds of the inte- rior, and on the great lakes leading to the watera of th^ Gulf of Mexico. This species is unknown to my friend, the Rev. John Bachman, who, during a residence of twenty years in South Carolina, never saw or heard of one of these, whereas in hard winters the Ct/gnus Americanus is not uncommon, although it does not often proceed farther southward than that State. The waters of the Arkansas, and its tributaries, are annually sup- plied with Trumpeter Swans; and the largest individual which I have examined, was shot on a lake near the junction of that river with the Mississippi. It measured neariy ten feet in alar extent, and weighed above thirty-eight pounds. " The flight of the Trumpeter Swan is firm, at times greatly elevated and sustained. It passes through the air by regular beats, in the same manner as Geese, the neck stretched to its full length, as are the feet, which project beyond the tail. When passing low, I have frequently thought that I heard a rustling WILD FOWL. fi7 sound from the motion of the feathers of their wings. If bound to a distant place, they form themselves in angular lines, and probably the leader of the flock is one of the oldest of the males ; but of this I am not at all sure, as I have seen at the head of the line a gray bird, which must have been a young one of that year. " This Swan feeds principally by partially immersing the body, and extending the neck under water, in the manner of fresh water Ducks, and some species of Geese, when the feet are often seen working in the air, as if to aid in preserving tlie balance. Often, however, it resorts to the land, and there picks at the herbage, not sideways as Geese do, but more in the manner of Ducks and poultry. Its food consists of roots of dif- ferent vegetables, leaves, seeds, various aquatic insects, land snails, small reptiles, and quadrupeds. The flesh of a Cygnet is pretty good eating, but that of an old bird is dry and tough. " Dr. Richardson infoi-ms us, that it ' is the most common Swan in the interior of the fur countries. It breeds as far South as latitude 61°, but principally within the Arctic Circle; it precedes the Goose a few days in its migration8:'—Audubon'a Birds of America. WILD GEESE. THE CANADA GOOSE. Anas Canadensis ; Wihon. Anser Canadensis ; Bon. Syn. Anser Canadensis; Sw. 8f Rich. F. Bor. Americ.— Vulgo, The Wild Goose. " Male, 43.65. Female, 41. "Breeds sparingly from the Mississippi to Nova Scotia, abundantly in Labrador, and farther North. In the interior on the Missouri, and across to the Columbia River, abundant. Mi- grates in winter."— Aud?tbon's Birds of America. % 58 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. ' Specific aarac^er.-Length of bill from the corner of the mouth to the end two inches and three-sixteenths ; length of tarn two inches and seven-eighths ; length from the point of the bill to the end of tail about forty inches; wing eighteen ; the head and greater portion of the neck black; cheeks and throat white. Adult with the head, greater part of the neck, prima- nes rump and tail black; back and wings brown, margined with paler-brown ; lower part of the neck and under plumage whiti8h-gray; flanks darker-gray; cheeks and throat white as are the upper and under tail coverts. The plumage of the female rather duller. ^ » " Late in autumn, especially when the wind is from the north- east, the Canada Geese are seen in our section of country sailing high in the air, making their accustomed tour at thai season. Impelled by nature, they qint their northern abode, and hazard an escape from the artifices of man, sooner than per- i8h amui the icy barrens of tl,e frozen regions. When migrating, many flocks unite and form a vast column, each band having ifs chosen leader. They generally continue flying during the mght, but occasionally alight and await the day. Before doinff so, however, their experienced pioneers survey the space below and select a place favorable for food and safety. Sentinels are then appointed from among the ganders to sound the alarm should an enemy appear. I have seen them adopt the same precaution when sanding in large flocks by day. Those sepa- rate from the mam body would move about with heads erect ready to catch the first sign of intrusion ; ' after strutting thei; hour they would return to the main body, their places being im- mediately supplied by others. I have often been disappointed by such a movement, supposing it to be a signal for flight, looked well to my gun, but after waiting a few moments in suspense, discovered it to be merely a change of guard. " The hoarse honking of the gander is so familiar to the in> a- bitants of our country, that it is impossible for them to arrive among us without making their visit known. All welcome their return ; the once keen eye of the aged gunner again sparkles 11 WILD FOWL. /59 as he beholds their grand and lofty flight. The firelock, that useful piece of furniture which ornaments all our farm-houses, is immediately brought into requisition, and the village store- keeper is industriously employed in answering the demand for ' single B.'s. The report of guns reverberates through the coun. try, but still these sagacious birds keep on their steady course ; occasionally a single feather may be seen slowly descending to the earth, as if to inform the eager gunner of their nicely cal- culated distance, or perchance after the loud report of some well-raettled piece, a single bird may be seen leaving the flock, its death-knell sounded by its more fortunate, but terrified com- panions. " But not so with the practised bay-gunner. On the return of the Geese his prospects brighten ; he looks upon them as debtors returned to cancel a long-standing obligation ; he wastes not his ammunition on space ; he has watched their flight, and dis- covered their favorite sanding place ; the long-neglected decoys are placed in his skiff", and before daylight has appeared, he is pulling his way across the rough bay with glorious anticipations of profit. On gaining the desired point, he puts out his decoys, sinks a box in the sand, and there lies concealed. As they ap- proach, his keen eye glances quickly over his trusty gun, and ere a moment elapses death is among them. " When wounded, they have the power of sinking themselves in the water, leaving their bill out. In this situation they will remain a considerable length of time. The dead body of a Goose, when lying on the water, will float two-thirds out. In stormy weather they fly low ; when it is very foggy, they fre- quently become confused, and alight on the ground. " The Canada Geese remain with us until our bays are frozen, and return with the disappearance of ice in the spring ; at this season their stay is short. Early in April they collect in large flocks, and almost simultaneously move off". Their food consists of sedge roots, marine plants, benies, and herbage of most kinds. In winter they are common on the lakes in the neigh- borhood of the lower Mississippi, where I was infoi-med by the so FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. inhabitants that a few stragglers remain with thom during summer. " This species is not the origin of the Domestic Goose, as is by some supposed, the genealogy of which is said to be traced to the Bean Goose* of Europe."— -G/rawe^'* Birds of Long Island. " This is the common Wild Goose of the United States, uni- versally known over the whole country, whose regular periodical migj-ations are the sure signals of returning spring, or approach- ing winter. The tracts of the vast migratory journeys are not confined to the seacoast, or its vicinity. In their aiirial passage to and from the North, these winged pilgrims pass over the in- terior on both sides of the mountains, as far West, at least, as the Osage River ; and I have never yet visited any quarter of the country, where the inhabitants are not familiarly acquainted with the regular passing and repassing of Wild Geese. The general opinion here is, that they are on the way to the lakes to breed ; but the inhabitants on the confines of the great lakes that separate us from Canada, are equally ignorant with our- selves of the particular breeding-places of these birds. There the journey North is but commencing, and how far it extends, it is impossible for us at present to ascertain, from our little ac- quaintance with those frozen regions. They were seen by Hearne in large flocks within the arctic circle, and were then pursuing their way still further North. Captain Phipps speaks of seeing Wild Geese feeding at the water's edge on the dreary coast of Spitsbergen, in lat. 80°, 27'. It is highly probable that they extend their migrations under the very Pole itself, amid the silent desolations of unknown countries, shut out since cre- ation to the prying eye of man by everlasting and insuperable barriers of ice. That such places abound with suitable food, we cannot for a moment doubt, while the absence of the gieat destroyer, rain, and the splendor of a perpetual dry May, ren- der such regions the most suitable for their ]iui"pose. Having * Not to the Bean Goose but to the Gray-lag, commonly known as the Wild Goose — I'oie aauvage. WILD FOWL. 61 )d Statt>8, uni- ra as the Wild fnlfilled the great law of nature, the approaching rigor of that dreary climate oblige these vast congregated flottks to steer fur the most gonial regions of the South. And no sooner do they arrive at those countries of the earth, inhabited by man, than caraago and slaughter is commenced r,n their ranks. TheEng- lish at Hudson's Bay-says Pennant— depend greatly on Geese and in favorable years kill three or four thousand, and barrel them up for use. They send out their servants, as well as In- dians, to shoot these birds on their passage. It is in vain to pursue them; they therefore foi-m a row of huts, made of boughs, at musket-shot distance from each other, and place them m a hne across the vast mai-shes of the country. Each stand of hovel, as it is called, is occupied by a single person. These attend the flight of the birds, and on their approach, mimic their cackle so well, that the Geese will answer, and wheel arid come nearer the st.-.ud. The hunter keeps motionless, and on his knees, with his gun cocked, the whole time, and never fires until 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 which he has killed, he sets upon 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 uncertam and unequal numbers, a single Indian will kill two hundred. Notwithstanding every species of Goose has a diffe- rent call, yet the Indians are admirable in the imitations of every one. The autumnal flight lasts from the middle of August, to the nuddle of October. Those which are taken in this season, when the frosts begin, are preserved in their feathers, and left to be frozen, for the fresh provisions of the winter stock. The feathei-8 constitute an article of commerce, and are sent to Eng- land. The vernal flight of these Geese lasts from the middle of April until the middle of May. Their first appearance coin- cides with the thawing of the swamps, when they are very lean. Their anival from the South is impatiently awaited,_it 18 the harbinger of the spiing, and the month named by the In- dians the Goose Moon. They appear usually at their settle- 62 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. ments about St. George's Day. O. S., and fly noithwaro - ..«.. tie in security. They profor islan.lH to the cotitinent, as farthe, tvom the haunts of man. After such prodigious havoc as thus appears to be made among these birds, a„d the running the gauntlet, if I may sr, speak, for many hundn-ds of miles through such destructive fires, no wonder they should have become more scarce „« well as shy. by the time they reach the shores of the United States. " Their first arrival on the coast of New Jersey is early in October, and their first numerous appearance is the sure prog- nostic of severe weather. Those which continue all winter, fre- quent the shallow bays and marsh islands, the principal food being the broad tender green leaves of a marine plant, which glows on stones and shells, and is usually called sea-cabbage • and also the roots of the sedge, which they are frequently ob- sei-ved in the act of tearing up. Every fmv days they make an excursion to the inlets on the beach for giave,l. They cross in- discriminately over land or water, generally taking the nearest course to their object, differing in this respect from the Brant which will often go a great way round by water, rather than cross on the land. They swim well, and if wing-broke. dive and go a long way under water, causing the sportsman a great deal of fatigue b'.fore he can kill them. Except in very calm weatlier, they rarely sleep on the water, but roost all night in the marshes. When the shallow bays are frozen, they seek the mouth of mlcts near the sea, occasionally visiting the air-holes in the ice; but these bays are seldom so completely frozen as to prevent thrm from feeding on the bars. " The flight of the Wild Geese is heavy and laborious, gene- rally m a straight line, or in two lines approximating to a point, thus !> ; m both cases, the van is led by an old gander, who every now and then pipes his well-known honh, as if to ask how they come on. and the honk of • all's well' is generally returned by some of the party. Their course is in a straight line, with the exception of the undulations of the flight. When bewil- dered in foggy weather, they appear sometimes to be in gl-eat WILD FOWL. 63 dIatieBH, flying about in an irn-gular manner, and for a consi- rIoral)Io time, ..vor the same quarter, making a great clamor. On th.-Bo (,ccaflion8, should tlioy approaci. the earth, and alight which they sometimes do, to rest and recollect themselves the only huspitality th..y meet with, is death and destruction from a whole neighborhood, already in arms for their ruin. Wounded f Jeese have, in numerous instances, been completely domesti- cated, and readily pair with the tame Gray Geese. The off- «pnng are said to be larger than either, but the characteristic mark of the Wild Goose still predominate. The gunners on the sea-shore here, have long been in the practice of taming the wounded of both sexes, and have sometimes succeeded in get- ting them to pair and produce. The female always seeks out the most solitary place for her nest, not far from the water On the approach of every spring, however, these birds discover symptoms of groat uneasiness, frequently looking up into the 'i!r, and attempting to go off. Some whose wings have been |-oscly cut, have travelled on foot in a northex. direction, and l-ave been found at the distance of several miles from home. They hail every flock that passes overhead, and the salute is from aljghtmg among them by the presence and habLions of man. The gunners take one or two of these domesticated G r.e with them, to those parts of the marshes on which the mid ones are accustomed to fly, and concealing themselves mthin gun-shot^ait for a flight, which is no sooner perceived by the decoy Geese than they begin calling aloud, until the whole flock approaches so near as to give them an opportunity of discharging two. and sometimes three, loaded muskete among them, by which great havoc is made. ' ^ "The Wild Goose, when in good order, weighs from ten to twelve, and sometimes fourteen pounds. They are sold in the Plnladelphia markets at from seventy-five cents to one dollar which produces twenty-five or thirty cents more. The Canada osi- tion whatever to leave him.' "-Wikm's American Ornithology HUTCHTNS' GOOSE. Anser ffutchinm. Hutchins^ Bernade Goose ; Sw. 8f Rich. Hutch, tns' Goose, Arner HntcJiinsii ; Aud. Orn. Biog. " Specific Character.-m\ from the corner of the mouth to the end, one inch and nine-sixteenths; length of tarsi, two "jches and seven-sixteenths; head and upper part of the neck black ; cheeks white. Adult with the bill black ; head and up- per part of the neck glossy black ; a white patch on the sides of the head and neck, similar to A, Canadensis; upper parts brownish-gray, the feathers margined with paler; lower parts pale grayish-brown, margined with yellowish-brown ; abdomen and lower tail coverts white ; tail of sixteen feathers, of a deep >rnwn color, as are the primary quills ; feet and claws black l^ength twenty-seven inches, wing sixteen. "At the eastern extremity of Long Island, this species is not VOL* lit _ 9 :-|| 66 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. uncommon. At Montauk it is known by the name of ' Mud Goose,' and id frequently observed in company with the pre- ceding species, to which, in the general color of the plumage, it bears a strong resemblance. In size it is much smaller, though larger than the 'Brant,' exceeding that species about 'three inches, and having the white patch on the sides of the head sim- ilar to the Canada Goose. " On the south shore of Long Island it is not known to the gunners, though I have no doubt that it is frequently procured there, and from the close resemblance it bears in its general markings to the Canada Goose, is considered a variety of that species. At some seasons it has been known to be quite abun- dant on the coast of Massachusetts, in the vicinity of Boston, and it has been shot on the Chesapeake. " Dr. Richardson states that it is well known at Hudson's Bay, aad that it is always found on the seacoast, feeding on marine plants, and the molusca which adhere to them, whence its flesh derives a strong fishy taBter—Giraud's Birds of Long Island. BRENT GOOSE. Brant, Anas Bemicla ; Wils. Amer. Orn. Anser Bemicla, Brent Goose; Sw. Sf Rich. Brant or Brent Goose; Nutt. Mann. "Specific Character.— E\\\ black; head and neck all round black; a patch on the sides of the neck white; upper parts brownish-gray— the feathers margined with light grayish-brown ; quills and primary coverts grayish-black ; fore part of breast', hght brownish-gray, the feathers terminally margined with grayish-white ; abdomen and lower tail coverts white ; sides gray, the feathers rather broadly tipped with white. Length two feet, wing fourteen inches and a half. Female rather smaller. " The Brent Goose, or the ' Brant,' as it is more familinriy called, makes its appearance among us about the fifteenth of WILD FOWL. 67 October Mr. Audubon found it breeding at Labrador, but was prevented from securing its eggs in consequence of he gr! depth of the moss on which it was nesting ^ " In the spring and autumn it is very numerous on our coast exceedmg .n number the Canada Geese and Dusky Ducks Tl' manner of flymg .s different from that of the Canada Gooae- muv^ng m ™ore compact bodies, less rapidly, and without seem- ing to have a chosen leader-that marked characteristic in t^e %ht of the latter. While in our bays it appears inact UseT dom takmg to wing unless disturbed by a passing boat or he near report of a gun. ^ "The Brent rises slowly, and when on the wing, mover sIut- g.» ly for a s or. distance, and if not attracted by a di a,« flock, frequently retun,s to the place it had left. Its food c" ^ of a ™a„„e plant-Z„.„. ».„«^„m„„„,, ,, J.^: . grass. At ow water it « seen industriously at work tearing up us favortte plant. After the tide ha, risel to such S a^ to compel ,t to relinquish its vocation, it is seen drifting I, the current, feeding sumptuously on ti,e finite of it, Jabor^ "'"' 1 have e.Mmined a number of these birds and in „„ .nstance havo I found fish in them " bar, for that purpose, at which place, they are killed in great numbers by the gunne.. who accrete themselves in ^1? vauons made ,„ the sand. The bar known as •Fi^ IsC Bar,' on the south side of Long Island, is a celebrated Tlace for e.l to two broiher, by the name of AUiby at «120 per annum a,n mfoimed that these men send to the New yL matte ".mally several hundred dollars' worth of birds, theTa ge pro,,ortion of which is Brent. ^ PoX tTr"- r'™ /T'"S °-r our bays, avoids a, much as posMble the pomts and 'kussicks,- which makes i, very diffl. 'ffii w 63 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. PI cult to be obtained, unless procured in the manner just men- tioned, or by shooting from ' batteries' anchored in the shallow part of the bay. These batteries are constructed in the follow- ing raanner^by making a box six feet long, two feet and a half wide, one foot deep, with the sides and ends shelving, on which sand is placed to imitate a bar, as well as to assist in sinking the ' machine,' as it is called— bo that its uppermost edges may be about even with the surface of the water. The gunner, by ly- ing in the box on his back, is perfectly concealed, and having a large number of decoys around the battery, the deception is so perfect, that the birds often approach so near, as to give him an opportunity of dibcharging with effect two double-barrelled guns into a flock. Great havoc is made in this way, particu- larly among young birds. This mode of shooting requires two perNons— one to shoot from the battery, the other to attend with a boat to collect the dead birds, and drive up flocks sitting on the bay. It is, however, objected to by many, they supposing it to be too destructive, as well as the means of driving from the bay those which escape. The Brent, especially, is a wanderer, seldom remaining longer th ■ a few days in one place, under any circumstances — which induces many to suppose that they have a right to secure them in any way that fancy dictates. " In 1838 a law was passed in this State, prohibiting the use of batteries. For a short time it was reapected— but the gun- ners who depend on water-fowl shooting for a great part of their living, considered it such an invasion of their rights, that they defied it ; at first shooting with masks, at the same time threatening to shoot the informer, should one be found. They finally laid aside their masks, and the law became a dead letter, and has since been repealed. A far greater evil is that of firing from boats, while sailing on their feeding grounds. After having been shot at in this way, I have seen them rise high in the air, and steer for the sea. I think it would be as well if the gunners generally would agree to abandon this unsportsmanlike practice. " The Brant never dives for its food ; but when wounded." it WILD FOWL. 6» i. not unu.oaI for It to attempt e.cape by divin- A, i, ..M pa„e. ,H„ „, rony yard. „„da. „L/it i. ge°„erfC:l7 ±.ve„ the adul b,rd» arc tender andjuicy, and free from a Sshv flavor, bu, at t,me,, from the „at„„, of it, food, it, flesh alrt» .be': SrT, " '"'"''"'^ '"''""' '- '-= '=•"« atHn Bram." *■ ''^"""'' """ """"" "■» -^ri" °f the 'May '■In (he plumage, there are no markings by which the sey^ can be d«ngui,hed. Many undertake to'determ^: i by 21 I,,, ,1 • P™"™ upon. I have frequent y selected them by t hs supposed, distinction, and on dissection the ml and femaie organ, have appeared without reference to sTch chTr ™:J,t' diZr tTls'latl: *t "T"'' """=• it with young bird, haTntT! T ""' fr^l-ewly tried joint fr„mon!oft'ir r^ t^^^! '""r"^.'" ™' '^ > Hying; still they would ZderoThe'^T'r'''''''''"' bay, and doubtL, have tZ .s^ ::^,:i^f '" ''' tic state they have nev^r K« i ""'"'^f'* ' o"^ m the domea- ^^ ey nave never been known to breed. can I Xrii,::^^' ""'^^''.•" " <•■'-•"'»"<"• ^he aduU >™gs-wh1h^ elti^, \r?'"? '■'■°'» *= ^"""S' ")' i" broadly tipped wLtbf'' A ' ""'' *""' °'"" ''«-"" i"onrLyr;^r:ttt:.vt:.:"irf;X^^^^^^^ •» f- tinues its visit nntH i.. • n, "-^turning m April, it con- y ■■ . tne Worth. -ftmW, &,& of Lmg Uand. both contmenta, and celebrated in former time,, 4' f { '4 1. 70 PRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. hroughout Europe for the singularity of its origin, and the transforraations it was supposed to undergo previous to its com- plete organization. Its first appearance was said to be in the form of a barnacle-shell adhering to old water-soaked logs, trees and other pieces of wood taken from the sea. Of this Goose- beanng tree, Gerard in his Herbal, published in 1597, has given a formal account, and seems to have resei-ved it for he conclusion of his work, as being th^ most wonderful of all he had to describe. The honest naturalist, however, though his belief was fixed acknowledges that his own personal informa- lon was denved from certain sheUs which adhered to a rotten tree. That he dragged it out of the sea between Dover and Rornney in England, in some of which he found living things without foi™ or shape; in others, which were nearer come fo npeness, hvi.. things ' that were very naked, in shape like a birde ; m others the birdes covered with soft downe, the shell half open and the birde ready to fall out, which, no doubt, were he foules called Barnacles.' Ridiculous and chimerical as this notion was, it had many advocates, and was at that time as generally believed and with about as much reason too, as the annual submersion of Swallows, so tenaciously insisted on by some of our philosophers, and which, hke the former absurdity will m Its turn disappear before the penetrating radiance and calm investigation of truth. "lance ana twi diff ^T '"^ ^r"'^' Goose, though generally reckoned wo different species, I conceive to be the same. Among those large flocks that amve on our coast about the beginnlg of October, mdividuals frequently occur corresponding in 11 markings with that called the Bai^acle of Europe, that s b whilh tT^^^"^ "^'r ^"'^ ^^^ ^-- ^^-'^^ and Chi: whitish. These appear evidently a variety of the Brent, proba- bly young birds What strengthens this last opinion is h'e fa. that none of them are found so marked on their retum north: ward m the spring. The Brent is expected at Egg HaTbor on the coast of New Jei.ey, about the first of OcflrTndVas been sometimes seen as early as the twentieth of September WILD FOWL. 71 ?in, and the 8 to its com- to be in the d logs, trees, this Goose- a 1597, has 31-ved it for lerful of all ', though his lal informa- to a rotten Dover and ving things rer come to lape like a e shell half loubt, were merical as tiat time as too, as the 8ted on by absurdity, diance and f reckoned nong those ginning of g in their that is in and chin Jnt, proba- is the fact, urn north- larbor, on y, and has eptember. The first flocks generally remain in the bay a few days, and then pass on to the South, On recommencing their journey, tliey collect in very large bodies, and making an extensive spiral course of some miles in diameter, rise to a great height in the air and then steer for the sea, over which they uniformly travel, often making wide circles to avoid passing over a projecting point of land. In these atrial routs, they have been met with many leagues from shore, travelling the whole night. Their line of march very much resembles that of the Canada Goose, with this exception, that frequently three or four are crowded together in the front, as if striving for precedency. Flocks continue to arrive from the North, and many remain in the bay till December, or until the weather becomes very severe, when these also move off southwardly. During their stay they feed on the bars at low water, seldom or never in the marshes ; their principal food being a remarkably long and broad' leafed marine plant of a bright-green color, which adheres to stones, and is called by the country-people sea-cabbage ; the leaves of this are sometimes eight or ten inches broad by two or three feet in length ; they also eat small shell-fish. They never dive, but wade about, feeding at low water. During the time of high water, they float in the bay in long lines, particularly in calm weather. Their voice is hoarse and howling, and when some hundreds are screaming together, reminds one of a pack of hounds in full cry. They often quarrel among themselves, and with the Ducks, driving the latter off" their feeding ground. Though it never dives in search of food, yet w' en wing-broke, the Brant will go one hundred yards underwater at a stride, and 18 considered, under such circumstances, one of the most diffi- cult birds to kill. " About the 15th or 20th of May they reappear on their way North, but seldom stop long unless driven in by tempestuous weather. The breeding place of the Brant is supposed to be very far to the North. They are common at Hudson's Bay, very numerous in winter on the coasts of Holland and Ireland, and called in Shetland Harra-Geese, from their frequenting the 72 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. sand of that name ; they also visit tlie coast of England. Buffon relates that in the sevtire winters of 1740 and 17G5, during the prevalence of a strong north wind, the Brant visited the coast of Picardy in France, in prodigious numbeiB, and committed great depredations on the com, tearing it up by the roots, trampling and devouring it, and notwithstanding the exertions of the in- habitants, who were constantly employed in destroying them, tliey continued in great force until a cliange of weather carried them oH"."— Wilson's American OmitJwlogy. THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. Anser Alhifrom ,■ Bonap. Syn. Anser Albifrons, Laughing Goose,- Sw. Sj- RicJi. WJiite-fronted Goose ; Nutt. Man. " Specific Character.— Head and neck grayish-brown ; at the base of the upper mandible, a white band. Adult with the bill carmine-red; with the unguis white ; head and neck grayish- brown ; a white band, margined behind with blackish-brown, on the anterior part of the forehead, along the bill ; general color of back, deep-gray, the feathers of its fore part broadly tipped with grayish-browK— the rest with grayish-white ; hind part of back deep-gray; wings grayish-brown ; toward the edge, ash-gray— as are the primary coverts, and outer webt of the primaries ; the rest of the primaries and secondaries, gray- ish-black, the latter with a narrow edge of grayish-white— the fbnner edged and tipped with white ; breast, abdomen, lower tail coverts, sides of rump, and upper tail coverts, white ; the breast and sides patched with brownish-black- on the latter in- tei-mixed with grayish-brown feathers ; tail rounded, feet orange, claws white ; length, twenty-seven and a half inches ; wing,' fourteen and a half inches. "On the coast of Long Island, this Goose is exceedingly rare. The cabinet of the Lyceum of Natural History, New- York, contains a specimen that was shot at Babylon. Accord- WILD FOWL. 73 .ng to Mr. Audubon, "it p««e, through .he interior of .he Southern and We..or„ State, during ™ter, a. well „, along he coa,. from Massachuaett, to Taxaa; and is .aid to pai threugh the tntenor of the fur countrie. in large flock, .o u! b«ed,ng place,, which are ,he wood, diatrict, I the „o„h of ti,e,eventy^«,ve„th parallel and al,o the i,l.„d. of the Arctic Sea. —Oirata, Birds of Img liland. THE SNOW GOOSE. eoo.c; Nuaatt. Amer Hyperhorc^, s^ a^. gj^ ^^ ■■ Specific Ciar^,,er.-Bm and fee. carmine, plumage pure wh„e, fore part of head tinged with yellow;,h.red;'prC ne, hrowm,h.gray— oward the end, blacki.h-brown LeZh thmy-one inche, and three-<,ua„e„, wing firteen Xmat mf^ .ure, about „x inche, le». y„ung with >be head Zi^Z part of the neck and wing cove,.,, grayi,h-whi.e , lowerTr, of neck, forepart of back, fore pan of breast and .ideTblack ■A-gray, hmd par. of back, and upper tail cove„. alk™ abdomen ffravish-whitft—afl^^r,^ • . *°"». asn-gray; bill flesh-cdor ^''*'-«^^^"^^"«« --g-e J with the same ; " With us the occuiTence of this bird is not frequent Occa «ona ly the young are seen exposed for sale in tSe N^w-Yort maikets, though rarely the adult. In some seasons smill par "esTeVZr" ''' '^"' ^''' ^"' "«- -^ ^'^^ ^^'^els are seen flymg ,n company with the Canada Geese Th. t! ness of their plumage renders them very conspicuous 7 ^^ opportunity ofFers. are always singled out bv Z ' " "" " ' TliP ^"giea out by the gunners, Ihe Snow Goose breeds in the barren grounds of Arrf America in great numbers. It feeds on i-,.«hi T in autumn on berrie,. When SZT^t:;^-;^ b..^a-far ,„per.or to the Canada Goce, both in jufcinr";:; - The Snow Geese make their appearance in .pring, a few - ^' > * t 74 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. days later than the Canada Goese, and pass in largo flocks both through tlie interior hud on llie seacoast.' "—Giraud'a Birds of Long Island. SEA DUCKS. CANVASS. BACK DUCK. Canvass-backcd Duck, Anas Valisneria ; Wila. Amer. Orn. Fuh- gula Valisneria; Ban. Syn. Fuligula Valisneria, Canvass-back Duck; Sw. Sf Rich. Canvass-hacked Duck; Nutt. Man. ''Specific Character.— W\ black, the length about three inches, and very high at the base ; fore part of the head and the throat dusky ; irides deep red ; breast brownish-black. Adult male with the forehead, loral space, throat and upper part of the head dusky; sides of the head, neck all round for nearly the entire length, reddish-chestnut ; lower neck, fore part of the breast and back black, rest of the back white, closely marked with undulating lines of black ; rump and upper tail coverts blackish ; wing coverts gray, speckled with blackish ; primaries and secondaries light slate color. Tail short, the feathers pointed ; lower part of the breast and abdomen white ; flanks same color, finely pencilled with dusky; lower tail-coverts blackish-brown, intermixed with white. Length twenty-two inches, wing nine and n quarter. " Female, upper parts grayish-brown ; neck, sides and abdo men the same ; upper part of the breast brown ; belly white, pencilled with blackish; rather smaller than the male, with the crown blackish-brown. " This species is not found in any part of Europe. Its richly flavored flesh is admitted by all to be superior to any other of this genus. The Canvass-back Duck returns from its breeding r ■! WILD FOWL. w place at the North, about the firnt of November, and during win- te, extends to the southern portion of the seacoaat of the United States. It 18 not unfrequently shot in the eastem part of the rrea South Bay, and I have known it to be captured in Long sland bound The majority, however, congregate on the Po tomac ar. Delaware , vers. Those procured in the vicinity of New-York, are mferior to those ohr.ined on the tributaries of the Chesapeake, owmg to the difference in the quality of it« food. The Canvass-back feeds chiefly on the Zostera vcdisneria, -c.>mmonbr termed cape or oel-grass.' and by some impro- perly cal^d wild celery which takes its growth in bracLsh water. We do not wish this plant to be confounded with the tape or eel-gxass • Zostera marina, which furnishes food for the Brent Goose. When its favorite food cannot be obtained, it feeds on vanous marine plants and small .hell-fish that abound on our coast which furnish an abundant supply of food to many pecies of mfenor note. When the valisr^eria cannot be ob tamed its flesh loses, in a great measure, that delicacy of flavor for which It IS so justly celebrated. Like most other species, it " Miller's Island, about fifteen miles from- Baltimore, is a fa- mous p^ace for shooting Canvass-backs, as well as other species of Ducks . Points' on this Island, and others in the vidnity are rented for large sums by partie. who practise Duck-shooting mannrir"T"T'"' ""*""''' ^"' '""^ unsportsmanlike manner of sailing after and harassing them on their feeding grounds, IS not resorted to:^^Giraud's Bird, of Long Lland. " This celebrated American species, as far as can be judged . om the best figures .d descriptions of foreign birds, s aUo- cliaid of England_a««,/er,«a-but differs from that bird in be- m TndZ " ^'^^^"^-«^^^*' - ^^« ?-^^er magnitude of its 1'>11. and the general whiteness of its plumage. A short com- panson of the two will elucidate this point. The Canvass-baTk I 7« PRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. moasures two foet in length by three feet in extent, and when in the best order, weighs throe pounds and over. The Podmrd, according to Latham and Bewick, measures nineteen inches in hjiigth, and thirty in extent, and weighs one pound twelve or thirteen ounces. The latter writer says, of the Pochard : * The plumage above and below is wholly covered with pietlily- freckled, slender, dusky, threads, disposed transversely in close- set, zigzag lines, on a pale ground, more or less shaded ofiwith ash, a description much more applicable to the bird figured be- side it, the Red-head, and which very probably is the species meant. In the figure of the Pochard, given by Mr. Bewick, who is generally correct, the bill agrees very well with that of our Red-head, but scarcely half the size and thickness of that of the Canvass-back, and the figure in the planches enlumineea, corresponds in that respect with Bewick's. In short, both of these writers are egregiously erroneous in their figures and di- scriptions, or the present Duck was unknown to them. Consid- ering the latter supposition the more probable of the two, I have designated this as a new species, and shall proceed to give some particulars of its history. " The Canvass-back Duck arrives in the United States from the North about the middle of October ; a few descend to the Hudson and Delaware, but the great body of these birds resort to the numerous nvers belonging to, and in the neighborhood of, Chesapeake Bay, particularly the Susquehanna, the Patapsco, Potomac and James Riveis, which appear to be the general winter rendezvous. Beyond, to the South, I can find no certain accounts of them. At the Susquehaima they are called Can- rass-backs, on the Potomac, White-backs, and on James River, Shell-drakes. They are seldom found at a great distance up any of these rivers, or even in the salt water bay, but in that particular pait of tide-water where a certain grass-like plant grows, on the roots of which they feed. This plant, which is said to be a species of vali»neria, grows on fresh water shoals of from seven to nine feet, (but never where these are occasion- ally dry,) in long, nan-ow, grass-like blades of four or or five feet WILD POWt, V !,i,7,',r r '"'" ""'"n'l"™. .„ thick thnt a l,„,u cm exp«o,l ,„„.er ,„ pay i. „cc..i„„a| vi,i,, „, ,„ „.k„ ^^ZlZ Sn T- "°'''"'"^' ""«■• Gl"""*",-, a fe„mil„ below 1 liiln(l„lphia, and In most of tlio rivn™ ,!.„. r ii • , „ Ian. div„™, an,, ,„(„, whh ^t .peed Id L,L %? ""'" .he Hv., and when : Lrn udd.:," T ""'"°' °°"" °' blintr thimrW Tu a ,"'*"''" V' Produce a noise resem- They are extreme^ shv ll' , ' ^"'^ ?"" ^''^^ «'^*- pnKli,n„„B distances, and with such 11?' ^^ "' '" '"^^ perHoverindv and w,>h « u ^ ^ ^' '^""*"'"'"& it so mand of these Dack. and ,1,. V 7 . "" ""'«""" '''^ in n,a.ket, vaHou:":^ p tErto'lT, "t™'' "** of thpm Tl,„ praciiaed to get within ffun-shot oitnom. The most successful wav la said f„l,„ 1 ■ , to the shore by means of . ^„ M decoying th™ concealed in a'prl si uttf'"l^;'" 'T" '■"' "'""^'^ play backways'anr orwXion. the""'' ?™T'^ "'""=''■ ~d, fi which^rk-^xti:;- r: '4J: 73 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. as tliey rise. This method is called, toling tJiem in. If the Ducks seem difficult to decoy, any glaring object, such as a red handkerchief, is fixed round the dog's middle, or to his tail, and this rarely fails to attract them. Sometimes by moonlight, the sportsman directs his skiff towards a flock, whose position he had previously ascertained, keeping them within the projecting shadow of some wood-bank or headland, and paddles along so silently and imperceptibly as often to approach within fifteen or twenty yards of a flock of many thousands, among which he ge- nerally makes a great, slaughter. Many other stratagems are practised, and indeed every plan that the ingenuity of the ex- perienced sportsman can suggest, to approach within gun-shot of those birds ; but of all the modes pursued, none intimidates them so much as shooting them by night, and they soon aban- don the place where they have been repeatedly shot at. During the day they are dispersed about, but towards evening collect in large flocks, to come into the mouths of creeks, where they often ride as at anchor, with head under their wing, asleep, there being always sentinels awake, ready to raise an alarm on the least appearance of danger. Even when feeding and diving in small parties, the whole never go down at one time, but some are left above on the look-out. When winter sets in early, and the river is frosty, the Canvass-backs retreat to its confluence with the bay, occasionally frequenting air-holes in the ice, which are sometimes made for the purpose immediately above their favorite grass, to entice them within gun-shot of the hut or bark which is usually fixed at a proper distance, and where the gun- ner lies concealed, ready to take advantage of their distress. A Mr. Hill, who lives near James River, at a place called Herring Creek, informs me that one severe winter he and another per- son broke a hole in the ice about twenty or forty feet immedi- ately over a shoal of grass, and took their stand on the shore in a hut of brush, each having three guns well loaded with large shot. The D^xCks, which were flying up and down the river in great extremity, soon crowded to this place, so that the whole open space was not only covered with them, but vast numbers I WILD FOWL. 79 «ood upon the .ce around it. They had three firing,, both ,t once, and p.cked up eightyeigh. Canva.s-l,ack., and m ght ha^o colloc^d more, had they been able ,o get to the extremity of he .ce after the wounded one,. In the ,evere winter of 1779-80 ehe gra,,, on ,he root, of which the.e bird, feed, wa, alm„,t' w olly deatroyed in Janre, Kiver. In the .onth of Inu": the wmd contmued to blow from w. „. w. for twenty-one da^ wh,ch cau,ed ,uch low tide, in the river, that the gra„ frol-,e ^e .ce everywhe,., and a thaw coming on ,udden1^, the wh„e wa, ra,.od by the root, and carried off by the frl het Tht next wmter a few of the,eD„ck, were ,een,butthey ,o„„ Je„° away aga,„, and for many year, after, they continued to e .0 rce, and even to the pre,er,t day, in the opinion of my inli rm! ant, have never been so plenty a, before. J?!,?""^"!:'"'''' '" "■" ""'■• J"'"? •e"«»' of it, wings, bntln calm wea the., when ,w.n,m,ng leisurely about, it gives utteranceTou I F m 1*'SiBI '?^M r Pb 1 ■ ru r 1 >|K 1 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. quick rattling or rolling sound. Its migratory flight is high and rapid. In winter, it is common on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and their tributaries. In the Chesapeake Bay, where it is abundant, it is called 'Black-headed,' in Virginia, 'Raft Duck.' "—Giraud'a Birds of Long Island. LESSER SCAUP DUCK. Fuligula Marila; Aud. Fuligula Minor; Girand. " Specijic Character. —Length of bill along the gap, two inches; of tarsi one inch and an eighth; fiom the point of the bill to the end of ihe tail-feathers seventeen inches ; wing eight inches. Adult with the feathers on the head longer, more tufted, than F. mania ; the hoa*i and neck more deeply tinged with purple ; the white markings on the wings confined to the secondaries, while in F. marila the white band spreads over the primaries. " The female is smaller than the male, and bears the same resemblance in markings to the male as the lemale of F. marila does to the male of that species. The white band on the wings as pointed out, is at all times the best specific character, " This bird is very closely allied to thr, preceding, so nearly that it has been overlooked and confounded with that species by our most eminent Omithologists. On a close investigation, we find well-defined specific characters in marking, &c., as well as inferiority in point of size. The Lesser Scaup Duck is well known to the bay gunners by the name of ' Creek Broad-bill,' from its habit of frequenting the small streams, while the Scaup Duck — F. marila — is usually obsei-ved on the open bays. It is a very abundant species, and during autumn and tbe early part of spring, is quite common along the middle Atlantic districts, 08 well as on the streams in the interior. Its choice of food, mi- grations and breeding range, are similar to the former." Oi- raud's Birds of Long Island. *»i» WILD FOWL RING-NECKED, OR TUFTED DUCK. Fuli^la Rufitorques; Bonap. Tujled Duck, Anas FuUgvla . mis mng-necked Dn.k, Anas (Fuligula) Rufitarqu^; Su,. i(Richmng.necked Duck, Fuligula. Rnfitarques; Nutt. Ring, necked Duck, Fuligula RuJiUrrques ; Aud. "Specif, Character. -ne^A tufted ; bill about two inches Ion., very hxgh at the base, the ridge at the base unusually broad, ti the l,ase margined with a rather broad band of yellowish-gre^n ; a broader band of the same color between the nostrils and the tip ; the remaining part of the bill dark slate-color ; speculum o. wmg spot bluish-gray. Adult male with the plumage of the head and upper part of the neck black, with puiple reflections ; . l.e base of tne ower mandible, a tuianguiar white spot ; the midd^^e of the neck encircled with chestnut,- the uppei pa t of tmged with yellow; flanks ash-gray, undulated with lines of white and dusky ; vent and lower part of the abdomen dark- brown undulated with faint lines of white; lower tail coverts b ackish-brown. tail brown; upper tail coverts darker; back blackish-brown ; pnmaries the same color; scapulars and lesser coveits greenish-black; outer secondaries, outer webs, light sla.e color, tipped with white; inner webs brown, inner secondaries dark-gi-een ; secondary coverts brown. Length eighteen inches vnng seven and three-quartera. ' " Female with a band of white on the forehead ; head and neck brown; larger portion of the breast and abdomen white; the sides of the body brown. About two inches shorter than the male. " This bird in general markings is not unlike xh^ Scaup Duck but ,t can at all times be readily distir^ruished by the slate' .oloied markings on the wings. By our gunners generally, it IS considered a hybnd, and familiar to them by the name of Bastard Br^ad-bill.' Along the sea-coast it is n'ot very abund- ^nt : still a few are observed almost every spring and autumn ('( 8C FRANK forester's FIELD SI'ORTS. along the south shore of Long Island, and at Egg Harlior. On the streams of the interior it is quite common during winter. I have met with it on various parts of the Ohio, and on the Mis- sissippi as far as New Orleans. It associates in small parties, and is usually observed flying but a short distance above the water. " The largest flock I ever met with, was from nine to twelve — tliose I saw at the mouth of the river Licking ; but from my ob- servations, they are not so plentiful in the vicinity of Cincinnati, as farther down the Ohio River." — Giraud's Birds of hong Is- land. THE RING-NECKED DUCK. Fuligula Rufitorques ; Bonap. Tufted Duck, Anas Fuligula , Wilson Am. Orn. " Male 18.28. Female 16. " Abundant on the Ohio, during the autumn, winter, and early spring. Rather rare along the coasts of the Middle At- lantic Districts. "Adult male: " Bill about the same length as the head, rather deeper than broad at the base, depressed and enlarged toward the end, the frontal angle acute. Upper mandible, with the dorsal line at first sloping, then concave, along the unguis decurved, the ridge broad and flat at the base, then broadly convex, the sides nearly flat and perpendicular at the base, convex and sloping toward the end, the edges soft:, with about forty-five internal lamellae ; unguis obovate, curved. Nostrils sub-basal, lateral, rather small, oval, pervious. Lower mandible flat, with the angle very long, and rather narrow, the dorsal line very short, slightly con- vex, the edges with about sixty-five lamellae, and smaller inter- mediate ones above. " Head of moderate size, neck rather long and slender, body full and depressed, wings rather small. Feet very short, strong. WILD FOWL. 87 placed rather far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed, at its lower part anteriorly with two series of scutella, the rest covered with reticulated angular scales. T«,es scutellate above, firet very small, froe, witli a broad membrane beneath, fourth long, est, third scarcely shorter; claws small, curved, compressed, obtuse, the hind one smaller, more curved, and acute ; that of the third too with an inner sharp edge. " Plumage dense, soft, blended, mther glossy. Feathers of the middle of the head, and upper pait of the hind-neck, very narrow and a little elongated ; of the rest of the head, and upper part of the neck very shoit; of the back and lower parts in ge- neral broad and rounded. Wings of moderate length, narrow, acute ; primaries curved, strong, tapering, first longest, second very little shorter; secondaries broad, rounded, short, the inner long and tapering. Tail very short, rather broad, much rounded, of sixteen rounded feathei-s. "Bill black, with a basal band, the edges of both mandibles, and a band across the upper, toward the end, pale blue. Iris yellow. Legs grayish-blue, the webs brownish-black ; the head and upper part of the neck gieenish-black, with purple re- flections. A brownish-red collar, broader before, on the mid- die of the neck ; its lower part all round, as well as the back scapulars, smaller wing coverts, and posterior part of abdomen, brownish-black ; inner secondaries the same color, outer bluish ' gray on the outer web, light-brown on the inner, as are the primaries, of which the outer webs and tips are dark-brown. Tail brownish-giay ; chin white; breast gi-ayish-white ; sides and fore part of abdomen grayish-white, minutely undulated with grayish-brown. " Length to end of tail, 18 inches ; to end of wings, 16 ; ex- tentof wings, 28; wing from flexure, 7?; tail, 2^ ; bill along the back, 6i— along the edge of the lower mandible, Ij^; taraus, In; middle toe, 2/^ — its claw, %. " Adult female : " The female has the neck umber brown, the upper part of the head darker, the back blackish-brown, the speculum bluish 88 FIIANK FOUKSTER's FIELD SPORTS. gray, as in the male, the breast brownish-white, the loral spaced and chin i)ale-brown, the abdomen umber brown. " Length ] 6 inches. " The Tufted Duck of Europe, FuUguld criitata, is very nearly allied to this species."— ylM■- -^'"-.a THE PIED DUCK. FuHgolaLahrudora-Vulgo, Shmk-Vuck-Sand-Sliccl Ihci. Thb isaverymuchrarerspeciea than the Duck la.t mentioned the dT 7""'°'' '""* of Che,apeake Bay. I. a.cen,). the Delaware R,ver as high a. Philadelphia, U met with in grater or e=s number, every year along .ha co..,. of New .etta, Mame, and Nov. Scotia, duringthe .evere« cold of winter tlTY"^: ""'• """■" *"'=™S "'O". ™le« forced ty stress of weather to do so. Breed, in Labrador. Mr Gi. ^i .n h,s " Birds of Long Island," states, .ha. a few arrwifed on .ha, coas. yearly, adding, ..„i.h u, i, i, r.,her rare, ch "fly .nhab..mg ,he western side of the con.i„en.." In rt s how ever he differ from Mr. Audubon, who .peak, of i. a. . pu^ northern and eastern fowl, "never seen in the interior," Cta Lo^g Island ,. „ called ".he Skunk Duck," from some fancied simdarity m ,M colors. Mr. Wilson .hu. describe, i. : " This is radier a scarce specie, on our coaste, and is never me. w.,h on fi-esh water lake, or rive„. 1. is cLlled byZ, gunners the Sand-Shoal Duck, from i« habi. of freono„.ir sand-bars Its pnncipal food appea™ ,„ be shell-flsh, Ihich U biTofTh ' T 'e ■^'; ^^ " '"■ ^ p""'- »-'"o™- bly of a,e natere of „s food. I. i. only ,ee„ hem during win- ter, most commonly early in the month of March, a few are observed .n our market. Of their principri manne™, place," mode of breedmg, nothing more is known. La,ham „b,er;es frl7r 1 r"'""" "' ^' ''^'' '""■'"■ "O" '-rough from Labrador^ Havng myself had frequent opportunities of exammtng both sexes of these birds, I find that, like mo., others, they are subject, when young, u> a progre..ive change WILD FOWL. 93 of color. The full -plumed male is as follows : length twenty inches ; extent twenty-nine inches ; the base of the bill and edges of both mandibles for two-thirds of their length, are of a pale orange-color; the rest black; towards the extremity, it widens a little in the manner of the Shovellers, the sides there having the singularity of being only a soft, loose, pendulous skin; irides dark-hazel; head and half of the neck white, marked along the crown to the hind head with a stripe of black ;' the plumage of the cheeks is of a peculiar bristly nature at the' points, and round the neck passes a collar of black, which spreads over the back, rump, and tail coverts ; below this collar the upper part of the breast is white, extending itself over tbe whole scapulars, wing coverts, and secondaries ; the primaries, lower part of the breast, whole belly, and vent, are black; tail pointed, and of a blackish hoary color; the fore part of legs and ridges of the toes, pale whitish-ash ; hind part the ;-ame, bespattered with blackish ; webs black ; the edges of boiti man-' dibles are largely pectinated. In young birds, the whole of the white plumage is generally strongly tinged with a yellowish cream color; in old mates, these parts pt-e pure white, with the exception sometimes of the bristly, pointed plumage of the cheeks, which retains its cream tint the longest, and with the skinny part of the bill, form two strong peculiarities of this species. " The female measures nineteen inches in length, and twenty, seven in extent ; bill exactly as in the male ; sides of the front white ; head, chin, and neck, ashy-gray ; upper parts of the back and wings, brownish-slate ; secondaries only white ; ter- tials hoary; the white secondaries form a spot on the wing, bounded by the black primaries, and four hoary teitials ed "The windpipe of the male measures ten inches in length, and has four enlargements, viz., one immediately below the 94 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. mouth, and another at the interval of an inch ; it then bends largely down to the ■breast-bone, to which it adheres by two strong muscles, and has at that place a third expansion. It then becomes flattened, and before it separates into the lungs, has a fourth enlargement, much greater than any of the former, which is bony and round, puffing out from the left side. The' intestines measured six feet; the stomach contained small clams and some glutinous matter; the liver waa remarkably large." THE VELVET DUCK. Fvligida Fiuca.— Vulgo, White. Winged Coot. This species is very abundant along the coasts of the Atlantic, from Georgia westward to Nova Scotia. It is a very indiiTer- ent bird, tough and fishy ; but it is so hard a bird to kill that its slaughter is considered a test of skill among fowl-shooters, and it IS on that account somewhat eagerly pursued. " This* and the preceding are frequently confounded together as one and the same species, by our gunners on the sea-coast. The former, however, diffei-s in being of greater size ; in having a broad band of white across the wing; a spot of the same under the eye ; and in the structure of its bill. The habits of both are very much alike; they visit us only during the winter- feed entirely on shell-fish, which they procure by diving ; and return to the northern regions early in spring to breed. They often associate with the Scoters, and are taken frequently in the same nets with them. Owing to the rank, fishy flavor of its flesh, it is seldom sought after by our sportsmen or gunners, and is very little esteemed. " The Velvet Duck measures twenty-three inches in length, and two feet nine inches in extent, and weighs about three pounds; the bill is broad, a little elevated at the base, where it • In Wilson's American Ornithology the American Scoter—Fuligula Amc ricana— immediately precedes his notice of the Velvet Duck. WILD FOWL, 90 is black, the rest red, except the lower mandible, which is of a pale yellowish-white ; both are edged with black, and deeply toothed ; irides, pale cream ; under the eye is a small spot of white; general color of the plumage brownish-black, the sec- ondaries excepted, which are white, forming a broad band across the wing ; there are a few reflections of purple on the upper plumage ; the legs are red on the outside, and deep yel- low, sprinkled with blackish, on the inner sides ; tail short and poinfed. " The female is very little less than the male ; but differs considerably in its markings. The bill is dusky ; forehead and cheeks white; under the eye dull brownish; behind that, a large oval spot of white ; whole upper parts and neck dark brownish-drab; tips of the plumage lighter; secondaries white; wing quills deep-brown ; belly brownish-white ; tail hoary- brown ; the throat is white, marked with dusky specks ; legs and feet yellow. " Latham informs us, that this species is sometimes seen on the coast of England, but is not common there ; that it inhabits Den- mark and Russia, and in some qarts of Siberia is very common. It is also found at Kamtschatka, where it is said to breed, going far inland to lay ; the eggs are eight or ten, and white ; the males depart, and leave the females to remain with the youno- until they are able to fly. In the River Ochotska they are so numerous that a party of natives, consisting of fifty or more, go off in boats, and drive these Ducks up the river before them, and, when the tide ebbs, fall on them at once, and knock them on the head with clubs, killing such numbers that each man has twenty or thirty for his share." The mode of shooting this bird as practised on the south side of Long Island, is thus described by Mr. Giraud ; his remark about the error in overloading is perfectly true, and I have alluded to the same vicious habit of using unduly large shot, in my remarks on upland shooting. '* When migrating, it flies high, performing its long journey from its breeding place ut the North in silence. It arrives 06 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. among ua about the middle of October, and remains until about the middle of April, It is a heavy-bodied bird, and well sup- plied with down. When in full plumage, a heavily laden gun is required to stay its onward course. When numerous, on the south shore of Long Island, the gunners watch a favorable opportunity, when the surf is down, and with fifteen or twenty boats, form a line about two or three gun-shots apart. In this way it is difficult for a flock to avoid one or the other of the boats. Those used for this purpose are light skiffs, containing generally but one person, as the object is to have the boats light, ni order that they may ride the waves with safety. " This manner of shooting should be practised only by expe- rienced baymen, for if the wind comes in suddenly from the south, as sometimes happens, it causes the surf to rise. On such occasions, even the most skilful are occasionally drowned. " In water fowl shooting, a very general error is practised in using too heavy lead. I have noticed it particularly with this species, having often seen the bird strike the water, color- ing it for a space with blood, yet still dive and swim off vigor- ously. This may be accounted for by the large shot lacerating the flesh in such a manner, that when it escapes the vitals, the bird is relieved by bleeding. Lighter lead makes a smaller wound, which instantly closes, thus depriving it of such relief. When using smaller shot, you have also a better chance for hitting your mark, as a larger number of pellets is contained in the same weight." THE SURF DUCK, OR BLACK DUCK. Fuligula Perspiculata.— Vulgo, Spectacle Duck—Coot. Abundant from Nova Scotia to Maryland in winter, moving southward even to the mouths of the Mississippi in severe weatl)^ er. Breeds from Labrador, northward. The flesh, like that of Uie last species, is coarse and fishy. Like the last and following WILD FOWL, 97 species ; it is known on the Long Island shore as a Coot, and is shot solely for sport. He is briefly described in Wilson's Orni- thology, as follows : " This Duck is peculiar to America • and altogether confined to the bays and shores of the sea, particulariy where the waves roll over the sandy beach. Their food consists principally of those small bivalve shell-fish already described, spout-fish, and others that lie in the sand near its surface. For these they divp almost constantly, both in the sandy bays and amidst the tumbling surf. They seldom or never visit the salt marshes They continue on our shores during the winter, and leave us eariy m May, for their breeding places in the North. Their skins are remarkably strong, and their flesh coarse, tastin. of fish. They are shy birds, not easily approached, and are com- mon m winter along the whole coa^t. from the River St Law- rence to Florida. "The length of this species is twenty inches ; extent thiitv- two mches; the bill is yellowish-red. elevated at the base, and marked on the side of the upper mandible with a large square patch of black preceded by another space of a peari color; the part of the bill thus marked swells, or projects, considei'ably from the common surface ; the nostrils are large and pervious bles are furnished with a nail at the extremity; irides white or very pale cream; whole plumage, a shining black, marked on the crown and hind head with two triangular spaces of pure white ; the plumage on both these spots is shorter and thinner eTfeet bT'l "^ "^. '''' ''''''^■'''^' ^^"^'•-^ «f *he web- bed feet black; the pnmaiy quills are of a deep dusky-brown On dissechon. the gullet was found to be gradually enlar..ed' to the gizzard, which was altogether filled with broken shell- taii! 7je IT T'T "' '^' ^'"^ ''""^ '''"«'* »" '"^^ chores of Great Bri- tain, have occurred ; and, as an occasional visitant it win K- « a • ? 7 t^ ('!' ^^^fHHIHlHi 1 tm f'^fp^^^^^^^B^^^^H t ^ -<'tt:^^^^^^l^^^^^| 9S FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. fish. There was a singular hard expansion at the coromonce- ment of the windpipe, and another much larger, about three- quarters of an inch above, whore it separates into the two lobes of the lungs ; this last was larger than a Spanish hazel nut, flat on one side, and convex on the other. The protuberance on each side of the bill communicated with the nostril, and was hollow. All these wore probably intended to contain supplies of air for the bird's support while under water ; the lost may also protect the head from the sharp edges of the shells." THE AMERICAN SCOTER. Fuligtda Americana. — Vulgo, Coot. This bird is abundant along the Atlantic coasts during the winter, from the gulf of the St. Lawrence to the mouths of the Mississippi. It is never seen inland. Breeds in Labrador. Like the two last named varieties, its flesh is worthless. Mr. Giraud thus describes it, briefly, among the birds of Long Is- land, where it is known, like the Velvet and Surf Ducks, as a Coot, to which bird, be it observed, it has no affinity, and bears no resemblance. " Specific Character. — Bill reddish-orange, paler at the sides and tip ; a patch of black at the sides of the base of the upper mandible, where it is very broad and high ; nostrils large, per- fectly free and arched ; the upper part of the upper mandible as far as the nostrils, same color and very broad. Length nine- teen inches, wing nine. Female smaller, and with the protu- berance at the base much less ; upper parts brownish-black ; lower parts lighter. " This is also one of the ' Coots.' It passes its time at sea, and subsists by fishing, frequently associating with the Velvet and Surf Ducks. Like all other divers, it is often caught by becoming entangled in the fishermen's nets. In the Eastern States, it is known by the name of ' Butter Bill.' " WILD FOWL, «» THE EIDER DUCK. Fuligula MolMma.- Vutgo. Sguav, D^k. CO ™r:''t"z:xr tz '- ": -'r-'"» ■'°-' " however, any where „!„„„ T , ''™"- I' « » 'are visitant, State., ia addom LeeTal ^"\""" r^" "f ■I-" United hardly ever of New-Wy """"'"'"' "' '"'"-^-^- -" , n._fle^h ia intolerably oi,y and fiahy; and but for ita down i. Jzi tt" H^of ;t '^r "'r°^ "■'■■'' -- ^ ^ - occasionally brellin! T P<"=''''»"'y. '"d the fact of it. of the ^il^T;J^ "°r -^"-^ «•«-. *ch no other "0 give i. . pLee iftb^f r """ *° "-• """"' '"""'=- ^ GOLDEN-EYE DUCK. Fuligula Glangula. "Male. 20.311. Female. 16.23. th^itwTstln'T^T ^" ^'^ -nin, streams of ^he Gulf o fMexTc^ ^Zl ^'^ .^^"'^ *=^^"' "^ '^^ -"* ^ bia Rivl: ^ "«'^^-«^-- districts, Rocky Mountains, Colum- " Adult male in winter: P«»n, changin' t „!'t """P" '"''' "^ "'° "^"'^ ''■=<'P- -.na,prir:;: ,"anT/' ""'«: "' ™^' '""»• p™-y "■• back being da A r ' , l" " f' ""^ '^™"''™<". "ack , ° ^' ""'' g'"'"?. the wing feathers tipped with ' il !li IM FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. brown. An elliptical pntch botwfton the base of the bill and the cyo ; lower part of the neck ull round, 8i(h!8 of the body anteriorly, the lower parts generally, the scapulars, excepting their margins, which are black, a large patch on the wing, including many of the smaller coverts, some of the secondary coverts, and six or seven of the secondary quills, are white. The basal parts of the secondary coverts black. Axillar feathers and lower wing-coverts dusky ; the elongated feathers of the Bides have the inner, some of them also their outer margins, black ; that color, in those of the innennost, covering the whole web. The feathers on the legs, and along the sides of the rump, dusky. The tail brownish-gray. " Length to the end of tail, 20 inches ; to end of wings, 17j j to end of claws, 20| ; extent of wing, 31 k ; bill along the ridge, 1? — from the angles, 2 ; wing from flexure, 9 ; tail, 4i ; tarsus, 2j\. Weight, 2 lbs. 4i oz. " Adult female ; " The female is much smaller. Bill dusky ; a portion at the end, not however including the unguis, dull yellowish-oiange Eyes and feet as in the male. Head and upper part of the neck, dull reddish-brown ; lower part of neck and sides of the body, brownish-gray, the feathers margined with pale gi'ay. Wings brownish-black, seven of their coverts, excepting at the bases, white ; the smaller coverts lighter and tipped with gi-ayish white ; the legs and sides of the rump grayish brown. " Length to the end of tail, 16 inches ; to end of wings, 15 ; to end of claws, 17{ ; extent of wings, 28. Weight, Ij lbs."— Audubon's Birds of America. " This Duck is well knovra in Europe, and in various regions of the United States, both along the seacoast and about the lakes and rivers of the interior. It associates in small parties, and may easily be known by the rigorous whistling of its wings 88 it passes through the air. It swims and dives well, but sel- dom walks on shore, and then in a waddling, awkward man- ner. Feeding chiefly on shell-fish, small fry, &c., their flesh is WILD FOWL. 101 « CBteemed than that of the preceding. In the United State, U.ey are only winter viHitore. leaving us again in the „,onth of Apnl. be.ng then on their passage to the North to breed. They are sa.d to b.nld. like the Wood-Duck, in hollow trees. ' The Golden- Kyo is found on both continents, and in the northern parts of Europe during winter, and is one of the most <..mmon nngratory Ducks. The Garrots are distinguished by a short, stout and compact body ; the nock short ; the h.-ad larL an apparent y .ore so iron, its thick plumage; the bill shcnt! but„ek. and raised at the base; the feet placed far behind and formed for swimming. The flight is short and rapid. I„ hal.it, hey dehght more in lakes and rivers than the sea; are generally found in small flocks; are very clamorous durin; the breeding season, and feed on fish, aquatic insects, molusc.f &c. Richardson says. Clangula vulgaris and albeola frequen the rivers and fresh water lakes throughout the Fur Cou^urics i^ great numbers. They are by no means shy, allowing the snorts- trflrnr"'^'^""^"^^^^ ^^ '^^^ - aexterou ly l^ the flash of the gun. or the twanging of a bow. and are conse with some supernatural power. Hence their appellation of 'conjuring' or 'spirit Ducks.' " In Britain, they are winter visitants, assembling in small partiesonthelakesandrive.. On the latter, they ma'y ie ^ene a ly ound near the head or foot of the stream, divLg incessa Jy for the spawn of salmon, with which I have often found their tomachs filled The party generally consists of from four'o en, and they dive together. At this time it is not very difficu^^ to approach them, by running forward, while they are under water and squatting when they rise. I have often, in this way he flock. When taken by sui^^rise, they dive on the instanf of the first shot., but rise and fly immediately after. cies, and .s somewhat like the adult females, but always disdn- guished by larger size, darker color of the plumage of'thehe d, I' "1 n. r«f ■4M 102 FRANK FOKESTEr's FIELD SPORTS. and the greater proportion of white on the wings. The males have the white spot on the cheek perceptible about the first spring, and the other parts of the plumage propoitionally dis- tinct. Among most of the flocks which visit our rivors in win- ter, it is rare to find more than one full-plumaged male in each ; sometimes not more than two or three are se^n during the win- ter among fifty or sixty immature birds."— Wikon't American Ornithology/. Mr. W-lson proceeds to observe, that he is convinced that tlu; Leaser MoriWon— Anas glaucion^of Europe, is no other than the yuung of the Golden-Eye, This point has, however, been long since investigated, and thoroughly disproved. This is famous both ir this country and in England, as being the nio.t cunning, shy and wary of the Duck species; anil although Mr. Aud>ibou speaks of it as easily decoyed, and tempted even by very rude imitations of itself, to pass and re- pass t?ie stools, afllbrding several fair shots in succession to tlie gunner, T have never heard of any instance of the kind, and Mr. Giraud bears testimony to exactly the reverse, stating that, when himself well concealed, he has often known it to pass his decoys without offering to approach, or deigning them the slightest no- tice. The same gentleman oVserves, that on Long Island it is not a very numerous tribe. I hive never myself sl-ot the bird at all in the United States, although I saw it last autumn \ery late in the season, in large flocks on Lake Champlain. I am assured, however, that on the western and southern streams, which do not freeze at all, or not *ill very late in the winter, it is very common and abundant. When it feeds on fresh waters, Mr. Wilson to the contrary notwithstanding, no Duck, with but two or three exceptions, is preferable to thfl Golden-Eye. WILD FOWL. JQ3 THE BUFPEL-HEADED DUCK. Fuligula Albeola.^Vulgo, Dij>per, or Butter-Ball. l,noi • f **^® disproportionate size of if^ ™g= of .he head andh.lf If L L\lS In V'^, •""■ projecting greatly over .he lower p« If t „'e r^ 7'™^' on the forehead and nane i. ri.l, i ' *^ P'^m^ge , .hining p„T„e on the Tol d teTofr ''77 '"'" * eye, ha,Wd pa.e, a broad hand tp" r^";:;::': i^^:" J^ oyo dark; back, wing., and par. of .he "hi bit poin.L,td;/at;rr::i„r "■ ""'''•■ '-"y--'-"- '^' aeii".: :x:r;;ragjr.;fh:r ;"^ r -"-^^ upper part8 of tl>e boL Tf ' ^'^ ^^^^' "^«'^' ^"'l of white ; 1,111 dusky , lower „a« of T , ' "« 'P»" *e, belly dull wh^;e;jCe:l::t:':7^^^ the secondaries and their i„c,.mb„„, "'"-r e-lges of six of tip. of the latter,whicrrbrack r J "'''^'^P' "«' .ail hoary brown • len^A „f .h ' w ' ^ ^' T '^'* " ''"'^ W"" ' ..^ach-iiied ..; s:^^ sijirr i r ^rj: tr:; ///.ton. «/ (7ar«^,-««, p,. 98.) ^^'^'^y' (^«^"^«^ " This 8pecie8 is said to come into Hudson's Bay about S« vern R,ver, in June, and make their nests -n fr.pT- .f In ti.e .. Birds of Long Island," i. is n.e„.ioned thus-f.„her I I -fi ' J" i'hd t' i 104 PRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. than which I have only to say, that it is a beautiful and very delicate little bird : " This beautifully variegated little Duck receives its name from the disproportionate size of its head to the body. From its constant diving, it is called by our gunners ' Dipper.' I will here remark, that the true American Dipper — Cinclus Ameri- canus — has only been found at the Columbia River. The marked difference in the plumage of the male and female Buffel-headed or ' Spirit Duck,' as it is sometimes called, induces many to sup- pose that they are distinct species. I have met with it in various parts of the United States ; and indeed, during the spring and autumn, it is dispersed throughout the Union, visiting the inte- rior as well as the seacoast ; it dives so dexterously, that when sitting on the water, it is very difficult to kill it, even with per- cussion caps. It is an excellent swimmer, and flies swiftly ; its food consists of small fish ; it is generally in fine condition, but not considered a superior bird for the table. In New-Jersey, it is called ' Butter Box,' or ' Butter Ball.' Its note is a single quack. It is generally met with in pairs, until the appearance of spring, when it is seen in small flocks ; it an*ives with us in October, remaining until the latter part of April, when it leaves for its summer residence at the North, where it breeds." THE HARLEQUIN DUCK. FuUgida Histrionica. — Vulgo, the Lord and Lady Duck. A very beautiful, but extremely rare species. According to Mr. Audubon, it is very rarely found southward of Boston Bay. Mr. Giraud stai^^^s that the young only are now found in the inlets of Long Island, although some years since it is said to have abounded there. It breeds along the eastern ccasts ui' the United States, up to Labrador. An instance is mentioned by Dr. Richardson, of one killed on the eastern declivity of the Rocky Mountains ; it is probable, therefore, that to the north- ward it extends its migrations very far inland. Wild fowl. 105 The Harlequin Duck is a native of both continents. It is an excellent dxver, ha. a whistling note, flies swiftly, and to a great ele.ation It is much admired in the cabinet, and its flesh ,8 said to be excellent on the table." " Adult male in summer : "Bill yellowish-olive, the tips of the unguis Ughter; iris red- d.h-brown , feet light blue, the webs gra^sh-bfack. he claws bt^ bl \ "' '"•' '^°" ''" '-« '' ^^' ^^" 'o ;he occipl blmsh-black. margmed behind with light yellowish-red, before wuh whue, that color forming a broad triangular spo on the round' Ti:: ''' '^'^ "'^^ °' ^^« ^^^' -' -ck all round. puiT^hsh-blue; a spot of white behind the ear^ ; a curved hneoneachs.de of the neck; a complete ring of wWte bej the middle of the neck, with a curved band of the same colo" antenorto thewing; all these white markings broadly edged with deep black; the fore part of the back light purplish-blue, the hind part deepening in tint, so as to become almost black of which color the rump is all round ; scapulars chiefly white ' wmg coverts puT>lish-blue. as are the alula and primary coveits ; the quills dark grayish-brown ; the tail grayish-blac^^ asmall white spot near the flexure of the wing; aband of white across the wmg. formed by the tips of the secondaries, of which the mner have their outer webs principally of the same color ; fore part of the breast purphsh-blue, hind part and abdomen grayish-brown ; sides light red ; a latent spot of white near the root of the tail. " Length to end of tail, 17| inches , to end of winm, U; • to ™d of claw, 161 „f „i„^ ,^^ . ^^^^ l^J . tails-. Weight 1^ lbs. ^ J7^^ T!^ ^7 "'•' '"^'" ^'' ^"" P^"'"^^^ ""til after the third moult."— Audubon's Birds of America. ifM| T' ' ^'-BEI^HbI i ^ .'- ^ jsj^^piji^S iB 106 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. THE LONG-TAILED DUCK. Fuligula Gladalis.— Vulgo, South- Southerly— Old Wife Old Squaw, Abundant during the winter alonjr the coasts of the Atlantic districts, to the mouths of the Mississippi. Never in the interior, " Specific CfMracter.—Len^\\ of bill from the termination oi the trontlet feathers to the point, one inch and one-sixtcenth, the upper mandible rounded ; the sides very thin ; the bill ra- ther deeply serrated, and furnished with a long nail ; tail-fea- thers acute. In the male the middle pair of tail-feathers arc extended about four inches beyond the next longest, which cha- racter is wanting with the female. Adult male with the bill black at the base ; anterior to tl,e nostril reddish-orange, with a dusky line margining the nail ; fore part of the head white, the same color passing over the head down the hind-neck on the back ; eyes dark-red ; clieeks and loral space dusky-white, with a few touches of yellowish-brown ; a black patch on the siden of the neck, terminating in reddish-brown ; fore-neck white ; breast brownish-black, terminating in an oval form on the abdo- men—the latter white ; flanks bluish-white ; primaries dark- brown ; secondaries lighter brown, their coverts black ; a semi- circular band of black on the fore part of the back ; the outer two tail feathers white — the rest marked with brown, excepting the four acuminated feathers, which are blackish-brown, the middle pair extending several inches beyond the others. Female without the long scapulars, or elongated tail feathers; bill dusky-green ; head dark grayish-brown ; a patch of grayish- white on the sides of the neck ; crown blackish ; upper parts dark grayish-brown ; lower parts white. Length of male, from the point of the bill to the end of the elongated tail feathers, twenty-three inches, wing eight inches and five-eighths. Female about six inches less in length. " This hardy bird at the South is known by the name of • South-Southerly ;' in this vicinity it is called by our gunners WILD FOWL. 107 he last hat leaves its natal regions. Provided with a coverin. sufficent to protect it from the most piercing blast of winte S upply of food When in large flocks, they leave the inhospi- ^be regions of the North for a milder climate ; they soon sepL me m small parties, and in the course of the winter are to be met w«h throughout the Atlantic districts. It is veiy timid and keeps such vigilant watch, that it is difficult to approach' It .s very expert m diving, passing so rapidly under water, that' when ammg u .almost impossible to shoot k The most sue cessful manner is by sailing after it. 0„ the wing, it s the .w.ftest of us tnbe, and the most difficult to shoot. I'ts body i thickly coated .uh down-its flesh is tough and fishy; and is occasionally seen on the small streams in the interior. Com! mon along the Atlantic districts. "-G^Va«i', Birds of L. I. THE KING DUCK. Fvligula Spectabilis. This beautiful species is an inhabitant of the higher regions of both contments. It is now rarely seen so low a. Boston Bay where it ,s said by the gunnei^ to have been plentiful withfn' hirty years. In fact it is now very rare within the limits of the United States, though Mr. Giraud was so fortunate as to obtain a specimen in full plumage killed on Long Island Sound. It is coselyalhed to the Eider Duck, produces down as valuabl and frequents the same latitudes with that bird. I never saw but one specimen of this beautiful bird, which waa brought by my friend, Mr. Heniy Palmer, of Nova Scotia, to the office of the Spirit of the Times during last summer, ile had shot It off- the northei-n end of Newfoundland, and was not acquainted with its name. It is so rare that it cannot be termed gam. A is, I presume, uneatable. It will be easily recognized by its paldLyellow bill. 'm 108 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. with a gibbous process at the base, of a deep orange hue. Tts crown is of a violet-gray hue ; its cheeks of the most delicate sea-green ; the neck white ; breast yellowish-buff, and lower parts almost black. Upper parts and wings dusky, with the exception of the fore part of the back, the upper part of the wings, and a patch on each side of the rump, which are white ; legs dull-orange. Length to the end of tail 25 inches, to end of wings 23. The rarity of this bird renders farther description unneces sary. THE WESTERN DUCK. Fuligula Dispar. This gaudy-colored, parrot-tinted green and white fowl, with an orange-colored belly and blue legs, is unknown to the eastern side of this continent, and is so rare on the western, except in the highest latitudes, that the figure contained in Mr. Audu- bon's invaluable work on American Birds was not done from an American specimen, but from one stuffed in the museum at Norwich in England, which was killed off Yarmouth, in the year 1830. It is only mentioned here from the possibility, that by the growing mildness and increasing change of temperature, this bird may be drawn down to our shores. At present it is scarcely a bird, far less game, of the United States. With this bird ends the list of the Sea Ducks of the United States of America ; but inasmuch as I omitted, in my mention of the Inland or Fresh-water Ducks, the Widgeon — Anas Americana — which, though not properly a sea Duck, is rarely found in the interior, even in the western States, although tliey do visit the waters of the Ohio, and the adjacent ponds, keep- ing company, however, even there with the Pintails and WILD FOWL, lOO Teai, rather than „i,h the Malla,d, and Daa.r D„ck, I, Back,, Eed.„. ads, Lono-taileo D»ok,, and SaovELLEE, I, » there and throughout the we,t known a. the Balo-pat" and »e..ee„edexcellentaat,ng. The GAnwA.._^„a, ^t^:!^ Thtv ."''"'" ^^-'-l-'va been noticed afready. t...e.. Aough dehcou. bird., to be enumerated ^ game p^per THE AMERICAN WIDGEON. ■ina, Americana.— Vulgo, Bald-pate. - This is a handsomely-marked and sprightly suecies v.r, com-ncn in winter along our whole coast' from ^^^ridlT KhodeMand. but most abundant in Ca,.,ina, where itfe^tnL ath.»fi •"'"""""■■ I- Mattinico, great flocks take sho.t fcghts from one nce-field to another, during the rainy seas,™ «d are much complained of by the planted The W.^;:™;' *a constant attendant of the celebrated Canvass-back Duck so abundant mvarious parts of the Chesapeake Bay, by the i^ 0 whose labor he has ingenuity enough I contrive to mkef good subsistence. The Widgeon is extremely fond of the tender roou of that particular species of aquatic planton wh h Tmomlf ;T^V '° ^'''8«'»-"""' -ever dives, watches htel, we,, Canvass-back-s rising, and, befc he has h.8 eyes well opened, snatches the delicious morsel from his mouth, and makes off Ch, this account the Canvass-krand Widgeons, or, as they a,e called round the bay, Bald-pZ iZrhaV'"'"' """'"'"" ™"''"''™' *^ »">' ^''-« 4= ventntol"^ """l"' """'^ ** "PP™"''- -« -n- veuKnt opportunmes. They are said to be in great plenty at oZ :: "" """"™°' "■ P"* °° "«-.• feed in company, and have a sentinel on d,e watch, Hke some other "B no FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. birds. They feed little during the day, but in the evenings come out from their hiding-places, and are then easily traced by their particular whistle, or whew-whcw. This soft note or whistle, is frequently imitated with success, to entice them within gun- shot. They are not known to breed in any part of the United States ; are common, in the winter months, along the bays of Egtr Harbor and Capo May, and also tliose of the Delaware. They leave thoHo places in April, and appear upon the coasts of Hudson's Bay in May, as soon as the thaws come on, chielly in pairs ; lay there only from six to eight eggs, and feed on flies and worms in the swamps ; depart in flocks in autumn. " These birds are frequently brought to the market of Balti- more, and generally bring a good price, their flesh being excel- lent. They are of a lively, frolicsome disposition, and, with proper attention, might easily be domesticated. " 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 vring brown- ish-ash ; wing coverts immediately below, white, foi-ming a large spot ; primaries brownish-ash ; middle secondaries black, glossed with gi-een, 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 WILD POWt. Ill thickly flpecklotl with bluck verv i;tH„ r Hack is durk-hrown. 1 ho^ZJ ' / " °" ''^ '^^"^^ ' ^h« like tho f.mak. .luring th^JsZ %T ""'^'' ^"^ '""'^^ ^u" plumage .„.,, the'l ; :r' T,: ' "r ^^'^'■'^'" ''^^-^ .ogular change every «pHng a^il.^Lr "" "''' ''''''' '^ ^ 1 his species is closely allied tn tl.« t.-" -y he .aU.„ a, .ho A^n^n ^^^^r"^"' ^^■''soon, and .■acho.hor„bo„.,h„ arctic cM. Z°'ot A ' """"° """" ''"yon,! i,, and ,ha. of Euro™ r„„' i i^"""'™ <"«<'">»ing TlHT "ill for™ ,1,0 tyno. o sir ■"*' "' "'" "-'"'"'■'"'" -'•«'' probably «a„d i„ the^rk ofTr^T""/*'™'"' "'"* ""' Tl. for„ is one of con Jor ,e int «" : '"" "'"' ""'^• '■■nation,, „hich „„ ,,„ f„„„a "' '°"- P"'""'"™? many com- natural ,y,.„„. j J J J" fl' """"« '""^ Pam of tbe wntar, a few „„, ,„,,„, ,„ .J """^^j <^"™g > .eve. •oon a. a recurrence of n,«ier„,e woa he,L T"' *"" " •urn to their „,„re favorite feodtr™' '" , ,' ''T' """^ "- ».e mostly migratory, .„d „, thc/T " '''*"'" ""=y Larder weather, are fouL i! ' ! f , ''"""■''"'=<'■>"'« of our P.«icu,ar,y whe're ...ereare LI f t', "" "," ^"^^ "°''"' During day, they ro,t and ""^ 7""'"' »»'' °*er .hell-fish. »Wve,,orLelfu,r„,™,ti' " """"'"" ™ *» Wg'-r «ivity With the appCl™ ~' 1",' rTT"""" '^^'^ ■clamorous, and ri.ing i„ dense fl„^. 1^ u""'""'^ '"''™"' proceed to the feeding gro™",, ""'"".f "" *"" -lay'' resort, in the same tract. At th^ e':'"''™''^ ''"'"'•■'« '" O"- -"d ™J delicate, much so ^, ZuCT"' "'"'" ""^^ "" '"' killed in number by pefso ,s 1T„ ■ '"u "P""""^"" ""-f "re known flight or wl,L^ ^ * '" "'"* '" '^'' 'rack of the i-pi.io„s^i;^:ttrs:p:?ra,;:r;;r*'"^- "'■'="■- -nd; the birds then fly w an^^ "oon, and strong known by the whistling of,. approach is easily 112 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. Duck Creek, in the State of Delaware." — Wilson's Atneriran Ornithology. The three birds of the genus JVfer^gtw, namely the Goosander, vulgo, Shi:li.drake — Mergus Merganser ; the Red-Breasted Merganser — Mergus Serrator ; and the Hooded Merganser — Mergus Cvcullatus — though all well known sea fowl, all hand- some birds, and all occasionally shot, are utterly unworthy to be called game, and unfit for the food of man. Merely to be named, is, for these, almost too much honor. And here ends the list and descriptions of the Shore Birds and Sea Fowl of the United States. A notice is to ensue of the va- rious modes by which they are captured, and then we pass on to a nobler division of our subject, the hunting proper, and wilder sports and animals of the Western States, and the great occidental wilderness. BAV SJIOOTINM. Ji3 J^AY SHOOTING. Y th.8 term I intend to desiffnato f"e shooting of all those species winch have been enumerated and /l"«crihed in the first pages of this volume as Buy Snipe, although 'I'l I have before observed, with the exception of the Red-breasted Snipe— Scolopax Novebaraccnsis— All the different tribes which pass under this whollv in. jrn ? "''°'° ^''"■' ■"'* *« exception of a brief penod d„ ,1,3 ,„3^ji„„ ^^_^^__^_ ^^ ^^^ P f a W.ef .„e„TI. / ''"°«' ''°'' "'"""' '"='■'"■'' a>e summer i, •<> Key, with tlieir young broods. breed 1""/°" ''* "''"'' "'' "»'™ States, on their way to our coasts aTtlT I ™''° " """='' '»"«" '"J"™ »■> - m^lTJlI:^;:^ =^^oresBh.r there •nyriads. ^ ^ ' "" *^^'^ countless aquatic VOL. n. 8 Mil lit FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. Lato in July all, with but fow exceptionH of these tribes, havo rcuHHrmblotl, autl their numbers continue to increase, as freHh accesHions keep streaming from the great northern nursery, until the approach of winter again drives them southward. During their spring visit, comparatively speaking, these birds are unmolested, few jjersons troubling their heads to shoot them while Brant are in the bays, and English Snipe on the inland morasses ; but when they return, it is the very deadest season of the sportsman's year. Snipe are away in the North, Wood- cock are moulting, and Quail hatching or hovering their young broods. The Upland Plover, it is true, is in season, and the Rail likewise, but the localities, in which only these two deli- cious birds are taken, are few and far between ; and where the shore birds most do congregate, are the very regions in which the Bartramian Sandpiper, and the Sora Rail are not. Thetefore they are pursued eagerly, by the baymen and pro- fessional gunners, for the gain which they realise by them — for though with hardly an exception their flesh is rank, sedgy, or fishy, and uneatable, the absence of other game causes them to be brought to table, and they readily find a market — by ama- teurs and sportsmen, from the desire of excitement, and the lack of every other sport. Some persons who shoot well, are exceedingly fond of this amusement, as it gives no trouble, requires no fatigue or exer- tion, and, above all, as, on good days, the shooting is incessant, and the bag often immense. There is, in fact, no accounting for tastes, as regards field sports. Some men regard the amusement as affected merely by the number of shots ; others by the size of the game killed. For myself, I look to the excitement of pursuit, the science and sk"! requisite, the observation of the instinct of the animals employed or pursued, and last not least, the exercise of mind and body, and the quick motion. To me, therefore, the shooting of all kinds of wild and water fowl, on the b.js aod shores, with but one exception, is the tnmest i always ^ All w Brant — being p; whether pipers ai To thr; to be puT Point, an( period of in a niche sedge on abound in decoys, sht as if they pools, to a These, a various fee great numt between thi who possesi separate spt are technica or twenty y£ will sometiir ceit. In ore to set u,)tJo sticks, amon^ peg among tl Some of th <^own more r( of the men ol various Sand good man, 8U( "AY SHOOTING. 115 fnm.'st and moat tedious nF always excepted. '^"'''' "'^"'"^ "^^ «'-'l-^ for Doer All wild-fowl flhootiriff with th., '"""« patient, t„ „e lyi„„ i"™ , ^^ '•"mm; ami, „,„ wtel,or .he ro„.I, L,/Z,t,T """""'' '" »" "'"'"fc-»Mo Lore, pip- and 'Move,,, ,' , ™ tT"'"'' " ^'""'■'"1 *- " Sand. To .h„.e who „; Id °,' '■"■°" "'"''''"' ""■■' '■■■ Hind. "- be P..™„ed, for ; ^h 1 : """ '," "l"^' >■"»•"-■• *» mo,lo P"in',and ».«.« in Bn^'oZX t^ S'"/''," '" ''""'^'" Peri.»l of ,h„ tide, to conceal ,h!' ^ "'' "' ""> «'"•"? i» a niche .cooped ouHf » T, °' °'"'°"' '» " '""« "■""^i -l^'o on " .alt n,a,r„elr'"' ''""'; "' '""""'' « »eon of <'«««y-,.haped and pataedli^eT""'''",''""'"''""^ ""■'•'- « if they wete feeding „, J ''„ ?"""' ""''' "''*"'■"' '*<••. P«*. .0 a„ai. the appllh '^ I tcL" "'"'"« '" "■" «"'« who po..e» rare ,ki„ i„ iSli I the '' ""^ «""""'' -pa«e .pecie., ,„ the vicill H^'he d ' ^ °"° "' ""' «" technically called, over ^Wcl tW winT °'' "°*' "' "'°^ or twenty yard, of the .hooter' 11," '"" "'""" '"'°^" win .o^etinte. alight, and CJZZ^ :"' """"^ "'f" «-y ceit. In order to render ,l,i. . ""™"«^'"'» of the do- to « » ,, t:. de d bird. wL,r° T ■ r" '''"""■™ "' "-' '■ieka, among .he d c';. „r oSj: '' '^ ""■ "' -'"""» Pegan,„„gtl,e„,i„„i ,„ altl' ^^'--'W^-' «"> "• - Some of the .pecie. are :^lf::2lZ'7-r'f'- down more readily than others • bn, Z « '^' '""' """"' of the men obtain in the ar.!^ ' , '' "'""^ "''''"'"™^ variou, Sandpipe^and p ," ''"""""ft ""■' -'""S ''"wn .ho good „an, jZjTJXii r, 'T"'- ■"" "■'* " verity, Jen, Smith'. b„y., dio Ray»irs 11G FRANK' FCHESTEK's FIELD S.'OKTS. and others on the south side of Long Island, and others equally f^mouj at Egg Harbor, in Boston Bay, and other suitable places, a day's sport is nearly certain at the proper s^asoi;. The quantity of birds killed is sometimes really astonishing; the weather is generally beautiful, and if there be a breeze on the water, and you taky the precaution of filling your banket with pleasnnt eatables, taking lots of ice and of good water, with a quantum suff. of anything you please, to render water drinka- ble, you may pass a summer's day agreeably enough, getting a shot either at single birds, or at heavy flocks, every few minutes. The greatest drawbacks to the sport, are the cramped pos- ture in which you are compelled to lie, or crouch, in order to conceal youxself. the reflec. i of the sun from the glassy sur- face of the water, which, if you are in the least degree ihin- skinned, is very like to blister, and peel off every inch of ex- posed cuticle, and, lastly, the hordes of musquitoes ai.d gnats, which, unless you are pretty thoroughly acclimated, will proba- bly use you up to about as great a degree as you will use up the Willets, Robins, Dowitchers, Mariins, Yellow-legs, and Black-breasts. If, however, despising all these small annoyances, you resolve to try the Snipe, get a good bayman, as I have advised, take your TWO hea\ iest double-barrelled guns, I do not mean Duck guns, but ten or twelve pounders, load with moderately coarse powder and No, 5 shot — not larger to my mind ! — ard lying low and keeping dark, you can scarcely fail to make a bag. Generally speaking, these birds are not difficult shots, and if a flock comes fairly up to your decoys, and sails over them on expanded wings, and circles round as if to alight, you cannot miss them, and can hardly fail to make great havoc in their crowded ranks. Sometimes, instead of being alarmed by the gunshots and the fall of their companions, the simple birds will appear to 1 e fascinated and attracted by the cries and fluttering of their wounded associates, and will circle over and over them, giving a chance for several shots ; but in any event, if a large flock comes ten oi tioii b< rels fa execut Occs decoys initatic rate, ar bird, OI Writ the peci tate the proachir motion, i sky, and must be come a ] and exp« without i man, you is worth I paid to si dedly qua some four difficult w The gr< beginner i surface of of the bird unpractise( so that you It is not tance of a 1 vary in var: dinarily far .ftir BAY SHOOTING. ,. tiou be general enabtr' T ^"^ ^''''^^' ^^'^^bera- execution with it also ^"" ""^ ^'^ "^°^« ^^ less Occasionally single birds, or wary flights will «t«. motion, so »„„„ ,, °' '^ « f ""i 'ho peculiarity of i« *y, and long bef„rvo„7 ■""" " "»"'"" "•" *" Wue ™.t be able' o aZilZZLZT " '=°'°" ' ^" '^" ^o" come a proficient at nil « {' "^ ^°" """ ^'-^-'f be- ana expLene::::: "z£'z"p^\. ^r« T" ™ ""-• without knowing anvtliins at jTl u ^'' """'*'"'• man, you „ay have great fpt T r' ,"""» ' «""'' '"'>- is worth doinff at alf rlTu. .'^'' ■''-^'''' '"'"e™r, whatever , * ""' '" worth doing well • and if I .i ■ • raid to shoot Bay Snioe of .11 u- tV ,' ' thought it dedly qualify myLf71 i" ' ''° »"'• ' *'»'''' -leci- ■omo four of fi"n I'?*"'" ""^ """"' °"' °» I -" -"« difficult with a ;„ d tu or Z"," ''"fr ^"" '»• " '» '- The greatest IfHcJl^ i h ^ ti^w 111"" "' .™°^'""^'^^- beginner in this snow if ,1- . ■ ""^ experienced by a '"Ace of sm ITa"; he ■ ""T''' ''"'^'"^ ''''«"«'• «» ef .he birds, ast ee^s .o:?bZ fi^ 'T'^'^' '"' "'^ =- mpractised eye. by a me I!; of 5f '""^ ^ '•°«'"™"''' '" *» .an e oI'm 7o:.r "^ ^™"" '"'^ <•- ---/. rdis- f 118 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. perhaps as good a criterion as any, is the seeing the eyes of tho bird at which you are shooting, if it be a fowl of any size. This I have heard old baymen speak of, as their test of a bird being within fair shot, though were I to wait till a Plover's eyes were visible to me, I should not fire a shot in a twelve month. In this, however, as in every thing else connected with field sports, a little practice will soon give facility, and until that is obtained, as good a way as any for the tyro, is to look upon his bayman in the light of a fugleman, and implicitly to follow his moticjus. OUNS FOR BAY SHOOTING. It is hardly to be expected that any person who is not en- tirely devoted to field sports will go to the troulJe and expense of providing himself with a gun proper for every several kind of game and mode of shooting, as, if he should do so, he can scarce be completely amed without half a dozen pieces at the least. For sportsmen in general, a couple of guns, one for general work, and the other for fowl shooting, will be sufficient, but it cannot be denied that every kind of game has its peculiar weight and calibre of piece, better adapted than any other to do execution on it. Thus for summer Cock shooting, when the woods are in lei.i; so that it is rare to fire a shot at above a dozen to twenty paces, a short, light, large-bored gun would be as effective, perhaps more effective than any, and far handier in covert, and less onerous in hot weather; the same gun would be amply suffi- cient for Rail shooting. For any person who could afford it and would take the trouble of having different guns for every species of sport, for summer Cock shooting and Rail shooting, I should recommend a gun not to exceed 26 inches length of barrel, and 12 guage, with a weight of six and a half pomids only, the utn For the ])ie( guage, i the mof odds tht seiTicea piece. Fori ier piece " cution w a length of 12. I But fo] would bv requisite made of l made so 1 very seve The he quickly, is inches, an with the g than large a shoulder cute as far The best v bestpowde Ducking p contains yo for guns of tme system I am per single guns i)''ga.me tha BAY SHOOTING, :i9 .m!y. But this gun ,h„uld not be fired with to exceed 1 o^ at the utmost of No. 8 shot. For autumn shooting, spring Snipe shooting and the like the „.ece I should recommend would be 32 i„Ae. baJe 14 guage, and r„m 7!- to 8 lbs. weight, and this I believe to be the most Itdmg p.„p„„ion ,h,, ,,„ .^ J '» b» odds the best gun for general shooting, and therefore the mos ~ '"' ""■* "^P'"''""' '"' ' -" >"-» "- but ote For Bay Snipe shooting, or inland wild fowl shootin-, a heav- .er ptece ,s requisite, if wo would do the greatest possTbl e,! a length of 36 m„hes w«h a weigh, often pounds, and a guaga of 12. I am sail speaking of double guns. ^ But for large.fowl shooting, and especially a. lat^e flocks I wouW by all means prefer a single gun, as a double 'gun „fl man;, ""*' "' '='"''" """'^ "^ "'■-"y unmanfgeab lel- ml o t,f ?" "'■«'":''"«»' ' »»•! "- consequently b ::Xet nrt-irgToirr -^ -- - - ^'^^ The heaviest shoulder ?un thaf /.or, i,^ i quickly, is ftom ,3 .0 16 Cndt:!; ':::^zz^Jt mche. and No. 7 guag, 3 o. of No. 1 or 2 sh'ot ca f h^w v,th the greatest p„s»il,le effect, and will do more execution than larger shot. A is the biggest that should ever l,e firedrm asheaM gun, and if made in a^.« wive cattridge, wiU to Th best wadding for Duck guns is thick felt waJdin., and the W powder „ that already named-Cu„is & mry^ys'^^^ coltaf '' r ^ '"* '°" ^^^ *» -">« -»-»« whL 1 system of hT'* ""f ""'"•"'' °"'="'''"S '" *° "«" »"■! "■ue system of heavy powder, light shot. I am perfectly satisfied that one sportsman, using two such ' ~at" tb'r "'''"""''■ "'" "•" •^™''>^ '^^ - iy *^' game that will be brouo-hf tn fiarr u, .i_ . ^ "rougiit to bag by another using a double 190 IKANK lOIIIINrKH'N MKM) M'nillN. |i)uii ol'ltin Niiiiio ttr NiiiiilliM' nililti wliicli \n (III* Mi'.'iil<'Hl llml niii |ii> iinkiI I • ', Willi II wi'lMlilnfyd |ioiiimIii, litiiulily, iMiil whioli «i\(>ii tlii'ii III nit'iit. owing lo fun ciiiinoh : Hini. ilim • It Wl-i^lll „»• V(» |„„||m|h in iimiiHiiMi.ul lo „ pi.vo „(• gnvUrr nililii.. llim. tl) ,„„iii.l UmimIIi of .'JN iii,<||,.N I >M, mill II • •I' II iIoiiMk i^iiii ; iitiii m'lniiil, llml || liKlilor Nlngl,. |,i,„.o in Dm- moi-,. niiitinuKiilil olUM"iiv«». Now, liiiviiin 'I'wrilHMl nil il ii» iiiiHi'iil.lo, UN wril UN liiriiiiin miUN, ciitK inoNt «'(r««rliv«» lor (•imply tiilil ill I'oiiclnHion, tlmi "•NO VlllioilN lolroH niMJ lolMIN of Honu. Olio kiiMJ ol" NliooiiiiK, I will lor nil onliiiiiry |)iir|ioNi'N, n n IH. lo nil inionl,^ nii.l |.iir|MmoN. Hiilli.ionlly woll nriiii'il I kind ol'Nliooliim, wl iiiiii :«s «. whornnioM ilio onlinury gun of? iiu'hi'N hunt' lor nvi'iy 4 Mm. Wi'IkIii. nno 1 \\ illiiitn MoojVMiul Willimn (Jrny. No. 7N I' •l.Mi. whom I ronsi.lor to i.o. nil in ,,ll. (,t iImh inoiii.Mil. tho I lo |iru«« wiMi» vvilhiii my urniNlioil liy Monnin, lili^'wiiro Koiitl, t miikors in tho worl.I. Mr. I'nnI Oll- KMf ny i.siiniN'iiinl»ly n m«'iil iiml good mjikor ; hnt of Into, iho jfntis of hin lunko wlii.h I I lliis oounrry. «r»> inlorior in powor iiml soliiliiv to I n'mombor it tifold. 'Phi lUVI' NOI'll III liM work. nN I pornry In.shion ol'tlu^ ninrkot. or t IS niuy nriNO. Iiowovi%or oitloiN u uiiii of nny ono of mmio hnll' n .lo/..|i Loii.l mjik.MX will hty fhonxinlily \m.|| Nuit.nl ami NiiliNli.-.l. i\»loTu>l lltiwkor hiiM piihliNhod in Iun git'iit work ii liHt of all many n>aN.ms. I tonsi.h'r wholly as frw pi'iNoiiN lu'io arc th*' l.omlon makors; this. I or uiuuv«\«s«»!UY in suoh a book as this likoly ti» onK'r nuns, without soino knowh««l.ij»> «»f whom ll omploymiv. 1 >vonKI. howvvor. \wrv ospocially n«lvi.s(>iuiv Ann 11' V aro riciin NporfH- mtui to avoiil pturhasimr Kns:Iish ^M^ns tlnouyh tlu^ moiiiiim ot Antorioau cimsmiths, and still nion» tlutMnrh Amoricuii lui'tiau- filii irrij ntio nil into liii work il roliiil, il <;i'iirkor JoHopli 7N I'Jilgi I'linliiy, cnililly ; lirNt-riiUi lung run fonml to For III Mnirlny I I'liiloil .S rIc Diirli ill iho Nly orinitiictil «'ill hack '<> luMit ai livorod in riillior tmi oiu) hiiiidi ff<"i lit a : import, on tlioroiiyhh <'....l «... . .'ut, as Peter Prohasco says, 'I have my douhts.' Multjtn.li- »ou8 sportsmen may shoc.t wrH, but n<.ne hut a man of true ^r... nius can shoot .y>h'ndidly. Shooting, in its refinement and g!r„y, 18 not an acquire.l art, a man must he horn a shot, as much us he must J)e honi a poet. You may learn to wing-break a starved pigeon, sprung out of a trap, fifteen or twenty yards off; bu( to stop a Cock in a thick brake, wh.-re you can see him only with the eye of faith, or to kill a vigorous Coot, cutting the keen air, fit daybreak, at the rate of three mih^s a minute— requires an eye, and a hand, and a heart, which science cannot manufac- ture. The doctrine of Pliny, the naturalist, contained in his chapter on Black Ducks, is correct beyond a question : • Le- gere et scrihcre est padagogi; scd oplime colUneare est Dei!' Reading and writing are inflicted by schoolmasters, but a crack shot is the work of God. Them's my sentiments,' as Peter again says." And Heaven defend that I or any other should depreciate the spoit which can inspire ' them sentiments' to any writer. Poor fellow ! whether he were bom a shot or no, assuredly he was born a poet, the very laureate of American field sports and sportsmanship. Hear with what strains the flight of Canada Geese inspired him, and then say, gentle reader, was he not, in the largest sense of the word, bom a poet : " They come, they tear the yielding nlr, with pennon fierce and stronfr, On clouds they leap, from deep to deep, the vntilted dome along j "<■" ven'sliRht horse, in a column of attack npon the |H)le; Was over seen, on ocean green, or under the blue sky. Snch disciplined battiilla as the cohort In your eye ;— Around her ancient axis, let old Terra proudly roll,' But the ruahlng flight that's in your sight, is what will wake your soul. " Hawnk ! honk ! and forward to the Nor'warrt. Is the trumpet tone What Goose can lag or feather flag, or bro:.k the goodly bone, ll.i« nk ! onwards to the cool blue lakes wlirre lie our safe lov bowe,. FOWL SHOOTING. Jjy No Mop, no (Irnp ofocnnn hrUw, n<-nr .tool, nor Miin IlKht U.ry ()ur .ruv.lllnu wMrhwor.l 1h, • „ur mat.,, our g.,,Ung,, and our glory " Hyn.Hoiilii ,,n.i l.iilimilor for ui aro crown.al wllli llowur,., And not u lirciut on wi.vo «I,mII rest, nrall ilml hiu.v.'n I. our». Hiiwnh! hiiwnk! K-ohiiwnkl" And hero I was about to ihUow tl.o ul.ovo vvifj, a drHcriptior. of ray own, of battmy shooting, as practised in the Lo,„r l,i,„„i bajH, but especially in the neighborhood of the Firerishinds ■ but H. hunting up the spirited versichjs quottid above, in an ol.l number of the Turf Register, I hit, l,y accident, on an extract so stnk.ngly correct and graphic, that I have not been able to refran. fro.n qu.,ting it, although I cannot give the name of tho author, wlm has rejoiced to subscribe himself by the euphonious title of a sockdolager. "Reader-gentle we will not term you. as tho epithet is so completely identified in our mind with the idea of a spruce young gentleman, his locks redolent of Oil Maccassar, and his digits invested in primrose-colored kid. that we will not insult you by applying it-reader, then, have you, in your various wanderings over this habitable globe, ever enjoyed one of the most exciting of all amusements-a good day's wild-fowl shoot- ing? If such has been >Dur fortune, does not the sight of the engraving at the commencement of the present number recall at once to your recollection many an excellent day's sport 1 Can you not fancy yourself once more at Jem Smith's, on Fire-Ish.nd lying m your boat, your finger on the trigger, and waiting with a beating heart for the approaching flock to decrease the dis- tance by a few yards mo: e, before you open into their close column a raking fire from your heavy double-barrel. We know that you can, and therefore shall leave you to fight your battles oer again and plan future campaigns against the unsuspecting Ducks, while we charitably proceed to enlighten the under- standing of your less gifted fellow-student with a few remarks on tlie science of wild-fowl shooting. ;'The principal place for the enjoyment of this sport in the neighborhood of New-York, is Long Island ; and from Montauk to Jamaica, the southern coast being deeply indented by bays a.' ^mM 1 h ,i '•' . L-L. •4X.J^fl ''h A 128 FHANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. and inlets, forms an excellent feeding ground throughout its whole extent, for almost every species of the Duck tribe wliich is in tho habit of visiting our shores. To the mode of shooting, then, on the island, we shall first direct our attention, an it is pructiHed, with such slight variations as the nature of tho waters and tho habits of the fowl may require, in almost every pait <»! the United States. That most murderous mode of destroying (J oise, Brunt, &c., from a battery, has, as it certainly ought to bo, b. tu abolishod by an act of the legislature of the State; for though u greater number of birds may be killed by this method than any other, yet as the batteries were anchored on almost every Hat where there was a possibility of their feedng, it had the edect of driving them from their usual haunts, and comi)elling them to seijk for refuge in some place less securely fortified. The lattery is formed of a deal-box, about seven feet long, throe wide, and two deep; from the rim of this a platform of board runs off at right angles, about six feet on every side, and tho interior is caulked to render it water-tight. This is moored on some shoal where the birds are observed to be in the habit of resorting, and ballasted with stones until the platform merely floats on the surface of the water ; this flat surface is then ligl.tiy covered with sedge, so that at a very short distance nothing hut a small quantity of apparently floating weed is discernible. Before the first faint streaks of light mark the approach of day, the shooter, in a light skiff, which can be easily paddled by one man, makes his appearance on the ground, and at once prepares for action. The stool-birds are first placed about twenty yards from the battery; these are Ducks, Brant, or Geese, as he may ex- pect the particular species to fly, though the three different kinds are all frequently represented. However, we do not think thiit Ducks will • come up' to the stool with the same confidence when this is the case. The stools are made of wood, and painted so as really to pass as very respectable personifications of the various feathered bipeds they are intended to represent, and are retained in their positions by a string with a stone tied to the other end. When two or three dozen of these decoys are kept FOWL SHOOTINO. 129 in motion by the gentle ripple, which almuBt invarial.ly curls the flurtace of the l.ay, with their heads all turned to windward thtv might very readily be mistaken, at a short distance, for a'llock ot w.ld-fowl. so complete is the deception. When the business of laymg out the birds is accomplished, the next thing is to get into the maclune itself, an object of no little difficulty, from Its tickhsh nature bemg balanced almost even with the water's edge, and the distance to which the boards project from the ..des. When this .s at last achieved, he places his gun and am- mumiion by h.s side, and extends himself at full length in hi« floutmg box, while his companion paddles off some distance, to awa.t the event, and remain in readiness to pick up the game. In the meantime morning is slowly breaking. The whole sky assumes a kind of saffron tint, under the influence of which the distant gull appears magnified to twice its size, as it wheels over the waters in search of prey ; at last a small dark line appean, m the distance, moving swiftly across the sky. Each moment it grows more distinct, until at last the eye can plainly trace the orm of the birds of which it is composed, and the certainty that a large flock of Brant are rapidly advancing, sends a thrill of delight through the frame of the expectant fowler. The ap. proach within a hundred yards-then, as if suspicious, wheel the! n r" ^ " '°^ ''^^'* '• ^"^ ^" «-«"-^ i"^«ation of her note again attracts their attention. Once more their course out^ e ched wmgs-they are almost over the stool, when.' taz^! -g to his knees the occupant of the battery raising his ^un to shoulder, takes them on the turn as theT are hudd J 1 e! the . and by a rapid discharge of both barrels, strews the wa^Tr with the dead and dying. " Such is shooting from a battery, and we would only remark m conclusion, that if incited by our remarks, or the evil demot s oncir '^' '"^ IT^ ^'"''""'" ^^^"^'^ «^«^ fi"d himself en- sconced m one of these machines some cold November morn- ^H; "ir . ""t "^"""^"'^ ^^"^ '^ P--'^^ ^--"' with thnce^the patience of an angler, and as these worthy brethren 9 n '.Ki-, 130 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. are said to possess an equal stock wit)i that of the justly cele- brated Job, perhaps if he is good at figr.res, and has served in a broker's office in Wall Street, he may be enabled to discover the exact quantity required." This agreeable writer, in a later portion of the same article, in speaking of the ordinary metliod of shooting, described hereto- fore, states that, " The best gun you can use is a double-baiTel, of 3 feet 6 inches in the banels, and 9 guage, which, if substan- tially made, will carry a quarter of a pound of shot in each bar- rel, and still be sufficiently light to enable you to knock over a single bird going with the wind, at sixty or seventy yards, with as much ease as you ever floored a Woodcock in July." With regard to this, I have only to obsei-ve that Colonel Hawker, who unquestionably knows more of the art of gun- making and all that pertains to it, than any living man not brought up to the trade, and whose decided leaning is toward long barrels and small calibres, heavy metal and heavy charges, has distinctly stated that " the proper length for a fourteen guage gun is forty-four diameters, or 2 feet 8 inches — 32 inches ; that a Duck gun of 7 guage — two sizes larger than that named above — and of 13 pounds weight, should be 3 feet 6 inches in the baiTel — being considerably more than forty-four diameters, which would give but 3 feet 2\ inches barrel. For 9 guage, therefore, 3 feet 2' barrels are amply sufficient, greatly exceeding forty-four diameters. Again, the weight of a single gun of 7 guage being 13 pounds, a double gun of 9, and the same length, ought to be at least 20 pounds, and we greatly doubt any gentleman knocking over a single bird, going with the wind, at sixty or seventy yards, with a 20 pound gun, as easily as he could floor a Woodcock in July. Yet, once again, the Colonel says, that a gun, to cany 3 ounces of shot, which he elsewhere states to be 7 guage, should not weigh less than 12 nor above 16 pounds; whereas, one to carry 4 or 5 ounces of shot should not be less than 16 or above 20 pounds ; whereas, this writer recommends the firing 4 ounces of shot out of each 1 at tlie ( remark c The sam 13 poun above 3. A gun and one rel, with( weight w Obsei-v recoiling It is fo: two 7 gui nor to an one-third the distan Hawke guage, 2 c for guns 0 And yoi will prodi perhaps b: you shoulc shot. To fore the m direction o directly at of the fowl I will on and Goose in greater most plenti esteemed, a or Broadb] HEAD, whicl Hill 111 -m FOWL SHOOTING. 131 of each barrel of a gun, either barrel of which will only weigh at the outside. 10 pounds; and I presume, judging from hij remark concerning its handiness, he would make it much lighter The same ratio would give a charge exceeding 5 ounces to the 13 pound gun, which Colonel Hawker holds unfit to carry above 3. , '' A gun so built and so loaded, would be positively dangerous • and one properly built to cairy 4 ounces of shot from each bar^ rel, without recoiling, should weigh from 32 to 40 pounds, a weight which cannot be discharged without a rest Obsei-ve, also, that an overloaded gun not only kicks, but by recoiling loses force, scatters, and overshoots. It is for these reasons that I have recommended the use of ivvo 7 guage 42 inch. 13 pound single guns, as infinitely supe- nor to any double gun that can be held out. They will caL one-third more shot, and that two sizes larger, to almost doub^ the distance, besides being twice as handy Hawker's scale of shot is No. 3 to 1 for guns of 10 or 12 guage, 2 ounces ; 1 to A for guns of 7 guage, 3 ounces ; A to B for guns of 5 guage, 4 or 5 ounces. And you may rely upon it, that larger shot and larger charges w 1 produce no good effect, besides hurting the shoulder, a'nd perhaps bursting the gun. Remember that for very Ion. hots you sho^dmcrease the quantity of powder and relce ttat of fore the wmd, you should either keep the gun mo^ng it the dn-ec tion of the bird's flight, «>. ^e trigger i! dra.,n, if you 1 d^ectly at your bird; or you must fire from 2 to 5 feet Infron" of the owl according to its distance and rate of locomotion I will only add here, that although all the varieties of Duck and Goose I have enumerated and described above, are killed m greater or less abundance on Long Island waters by far 1 e mos plentiful, and with exception of the third named, the m" teemed, are the C.x.n. Goose, the Bkexx Goosk. he sZ In wTl'T'"' " ^ ^^^y •"^^^'^^^^"^ b-^— d the R^n- "-!>, which IS by far the best of all. though far inferior to the !'■ i ,1 132 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. same bird when killed in the Potomac. The Canvass-back, killed on the bays, is a worthless bird; and it is a singular fact! that, although greatly superior to the Red-head, when both can obtain their favorite food, the Valisneria Americana, it is here as far inferior to it. This brings me to fowl shooting, as it is practised on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, which abounds with all the finest varieties of wild-fowl in their finest condition, above any other region of the known worid, and on which more sport is enjoyed by gentlemen, and more fowl slain by profes- sional gunners, than in any other waters of America, from the noble and glorious Swan, down to the tiny Diver. But here, as I have never enjoyed an opportunity of partici- pating in this delightful recreation, I quote an admirable de- scription of the sport furnished by Dr. Sharpless, of Philadel- phia, to Mr. Audubon, and by him inserted in the " Birds of America." CI Susquehar I'ivers, and fa.' south a "The qi than in tim assured mi fifteen yeai vast increa persons wh well as the their feedin selves more "As eari smaller Due orly, A. glac hida; begin and by the 1 * Long-te FOWL SHOOTING. vm CHESAPEAKE BAY SHOOTING. HE Chesapeake Bay, with its tribu- tary streams," says he, " has from its ^discovery, been known as the greatest resort of water fowl in the United States. This has depended upon the profusion of their food, which is ac cessible on the immense flats or shoals cj , : ■■ *^^' ^'■e found near the mouth of the Susquehanna, along the entire length of North-east and Elk uve s, and on the shores of the bay and connecting streams, as fa. south as York and James rivers ^' The quantity of fowl of late years has been decidedly less ur d rir: '^^ ^"' ' ^^^^ ™^^ -^^^ persons who'have assured me that the number has decreased one-half in the last fifteen years. This change has arisen, most probably, from the ast mcreasem their destruction, from the greater number of we las the constant disturbance they meet with on many of their feedmggx-ounds, which induces them to distxibute them selves more widely, and forsake their usual haunts. sn, it' n f '' '^'' ^''' ""^ ^"^""'i ^««ks in October the jailer Ducks as the Bufrel-head,*^.^,^,,,,^^ riy, A glac^aks ;,nd the Ruddy or Heavy-tailed Duck, A. Ru- ^? vZl ^r r'^™"^^^^ ^"^''^ upper part of the bay.. C?', n : """'^•' ^'^ I^l-k-1-ad.f A. n.orila ; wli i'Ong-tailed Duck. ^ „ t .Scaup Duck, . t u M li •ffr ''wmwM nr ^ ^^1 ■»! * M\ ^^^4^1 m iiii-'pf-J ^^Pr ¥-. ir-i. m H^ .' ' ■ '■fl 1 1 J' ■ ft ' , 1 %|'''lj fl d' f'^lfi ■ im I'tlANK roilKNTHK'H I' IK I, I) M'dllTN. K«M.nt or Hnl(l-|..iin, A. Amrrinuiu ; R...l-lin..l,§ A.Jirinu; hm.I thn (Jo.mo,|| A. C,ni,„laish, iip|Mmr nii.l nipnlly .(iHnil.ur.i lli,,,„- HolvoH N imiil rim iniiMI,, of Nov.-inl.or. All tho»o fowl, wl lirMt ,iriiv...l. urn tl.iii i.i,.| t..sl.,.,-»onH wlio linvo .lom-' ly ol.s,'rv(Ml tli.ly on his rotiirn from undor tho wator, of all its spoil, " All thoao largor Durk aro fonnd togotlior when fo< -ding, hut sopanito whon on tlu' wing. That tlioy food on tho Hiimo grass is ovi.h«nt from tho similarity of tbivor; and thoso most accim- toniod to tlio artiolo havo a diflicnlfy in deciding on tho kind of Diuk from t.lu> tasto. Indoed, tho Ba!d-])ato in gonorully profor- rod by ivsidonts. " Hy tho middlo of Docomlu'r, particnlarly if tho woathor has been a little severe, tlio fowl of every kind havo bocomu so faf t Th,< Amorioiui Wi(ljr,.oii. § Rod-lu'nd.'il Duck ; I'iMilmrd. II Cautida Gocise ; Wild (iiHv^.. »^ ^j ■9 kI wst % VOWl. .SnoOTiNO. I.').'; mi I.«t I have, ....n OunvaHH-l„u.kH InuMt <.,.,„. in the breant when <.illn.^on .h. wau,r; an.l H,M,n,lin;^ I.,hh timo in Miu., tU.y I.a«H up an.l .iown lh« hay from riv,,r to rivor, i„ thoir mounZ ami .wrnnn^ ih^Utn, ^Mvin^.. a, <..,,tai„ h.cali,i.,„, ^n,at opnortu n.foH for .h.tn..,.on. Thoy purHun, C3v.n in thoir «hort pa„„a. g..H, v.,ry rnurh .h. onlcr of th.ir mi^nUo.y mov.>rnontH/nyin« n. a hn. or haH.,h,H» trian^lo ; un.l whnn llu, wind hh,wH <.n th. ro.nt» wh..h may li. on their .ourno, the HportHman has ^roat dmnn.Hch to tho Hhorc, hut whon a Htrong hroc.o L thorn on t.' thoHo projocUouH of tho hu.d, thoy an, compelled to pass with- in Hhof, an.l ollon over tho land ilHoIf. ;• n. the S,,Hquohanr.a and Klk riverH, there are few of thoae P-. H ior „ ootu.,, and there succohh depends on approach- n.g them wlule on their ioodin^-ground. After leavL, the .aHtorn po„.t at the mouth of the SuH.p.ehanna and Turkey I o.nt, the woHte... „i-'^« i" particu- w 1 T m ;" ''"" I"^"""^"' -'^ t'-' -trance and outlet, as It rr '"r"!'"'"^'" «potH. become very successful sta- .ons A few m.les further down the western shore is Taylor's Island, which .s „.tu.ted at the mouth of the Rumney; a„d Alcy Inland at the mouth of Bush River, which are both cele- l..ated for Ducks, as w.-ll as Swans and Geese, These are the most northerly po.nts where large fowl are met with, and pro- hrr"T 7T': '^«^P --«' -'-•« -rnense numbers of these birds feed, they possess great advantages. The south et Po nts, near Gunpowder River, are fruitful localities. Im- which has long been known as a great shooting ground, and i r" p ■ f . 8 Alt Jilt im 136 FHANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. in the rentage of a company at a high rate. Maxwell's Point, as well as Bomn others up other rivers, and even farther down the bay, arc gitod places, but less celebrated than those I havo mentioned. Most of thvno points are let out as shooting grounds for companies and individuals, and they are esteemed so valua- ble that intruders are severely treated. "It has been ascertained hat distur' ; > fowl on the feeding flats is followed in n^ost cases by t^ rsaking those haunts, and seching others ; hence, in the rivurs leading tc the bay near flying points, they are (ever annoyed by boat-shooting, either by night or day, and although the discharge of guns from the shore may arouse them f- a time, they soon return; whereas a boat on sail in chase few times, will make them forsake a favorite spot for days. " From the great number of di.. ks that are seen in all direc- tions, one would suppose that there ould be no doubt of success at any one of the points in the cciurse of flight; but whilst they have such correct vision as to distpt ( e, and wide range of space, unless attending circumstances are fjivorable, a sportsman may be days without a promising shot. From the western side of the bay— and it is there that the best grounds are found— the southerly winds are the most favorable ; and if a high tide is attended by a smart frost and mild south wind, or even calm morning, the number of birds set in motion becomes inconceiva- ble, and they approach the points so closely, that even a mode- rately good shot can procure from fifty to one hundred Ducks a day. This has often occuiTed, and I have seen eight fat Can- vass-backs killed at one discharge into a flock, from a small gun. " To a stranger visiting these waters, the innumerable Ducks, feeding in beds of thousands, or filling the air with their career- ing, with the gi-eat numbers of beautiful white Swans resting near the shores, like banks of driven snow, might induce him to suppose that the facilities for their destruction were equal to their profusion, tliat with so large an object in view, a sports- man could hardly miss his aim. But when he considers tl,e great thickness of their covering, the velocity of their flight, the m FOWL SHOOTING. 137 rap.cluy and duration of their diving, and the great influence that circumstances of wind and weather have on the chances of sucess, u becomes a matter of wonder how so many are destroyed. •' " The usual mode of taking these birds has been, till recently by shootmg them from the points during their flight, or from the land or boats, on their feeding grounds, or by toling, as it is strangely termed, an operation by which the Ducks are sometimes mduced to approach within a few feet of the shore, from a dis tance often of several hundred yards. A spot is usually selected where tl^ birds have not been much disturbed, and where they feed at from three to four hundred yards from, and can ap- proach to within forty or fifty yards of the shore, as they will never come nearer than they can swim freely. The higher the tides, and the calmer the day. the better, for they feed closer to the shores and see more distinctly. Most persons on these wateij have a race of small white or liver-colored dogs, which they familiarly call the toler breed, but which appear to be the ordinary poodle. These dogs are extremely playful, and are -aught to run up and down the shore, m sight of the Ducks Mther by the motion of the hand, or by throwing chips from side o side. They soon become perfectly acquainted with their usiness. and as they discover the Ducks approaching them »ake their jumps less high till they almost crawl upon the Found, to prevent the birds discovering what the object of teir curiosity may be. This disposition to examine rarities has hen taken advantage of by using a red or black handkerchief May. and a white one by night in toling. or even by gently slashing the water on the shore. The nearest ducks soon ncice the strange appearance, raise their heads, gaze intently fo: a moment, and then push for the shore, followed by the m. On many occasions I have seen thousands of them swim- mn? m a solid mass direct for the object ; and by removing the clog farther into the grass, they have been brought within fif- tee, feet of the bank. When they have approached to within ' tiurv or forty yards their curiosity is generally satisfied, and til If ' ' 5" 138 PRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. after Bw,^n>,„g up and down for a few seconds, they retrograde to the,r former station. The moment to shoot is while they present their sides, and forty or fifty Ducks have often been kill- ft I \T I ^""- ^^' ^'^«k-heads tole .the most readily, then he Red-heads, next the Canvass-back, and the Bald-pates rare- ivin 1 il' .'^ '"'^^ ^^ '^''" "PP^«*^^ '^ '^- points in flying, although. ,f the Canvass-back has determined on his direction, few circumstances will change his course. The total absence of cover or precaution against exposure to sight, or a large fire, wdl not tu™ these birds aside on such occasions. In flying-shooting, the Bald-pates are a great nuisance, for they are so shy that they not only avoid the points themselves, bu^ by their whistling and confusion of flight at such times alann "Simple as it may appear to shoot with success into a solid ' mass of ducks sitting on the water at forty or fifty yards' dis- ZVT r ZT'''''' '^^^^^" are'placed'ne'arlylev 1 with the surface the object opposed to you. even though com- 1 posed of hundreds of individual, may be i. appeamnfe but a cess, the oldest duckers recommend that the nearest duck shou J be in perfect relief above the sight, whatever the size 7 thj column, to avoid the common result of over-shooting correctness of this principle 1 saw illustrated in an instance . T t1 'f'^ '^ ""'•" '^°" ^^^y '^ --"^y yards off th| shore, a bed of certainly hundreds of ducks. Twenty yards W yond the outside birds of the dense mas, were five B^ck-head^ one of which was alone killed out of the whole number, b^ deliberate aim into the middle of the large flock from a rest % a heavy well-proved Duck gun. f "Before I leave the subject of sitting-shooting, I will mentin en occurrence that took place in Bush River, a few yeai^ sil A man whose house was situated near the bank, on rising e^Iv one mornmg. observed that the river had frozen, except an rt.en space of ten or twelve feet in diameter, about eighty yards iZ the shore, nearly opposite his house. The spot was fu^ of FOWL SHOOTINO. 13U ducks and with a heavy gu„ he fired into it. Many were killed and those that flew soon returned, and were again and again Bhot at, tdl fearful that he was injuring those already his own he ceased the massacre, and brought on shore ninety-two ducks, most of which were Canvass-backs, " To prevent the dogs from running in whilst toling, they are not allowed to bring out the Ducks, but another breed of large dogs of the Newfoundland and Water-Spaniel mixture are em- ployed. These animals, whilst toling is in progression, or at a pomt, take apparently as much interest in success as the sports- man himself. During a flight, their eyes are incessantly occu- pied in watching from whence the birds come; and I have fre- quently seen them indicate by their manner, the approach of a flock, so distant that the human eye would have overlooked it As the Ducks come on. the dog lies down, but still closely ob- serving them, and the moment the discharge occurs, jumps up to see the effect. If a Duck falls dead, they plunge to bring it but many of them wait to see Uw he falls, and whether he Bwims; and they seem to be as aware as the gunner, of the im- probability of capture, and will not make the attempt, knowing from experience that a bird merely winged, will generally save himself by swimming and diving. These dogs usually bring one Duck at a time out of the water ; but a real Newfoundland who was with me and my company this autumn, was seen on several occasions to swim twenty yards further, and take a se- cond m the mouth to carry on shore. The indefatigability and ambition of these animals are remarkable, and a gentleman in- formed me he had known his dog bring, in the space of one hour, twenty Canvass-backs and three Swans from the water when the weather was so severe that the animal was covered with icicles, and to prevent his freezing, he took his great coat to envelope him. Some dogs will dive a considerable distance after a Due' , but a crippled Canvass-back, or Black-head, will Bwim so far under the water, that they rarely can be caught by the dog; and it often has been observed, that the moment one of these Ducks, if merely winged, reaches tlie surface, he passei f 'J Urv FH^NK forester's FIELD SPORTS. under and however calm, cannot be seen again. To give an Idea of the extreme rapidity with which a Duck can dive, I will relate an occurrence which was noticed by myself, and a similar one was observed by another of the party the same day.' A male South-southerly was shot at in the water by a per- his flight. When about forty yards from the boat, he had ac quired an elevation of a foot or more from the surface. A second percussion-gun was discharged, and he dived from the wing at the flash, and though the spot of entrance was covered by the shot, soon rose unharmed and flew. " Canvass-backs, when wounded on the streams near the bay instantly direct their course for it. and there nestle among the ^ass on the shores till cured, or destroyed by Eagles, Hawks, Gull , Foxes, or other vermin, that are constantly on the search. If a dead Canvass^back be not soon secured, it becomes a prey to the Gulls, which rarely touch any other kind. I have seen severe contests between crippled Canvass-backs and Gulls: and although a pounce or two generally prevents further resistance sometimes they are driven off. If the bird is remarkably sa- vory, the Gull makes such a noise, that othera are soon collected when possession is determined by courage or strength. Another mode of taking Ducks, consists in placing gilling- nets under water on the feeding-grounds, and when they dive for food, their head and wings become entangled in the meshes and they are drowned. This plan, though successful at fiist soon dnves the birds from these places ; and in some cases J few apphcations have entirely prevented their return for weeks and although practised to some extent on Bush River, is hi.hly disapproved of by persons shooting from points. For the last tlu-ee years a man has been occupied on this stream with a gun of great size, fixed on a swivel in a boat, and the destruction of game on their feeding flats has been immense ; but so unpopu- lar is the plan that many schemes have been privately propoL of destroying his boat and gun; and he has been fired at with' FOWL SHOOTINO. 141 balls 80 often, that his expeditions are at present confined to the night. Sailing with a stiff breeze upon the Geese and Swans or throwing rifle balls from the shore into their beds, is some^ times successful. " Moonlight shooting has not been a general practice, but as these buds are in motion during light nights, they could readily bo brought within range by ' honking' them when flying. This sound 19 very perfectly imitated at Egg Harbor; and I have seen Geese drawn at a right angle from their course by this note. They can indeed be made to hover over the spot, and if a captive bird was employed, the success would become certain " Notwithstanding the apparent facilities that are offered of success, the amusement of Duck shooting is probably one of tli« most exposing to cold and wet; and those who undertake it. enjoyment, without a courage 'screwed to the sticking point' will soon discover that ' to one good a thousand ills oppose'.' It 18 indeed no parlor sport, for after creeping through mud and mire often for hundreds of yards, to be at last disappointed, and stand exposed on points to the ' pelting rain, or more than freezmg cold, for hours, without even the promise of a shot, would try the patience of even Franklin's 'glorious nibbler' It 18, however, replete with excitement and charm. To one who can enter on the pleasure with a system fomed for polar cold and a spirit to endure • the weary toil of many a stormy day ' It will yield a harvest of health and delight that the 'roamer of the woods' can rarely enjoy. " Although this far-famed bird was named by its discoverer atler the plant Valutneria Americana, on which it partially feeds when on fresh waters, its subsistence is by no means dependent upon that species, which indeed is not extensively distributed but 18 chiefly derived from the grass-wrack, or eel-grass, Zostera manna, which is very abundant on the shallows and flats along the whole sea-coast. Its flesh seems to me not generally much supenor to that of the Pochard, or Red-head, which often min- gles mthe same flocks; and both species are very frequently promiscuously sold in the markets as Canvass-backs." •HK m-l .i% 1 1 r 1 118 FH>*NK forester's PfELD SPORTS. I have horo taken the liberty of oxtmcting a Hii.glo pnge from my f none] Mr. Porfor's edition of Hawker'a work on shootin^- an edition, which iH rather a new work than what it modestly prof..8se8 to l,e. and from which I should have borrowed more largely, had not I been prevented from so doing by the apprc hension of. in the least degree, interfering with its merited sur- cess I eagerly take this occasion of recommending it to all my readers as a work of sure authority, especially on all that re- lates to gunnery, and to Western sport. " The editor of the American edition of Colonel Hawker's work 18 greatly indebted to Henry Dwight Chapin. Esq., of Baltimore, for the annexed original communication on the sub- ject of Canvass-back Duck shooting. Mr. C. is known through- out the country as a scientific and enthusiastic sportsman of twenty years' standing. "The season for shooting this much esteemed bird commences with Its arrival at the head waters of the Chesapeake Bay on or about the first of November, and continues in perfection for two months, and longer, if the severity of the weather does not close with ice its favorite haunts. Indeed thousands are killed during the months of January, February, and March, lower down the bay, lut their flavor is not so delicate after they have been driven by the ice from their accustomed feeding grounds whuh abound with the water celery, a plant whose bulbous root' imparts the most delicious flavor to all the water fowl that £eeu upon it. " The usual mode of shooting them by sportsmen is upon the wing, as they pass a point, or a narrow neck of land, which they often do in flying from one feeding ground to another. Ihe best guns used are of large calibre, from No. 12 to No 7 guage, and the sho^ of the size B or BB. The powder coarse- gramed,to obviate the recoil that necessarily ensues if fine- grained should be used. " But there is a class of men, poachers, that shoot for market who make the greatest havoc with this game. They silently in the night-time paddle or scull small boats into the very midsf WOWh SHOOTINO. 148 of largo flocks, or beds of Ducks, whilst they are feeding and with a tremendous pioco, mounted on a swivel in the bow slaughter immense numbers, often killing eighty or an hundred at a shot. This mode of destroying thorn is restricted by legis. lative acts, un.lor severe penalties; but the difficulty of captur- ing or convicting these poachers is such, that most of them escape the penalties .»f the law, and pursue their unhallowed avocation, notwithstanding the greatest efforts to apprehend ihem ; and their only punishment is the repeated anathemas and just indignation of all true sportsmen. " There is another mode that is sometimes practised, which, though not quite so objectionable as the last, is seldom resorted to by gentlemen that shoot for pleasure, and is not permitted on grounds belonging to clubs. It is called • toling.' A small dog about the size and color of a Red Fox, is made to gambol upon the shore, playing with sticks or stones that are tossed towards him from the gunners, who are lying concealed by a blind The attention of a flock of Ducks that may be feeding within the distance of one hundred, or two hundred yards, is soon ar- rested, and they are simultaneously attracted by the antics of the dog, and with one accord swim rapidly toward the shore, as II charmed." ' The only kind of wild fowl shooting which now remains to be described, is one very little practised in this country I mean what is usually called punt-shooting, with a stanchion or swivel-gun of enormous size. This mode has been adopted on the Chesapeake, but the use of the large gun is so unpopular, that It has been necessarily abandoned. On the Hudson a eun- ning punt of this kind is used by one gentleman, who kills im- mense quantities of Ducks, with perfect success. The best dimensions for a gun of this kind are stated by Colonel Hawker-with whom this is, of all others, the favorite kind of shooting-to be, length of barrel from seven to nine feet; bore from one inch and a quarter, to onein.:h and a half- weight from seventy to eighty pounds. The barrel should noj I '•:. i:;'" 144 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. be absolutely confined below, but should be fitted with a rono breeching, extending from the butt of the gun to the stem of he punt, where it is secured. The gun fired with such a breeciung, will recoil as far as the rope will stretch, say one or wo inches, and will then spring forward about a foot, unless checked by a notch in the stock, which should butt against tho gunning bench. The butt of the piece should be well padded to reheve the shoulder from the shock. Such a gun may l!o fired with two ounces of Curtis and Harvey's best coarse pow- der^and a pound of shot; the best sized shot is from No 3 up to No 1. for Ducks-A or AA for Geese ; or cartridges of SSG for above a hundred yards. The best wadding is a t^^ht- wound ball of the best picked oakum. Mercuriaf ointment L as good a thmg as can be used, to prevent the rusting of guns wMch l";^tf"^^ '''-' '- ^ --^«^ ^^' ^^« - i-ntion. To file these guns you must bear heavily with your shoulder against the upper pait of the padded but, taking care L L let your shoulder touch the butt, or your cheek the stock. All Y ^"f r "^'^'V"^^"- ^^"^ ™-t be kept before the guard. Your left hand should be placed over the butt, to regulal the ha"n7 T; 'l "T ''"'' ^'""^'^ J"«^ ^-- *« back of the hand. A httle elevation must be given for the springing of b rds at the flash, which they will perceive before the shot'- reach them; and a good deal of practice is necessaiy, particu- laily in firing long cross shots at flocks, where it is sometimes ten yards a-head of a fast flying flock. The advantage of a stanchion gun over a common shoulder Duck gun, IS much greater than that of the latter over a com- EnglZr"^ ^""' ^^'^ """ "''^ universally on the coast of in rr JT' v.'"''' ""'' ^' "' ^'^^^ P^^^'ble. and as low m the water. The gunner lies flat on his breast in the bottom. when working up to birds, and paddles the vessel through two . FOWL SHOOThVO. , .. small hatches cut in the irunwalfi Ti.Jo .i i « however, .„ H„,e ,„e,, i„Teta .Ilh r *°°""" '* will probably be found suffi „ ' T , " ' ""°" "'' '' who are dedrou, of gainin. foHe ' J P"""'"' '""■"°™--- will find everything ,^2 bj°i "'"" "" *" '"'•>«• J lui^ mac can be said concern ne it evpn tr. ^u^ J-on. .beir discovering , Ja;rrlroft„C°a:'r; tr*" by .hc,r sense of smelling, or, wha. I ra.he'r Ulv „ Tj case, by the wind carrying the sound ,„ ,), """' .'° ''" ""> yo„ a..en.pti„, to „or\ t^o I'S^l ^ZZT "^^." oio*i g i's* :;^^: :*:;::": ^""'"^r-'' -^ '- "-^ ^--■^ insnow unless Ihe sun r 1 "''"'1' °" "^'■''«'" "'='"»' <>■■ whi.o will shine : Zch a"d Tb^b .h"? T' ""*'«' "'-" i> preferable. A blaTL " „1 ' " '"" ^"^ ""^ '«'- cp of the .a.a colortittLrdt: "" """""' "^ "°™' ^•" " It.s desirable to carry a common light gun i„ ,he b„ , f rr/dSr. ":f,tj:r r • *"^ -■ ~^' .;% facilitate .^etagti^X Terbir '""^'"-''' - causes the biL ::^:i; t!';::! "m™ J:!: rth""""' -t them. ^ ''" '^^ ^""^^ '« P^^^dled almost upon 'W, .0 meet with success ,L ,T,H ^ destructive me- if he be bent „„ prac ilZ if , V ''™'"™' •>»' »«««"!/ "■i'h"ut Potter's eT, " ?n / """""■ ""^ '''O"" "-" ••« *- on this pic Zdlf r ■• "'"" ■'= P™°f »«ho. ■"J .«bject-the Wild Sp r^ Tb? wV," " "'""-*™"" "f VOL. n. ^porrs oi the Wilderness. 10 -f 1i^. 146 FRANK FORESTER'S FIELD SPORTS. WILD SPORTING OF THE WILDERNESS. NDER this title I include all that -is generally tenned hunting; all, in a word, that is executed with the trifle instead of the shot-gun, with the Horse ur the Hound, instead of the Setter or the Spaniel. Hunt- ing, in its trae accejitation, witli packs of trained Hounds, followed in view, by mounted hunters, can hardly be said to exist in North America, although there is "one regular pack of Fox- hounds, kept up and hunted in perfect English style, at Mon- treal, supported principally by officers of the garrison. It is well managed during the short season, and has often shown great sport and fine runs. Many gentlemen in the Soutlieru States keep packs of Hounds for the pursuit both of the Deor and the Bear, and, when the ground is practicable, ride to thorn well and daiingly, but the woody nature of the country, niul the unwillingness of the game to break covert and take to tiio open, render it nearly impossible to keep near the Hounds; ri u principal utility of which, is to drive the animal across the stuud of the ambushed hunter, and allow him to do execution o), k with his trusty rifle, or his full charge of buck-shot. In old times a pack of Foxhounds was kept at Elizabeth ' WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 147 Tcatur btif T '"■' '"*"■ °' "-^ ^"-' Commodore ox,,.,, I behave, regularly h„„,ed i„ ,ie United States. The Fox „ not, therefore, considered in any light but that of ver mu,, and ., pursued merely for the sake of destroying ano Jou" animal, genera Iv on font with a ^ u ^ "S '^ noxious and the gun. ' ' ^'^ ^'^^'^ ^°"^^'^^" H«""'^«. The animals, therefore, which are pursued in the sports of the wilderness ai-e the noblest, the largest, the fleetest, and in one instance, the fiercest in the known world ihey are, JstZf^ZZ^'"^' ^" ;^-^'-^— ' -^^« 5«#.i..-Ranging -d west of the Rocky Moun ams. as far north as the Columhia No 2. The American Elk, Cervus Canadensis, the Wapiti -A few are found in the remote par,s of Penn^ylvani^C with this exception, it ranges only west of th^ M" • '. "^ the 56th or 57th parallel of'north l^L '''''''''' ^^' No. 3. The Moose, Cervus Aloes, Orignalofthe Canadians- »rdrf Maine and northward of the great Lake, ,:t:tc: No. 5. The Common Deer, Cervus Virsinianus Pn , 1 eve.y whei-e from Canada and the Ba, of fC;:;;;! OH.' No. 6. The Black-tailed Deer, Cervus Macrotis.~m^,, ,,f 'he Missouri to the Rocky xAIountains. -West o7tho m"'""' """f '" ^""^'^^«' ''' Prong.Horn. nol 1 H 'f """PP^,^'^ ^'-^ I^-ky Monntains, and so far t>n Hole " ^' "^^"^^"^'^ ^^^'^^"^ ^"« -"-' "Carl- •| >M , ' 148 FRANK FORESTKR's FIELD SPORTS. No. 8. The Rocky Mopntain Goat, Ovis Montana, Rupira- ^TJZ'^r'"^ .«/^, Rocky Mountain Sheep.^ln those part, of the Rocky Mountains, which lie between 48° and 68- north latitude. No 9 The Black Bear. Ursus Americanus.^Ranging over the whole continent of North America. ' No. 10. The Grizzlv Bear. Urms Hornlnlis.^W est of the Missouri, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains. The Puma or Cougar. Felu Concohr, vulgo Panther, the different varieties of Lynx, Pe^i, Canadenm, Felis Rufu, Felis x^/Tnl'T C^^^-^, ^ulgo Wild. Cat, the two species of Wolf. Ca^^sLupu., and Canis Latrans, although often pursued, and invanably killed whenever taken. I cannot bring myself to regai-d as game, or even animals of sport, or chase, never being * scientihcally or systematically hunted. Lastly, the only bird which falls under this department of field sports, the noblest gallinaceous fowl of the worid, and the finest of the order Rasores, is, No. 11 The Wild Turkey, Meleagris Gallopavo.^lu We8^ ern Canada, occasionally in New-York, a few in the Easten, States and m Northern Pennsylvania, though scarcely in sufTici- ent numbers to be considered as game of the Eastern or Middle ^ tates. Every whex. west of the Ohio ; a k^ in the Carolinas. t lorida and Georgia, to the far West. Rifle and the Hound, all afford the finest and most excitine sport, are all game with perhaps the one exception of the Gnzzly Bear, of the highest order, and constitute the principal object of pursuit, and a main article of food to the wild aborigi- nes of the western wilderness, and the hardy woodmen wlu, have succeeded and supplanted them on the prairies and in the forests of the illimitable West. " »" "le Smaller game. are. for the most part, held in contemnt hy these bold and hardy hunters; the use of the shot-gun by* them rs unknown and neglected, and the article itself despised as the plaything of a boy ; the art of shooting on the wing, being ex- " WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 149 cept in the vicinity of a few of the larger western cities, utterly unknown and unpractised. Of these fine animals. I shall proceed to give brief geologi- cal descriptions from the best authorities, and shall then close th.8 volume and the work, by a short narrative of the various modes m use of pursuing and capturing each secundum artem, reservmg only space for a fev^ hints on the fish and fishing of the continent, and for a small appendix on various things re- garding field sports generally, which could not properly be introduced under special heads, or which have casually escaped my attention in the body of the work. THE BISON-VULGO, BUFFALO. Bos A.ncr^canus^ Gemel Taurus Mexicanus; Hernand. Me.. n . T ^'^''''i'''' ^^''^' ^^i^- p. 10. The Buffalo: Catesby, Carol 28. tab. 20. Boeuf. Savage; DupratzfLoul siane, u. 66. Arnerican Bull; Penn. Quad. "From other species of the Ox kind, the Bison is well dis- tinguished by the following peculiarities. A long, shaggy hair clothes the fore parts of the body, forming a well-markef beard, beneath the lower jaw. and descending behind the knee in a tult. This hair rises on the top of the head in a dense mass, nearly as high as the extremities of the horns. Over the fore- head It IS closely curled, and matted, so thickly, as to deaden the force of a rifle ball, which cither rebounds, or lodges in the han-, mei-eiy causing the animal to shake his head as he heavily bounds along. ^ " The head of the Bison is large and ponderous, compared to the size of the body; so that the muscles for its support, neres- hiii I ■< t! 150 PRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. sarily of great size, give great thickness to the neck and hv e. ong,n fro. the prolonged dorsal vertebral proces'ses fol' the pecuhar projection called the /.«.^. This hump is of a" oblong fonn, d.n,inishing in height as it recedes, so as to gi considerable obliquity to the line of the back ^ S^l^^C^^f'^^ ^'"''" '"'"'""■ ^'^^'^ ^"^ brilliant; the hom« ward r '^"^ ?"' '""^ ''^ '''''' -'^-^ they -.,'«; Th oUlLeoTtTt' "'''''' "P^^^"^ '^-^''^ ^^- VoZ. on L?b "T vf " '" '""""'^'y *^""^«^' ^"'J the upper lip on each s,de being papillous within, dilates and extends down w. ds, gmng a very oblique appearance to the lateral gap ofTle bas el'iefs ^ P^"'^"'" — ^^'"^ the ancient archit'ecturd bas-,ehefs representing the heads of oxen. The physiognomy of the Bison ,s menacing and ferocious, and no one can see tZ Zd t" ;: "r^ ^"'^' ^^^ ^'^ «- ^'-' -^o- fee;:; i : clmed to attend immediately to his personal safety. The sum -er coat of the Bison differs from his winter dre'ss. ratherTv difference of length than by other particulars. In summer from covered with a very shoit fine hair, that is as smooth and soft to the touch as velvet. The tail is quite shon and tufted at the end, and its utility as a flv-bni«b i-« r,o m The color of th. if- I necessanly very limited. I he color of the ha,r is unifoi-mly dun. but the lon^ hair on the an enor parts of the body i, to a certain extent' dnTed^^: yd owish or rust color. These animals, howeve . prefenT o .ng from the ™™dia,e merference of the Srea. 80™' borne vanetia, of color have been obser, ed, al,b„„„h fl,e in ...nee, are ra... A Mi,.„„ri „ader info^ed he J„bt "f Long , exp onng party, „,., he had seen a greyiah-whto B ™ and a yearhng ealf, ,ha. „a. di«i„g„i.hed by aeve tl „h .J an Li 'l, ; ^^' °" '""•T--«" "> '1.B expedition, saw in th-fiont. Th,.waa highly prized by the proprietor, who ealle,! ' L 'i' M IMP ; i, H ill WESTERN WILD SPORTS. tffl it his great medicine, for, said he, ' the herds come every season to the vicinity Jo seek their white companion.' " In appearance, the Bison cow bears the same relation to the bull that is bonie by the domestic cow to her mate. Her size is much smaller, and she has much less hair on the fore part of her body. The horns of the cow are much less than those of the bull, nor are they so much concealed by the hair. The cow is by no means destitute of beard ; but though she possesses this conspicuous appendage, it is quite short when compared with that of her companion. " From July to the latter part of December, the Bison cow continues fat. Their breeding season begins towards the latter part of July, and continues until the beginning of September, a;id after this month, the cows separate from the bulls in dis- tinct herds, and bring forth their calves in April. The calves rarely separate from the mother before they are a year old, and cows are frequently seen, accompanied by calves of three seasons. " The flesh of the Bison is somewhat coarser in its fibre than that of the domestic Ox, yet travellers are unanimous in consid- ering it equally savory as an article of food ; we must, however, receive the opinions of travellers on this subject with some al- lowance for their peculiar situations, being frequently at a dis- tance from all other food, and having their relish improved by the best of all recommendations in favor of the present viands — hunger. It is with reason, however, that the flesh is stated to be more agreeably sapid, as the grass upon which these animals feed is short, firm and nutritious, being very different from the luxurious and less saline grass produced on a more fertile soil. The fat of the Bison is said to be far sweeter and richer, and generally preferable to that of the common Ox. The obsei-va- tions made in relation to the Bison's flesh, when compared to the flesh of the domestic Ox, may be extended to almost all wild meat, which has a peculiar flavor and raciness, which renders it decidedly more agi'eeable than that of tame animals, although the texture of the flesh may be much coarser, and the fibre by no means so delicate. m \l-' H m Mm ^H L.lu , Wm ^31 108 FRANK FOKKSIKr's pjEtD SrOKTS. ;IM "Of nil tl.o parts „ftho Binon tlmt aro oaten, .ho humn ;« .1 n^.>«t fan.od iW n. peculia.- richno. a„.l delicacy ,a3 co.;M 't.H said very „.,ch to roHon.ble marrow' ' "" by t.!Ji;Zr^ ""' -now-bonosare al«o highly cHteced •' J)urin^ tl,o m,.„th« of AuguHt and Sopto,T,hor the flesh of he ]>,..„ hull in p„,., ,..,, ,H„,^,,„,,,,^ flavored tlu V |owever. ...h .ore oa.ly killed, an the/are not so' vig I ':' the cows, and sometimes allow the hunf,^« .« . ^ look at then, ,„■ „ „„„„„,, ,, „ .„„„„,, „ y otiy TCsumo (li,,ir grazing. " 'I"'" .r JvtT;;:;l:i';r T/""' ''t"" '■^"" ■""» •■ "mter to ,,I„„g„ ,.x|,o leap together from^the brLk t:/^r''"^ "^'^" ' ''-'' ^"'^ l>rokensurface.a hun- of "tllb '" "^' ^"f"' f ''"""" ''' ^^'^^'"^ ^^««" •" *hi8 way. one of then-swdiost-footedand most active young men is sole ted. horns adjtxsted on Ins own head, so as to make the deception very comp ete and thus accoutred, he stations himself betwn Btson herd and some of the precipices that often extend for everal mdes along the rivers. The Indians surround the herd as nearly as possible, when, at a given signal, they show them- selves, and rush forward with loud yells. The animals bei^g alarmed and seemg no way open but in the direction of the dis- guised Indian, run towards him. and he taking to flight, dashes on to the precipice, where he suddenly secuios himself in some irztir:r^' "^^^^^ ^'^ '^^^'"'^^^ «^^'- ^--^ -'- e cat e T»"r " "" P""^'""^ ^^ ^^^'•-^— ^^ance of e cape. The foremost may for an instant shrink with terror but the crowd behind, who are terrified by the approaching ^eg ted force hurls them successively into the gulf, where cer- tam death awaits them. J2 !' ^''^y.^^^y ^^•^""^t^ ^hat this sanguinary and wasteful method of killing Bisons is not very frequently resorted to by the savages, or we might expect these animals in a few years to become almost entirely extinct. Lewis and Clark bestowed the name o^ Slaughter River on one of the tributaries of the Missis- sippi, in conseqtience of the precipices along the sides having been used by the Indians for this mode of killing the Bison ilt^. 154 PRANK FOHESTEr's FJKLO SI'OKTS. A 1)ott(T and moi )ro coininon wav of Lillin-v n; • i attacking tl.em on l..,rH,.|,a,.k tT r r ^ " '" '''"' "'" "• "low 18 given, when tliey jro n ninHint /.»■, fi unnl their quivern are exhausted. Should "Z"' country, the hii.it«,. Jo i "luin. parts ot the y, huntei ,8 exposed to considerable danger of fidi r/;,: ^::;;r""= °' "-' ""■""°"' "-- -«'" '-4ilt " Ifa Bison is found dead, without an arrow in the hodv nr „ thev f.,11 , «• (V ^ l '''■''"'^^ ^" "" purpose when sufficiently de,-n into the l.nTV ^ "^ """ ^^^""' ^'"^ wound. ^ ''^^^ ^^ " «"^"»'^' t" inflict a deadly and the Bison 1!T ! , «""•""'"!'"& i'lains is set on fire, able p„i„te for aJk a ,d 1 ^ .r*" "•■'°'" "'° ""»' f"^"'' leap wU„ wondertl ;: ' -! .tl"''''''" "''•''• ""' """""' " Wo have already adverted ,„ .he great number of the.e a„i. . rnuls wli tliree, foi t!ie eye ( " Souk ci^dit or 1 At night is unaccu and roarii tliundor. as among anl inofl'e animals, i when wo bulling se ferocity a Avhether v towards € time it do( by an atta criminate]; " We sh the remark country ov present inl " The B tory of the lies east oi narrow stri These wen " That it bable from Mr. Calhou rous, do nol Thomas M( • Long's WESTEHN WILD SPOHTS. J 55 lis which live togothnr, Thoy muU wh.cl. live .,«..„,.. ,„ey ..^^e boon Been m /.eras of three, iour, and five thouHnnd. blackening the plains os far as t!io eye could view. '• Some travellers are of opinion that they have seen as many as oi,rht or ten thousand in a herd, but this is merely a conjecture. At night It IS impossible for a person to sleep near tlum who IS unaccustomed to their noise, which from the incessant lowing and roaring of the bulls, is sai.l very much to resemble distant tliunder. Although frequent battles take place between the bulls as among domestic cattle, the habits of the Bison are peaceful ana inoffensive, seldom or never offering to attack man or other animals, unless outraged in the first instance. They sometimes when wounded, turn on the aggi-essor; but it is only in thJ bulling season when any danger is to be apprehended from the ferocity and strength of the Bison bull. At all other times whether wounded or not, their efforts are exclusively directed towards effecting their escape from their pursuers, and at this time It does not appear that their rage is provoked particularly by an attack on themselves, but their usual intrepidity is indis- crimmately directed against all suspicious objects. "We shall conclude this account of the Bison, by introducine the remarks of John E. Calhoun, Esq.,» relative to the extent of cou.itry over which this animal foimerly roved, and which it at present inhabits. " The Buff-alo was fonnerly found throughout the whole tern- tory of the United States, with the exception of that part which has east of the Hudson's River and Lake Champlain, and of narrow strips of coast on the Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico Ihese were swampy, and had probably low thick woods. "That It did not exist on the Atlantic coast, is rendered pro- bable from the circumstance, that all the early writers whom Mr. Calhoun has consulted on the subject, and they are nume- rous, do not mention them as existing there, but furtlier back. Jhomas Moiton, one of the first settlei-s of New England, says. • Long's Expedition to the sources of the St. Peter's River, ii.. p. 28. ,f.:/i ■p ]/>$ PHiNK POKESTEb's PIelD SPOBTS. Aa the I„d,™ -have al«, made mention „f great heard, „f well-growne beaat.. .ha. live abou. ,he parta of this lake' ^Er , c„« now Lake Ontario-. a„ch a, .he Christian worid „f, " h.» d„covery. had, no. been made ac,„ain.ed „i.h Thl .oode the,r hrdea good ledier, their fleeces very useful ZSTl kind of wolle, aa fine almost as the woUe of the Beave ' Id 1 salvages do make gan„ent. thereof He addZ- I. is ,! year, smce first the relation of these things el ,o ZtZ T' ,7 t ! "^"^'"^^ "■» quotation, partly w,th a view,; known as far h^aTas^MoTo:. 7Sus/ Sr''''' ™ -ith that of .he Beaver, and with sZe'tlth W ZIT " .rB:^;:^rac^ai::zti^pro7i:.*^'^""'" the animal itself, can be referred ,7„ 1 Europeans w«h ^ for m .3« ou.man:tt":th';:;:;:^„r;rr^^^^^ amon^ thos'e^f tt"" gW "pu^r^T""^ *'' ="'™' 1613 the adventure, discovered in Cl't"",' "'l-'f '" cattell, as big as kine, which are ^oS t'e F^^ r" "" of .Le who «« rier.hrr:b:rdt.:i:tLr r tr ed'^lXidt O^e Xm"i"'" ""-^^^^ «as Territo,^, and L™is a ^ fi™ 1513?''tr' ^'''°°- B„ffal„,-tl,ey were told .hat therima, wI^oTofT "" '" .-, iufo^s us, that atThat z t^rr, dtrri:;^ WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 157 I-O" er Louisiana. We know, however, of one author, B.raard a benefi. of nature bestowed upon Florida. There can be no doub, that the animal approached the Gulf of Mexico near the Bay of St. Bernard, for Alvar Nunez, about the vlrTsM saw them no. far frou, the coast, and Joater, one hundL and fifty ,..ar, afterwards, saw them at the Bay of St. Bernard I, probable that this bay is the lowest poinl of latitude a. which •h^ an,n,al has bean found, east of the Rocky Mount ins There can be no doubt of their existence west of those moun .a.ns, -hough Father Venegas does not include them air; hj mmals ofCahfornia, and although they were not srn west of . :.e mountains by Lewis and Clark, nor mentioned by Z jn and Mackenzie, as existing in New Califo,™., a country da Rocky Mountains, the territory of the United Sta es .ri he Eu».an possessions on the no„h-we,t coast of Ame"; "t 4«r existence at present on the Columbia appears tXe wel ce«a,„ed , and we are told that there i, . traLon mong"! ...ves, that shortly before the visit of our entetprilg x! plorers, destrucfve i's Virginia, 96. The Elk ; Law- son, New Voyage; Carver, Travels, 417. The American Elk ■ Beunck, Quadrupeds, 112. Cervus Wapiti; Barton, Med and Physical Journ. iii. 3G. Wapiti; Warden, Desrr. des Etats Unis, V. 3G8 ; Stag, Red Deer, Hid, 3G7. Wapiti ,• Mitchill, Leach, Fred. Cuvier, Mamif. Lithonr. Uv. 21 c Cerf Wapiti; Desm. Mamm.sp.66i; Cerf Cauadien, ibid, sp. 6G5 Wewaskish, Waskesse, Wawaskeesho ; Ilcarne, Journey S,t 3G0. Commonly called Stag, Red Deer, Gray Moose, Le Biche, Wapiti, American Ell, Round-horn Elk, Elk, Sfc. " The stately and beautiful animal we are no^v to describe has been, until very recently, confounded witli other species of Deer, to which it bears but a slight resemblance, and from which It IS distinguished by the most striking characters. The English name by ^vhich it is commonly known, and which we prefer to others, is the same as that given to the Moose in Lurope; hence, this species was for a long time considered as a mere variety of the Moose, if not identically the same. A gene- ral H'semblance to the European stag, caused the application of tlie same name to our Elk, and this circumstance led various wri. ters into the eiTor of considering our animal to be a variety of the Cervus Elaphus, or common Stag of Europe. 160 PRANK FOBESTEB's FIELD SPORTS. Will t'nf 1' '^"""^"^y ^" ^""« P^^fi'^^'^ ^ thi« aitidc w 11 amply suffice to show how great a degree of confusion haj hi herto existed upon this aubject-a confusion rather increae' ban d™,n,shed by those who have attempted its rerv„, ": re onedmg the discrepancies of books, instead of appea^ng o the proper and infallible authority, nature. ^ "Heame we believe to be justly entitled to the credit of hay. -g insisted upon the specific distinctness of this anim: 1 fromth Moose by pointing out the error into which Pennant had irilln m stating the Waskesse, or Wewaskish, to be of the 1 sp^^^^^^^ The descnption he gives of the Wewaskish, sufficiently proves hat It was our Elk he described, and the characters he'enun rates satisfactonly establishes the specific differences betre„ this animal and the Moose. "i^iween aware of Hearne's observations, proves very clearly that the Elk of America ought to be regarded as identical neither with the name of Akes Americanus. Subsequently, Dr. E H Smith published a very interesting paper:, the New- York Medical Repositoiy, m which he described three individuals of this spe- cies and gave a still more complete enumeration of their L tinctive characters and history. "It would be as unprofitable as irksome to enter more exfen- Bively into the history of the different errors and changes rcsnect- mg the classification of this Deer. To us, it appears suffident to declare it to be now fully established that there is but one species of Amencan Elk, upon which all the names prefixed; Bcientific and trivial, have been bestowed. That this specicH i second in 8,ze to the Moose alone, and that in beauty of form, grace and agihty of movement, and other attributes of its kind It as not excelled by any Deer of the old or new worid " The size and appearance of the Elk are imposing; his air denotes confidence of great strength, while his towering hon.s exhibit weapons cap.iJ.le of doing much injury when offlively employed. The head is beautifully formed, tapering to a nar- WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 161 wpo,nt; the ears are large and rapidly movable ; the eyes are full and dark; the ho,.s rise loftily fro„. the front, with nu merous sharp-pomted branches, which are curved fon a^s and the head is susta ned unon a np^t ot i , "^aras, and ffraceful Thn h. V A """^ ''^"'^^^' vigorous, and graceful. The beauty of the male Elk is still farther heightened bj the long forward curling hair, which forms a sort of ruff or hod ?i" IT. T '^'"''""^ ""'"^ *^« — - covering. ^Z are mtl 'La ' '•°"^^'T '« ^'^^^ P-Po-ioned ; tfelim are small and apparently delicate, but are strong, sinewy and ^^y* ^"" ^t the approach of snrinn- r::wrr - "* ^-™ -- -^^^ ^^ ~f; to consist of three nrinrinn 1 ^''™' ^'^ ^'^"^ sometimes calXZ-rhr""' '''' ^^^ b™— tier, pronas name fit. 7 ""'"'"'' ^'^' ^^« two middle Cs ThA f ^^ ^'"''' '"'^ ''^' The shaft, or proper " Tb/pii, i ^, ' hereafter to be described, -the hlk sheds his horns about the end of Fpl.r,.a. pinriiiffof Marrh «n^ o u- i ^"" °^ -^ ebruary, or be- I'".™ fhol, Zh' .w t " l" "P'""'' ™* """- *» new va.. , ° ■ *"' '" '"=' *"' " ""-"h they aie a foot i„ Hi '.l¥ % li^^XPI f i< V^ r^^l I ' il ff ' I f" ^ I Jl 162 FRANK FORRSTRU'S FIEI.H SPOnTS. I«nigtli. Tlio whoh, Hinfiico of tlio lioni in covered by a Hoft luiiry mvmhrnuv, whi.-li, fror' its reK<.rnl.I.inco to that Hulmrnn.o, M nill(..l rrlirf, (iimI tlio Iioihh ,iro mul to ho ' in tlio volvcst' until llio month of Au,:ru«t, by whid. timo thoy have altaiiujd tl.oir full hWak Aftor the lioinH aro ontiroly formod, tho miim- brano bocoin.'H ontiroly dofarhod, and tluH s.iparation is l.aHton- ed by tho animal, who n].iH>arB to Buffer Bomo irritation, or itcbinK, which cnmoH him to rub the honm against troes, kc. " Almost all who have written upon this species, have dwelt upon the peculiar apparatus, situated beneath tho eye, at the inttMiial anirlo, which t\w French naturalists call larmiers or .«- «/A» lacrynmlvs. This apparatus is a slit or depression, obliquely placed below the ;, ner angle of each eye. an,l lined with a na- ke.l mend.rune, which secretes an unctions matter, not unlike the ceramen or wax o\' iho ear. Dr. Smith, in the paper we have above refern.d t.^ uays that 'the hunters assure us that the Elk poBsessoB the power, by strictly closing the nostrils, of forcing tho air through those apertures in such a manner a's to make a noise which may be heard at a gn^at •» pafnliaritie^ of ctLe us r;"'"r ,■""''" '"■"'■^ "^ •■y"'" »P--,ma, cause us to forg..., m admiration of its adaptation to cironra »2-. P.ejudices excited by the comparative inelagancI^fT^ ;• The Moose inhabits the northern parts of both continents: ha V" fT ""'1.°' ' ''"'•■ •^" "'« ^-"-" --on, i has been found as far north as the country has been fully ex Thorelr rt '°''*''" "■""««• « f»™-- periods, extended to tl,e Sta 1 t *■■"" ^"^'"- "'"' ""■""»'"»« "'O New-E„gla„d States. At present ,. is not heard of south of the State of. WESTEHN WILD SPORTS. 107 Maino, where it is bocoming rare, [n Nova Scotia, the Isle of Breton, the country adjacent t(. the Hay „f Fu„dy, and through- out the Hudson's Bay possessions, the Mu.me is found in consi- doral)lo nuinbors, "The dense forests, and closoly-shaded swamps of those re gions, are the fn orite rosort« ..f this animal, as there the most abundant supply of food is to be obtained with the least incon- venience. The length of limb, and shortness of neck, which in an (,pen pasture appear so disadvantageous, are here of ..ssen- tial imj.ortance, in enablin,L u..; Moose to crop the buds and young twigs of the birch, maple, or poplar ; or sh-.uld ho prefer the aquatic plants, which grow most luxuriantly where the soil 18 unfit to support other animals, the same length of limb ena- bles birn to feed with security and ease. We cannot avoid be- heving that the peculiar lateral and slouching position of the nostrils 18 immediately connected with the manner in which the Moose browses. - Their construction is very muscular, and seems very well adapted for seizing and tearing olf the twigs and fohag. of trees, and conveying them to the mouth ; it may also be designed to prevent the sense of smell from being at any time suspended by the prehension of food. The probability of tins last suggestion is strengthened by the fact, that thr Moose 13 endowed with an exquisite sense of smell, and can discover the approach of hui.ters at very great distances. When obliged to ieed on level ground, the animal must either kneel, or sepa- rate the legs very widely. In feeding on the sides of acclivities, lie Moose does so with less inconvenience by grazing from be- low upwards ; the steeper the ground may be, so much the easier it is for this species to pasture. Yet, whenever food is to be procured from trees . d shrubs, it is prefen-ed to that which IS only to be obtained .y grazing. The Moose, like his kindred species, is a harmless and peaceful animal, except in t.e season when the sexes seek each other; then the males display a fierceness and pugnacity, which forms a strong con- trast to their ordinary actions. Were they only examined dur- ing such seasons, the character of the species would be entirely IK ! H 1(58 FHANK FORESTER'S FlEI.D SPOKTS. "•her, .„d „.,.. „,„ ' t,i„" r, ^"■"^'■''""""y wi-h o.d, effect. gg'o«»ior,s of nwii hiniMlf wi,l, ,;^„ ^,^ "in the summer, tlio lVf^» c the inaecte. The« nL i '^""' "'" """"yai,™ „f for the p„rpi'':fC,„7„ -»«-•;". r' '■"'"■ '"""■- "■o water. At thi. n..Zl^ TT\ '""" "''■"'' ™" f™" » oraot .„ dH„k, of which :!^^^L:!„tiw''"°r"'" ""-• •dvantage to lie in ambush „„,'"«" ''"""" '"k«» Doer. At ,uch dri,™'!ll' '"""^ ""> ''o.truction of ,he of Moose h„™, ,„„o b:^„','S/:p""°"^ " °''^'" " •- P-' -" ™,se t' „,,„gh : re,t: „; ; °"''/"°''- *'"■* - ''o.'; ™»..-..in,up„„ 1 mo:r~ t;' «™ '""■«'-' a-c, the tender branches of ,i„li„ "^ '™''- "'■ '"""-.Ing pied Me„.e.j,ards •""" ""^ ""' f"™' thus eccu- M:n:n,t;re";:i,srr:V"'' "^ '■" -^ «™"^- when the snow is deefL ?^« 1 '" *" """>"■ °f M«l-. '1.0 weigh, of a do! ';orth.. ;'° m" '^'"" ^'"' ™ '" '«' F.ve or six man, p™vM ; " "".^ *'°7 " '- •>eon stated. - many days, „ Jail „ee„ ' imT ' T"'""^ '""^ '"' 'camp, at night, set out „::a:d;of'ar"'' .'"""'"« "'='' have discovered one, they e hei^do""'" i '^'"^"""'^ the night, in erder te be readv^l ' ^' ""'' """"""P f"-- earlv hour, before the sun s"Ss, he "" *" "'"'•' " "" wou^d be the mean, of L ^fr . ? "P°" ""'"ow, which escape of the Deer A, t k V^° '^°«'' "»'' faoiiitating the huntL, wearingLe aLT'"' .""^ '"^ ™ '"■'' »"• and the A, seen as the d "* ""r t°^'' *'"°- - "I^ely as possible. ..des, and force Z toTemtt 1, °°"' ''"'' '^'^ "■■" ™ ^" attempt h,s escape bv flight. The Ueer, • WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 169 uii» ni moiy Mop, cuts li,« logs »o sovomlv timt tlin poor .„,mal ..u„d« « bay, „„a „„J„„:,, to ,lofa„.n H "• flat ':, 7' ' '"""••' " ■''™ "'"• '"• f"" <■«« rh . nva of .he uneer „i.hi„ a convenient dUtance .„o„ ,„™i! .hr;irr' ■" ° """ ''°'" '■'• -^'^ ™™'' f-'" •» -^^ •■ Judging by the ra,,id diminution of thi. apecie, within a com- pamfvoly fe„ yea™, it i, ,„ ,,„ fe„,„j ,;,/., " ™ d,. ance of „„e, be ex.e™ina.od. The Mooso i. ea" lyUn."" ^^ yo...„g, they are domesticated ,„ a remarkable doRree W are ,„f„rm„d by „ur fri„„d, Mr. Vanbuskirlc, of New Bn.,»w,olc that ho l<„ow of one which was taken who twoda" SCril". n"' r"""""'' '" °«™''-- '" Nova SCO il The ptopnetor allowed u to suck a cow lor three month, and •fterwardsfedi. with diB-oren, vegetables, until i. „„» T;".' *. Th,s Moose displayed a singular animosity against one of Ike young lad,es of the family, and would chase her „i h fierce. ne». tnto the house. When the door was closed in time to™ cWe^hrm. be would immediately tu™ round and kick vioC^y •■The horns of the Moose spread out almost immediately from ■k=.r base ,n.o a broad palmation , in „,d animals they increase ea h horn bemg thmytwo inches long. The horns are gene a ly cast m the month of November, the Indians employ rta" for vartous purposes, cutting them into spoons, scoop,,'&c. When chased, the Moose throws his horns towards his neck eva OS b,s nose and dashes swirt.y into the thickest of tb W-' « occasionally the horns prove the means of hi, destruction, by becommg entangled among vines, or caught between smal trees. Where the Moose runs over a plain, he moves with g^at celerity, although hi, gait is nothi n'g better than Tong •hamblmg .rot ; this, however, is rendered very efficient by the gveat length of his limbs. While running in 'this ma er! the i\ Iff"-' ' s I T * It 170 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. divisions of the hoofs, which are very long, separate as they press the ground, and close together as they are raised, with a clatter ing sound, which may be heard to some distance. This circum stance is also remarked in the Rein-deer. " Notwithstanding the ease and swiftness of their movements they would be easily captured, if pursued by horsemen and hounds, m a country adapted to such a chase, as they are both short-breathed and tender-footed " The acuteness of their sense of hearing, which is thought to be possessed by the Moose in the greatest degree of perfection together with the keenness of their smell, renders it very diffi' cult to approach them. The Indians attempt it by creeping among the trees and bushes, always keeping to the leeward of the Deer. In summer, when they resort to the borders of lakes and rivers, the Indians often kill them whilst crossing the streams, or when swimming from the shore to the islands They are, says Heame, ' when pursued in this manner, the' most inoffensive of all animals, never making any resistance ; and the young ones are so simple that I remember to have seen an Indian paddle his canoe up to one of them, and take it by the poll without the least opposition ; the poor, haiTnless animal seeming at the same time as contented alongside of the canoe, as if swim- ming by the side of its dam, and looking up in our faces with the .ame fearless innocence that a house-lamb would, making use of Its fore foot almost every instant to clear its eyes of mos- quetoes, which at that time were remarkably numerous ' " The flesh of the Moose, though greatly coarser and* tougher than other vension, is esteemed excellent food, and the Indians hunters, and travellers, all declare they can stand more fatigue while led on this meat than while using any other. The large and gristly extremity of the nose is accounted an epicurean treat and the tongue of the animal is also highly prized, notwithstand- ing It is not commonly so fat and delicate as the tongue of the common Deer. As the Moose feeds upon the twigs buds and small branches of the willow, birch, poplar, mosses, aquatic plants. &c.. Its flesh must be peculiarly flavored. The fat of the WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 171 intestines is hard like suet, but all the external fat is soft, like tiiat of a breast of mutton, and when put into a bladder is as fine as marrow. In this they differ from all other species of Deer, of which, the external fat is as hard as that of the kidneys .• "The female Moose never has any horns; they bring forth their young, ' from one to three in number, in the latter end of April or beginning of May.'t The malr> Moose often exceeds the largest Horse in size and bulk ; the females are much less than the males and differently colorr J, The hair of the male is long and soft, like that of the common Deer; it is black at the tip, but withm It IS of a common ash color, and at the base pure white. The hair of the female is of a sandy-brown color, and in some places, especially under the throat, belly and flank is nearly white at tip, and altogether so at base. ^ "The skin of the Moose is of great value to the Indians, as It IS used for tent covers, clothing, &c. " The Moose, like other Deer inhabiting the northern regions IS exceedingly annoyed by insects, which not only feast upon Its blood, but deposit their eggs in different parts of its body along the spine, within the cavities of the nose, mouth, &c! These eggs, when hatched, form large larv^, or maggots, that feed on the parts within which they are placed, until ready to assume their perfect or winged condition, when they perforate the skm and take flight. So great a number of such perfora- tions are made at certain seasons that the skins of the Moose are rendered worthless to the hunter, unless it be for the pur- pose of cutting them into thongs for nets, and other uses."- hodman 3 American Natural History. * Hearne. + Ibid. i- ift I !! 'I' S, ,*' j I 17? FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. THE REIN.DEER-VULGO, CARIBOO. OERVUS TAEANDUS: L. Cervus Tarandus ; Lin. Syst. p. 93. Cariboo of the old French ^ters. Cerv^ Tarandus; Harlan^s Fauna Americana,,. 232; Godmans Am. Nat. Hist., vol. ii., p. 283; Richardsln i'. Ji. A., vol. 1., p. 238; Emmom, Mass. Reports, 1840, p. 78. " Characteristics.-Y^rfmg in color from deep brown to ^ray- ish-white. About the size ofthe common Deer "Desaription.~BoAyrohu.t, and low on the legs; snout thin with oblique nostrils; ears large; horns usually slender, very' variab e m form.-they generally consist of brow antlers, which are palmate and digitate, the main stem directed backward, then curving forward, with simple or palmated antlers, or else ter- mmatmg m a broad, palmated expansion, which is often fur- mshedvv^th points; legs robust; hoofs rounded, consisting of a single plate folded on itself very broad, with a strong fi^ of hairs around it; fur close and compact, but composed of two ponions one woolly, the other longer, straight, and brittle. C..«. -Varying with age and season. Young, brownish above, with a tinge of reddish beneath. Adults in the sum- n^er a smooth coat of grayish-brown, becoming rougher ard Faunl nf"''''?"'' h-itation that I include this animal in the to sus!;'7: f^t '■ r '" ^-^P^^^-^^^-- ^^ ^-ters lead me been Tor; H n '"' ""'P^'"' ^'^' ^^^^^ ^tate havo Pe Lnt r"' ' "'""''' ''' '"^^'^'^ ^-y ^- 'I'-losed. tarthei South than the most northern part of Canada. Charle voix, however, saw one killed at Quebec. The specimer? e cabinet of the Medical Col We at Albanv ^!'- ''™^" " '''" ScotiT . «n.l w 1 , Albany, came from Nova fecotia , and Harlan asserts that it does not pass the State of Maine into the United Sfnf^a ;»», i • • . ^ unueci fetates, implying its existence tliere. WESTERN WILD SP0RT3. 173 Professor Emmons observes. • It is only a few years since this animal appeared in the northern parts of Vermont and New Hampshire, from which it is not unreasonable to infer, that - earlier times it may have passed still farther south.' Its grega- rious habits, and unsuspicious character, would seem to ensure Its speedy destruction, when placed within the range of man."— DeKay's Natural History of New- York. I h THE AMERICAN DEER. CERVUS VIRGINIANUS. Dama Virginiana ; Ray, Lyn. Quad. p. 86. Cervn, VirginU anus; Harlan, Fauna Amer. p. 239; Godman, Am. Nat Hist. vol. li., p. 306. Mazama Id; Hamilton Smith, Griffith's Cuv. vol iv., p. 127. and vol. v. p. 315. Cervus (Mafama) Mexicanuset Claratus ; Hamilton Smith, ih., p. 315. Fallow Deer; Emmons, Mass. Reports, 1840, p. 81. "Charaeteristics.-ReMhh or bluish gray, according to the season Young, spotted with white ; horns moderate, curving forward, with the concave part in front, with from one to six pomts, occasionally palmated. "Description.-.Ue^d long and slender; muzzle pointed ; eyes large and lustrous, the lachrymal pits consisting of a slight fold ottheskm; tail moderate, depressed ; legs slender; a glandu- ar pouch concoaled by a thick tuft of rigid hairs inside of the bind egs, odoriferous, and connected with the sexular appetite The horns of the adult male vary so much in shape, that scarcely any two are alike, appearing to depend upon age, sea- son, and abundance or scarcity of food. In the first season they are simple, cylindrical, and pointed, and in this state they are known as Spike Bucks ; in the following season they have a short straight amler, and the number increases until the fourth season, when the following is the most usual condition of the 174 FRANK rORESTER's FIELD SPORTS, horns: The main stem rises upward and laterally, and then makes a broad curve forward, with the tips turned inward and downward; on die inner, and slightly anterior surface of the mam stem, arises a short brow antler, directed forward and up ward ; the stem, thus far, is roughened by nodosities and fur- rows ; above this, a branch is thrown off from the interior or anterior, curving inwards and forwards, ana occasionally ano- ther branch before reaching the tip. These first and second branches are occasionally themselves bifurcated; and in one before me now the horns exhibit six tips on one side, including those of the brow antlers; and on the other nine, the first branch bemg bifid, the second trifid, a third simple, and the ex- treme tip itself bifid. When the horn is palmated. the flattening occurs at the origin of the first branch. In many specimens there is only the brow antler, and a single branch alone Fur composed of flattened angular hairs, lying smooth upon the' " CoZor.-Bluish.gray in the autumn and winter ; dusky red- dish, or fulvous, in the spring; becoming bluish in the summer. Ihe fawns are irregularly spottd a quauer. Fro.n the base of the antler to the anterior canthus, three Of .he ears more than seven and a half. Of ihe trunk of the tail. four. Of the hair at the tip of the tail. fron. three to four." !lL 13 w J7S FRANK FORESTEk's FIELD SPORTS. THE AMERICAN ANTELOPE, OR THE PRONG-iJORN. ANTII.OPE AMERICANA, Antelope; Lewis and Clarice, i. 75, 208, 369 ; ii. 169. Antih,,,^ A,nericana; Ord. Guthrie's Geographj/, Philad. edition, 181o. Antilocapra Americana; Ihid. Journal dc Physique, IS IS. Say; Long's Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, i. 3G;j, 4S5.* Antilope Furcifer ; Smith, Trans, of Linncean Soc. xiii.pl. 2. Prong-horned Antelope; Sal. App. p. 667. " Our adventurous countrymen, who led the first expedition across the Rocky Mountains, were the first to call attention tu this beautiful animal, and the first to call it by its true name. "Notwithstanding the obviousness of all the other characters, the circumstance of its having an offset or prong to its horns,' kept nomenclators for years undecided as to what place it should' occupy in their arrangements, and gave them an opportunity, by which they have not failed to profit, of multiplying ^cords aiid republishing their own names, if they made no addition to our mfoi-mation on the subject. All that has been related concern- ing this animal, which is worth repeating or remembering, was published in Lewis and Clarke's narrative above quoted, and has since been confirmed by the observation of Dr. Richardson, appended to Franklin's Journey to the Polar Sea. Leaving to the nomenclators their disputations about what DeKay has happily called ' the ban-en honors of synonyme,' we shall glean the few facts contained in the nanations of the above-mentioned accurate observers of nature. " The Prong-horn Antelope is an animal of wondeifid fleet- ness, and so shy and timoi-ous as seldom to repose, except on ridges which command a view of the sujTounding country. The acuteness of their sight ana the exquisite delicacy of tiieir smell, renders it exceedingly difficult to approach them ; and when once the danger is perceived, the celerity with which the WESTEUX WILD SPOUTS. 170 grmlncl is passcl over appears to the spectator to resemble the flight of a bird rather than the mr.tion of a quadniped " In one instance, Captain Lewis, after various fruitless at- tempts by winding around the ridges, succeeded in approaching a party of seven that stood upon an eminence towards which the wmd was unfortunately blowing. The only male of the party frequently encircled the summit of the hill, as if to an- nounce any danger to the group of Ibmales which stood upon the top. before they saw Captain Lewis, they became alarmed by the scent, and fled while he was at the distance of two hun- dred yards. He immediately ran to the spot where they ha.l stood; a ravine concealed them from him, but at the next moment they appeared on the second ridge at the distance of three mdes. He could not but doubt whether these were the same he had alarmed, but their number and continued speed convmced him they were so, and he justly infers that they must' have run with a rapidity equal to that of the most celebrated race-horse. "Yet, notwithstanding the keenness of their senses, and sur- prising velocity of their course, the Prong-horned Antelope is often betrayed to his destruction by curiosity. When the hun- ter first comes in sight, his whole speed is exerted, but if his pursuer lies down and lifts up Ins hat, arm or foot, the Antelope trots back to gaze at the object, and sometimes goes and re turns two or three times, until it comes within reach of the nHe. Ihis same curiosity occasionally enables the Wolves to make them a prey; for sometimes one of them will leave his companions, to go and look at the Wolves, which, should the Antelope be frightened at first, crouch douTi, repeating, the manoeuvre, sometimes relieving each other, until they succeed in decoying it within their power, when it is pulled down and devoured. But the Wolves more frenuently succeed in taking the Antelope when they are crossing the rivers, as they are no^ good swimmers. 'The chief game of the Shoshon-^es,' says r.ewis and Clarke, ' is the Antelope, which, when pursued re- treats to the open plains, where the horses have full room' for ^ 1 . I ll 280 FRANK FORESTRi.'s FIELD SPORTS. the Chase lint su.l. is itH ..xtra..r.]inary A.-etnoss an largt3 Hocks oCtlu-m worodriv.-n into the water by .he Indians. The men were ranged along tho shore, so as to prevent the escape of the Antelopes, an.l firt-d npon them • ami sometimes the boys went into the river, and killed them with sticks. Fifty-eight of the Antelopes were killed by the Indians during the time the) were observed by our travellers lli.y were then migrating from the plains east of the Missouri where tlu-y spend the summer, towards fl,„ mountains, where' they subsist on leaves and shrubbery, during the winter; in tho spnng they resume tlieir migrations. " The Mandan Indians capture tho Prong-horn Antelopes by moans of a pound, sin.ilar to that described in :he account of the Ken..deer. 1 he following description is given by Dr. Ric-hard- son, from a recent specimen :-' The male is furnished with sliort, black, roundish, tapering horns, arched inwards, turning, towards each other, with their points directed backwards, .a.-h lunT, havmg a single short branchlet projecting from the middle, ll.e winter coat consists of coarse, round, hollow hairs, like those of the Moose. The neck, back, and legs, are yellowish- brown ; the sides are reddish-white ; the belly and chest are white, with three white bands across the throat. The hairs on the occiput, and back of the neck, are long, and tipped with black, forming a short, erect mane. There is a black spot be- bind each cheek, which exhales a strong Goat-like odoi- The tail IS shoit ; on the rump there is a large spot of pure white, rhe dimensions of the animal were as follows : From the nose to the root of the tail, four feet; height of the fore shoulder, breo feet; that of the hind quarter, the same. Girth behincl I'e fore legs, two feet ten inches. The female is smaller than tl.e male, having straight horns, with rather a protuberance than a prong. She is also deficient in the black about the neck "— (^odman's American Natural History. Ril^" t"*f ^' ^^" ^''"''^ ^" •""''^'^" ^'■«^'^"' "«-- Rogues Hiver. which was one of the four the hunters had seen ; it was 1^ ^^^^^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) * {./ ^-^*3^ .■^ <^ /^ iL & ^ 1.0 I.I liillM 111112.5 Ui i;£ 2.0 m 1.25 1.4 j4 -^ 6" Ta o /a 7 "^J^ ^ ^^ i>^ y Photographic Sciences Corporation i.% WEST MAIN STREET WEBiTER.N.Y. I4SS(I (716) 872-4503 ^ J^ >" #;i'. f/. 0 ^ 6^" %j ^^ 182 FRANK F0KE8TEK*8 tlELV SPORTS. i of a dun and white color, and its hair was remarkably sofb. The Indians take this animal by exciting its curiosity ; for this purpose they conceal themselves in a bush, near its huntini^ grounds, and, making a rustling noise, soon attract its attention, when it is led to advance towards the place of concealment uhtil the arrow pierces it. " If there are others in company, they will frequently remain with the wounded, until they are all in like manner destroyed. " This species of Antelope, according to the hunters, only in- habit the prairie, being seldom seen even in the open wooded country. The flavor of the meat was thought to be superior to that of the Deer." — United States Exploring Expedition, Lieut. Wilkea. ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT. CAPRA MONTANA. O vis Montana; Ord. Guthrie's Geography, Philad. edit., 292- 309; ibid. Journ. Acad. Nat. Sciences, part i., p. 8. Rupi- capra Ameriqana ; Blainville. Antihpe Americana ; ibid. Bul- let, de la Societe Phihmathique, p. 80. Antilope Lanigera ; Smith, Trans. Linncean Society, xiii. Commmly called Rocky Mountain Sheep. " This animal, concemmg which very little is known, is stated by Major Long, in his communication to the Philadelphia Agri- cultural Society, to inhabit the portion of the Rocky Mountains, situate between the forty-eighth and sixty-eighth parallels of north latitude. By Lewis and Clarke it was observed as low as forty-five degrees north. They are in great numbers about the head waters of the north fork of Columbia River, where they furnish a principal part of the food of the natives. Tliey also inhabit the country about the sources of Marais, or Muddy River, the Saskatchewan, and Athabasca. They are more nu- merous on the western than on the eastern slope of the Rocky WESTERN WILD 8P0ETS. 183 Mountains, but are very rarely seen at any distance from the mountains, where they appear to be better suited to live than elsewhere. They frequent the peaks and ridges during sum- mer, and occupy the vallies in winter. They are easily obtained l.y the hunters, but their flesh is not much valued, as it is musty and unpleasant ; neither do the traders consider their fleece of much worth. The skin is very thick and spongy, and is princi- pally used for making mocassins. " The Rocky Mountain Goat is nearly the size of a common Sheep, and has a shaggy appearance, in consequence of the pro- trusion of the long hair beyond the wool, which is white and soft. Their horns are five inches long, and one in diameter, conical, slightly curved backwards, and projecting but little beyond the wool of the head. The horns and hoofs are black. " The first indication of this animal was given by Lewis and Clarke ; and it is much to be regretted that so little is still known of the manners and habits of this species. The only specimen preserved entire, that we know of, is that figured by Smith in the Linnaean Transactions, from which the figure in our plate is taken. The fineness of the wool of this animal may possibly hereafter induce persons, who have it in their power, to make some exertions to introduce this species among our domestic animals. It is said that the fleece of this Goat is as fine as that of the celebrated Shawl Goat of Cashmere. " SHEEP ; OVIS. " Generic Characters.— -The outline of the face is arched, or convex, and the mouth has no muzzle ; the ears are pointed, and of middling length; the horns, which are transversely wrinkled, large and triangular, are twisted laterally into a spi- ral, and have no osseous cone, of a cellular or cancellar structuie. The limbs are slender, and covered with unifonn short hair ; the tail is short, curved downwards, or pendulous. Neither sub- ocular sinus, beard, nor inguinal pores, exist in this genus."— Godman's American Natural History. t 184 PHANK FOBESTER's FIELD SPOETS. THE AMERICAN BLACK BEAR. URSUS AMERICANUS. Ursus Americanus ; Pallas, Spicileg. Zool vol. xiv. p. 6 Ur^us Amencanus; Harlan. Fauna r> ':i . r>„j , ,'. vnl i r. 11^ «^*««. ^a««a, p. 51 ; Godman, Am. Nat.Hld. vol. ., p. 114. Black Bear; Penn. Arct. Zool. vol. i. p 57 5eary Emmons, Mass. Rep. 1840, p. 20. "CW.em,ec,.._Black or brownish-black; a soiled brown or yellowish patch on each side of the nose. Facial outline some what arched. Young, with hair wavy or curled ^^Descnption^B^r. high. oval, rounded at the tips, and distant cW ; : Ion" t"V^'^"' P^^^^"^ slightVbeyondrh claws. Fur long, straight, shining and rather soft. Tail very short. Claws short, blunt, somewhat incurved ^ "C.^or.-.Be8ide the general black color of the body, which is yellowish the sides of the nose are of a fawn color; occasion stii\;orof r ^" ^'^- '"^^'^^' ^' '""-^'^ -^ -™«~ Tr tor feet ""*' '^"^"^'^^^ *^ ^y^«- ^-^^'^ ^- h«'7^^^^T' """'^ '° ""'"erous in this State, is now chiefly to davs brint J I ''""^'X^''^' ^ ^-*^^-» of about one hundred days, brings forth two cubs. It does not eat animal food from ndfr;i:s TT"f " ''''-'' '^'^""^^^^ ^'P-^--« denies told . "' ^" '^^ ""*^"' P^«« «f '1- State, a tornado will sometimes sweep through a region, prostrati g tl7 -U T"' °' "^"^ ""^^- ^" the coursf of a few t'ract It 7'' ^"^ ^P""^^ "P ^" ^-^ "-^- in this WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 185 ons — diospyros — and roots of various kinds. Its fondness for sweet things is evident whenever it enters an apple orchard, invariably selecting the sweetest kinds. It will also devour eggs, insects, small quadrupeds and birds ; but when it has abun- dance of its favorite vegetable food, will pass the carcass of a Deer without touching it. The Bear is an imitative animal ; and hence, when it meets a man, it will rise on its hind legs, but is apparently soon satisfied with the comparison, and endea- vors to make its escape. It is a great traveller, and when pur- sued by tracking, has been known to perform long journeys. It never makes immediately for its retreat, but approaches it in a circling manner. A Bear was started near Schroon some years since, and after a chase of eighteen days, was finally killed. Although seldom seen during the chase, yet he appeared to be fully aware that he was an object of pursuit, and the worn and lacerated condition of his feet testified to his exertioni. »\> escape. They are numerous along the borders of the Saranac, and in the mountainous regions of Rockland and Greene. Occasion- ally they invade the enclosures of the farmer, in seai'ch of pota- toes and Indian com. Their depredations are, however, speedily checked ; for tney are timid, and will never attack a man, unless previously wounded, or in defence of their young. Some of the hunters imagine that there are two varieties of the common Black Bear, viz., the short-legged and the long-legged; but others inform me that the difference is owing entirely to the fact that some are fatter and more robust, which produces an apparent difference in the length of their legs. " The Yellow Bear of Carolina, and the Cinnamon Bear of the northern regions, are varieties of this species. In this State, they retire with the first fall of snow, to caverns, or to the hol- low of some decayed tree, or beneath a prostrate tree, during larly called, was from west to east. It extended thirty miles, with a breadth varying from half a mile to two miles. This occurred fifteen years ago. It has been subsequently burned over, and abounds in poplar, white birch, wild cherries, wild raspberries, etc., which attracted to this district great numbers of Deer and numerous Bean. Wi - 1 ^^i f ..I ^lA ! ■< ■ 186 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. the Winter, and pass three or four months in a state of ton^idity In some southern latitudes, the hybernation is of shorter dura- tion, and ceases to occur when the mildness of the winter ena- bles them to procure food. They are fat when they enter their winter quarters, and much emaciated when they leave it in the spring. Indeed, this condition of fatness is so necessary that when the supply of food is cut off, instead of retiring to winter quarters, they migrate southwardly to warmer regions. Henco great numbers are occasionally known to enter our territory from the North, composed entirely of lean males, or females not with young. " The flesh of the bear is savory, but rather luscious, and tastes not unlike pork. It was once so common an article of food in New- York as to have given the name of Bear-markct to one of the principal markets in .the city. The female goes with young seven months, bringing forth two young in February or March. The oil sells for one dollar per pound, and the skin from four to twelve dollars, according to its value. "A very large individual was shot on the Kaaterskill Moun- tains, Greene County, during the winter of 1839. It measured six feet and a half from the nose to the tip of the tail ; and at the fore shoulders measured three feet two inches from the ground."— DeiiTa^/'* Natural History of New-York. THE GRIZZLY BEAR. CRSUS HORRIBILIS. Ursus Horribilis ; Say, Long's Expedition to the Rocky Mom- tains, vol. ii. Ursvs Cinereus; Desm. Mam. p. 164. XJrsus Perox; the Grizzly, White, Variegated and Brotvn Bear of Lewis and Clarke, " This Bear, justly considered as the most 4readful and dan- gerous of North American quadrupeds, is the despotic and sanguinary monarch of the wilds over which he ranges. Gi- WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 187 gantic in size arj tcirific in aspect, he unites to a ferociously blood-tliii-Bty uisposition, a surpassing strength of limb, which giv(!8 him undisputed supremacy over every other quadmped tenant of the wilderness, and causes man himself to tremble at his approach, though possessed of weapons unknown to any but the human race. To the Indians the veiy name of Grizzly Bear is dreadful, and the killing of one is esteemed equal to a great victory ; the white hunters are almost always willing to avoid an encounter with so powerful an adversary, and seldom or never wantonly provoke his anger. " This formidable animal unhesitatingly pursues and attacks men or animals, when excited by hunger or passion, and slaugh- ters indiscriminately every creature whose speed or artifice is not sufficient to place them beyond his reach. " However singular it may appear that an animal endowed with such a fondness for destruction and blood, can exist alto- gether on vegetable food, it is a fact that the Grizzly Bear, no less than all other species belonging to the same genus, is ca- pable of subsisting exclusively on roots and fruits ; this may be inferred from the peculiarity of their dentition. It is by no means surprising that hunters and travellers should suppose the Grizzly Bear to be almcst wholly carnivorous, seeing that he displays such an unappeasable ferocity of disposition, and so uniform an eagerness to destroy the life of any animal that falls within his power. " This Bear at present inhabits the country adjacent to the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, where it frequents the plains, or resides in the copses of wood which skirt along the margin of water courses. There is some reason to believe that the Grizzly Bear •nee inhabited the Atlantic regions of the United States, if we may be allowed to fonn any inference from traditions existing among the Delaware Indians, relative to the Big Naked Lear which formerly existed on the banks of the Hudson. The venerable Heckewelder informs us that Indian mothers used to frighten their children into quietness by speak- ing to them of this animal. »'l 188 PRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. " Notwithstanding it was mentioned a long time since hy La Hontan and other writers, it has been but recently establish- ed as a distinct species in the works of systematic zoologists Say was the first to give a full description of it, in the well-* known work we have quoted at the head of this article Two cubs of the Grizzly Bear were sometime since kept at Peale's Philadelphia Museum. When first received they were quite small, but speedily gave indications of that ferocity for which this species is so remarkable. As they increased in size they became exceedingly dangerous, seizing and tearing to pieces every animal they could lay hold of, and expressing extreme eagerness to get at those accidentally brought with- in sight of their cage, by grasping the iron bars with their paws and shaking them violently, to the great terror of specta- tors, who felt insecure while witnessing such displays of their strength. In one instance an unfortunate Monkey was walking over the top of their cage, when the end of the chain which hung fi-om his waist dropped through within reach of the Bears • they immediately seized it, dragged the screaming animal through the narrow aperture, tore him limb from limb, and devoured his mangled carcass almost instantaneously At another time, a small Monkey thrust his arm through the Bear cage, one of them immediately seized him, and, with a sudden jerk tore the whole arm and shoulder-blade from the body and devoured it before any one could interfere. They were still cubs, and very little more than half-grown, when their ferocity became so alarming as to excite continual apprehension least they should escape, and they were killed, in order to pievent such an event. * * * The following letter is from the la- mented Pike, relative to the two Grizzly Beare above mentioned. ^, " ' Washington, Feb. 3d, 1848. • 'Sir :— I had the honor of receiving your note last evening and m reply to the inquiries of Mr. Peale, can only give the tollowing notes : a. « ' The Bears were taken by an Indian in themountain which divides the western branches of the Rio Del Noite and some WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 189 small rivers, which discharge tlieir waters into the east side of the Gulf of California, near the dividing line between the pro- vinces of Biscay and Sonora. We happened at the time to be marching along at the foot of those mountains, and fell in with the Indian who had them, when I conceived the idea of bring- ing them to the United States, for your excellency. Although then more than 1600 miles from our frontier post, Natchitoches, I purchased them of the savage, and for three or four days made my men carry them in their laps on horseback. As they would eat nothing but milk, they were in danger of starving. I then had a fcage prepared for both, which was carried on a mule, lashed between two packs, but always ordered them to be let out the moment we halted, and not shut up again until we were prepared to march. By this treatment they became extremely docile when at liberty, following my men, whom they learned to distinguish from the Spanish dragoons, by their feeding them, and encamping with them, like dogs through our camps, the small villages and forts where we halted. When well supplied with sustenance they would play like young puppies with each other and the soldiers, but the instant they were shut up and placed on the mule, they became cross, as the jostling of the animal knocked them against each other, and they were sometimes left exposed to the scorching heat of a vertical sun for a day without food or a drop of water, in which case they would wony and tear each other, until nature was exhausted, and they could neither fight nor howh any longer They will be one year old on the first of next month — March, 1808 — and, as I am informed, they frequently airive at the weight of eight hundred pounds.' " The Grizzly Bear is remarkably tenacious of life, and on many occasions numerous rifle balls have been fired into the body of an individual, without much apparent injury. Instances are related by the travellers who have explored the countries in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains, of from ton to fourteen balls having been discharged into the body of one of these Beare before it expired. 180 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. Ii ' " On another occasion, the same entfi-priBinij travollcrs, Lewis and Clarke, niet with the largest Bear of this species they had ever seen ; when they fired, he did not attempt to attack, but fled with a tremendous roar ; and such was his tena- city of life, that although five balls had passed thrf)Ugh the lungs, and five other wounds were inflicted, he swam more than half across the river to a sand-bar, and survived more than twenty minutes. This individual weighed five or six hundred pounds, at least, and measured eight feet seven and a half inches, from the nose to the extremity of the hind feet ; five feet ten and a half inches around the breast ; three feet eleven inches around the middle of the fore leg ; and his claws were four and three-eighth inches long. The chance of killing a Grrizzly Bear by a single shot is very small, unless the ball pene- trates the brain, or passes through the heart. This is very diffi- cult to effect, since the form of the skull, and the strong muscles on the side of the head, protect the brain against every injury, except a very truly aimed shot; and the thick coat of hair, the strong muscles and ribs, make it nearly as difficult to lodge a ball fairly in the heart. " Governor Clinton says, that ' Dixon, an Indian, told a friend of his, that this animal had been seen fourteen feet long ; that, notwithstanding its ferocity, it had been occasionally domesti- cated; and that an Indian, belonging to a tribe on the head waters of the Mississippi, had one in a reclaimed state, which he sportively directed to go into a canoe belonging to another tribe of Indians, then returning from a visit ; the Bear obeyed, and was struck by an Indian. Being considered as one of the family, this was deemed an insult, resented accordingly, and produced a war between ihese nations.* " Mr, Dougherty, a very experienced hunter, relates the following instance of the great muscular strength of the Grizzly Bear : Having killed a Bison, and left the carcass for the pur pose of procuring assistance to skin and cut it up, he was very much surprised, on his return, to find that it had been dragged oflf whole to a considerable distance, by a Grizzly Bear, and WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 191 was then placed in a pit, which the animal had dug for its re- ception. This Bi-ar strikes a very violent blow with its fore- paws, and the claws inflict dreadful wounds. One of the cubs as before mentioned, belonging to the Philadelphia Museum' struck the other a blow over part of its back and shoulder' which produced a large wound like a sabre cut. It is stated iri Long's Expedition, that a hunter received a blow from the fore paw of a Grizzly Bear, which destroyed Ins eye, and crushed his cheek bone. " The Grizzly Bear is unable to climb trees, like other Bears- he IS much more intimidated by the voice than the aspect of man ; and on some occasions, when advancing to attack an individual, he has turned and retired, merely in consequence of the screams extorted by fear. The degree of ferocity exhibited by the Gnzzly Bear, appears to be considerably influenced by the plenty or scarcity of food in the region which it inhabits Anterior to the time of Lewis and Clarke', expedition, nothing Tery satisfactory was known in relation to this Bear; and it was not until the publication of Long's Expedition to the Rocky Mountams, that a correct scientific description was given by that distinguished naturalist. Say. " It may be with certainty distinguished from all the known species of this genus, by its elongated claws, and the rectilinear or slightly arched figure of its facial profile. Its general appear- ance may be compared with the Alpine Bear of Europe— U Arctos-especially with the Nonvegian variety. The Alpine Bear has not the elongated claws, and the facial space is deeply nidented between the eyes. This Bear is also a climber; the (jrrizzly Bear is not. " On the front of the Grizzly Bear the hair is short, and be- tween and anterior to the eyes it is very much so. On the rest of the body, it is long and very thickly set, being blacker and coarser on the legs, feet, shoulders, throat, behind the thighs and beneath the belly ; on the snout it is paler. The ears are' short and rounded, the forehead somewhat convex, or arcuated • and the line of the profile continues on the snout, without any 102 FRANK FOHESTER's FIELD SPORTS. indontafioni between the eyes. The eyes are quite small, and have no romarkablo supplumental lid ; thn iris is of a light rodiliHh-brown, or burnt sienna color; the muffle of the nostrilH is black, and the sinus very distinct and profound. Tiie lipH are capable of being extended anteriorly, especially the upper one, which has on it a few more rigid hairs, or bristles, than the lower lip. The length of the hair gradually diminishes on the legs, but it is still ample in quantity on the upper part of tlio foot. The claws on the fore feet are sh-nder and elongated, und the fingers have five sub-oval naked tubercles, separated from the palm, each other, and the base of the claws, by dense liair; the anterior half of the palm is naked, and is of an oval figure, transversely ; the base of the jjalm has a rounded naked tuher- cle, encircled by hair. The soles of the hind feet are naked, and the nails are more curved, and not so long as those on the fore-paws ; the nails are not in the least diminished at tip, hut they grow sharper at that i)ait, only by lessening from beneath. " The color of the Grizzly Bear varies considerably, accord- ing to age and its particular state of pelage. Hence they have been described as brown, white and variegated, by Lewis and Clarke, although evidently of the same species, judging by all the other characters. The color of the young animal approach- es more neariy to the Brown Bear of Europe, than any otlier; in advanced life the color is that peculiar mixture of white, brown and black, which has procured for this Bear the appro' priate name of ' Grizzly.' "The following are the dimensions of the specimens preserv- ed in the Philadelphia Museum, as given by Say. " Length from the tip of the nose to the origin of the tail, 6 feet 2 inches; the tail, exclusive of the hair at tip, IJ ; from the anterior base of the ear to the tip of the nose, 6 inches; orbit of the eye, J of an inch ; between the eyes, 6; inches; ears from their superior base, 3 inches ; longest claw of the fore foot, 4J inches; shortest, 2| inches ; longest claw of tMb hind foot, 3 inches; shortest, 1, inches ; hair at the top of the tail, 41 inches ; length of the hair on the top of the head, 1? to 2 inches; beneath the WESTEHN WILD SrORTS. 103 .^nrg 2j to 3] inches; on ,u,ck above, 3 inches; on the shoiild- ""P '^ '" '^' '''''' ™"'''^^" discoveries, and am- tn ! fT V'^'Tu""'"'' '' ""' "^ '^' ^«^'^^«^^^^ «f the litera- n method d '' '"f ' " ' "^^^ ^^^«^^' ^^^'^ - -"^-^d of the Ornithology of America, while the great and splendid ent ^1 '1^^"^PT ^^^ ^"^»t.on are so costly as to be almost enurely beyond the reach of the ordinary purchaser. The following description of our bird is from the Birds of America by Mr. Audubon. Of its manners, haunts, and habits. 1 shall speak more at large when I come to treat of it as an Object of pursuit as game. "Male. 49.68. Female, 37.54. " Breeds from Texas to Massachusetts and Vermont. In the interior to the Missouri, and thence northward to Michigan ^on;mon, resident, though removing considerable distances in autumn m pursuit of food. "Bill shortish, robust, slightly arched, rather obtuse, the base covered by a bare membrane; upper mandible with dorsal out- line arched, the sides convex, the edges overinppmg, the tip a little decimate; under mandible somewhat bulomrr toward the m H5 SI. 196 FRANK FORESTEH's FIELD SFORTS. tip, the sides convex. Nostrils situated in the basal membrane, oblique, linear, covered above by a cartilage. Head small, flat- tened above vrith a conical, pendulous, erectile canincle on the forehead. Neck slender, body robust. Feet longish and strong ; tarsus covered anteriorly with numerous transverse scutella, scaly on the sides, scutellate behind. Toes scutellate above, scabrous, papillar, and flat beneath j hind toe elevated, half the length of the lateral toes, which are nearly equal, and much shorter than the middle toe ; claws slightly arched, strong, con- vex above, obtuse, flat beneath. A conical rather obtuse spur on the tarsus, about two-thirds down. "Conical papilla of the forehead rugose, sparsely covered with bristles. Head bare, and corrugated, the skin irregularly raised, and covered with a few scattered bristles. External ear margined with short and slender thin feathers. Plumage in general short, compact, glossy, with metallic reflections. Fea- thers double, as in other gallinaceous birds, generally oblong and truncated. A pendulous tuft of long bristles from the upper part of the breast. Wings shortish, convex, rounded, the fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail rather long, ample, rounded, con- sisting of eighteen broad, rounded feathers, capable of being erected and expanded in a permanent manner, when the bird is excited, and reaching nearly to the ground, when the bird is standing erect. " Bill yellowish-brown. Frontal caimncle blue and red. Ru- gose and camnculated skin of the head and neck of various tints of blue and purple, the pendulous anterior caruncles of the lat- ter, or wattles, bright red, changing to blue. Iris hazel. Legs and toes brigh* purplish-red, claws brown. Upper part of the back and wings yellowish-brown, with metallic lustre, changing to deep purple, the truncatetl tips of the featliers broadly mar- gined with velvet black. On the middle and lower back, the black temiinal bands of the feathers almost conceal the bronze color. The large quill coverts are of the same color as the back, but more bronzed, with purple reflections. Quills brownish black, the primaries banded with grayish-white, the secondaries WESTERN WILD SPORTS. J97 with brownish-white, gradually becoming deeper toward the proximate feathers, which are similar to the coveita. The lower part of the back and tail coverts are deep chestnut, banded with green and black. The tail feathers are of the same color, undu- latmgly bronzed and minutely sprinkled with black, and having a broad, blackish bar toward the tip, which is pale brown, and mmulely mottled. The under parts are duller. Breast of the same colors as the back, the terminal black bands not so broad ; sides dark colored ; abdomen and thighs brownish-gray ; under tail coverts blackish, glossed with bronze, and at the tip bright reddish-brown. " Length, four feet one inch ; extent of wing, five feet eight inches ; beak, one inch and a half along the ridge, two inches along the gap. Tarsus, seven inches and one quarter; middle toe, five inches, hind toe tw'» ; pectoral appendage one foot. Such are the dimensions of an individual of which I made a drawing, which I need not say was a fine specimen. " The female is considerably inferior in size, with the wattles much smaller, the tuft on the breast comparatively small, and only in old birds ; the color of the plumage duller, there being but little of the refulgent hues of the male, the lower parts brownish-black. The young, before being fledged, are pale brownish-yellow, pale yellowish-gray below, the top of the head brighter, marked in the middle with a pale longitudinal brown band ; the back and wings spotted with brownish-black, except- ing the smaller wing coverts, which are uniformly dull brown " I .,:.iL i '1 1 '" 1 1 Ilia t 1 » 108 FRANK forester's FIELD Sl-ORTS. FOREST SPORTS. WO only of the eleven noble animals, which I have recounted and described > above, are peculiar, and but four now indigenous, to the Eastern States and Canada; although it is certain that two at least, if not three, of the others, were formerly found to the east of the Delaware, and south of the great lakes. The Moose and the Cariboo are never found, and probably never have existed, far to the westward of the River St. Clair, connecting Lakes Huron and Eiie, south of the 43d degree of north latitude. Within these bounds they still exist, wherever the advances of civilization have not banished them to deeper northern solitudes. The Common Deer, and the Black Bear are still indigenous from the extreme north-east, to the south- western regions of North America, as were undoubtedly the Elk and the Wild Turkey not many years ago. With the Moose and Cariboo, I shall therefore commence, in order to get through those sports which may yet be enjoyed to the eastward, in the first instance, before plunging into the great western wilderness. The Moose, as we have seen, is a native only of the colder and woodland regions of the continent, being a browsino- rather than a grazing animal, — as his peculiar conformation, the short- FOREST SPORTS. 190 nesn of his neck, and the length of his legs, clearly indicate. On open plains he could scarcely exist, and his favorite haunts— to which is due his existence at the present moment— are the depths of forests and woodland morasses, which probably never will be cleared, owing to the severity of the climate, and the sterility of the soil. The most souiherly and westward point, at which this noble specimen of the Deer tribe is now known to exist, is that singu- lar district, to which I have before alluded, composed entirely of an aggeritjs of mountains, rock-ribbed, and forest-girdled, inter- spersed with a perfect net-work of lakes, rivers, and morasses, lying between Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the St. Law- rence, and the Black River. Here it still breeds, and yards in winter ; here it is yet killed by the hunters, and by the few Indians who yet linger in that region, or visit it from Canada during the season of deep snows, for the purpose ; and here it may still be found, especially in the vicinity of the Racquet Lake and River, at the latter season, if I may rely on the authority of my friend, Charles F. Hoff- MAN, one of the first explorers of that romantic region, and one of the most enthusiastic of American woodmen, who has sung in his beautiful poem " Kachesco," that in Lake Incapahco " For fish and deer at either end, The rin.s are good; but run-ways more There nre by crooked Killoquore. And RifjquET at the time of spearing. As well aa that for yarding Moose, Hath both enough for hunters' use," Eastward of this wild and romantic tract, the hunters* terres- trial paradise, it will scarcely be found south of the Canada line, until we reach the Dead River, famous for Arnold's winter march against Quebec, and the vicinity of Moosehead Lake, in Maine ; though it is possible that a tew may occasionally cross the Lines from the Eastijrn Townships o'^^.ov/er Canada, about Lake Memphramagog, where it is still l, t/i. .idant, into the nor- thern parts of Vermont and New Hampshire. In the northern parts of Maine, what was formerly called the disputed territory. ^'1 m\ 1 Ittit'-'^'^S'i soo PRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. the British Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Bmnswiclc, and every where north of the St. Lawrence, with the exception only of the most southerly and highly cultivated portions of Upper Canada, or — as it is now termed — Canada West, it is very plentiful ; and in the British Provinces it is an object of keen pursuit by amateur sportsmen, particularly of H. M. Re- giments, in gai-rison at Quebec and Montreal, to whose rifles great numbers fall victims every winter. On this side of the Lines, the Moose is rarely, if ever, pursurd by sportsmen as an object of chase ; and it is not very frequently that its flesh is even brought into our markets, though it is deservedly esteemed a great dainty. With regard to the Cariboo, or Rein-Deer of North America although, by the way, some little doubt appeal's to be enter- tained of late years, as to the fact of the peifect identity of the Wild Deer, hunted in our northern forests under this name, with the celebrated beast of draught which goes under the same name in the Arctic regions — much less is known with certainty than of his congener the Moose. Mr. DeKay, in his Natural History of the State of New- York, appears to entertain some doubt as to the propriety of including him in the Fauna of that State ; and I think has never seen the animal at all, inasmuch as he states it to be of much the same stature with the Common American Deer, Cer- vus Virginianus ; and farther asserts that, if it were to be foun 1 at all in the immediate vicinity of civilized man, its extreme gentleness, and its gregarious habits, would render it so easy a prey, as to ensure its destruction. 1 have never seen the animal myself, but I am acquainted with several persons who have pursued and shot it ; I have often examined its antlers, and its hoofs, with the pastern and cannon bone attached. A specimen of each of these can be seen at any time by the curious among sportsmen, in the office of the " Spirit of the Times," among Mr. Porter's collection of curiosities. The latter, the hoofs I mean, and antlei-s, perfectly corroboi ate the reports of all hunters with whom I have spoken on the sub- FOREST SPOKTS. 201 jrict, that the Cariboo, or Rein-Deer of the forests, is when adult not inferior in size to a yearling heifer, and that the old males, or bulls, as they are termed, are often found from fourteen and a half to fifteen hands in height. In ti*uth, no person who had ever seen so much as the track of the animal in question, could think of comparing it in point of size to the Deer of Ame- rica. It is this difference of size especially, which has led to the belief that the Cariboo is, in truth, a distinct variety of the Rein-Deer from that which is the chief article of food to the Esquimaux of the western, and domesticated by the Laplanders of the eastern continent. That animal is scarce found either in Europe or in America, if identical in the two continents, south of the Arctic Circle, or a degree or two above it ; while the Ca- riboo is found here everywhere north of the 45th and 46th de- grees nt^rth latitude ; a difference of range and climate which cannot be explained on any ground of comparative tempera- ture, and which would go far toward the establishing a specific difference. Indeed Mr. Barton Wallop, an English gentleman of rank and education, many years a resident of New Brunswick, who, 80 far as I know, is the only practical sportsman who has written of Cariboo hunting, — vide, New- York Turf Register, vol. ix., p, 193, and Porter's edition of Hawker, p. 326, — speaks of it as an animal cmfemiedhj distinct from the Rein-Deer. " By-the- b'ye,'' — says Mr. Wallop, in an imnginary conversation betweer two characters of one of his clever sporting sketches — " before you leave us, I must show you some Cariboo hunting. The Cariboo of this country are very like Rein-Deer, a little larger ; they travel with great swiftness and ease over the snow ; but a bull Cariboo has little of the amiable or tractable about him, and when enraged is a formidable antagonist." Again, a few pages further on in the same paper, he makes his hero discourse thus to the neophyte, or green 'un: " As this 18 the first time you have seen a Cariboo trail, you must observe it is much like that of an Ox, save that the cleft is much more i 8i ( 802 FRANK FOHESTER's FIELD SPORTS. open,— and the pastern of the Cariboo being very long and flexi- ble, cdmes down the whole length on the snow, and gives the animal additional support." Now Mr. Wallop is undoubtedly perfectly well acquainted with the general appearance and stature of the Rein-Deer, which, if not elsewhere, he must have sern frequently exhibited in English menageries— I remember a herd of thirty or forty head, Bhewn at the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, not very many years since— and could scarcely fail to distinguish between that animal and the Cariboo, in point of size ; at all events, he knows what an Ox is, and could not compare the track of a beast the size of the American Deer, with that of one so infinitely its superior. Hence I judge either that there are in America two distinct varieties of the Rein-Deer— the Arctic animal and the Can- boo— or that Mr. DeKay has taken his description of the Ame- rican Rein-Deer, or Cariboo, from the European animal, the size and habits of which are much the same as he describes those of our countiyman. It may be, however, that the growth of the animal is stunted by the cold of the Arctic regions, and that they are both of one original species. Again, the gentleness and gregarious habits of which he speaks, are indeed strikingly characteristic al of the European Rein-Deer of Lapland, Spitzbergen, and the hke,— perhaps, also, of the Rein-Deer of the extreme Arctic regions of Ame- rica—but are in no wise common to the Cariboo, which is veiy rarely found in parties of above four or five, and never— to my knowledge— in herds exceeding twenty. It is, moreover, the shyest and wildest by far, as well as the fleetest, inhabitant of the northern forests; infinitely more so than the Moose, which can invariably be run down, when the snow is deep and crusted, by a strong hunter on snow shoes- whereas the Cariboo is so difficult of access, and so great is the velocity and continuance of his flight, that when he is once alarmed, and has betaken himself to his heels, it is considered utterly useless to pursue him farther. With these few preliminary observations— which I judge ne- FOREST SPORTS. SOS cessary, in that I differ somewhat from Mr. DeKay, although he is the best authority I can find on the subject, both as regards the size and habits of the animal — I shall procetid at once to the subject of Moose and Cariboo hunting, which I shall include under one common head, inasmuch as they dwell for the most part in the same localities, are hunted with the same apparatus, the rifle, namely, and the snow-shoes, without the aid of horse or hound, and, with some small exceptions, in the same manner. I will only add here, that J. have no hesitation in affirming Mr. DeKay's correctness in including the Cariboo among the animals of New- York, since it undoubtedly exists in the district I have named above, of which Hamilton County occupies a large portion. Westward of this the Cariboo will not be found, I imagine, to the south of the Ottawa River and Lake Nipissing, or the 46th degree of north latitude, at the very highest. si ' 804 FRAiNK FORfiSTiiB's FIELD SPORTS, MOOSE AND CARIBOO HUNTING. OR the pursuit of neither of these noble animals, the largest, fleetest, and most wary game on earth, is the assistance of either hound or horse available. The nature of the ground which they inha- bit, and over which they must be pur- sued, render the use of the horse out of _^the question, consisting of the densest and most impemous brakes of the pine, larch, and white cedar forests, which cover so large a portion of the districts which they most affect, and being very often interspersed with deep bogs, and insecure morasses, affording foothold to no tread, save that )f the clefl hoof of the ruminating animals. How animals ol ihe bulk and weight of these huge Deer, can force themselves between the stems of the thickset evergreen saplings, among which a man can with difficulty work his way only by slow degrees, is in itself no easy matter to comprehend ; but when to size and weight is superadded the vast burthen of ponderous and spreading antlers, which they bear on their heads— in a full grown bull Moose exceeding 50 lbs. weight— and which, one would imagine, must hopelessly entangle them in the brake, it is impossible to account for the ease and celerity with which they will pass through the heaviest growth of forest. The hunter is compelled, therefore, to pursue— when he does pursue — both these giants of the cervine race on foot ; and for this reason hounds are rendered as unavailable as horses ; since the speed of the animal, when once alarmed, is so great, that it is very questionable whether even in open country, and with mounted hunters, it could be run down, or even run from scent into view, by the fleetest Fox-hounds. When we consider- h w- THE MOOSE. I -,' i^^i evor, that, over lies, it and that tl quarry swi: hounds muf The crafl ledge of th( hunter can he will fiiK whir! I if'ive these antlei of the unor During ti two method approachin] the country period of th 18 terribly i pest of the habit of ret speised eve his blood-su long legs w surface, wil foes, browsi various kinc luxuriating the hunter r dappling of wlucli he hi Moose enter ing with wa the lowest i part reward quarry. Another, It; FOREST SPORTS. 205 evor, that, in the wooded fastnewes through which the chase over lies, it ia utterly impoHsiblo to krop the hounds in hearing, and that they could only serve to render the swift and wary quarry swifter and warier yet, it will ho at once apparent that hounds must be dispensed with in this species of hunting. The craft of the woodman, therefore, and an accurate know- ledge of the habits nf Ms game, are the only aids on which the hunter can i jly , but by these, and the aid of weather to boot, he will find liffle difficulty, beyond that fatigue and roughing whirli j.^ive its chiefest zest to life in the woods, in bringing these antlered monarchs of the northern wilderness, within range of the unerring rifle. During the rutting season, in the summer months, there are two methods by which the Moose may be taken with something approaching very neariy to certainty, by those acquainted with the country, and with the instincts of the creature. At this period of the year, like all others of the Deer species, the Moose is terribly infested and tormented by insects, especially by that pest of the woodland wilderness, the black fly, and is in the habit of resorting to the ponds and lakelets, which are inter- spersed eveiy where among his forest haunts, for refuge from his blood-sucking enemies. Here he will wade out as far as long legs will carry him, and with his head only above the cool surface, will wallow about for hours, secure from his winged foes, browsing deliciously on the floating leaves and buds of the various kinds of lotus, water-lily, and other aquatic plants, and luxuriating in the coolness of the pure element. Of this habit the hunter makes fatal use. Concealing himself before the first dappling of tho eastern sky, well to leeward of the trail, by which he has previously ascertained, by ocular proof, that the Moose enters his forest bath, he quietly awaits his coming, listen- ing with watchful ears to the slightest crack of the dry twigs, the lowest i-ustle of the parted branches ; and is for the most part rewarded by a point-blank shot at the huge, unsuspecting quarry. Another, and yet more fatal method, by which man treache- )! i ( 206 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. rously turns the poor brutes' very pleasuree into a lure to cer- tain, death, is to simulate the cry of the cow x^oose, which is easily done by immersing the lower end of a common cow-horn partially m the water of some pool or river, and blowing throuL^h It, m a note very easily acquired, which perfectly resembles the lowing of the female, and which rarely or never fails to brin-r down the finest of the bulls from their haunts in the mountain glens, to the ambush of the lurking hunter, in search of their amorous mates. The Indians use for this purpose the bark of the beech or alder twisted into the shape of a paper comet, or a postman's tin' horn, and, with this ru'- implement, are perfect adepts at pro- ducing tlie sound reqaisi.e to call the bull to his love chase The afternoon, and the silence of moonlight nights, are the best times for this mode of hunting; and cowaidlv and treacherous as it may appear, it is perhaps the most perilous and not the least exciting, method of attacking this great Deer For, m the first place, the bull Moose may generally be heard roaring m the upland glens, responsive to the simulated call long ere they reach the hunter's station ; and the interval be- tween each successive bellow, nearer, and louder, and more ull of passicnate fury, is necessarily a moment of the keenest ex- citement. Then comes the tramp of his approaching rrallon the crash of branches torn asunder by his impetn.ous charge, and at last the presence, in the full heat and heyday of his amo- rous rage, of the forest champion. Again, when he discovers that it is a cheat, and that no cow Moose IS on the spot, expectant of his cai^sses, hi. fury is tre- mendous and appalling; for shy and timid as is this monstrous animal at every other season, during the rutting time l,o is dangerous and savage in the extreme, and will even attack a man when unprovoked, if he cross his path, in his moments of wanton dalliance. If he discover then the hunter, who is luring him, by playina with his tenderest passions, he will charge him on the instant" feariess ; and wo betide the luckless wight whose hand trembles FOREST SPORTS. 207 in the aim, or whose rifle misses fire at that crisis. A bull Moose, seventeen or eighteen hands in height, with antlers of BIX feet spread, and hoofs as big as an Ox's, the edges of which cut like a sabre, and which he can handle as deftly as a prize- fighter, is anything but a pleasant customer at close quarters. Sometimes two or three bulls will come together, and fight out a forest toumay in the presence of the hunters ; and the grandeur of such a scene, witnessed by the pale moonlight, in the dej th of the untrodden forest, must be exciting and majes- tical in the extreme. A tilt of this sort has been so graphically and characteristically described by the gentleman to whom I have referred before, Mr. Barton Wallop, in the eleventh volume of the Turf Regis- ter, that I cannot resist the temptation of extracting it for the entertainment and instruction of those of my readers, who do not possess that once excellent, but now, alas ! defunct, peri- odical. " "We reached Adella's vngwam," says he, "just as the sun was taking his last peep at us over the western mountains, and though we had walked some eighteen miles through a thickly wooded country, we agreed after supper to take a shy at the Moose. " ' No time like the present,' said Tom, — ' we have a lovely night, the harvest moon is at her full, and I am too anxious to sleep. My soul's in arms ! — shoulder blunderbuss ! — each man to his blanket ! his share of lush and grub ! — are you ready, gentlemen 1 — march !' — and off we went, " The shai-p October air came chilling upon us as we strode forth, and made the exercise agreeable, Howard had pleased to this moment to keep me in blessed ignorance, and I began to think we were on rather a wild expedition, " * In the name of our great Nimrod !' said I, ' do, liko a good fellow, give me some little idea what we are to do, and how we are to shoot Moose at this hour of the night.' " ' There you rather puzzle me,' replied Howard : ' I am quite as much in the dark as yourself, never having before tiied 1 III 20S FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. u / this sport. All I know is, that the Moose pair off at this season. But what is Adella about;— what are you doing, peeling the burk off that beech V "'O, me only making call,' said the Indian, aa he twisted a long piece of bark into a conical shape— something like a post- man's tin trumpet—' only making call, to make noise like cow Moose. When bull Moose call, then me answer.' "'I fear,' said I, 'it will be like calling spirits from the vasty deep.' " But the fellow has again stopped, and is cutting down small spruce. — ' What's in the wind now V " Adella, after he had finished his chopping, gathered up the spi-uces, and choosing a piece of dry mossy ground, he stuck the bushes in a circle large enough to hold the party ; then motion- mg us to enter, he followed, and closing the aperture, we were enclosed in a snug little encampment. " • Now,' said Tom, ' what is next to be done^this seems but dull music. Are we to wait here till some unfortunate Moose strolls this way V " ' Oh, me lay out many nights and see no Moose— many cold nights, and nothing in camp to eat. Very hard for poor Indian to live now. White man kill all game. Some shoot um— some trap um— but many, many Moose, Cariboo, Deer, and many bird killed, when white man burn woods for clear land every spring — sometimes bum poor Indian, too.' " ' But how do the woodmen trap the Moose V " ' Why, white man he go find track of Moose doi^-n to spring —well. Moose come every night, may-be, to drink, and when he sartain Moose always come, he get new rope, no tar— he then go to track, and bend down good stout ash, and make him fast with stake, close to track— then he fix down a little brush ftnce, right across track, he take rope and make running noose, and fasten rope to ash, and put noose on the brush. Well, Moose come— he never go out of track— he come to brush and step um leg high, sometime put um right into noose. Well, he find he caught, den he make great jump ; up go ash, and Moose FOREST SPORTS. S09 go on his Dack, his leg in de air— more harder he pull, more harder rope hold.' " • Well, but would it not be much easier for the men to shoot the Moose V " ' O no ; white man too busy ; may be he bad shot ; may be he only wound Moose, then Moose run away and die. White man no able to follow, only Indian able to find track.' " We had conversed long upon hunting, &c. The night was frosty, and our blankets were brought into play— to say nothing of the mountain dew, and a stone pipe to keep us wai-rn. Adella many times had tried his call, which produced a sound not un- like the lowing of a domestic cow. The conversation now flagged, and I was laying on my back, ruminating on the danc* mg orbs above me— taking into serious consideration whether they were inhabited, and if so, whether the natives really do, as has been learnedly stated, carry their heads under their arms; and I was just bringing another j^ to bear upon, the inconve' nience of such a proceeding in hunting, &c., when I was dis- turbed by a distant low, which Adella instantly answered with his call. " ' Now, brother, we sure to see bull Moose— he think cow call him, and when he come, and no find cow, he very mad- just same as you, spose you going to see pretty squaw, and she no come. Moose always most quiet of any beast, though um very big, most big as horse, and bonis ten times big as Deer and he very strong. He very quiet, but he no like to be cheated out of um cow ; so when he come you be very still, and no shoot um till I tell you. May be he kill you if he get mad, and see.' " We could hear from time to time the loud bellow of the bull Moose, which was always answered by the call. Our rifles were examined, and we remained in a state of anxious suspense about half an hour. At last we could distinctly hear the tramp of the bull as he tore through the thicket. It may appear but tatne work to lay in ambush, and lure a poor animal to the . muzzle of your gun— yet, for my own part, I must confess my feelings were excited to a degree I had celdom before exne- VOL. II. j^ 210 FRANK FORESTER S FIELD SPORTS. rienced. The novelty of the scene, the deep roar of the bull echoing from hill to hill, the death-like quiet, and then the tre- mendous rush of the powerful creature, as he caught the sound of the Indian's call, wrought roe up to a pitch of curiosity which was almost past bearing, and more than once did Howard pull me down, as I attempted to peer over our palisade. I was soon happily relieved by the bull Moose bursting forth into the open space before us. He gazed round, and throwing back his heavy antlered head, sent forth a roar that made me plutch my rifle with redoubled vigor. Echo after echo answered the cry, until it died away in a faint and distant whisper ; then, to my sur- prise, another roar — which appeared quite near us — burst upon our ears. I looked at the bull before us — for a moment he stood, his head bent in an attitude of great attention ; but as soon as the bellowing was renewed, he uttered a shrill cry, and dashed the dry heaves and dust over his back, and almost in- stantly another bull rushed into the open. Adella's call had been most lucky in luring two rivals for this shadow of a mate. I might moralize upon this — many a poor devil has been cheated with a worse imitation — ^but such is not my province. It was a noble sight to look upon these two majestic creatures, in the gray and silvery moonlight, surveying each other like two forest champions, measuring each other's power. They stood near seventeen hands, and their many-tined antlers spread at least six feet in the span. Not long did they dally — a few preliminaiy shakes, as many scrapings of the dirt, and they dashed forward with a force and energy that would have surprised the oldest Spanish bull-fighter. I now pitched my rifle to my shoulder, having recovered from the surprise, but Adella held my arm, and signing me to be quiet, seized one of the small branches of our ambush, and throwing himself on the ground, commenced worming himself up to the Moose, who apjjeared pretty equally matched. Howard and myself, with our rifles firmly grasjjcd, watched with much anxiety the motions of the Indian, and more than once I was inclined to risk a shot at the struggling iini- mals. At length Adella, having got within reach of his jney. FOREST SPORTS. 211 sprung from the ground, and by a shaip blow from his axe, severed the tendon of the hind leg of one of the bulls, and in- stantly disappeared in the thicket. The wounded Moose rolled over upon his side, and his adversary commenced goading him in a most dreadful manner. I felt pity for the poor helpless bull, and was taking deliberate aim at his remorseless adversary when I was again prevented by the Indian. Adella now put his call to his lips, and imitated the lowing of a cow Moose. Quick as thought the bull turned, and advanced towards us the lowing.was repeated, and the Moose actually came within ten yards of our ambush. But he now seemed to ' smell a rat,* and shaking his formidable horns, he glared seavchingly into the thick bmsh. The Indian now gave the sign — two balls entered his brain, and he sank upon the turf motionless. The Indian now stepped forth, and after dealing the ham-strung Moose a stunning blow on the brow, drew his keen knife across the throat of the prostrate bull. "'Well, my boy, there lay our two combatants; 'twas a glorious sight that forest joust. But I cannot but think our game has been killed most ingloriously — Adella, why did you not let us shoot the Moose V " ' Why, me thought brother maybe only wound um — then no get um — maybe Moose make fight, then maybe kill you best make sure.' "'Ha! ha!' said Howard, 'these fellows always look out for No. 1. You know our bargain to let the Indian have the carcasses, save one hind quarter — we the hide and bones. Now those Moose will weigh nearly three hundred and fifty pounds, and the venison, — which, by-the-bye, is the most deli- cious of all meat, — is worth sixpence per pound at least, so lie was right to make sure. Yes, yes ! I know these people pretty well— they have been cheated so often by the white men, they have at last learned to outwit them. Before I knew this family I was often deceived by Indians. I was once left in the. woods many miles from any settlement, by an Indian whom I had hired to carry my traps Cariboo huntings He went off on a m ,L 1 212 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. bear track at such a pace I could not follow. I was paying him ten shillings a day, and he could get five pounds at a mag- istrate's for the bear's nose. My starving to death in the woods was quite immaterial to him. But what are we to do now, Adella V " ' O, no use any more tiy call Moose, if any near he hear gun, and no come to-night. We must stay and watch these Moose, or Fox and Lynx spoil um meat. Master Tom, you know how find um way, you go to camp and sleep — you almost all one Indian, now.' " Another method of taking Moose during the summer is a species of still-hunting, or stalking, which is perfonned by pad- dling cautiously along the shores of the lakes, under the covert of the undervvood and bushes, or through the connecting rivu- lets or rivers by which the lakelets discharge their waters, and so come upon the game while bathing, unsuspicious, as I have above described. This sport is also brilliantly narrated by Mr. Wallop, and as [ have never witnessed it myself, nor am aware of any other written description of it, I shall quote it in conclu- sion, as giving a perfect representation of Moose-hunting in summer in the provinces. The characters are the same with those introduced in the previous sketch : two Micmac Indians, " Sabatisie," and his brother, " Adella," both of whom I believe to be real personages ; " Howard," an old resident and hunter ; his visitor, " Meadows." The scene is Nova Scotia, the time, midsummer. " The dawn was just visible, and a few stars still lingered in the gray sky, when I was as usual aroused by the Indians. How fresh is the first breath of the newly-awakened day ! What hour so life-invigorating ! Braced by the thin pure air, the frame throws off its languor, and is at once ready for action. Walking forth, I joined Howard at the. stream. ' Come,' said he, ' rig up your tackle ; we may have some good sport before the sun is up : the fish, during this hot season, feed only before sun-rise, and two or three hours after sun-set.' With the assistance of Adella I launched one of the canoes, and FOREST SPORTS. 213 placed her so as to command the mouth of the stream. A gen- tie moniing breeze had sprung up, displacing the curtain of thick mist which overhung the lake, and forming that beautiful curl on the water so essential to fly fishing. At the first cast, three Trout rose at my three flies, and with the assistance of Adolla, I landed two fine fish. So lively did the fish rise, that after a few casts I was compelled to abandon two flies; and when the sun poured forth his bright rays, and put an end to my sport, I had thirty fine trout lying in the bottom of the canoe. " After a hearty breakfast we again embarked, and darted Krnduully niaiioMivn ,1 her nn«ler the loo of a Hmall rock, round wliich tlic watern Ibnn. ed an eddy, Ilavinjr jrain,.,! tliin poHitioli orconij)anilive Hnli-ty, he I'id nil) l)y 8ijr|,.s cant niyHcil' tint in the holl..m of the canoe; then quickly Hei/.ing a puddle he rtpraiiK liirhily over me, and l>y thirt nunuisuvro iiiHtanlly chanjred the how into the stern, and we darted down tho angry t..rrent. Ah I .lared not lill my head, I could not see what passed, until I found the canoo driven with groat force against some s«»fl sulmtance. I sprang uj), and found wo were high and dry on tho grassy island from which the dog had driven the Moose. The gale still raged with frightful violence, and my anxiety for the safety of my friend was groat; but nothing could at present bo done; wo had most miraculously escaped. Sabatihio hauled tho camm up, and turning her over, we cast ourselves beneath hor to await tho abatement of tho tempest. Shortly aller I had been in this position, I thought 1 felt something cold rubbing against my hand, and turning round, I saw our trusty little friend, Billy. He was very lame, and tho blood was running fast from a deep wound in his shoulder, received, most probably, when he charg- ed the Moose. I dressed the cut, and bound it up, for wliich he appeared very grateful; but the instant it was done he started off again in search of his master. " The storm passed off as quickly as it had gathered ; the sun again beamed brightly forth, and the howling hurricane died quietly a way into a gentle breeze. Sabatisie launched the canoe ; we stepped in, and were about to pusli off, when poor Bill came hobbling up tho bank, and requested a i>a8sage. It appeared the Indian had seen, as we came down the stream, part of Howard's canoe high and dry on the rocks of the point from which we had first viewed the Moose ; this he did not tell me until we were near the point, as I suppose he did not wish to increase my anxiety. For this spot we now made ; and 0 ! how my heart thrilled when I saw the shattered canoe strewed FOR K.ST SPORTS. 219 on tVo r»ick«. Wo IniwUul, nnd Hnnirluxl In ovory direction, Itut could diHcovor no tmco of our friondB, and Imd nhmmt jfivon thiin up fin loHf, wlion u (niirk and morry hurk from Billy re- n^Woodcock.shooting in August round Horton, Cormcallis, ov Anapolis-.Qn\^e.,hootmg on the' marshes near Gagetou^ and i»f^«^«a.A-Wi]d-goose shootin. on the great Tantramar, in October-had they been at our memorable Cariboo hunt, in January-or had they witnessed the way old Sabatis.e rigadomed the Moose up that rapid -I have some notion their tune would have been changed. But these men have not pM to face the hardships of sporting in a wild country, and expect to find game on the post-roJds. • Come Sabatisie, let us go in search of the Moose ' " Howard and Adella started for the point where they were wrecked, m hopes of finding their guns, &c. We had not pr^ ceeded more than a mile, when we found the dead Moose Lh and dry on a small island in the middle of the stream. He was a splendm creature, at least sixteen hands high; his antlers were over six feet in the span. The Indian wfs not wl Btnppmg off his hide, during which I set myself on th ZL Z enjoy a pipe. All trace of the stoi™ had disappeared le that the stream was turbulent and muddy, and a few smll'treel rt::t:a^:::t:rx":^itrrt^^^ n. doubt the Lynx. Poxes, L, :::Z:^:::^l^ When we regamed our comrades, we found they had been for tunate m recovering their rifles; but every thing el e was , : ' A camp was prepared, and we turned in earfy, being much fatigued with the events of the day. ^ «h"J^"ff-'"" r '" ^'"' ^^^^ "^^* "^°^"'"^' before we could hake off our drowsiness. It was then agreed we should retut to Anapohs, as we could not do much in one canoe. During our tnp back, we had some good fishing and wild-fowl shooting- and so much were we pleased with the conduct of Adella L we promised to meet at his camp in October, when, he said he Forest sports. 921 could show us Moose hunting of quite a novel charactei We remained pait of one day with Adella and his pretty squaw and then started for Anapolis, which we reached in good health and spirits, highly gratified with our excursion." Having disposed, in the foregoing pages, of Moose and Cari- Doo hunting, during the summer and autumnal months, we come to their pursuit, at the period of the year when it affords the greatest sport and the keenest excitement to the true woodman, I mean the long winter of the northern regions. So soon as the deep snows have fallen,°and the whole sur- face of the country is overspread, throughout countless leagues of extent, by a covering often many feet in depth, obliterating, all signs of cultivation, overtopping the loftiest fences, and rent denng it toilsome in the highest degree for animals of the weight and bulk of the Moose and Cariboo, to travel over the yielding and unstable surface, and utteriy impossible for them to obtain subsistence from the soil, these great Deer are wont to distribute themselves into parties, varying in number from three or four, to twenty and upwards, and to form what are called " yards'' for their winter habitation. This is done by trampling down the snow regularly, and in due form, over a tract of greater or less extent, according to the number of the troop which it is destined to house, until the whole area within is hardened into a consistency as solid as a threshmg floor, while the circumference is defined by the sheer walls of the upstanding snow-drift, which often accumulate to the height of several feet, by successive falls of snow These " yards" are generally formed in situations sheltered trom the prevailing winds by large pines, hemlocks, or white cedars; and where there is a plentiful growth both arcmnd the circumference, and within the area of young evergreens, upon the ju.cy and succulent shoots of which they are accustomed to teed Within the limits of these yards they regularly lie up at night, and feed during the prevalence of heavy snow-falls ; nor atter they have once established them, do they absent them^ fu. 222 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. selves to a greater distance, unless disturbed by huntei-s, than is necessai-y to procure subsistence. To discover the " lie" of these yards, is the great object of the hunter; and in Low^er Canada, and Nova Scotia, in the vicinity of the garrison towns, the Indians seek them out vi^ith gi-eat skill and perseverance, w^ell assured of receiving a hand- some remuneration for their trouble, from the numerous sports- men who are to be found in all her Majesty's regiments, and from the civilians of the British Provinces ; in the country districts of which, generally speaking, many more resident gentlemen are to be found, than in corresponding regions of the United States, northward at least of the Potomac, owing to the settlement of much of the country, in military grants, by half-pay officers. When a yard is discovered, and a runner makes his appear- ance in the settlements, or in a garrison, announcing the glad tidings, great is the bustle and excitement, and great the prepa- ration among the old stagers, no less than the tyros ; for a tramp after Moose in the northern wilderness, is no holyday's frolic for boys, but right strong work for stout men ; and is not to he undertaken without due provision of the needful. On some occasions immense sport is realized, and it rarely or never happens that the hunters, if they be willing to rough it, and be endowed with the thews and nerves of men, fail of suc- cess sufficient to compensate amply for fatigue and hardship. " In the winter of 1842, twenty-three officers," as we are in formed by Porter, in his edition of Hawker, " of the Grenadier and Coldstream Guards" — then in garrison at Quebec and Mon- treal— " killed during a short hunting tour, ninety-three Moose ! The Hon. Captain Grimston also killed a Cariboo, the only one shot by any of the hunters, though their tracks were seen by several of them. None of the parties were absent more than fourteen days from the garrison, of which not above six or eight were spent on the hunting-grounds." A more remarkable fact was the killing of three Moose, a few years since, with a common fowlingpiece, by an officer not reputed to be very crack as a shot, or very thorough-going as a FOREST SPORTS. 223 spoilsman, on the mountain, within a few miles of Montreal, during a morning's walk from that populous city, in the pursuit certainly, if not oi rats and mice, of much smaller Deer than the gigantic and wide-antlered Moose. My friend, Aleck B— , of the lower province, the best walker, by the way, and one of the best shots it has been my fortune to encounter on this side of the Atlantic,— in one day, if I mistake not largely, killed seven of these glorious animals on the river St. Maurice, in the rear of the pretty village of Three Rivers, all of which he ran into upon snow-shoes, after a chase of, I think, three days. As it is necessary to encamp out during these chases, often for several nights in succession, and as it is very unadvisable to discharge a gun at any small game during these excursions, for fear of alarming the legitimate objects of pursuit, it is necessary to carry not only ammunition, but food, drinkables, spare cloth- ing, and blankets, for several days' consumption, and nights' comfort. These are packed upon small light sledges, or tobog. gins, as they are called, wliich are made of light wood by the Indians, and can be drawn along over the crusted surface of the snow, loaded- with a weight of 130 lbs. either of provision, or of meat on the return march, by a single man on snow-shoes, without diminishing his speed, which may be reckoned at five or six miles the hour. The provisions usually carried by sportsmen on excursions of this kind, consist of salt pork, mutton, sea biscuit, coffee, and hquors, such as the taste of the party may mg^eat ; and on these, with the aid of such condiments as sugar, salt, and pepper, a party may subsist, not unassisted by their good rifles, for many days, not only comfortably, but luxuriously. The first thing to be done previous to starting, is to don the snow-shoes, without which it is impossible to make any head- way upon snow, and with which, when there is a stout crust, a practised traveller upon them will run down a Moose, even if alarmed, and at his speed, to a certainty, in a race of ten or twelve hours' duration. 1 1 H 224 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. It is- no easy matter to walk on snow-shoes in the first in- stance, and a good many tumbles are inevitable to a learner; but snow is a soft substratum whereupon to fall, and the choking up of gun-barrels, and the wetting of ammunition, is the worst evil to be apprehended. Before putting on the snow-shoes, a couple of pair of woollen socks should be indued, then a flannel slipper, and above that a regular Indian mocassin, the combined thickness of which will generally save the foot from being galled by the thongs of the shoe ; though neither this, nor any other device, can ward off the much dreaded mal a raquette, or painful swelling of the ankle-joint, in consequence of the tension of the sinews, by the weight and drag of the large frame, when clogged with frozen snow, during a severe tramp. For this practice is the only sure preventive ; though I have no doubt the paia and duration of the ailment could be much mitigated and diminished by the use of that most excellent remedy for all strains, flows, bruises, rheumatic affections, or the like, well known as Bertine's Liniament. I am never now without this invaluable lotion, which I have come to regard as an indispensable accompaniment to a sportsman's outfit, and which I strenuously recommend to all my readers, as sure to relieve them from much present pain, and likely to spare them a large doctor's bill in the prospective. But to resume,— with the feet thus fortified, and a good pair of stout light snow-slioes, a good walker will find himself, after a little practice, able to travel both rapidly and pleasantly over the stainless snow of those hyperborean wilds, and to run down the great Stags of the North in their own frozen haunts. No directions, nor aught but experience and practice, can teach the tyro this metliod of progression, but it is well to ob- serve that the principal knack to be acquired, is to throw tlie feet widely apart, so as to avoid kicking your own shins with the edges of the broad snow-shoe ; to clearabove a yard at each stride, so as to avoid treading with the heel of one shoe on the toe of the other, which is sure to bring you on your nose ; and to give a circular swing to the leg, which shall plant your foot on the ground somewhat in-toed, after the Indian fashion. FOREST SPORTS. 286 Immeme spaed can be made on the snow-shoe by the prac .sad runner; I have heard .he rate of a famous Indian, C„ a. h,s full lope on favorable ground, accounted « equal .„ ,!ve" ore.ght mdes the hour, and .his pace mai„,ai„able-.o coin a word lor .he nonce !-for half a day, or bCer. The bes. weapon for this spor. is the rifle ; and I canno, ,00. "rongly urge upon all an,a>aur sportsmen .he immense up"! no ,.y, as a sportmg impleman,, for quick shooting at .ama in han .thn".,? fT' "■■''''"« " ''""• -"-"'y no. smaller than „2, but 10,. far better, to the pound, .lodicd a/ie. a, „an. n«- of an onUnary fiMng.piecc. and firad direct from the sbouhter to .belong, heavy, ill-balanced.small-bored rifles Jih a peaked heel-pla.a, which are ordinarily used in Ame.ic H„wevar excellent those may be for very close practice at very sma 1 marks, such as Squirrels, or the like, or for L pracce from a rest, or with deliberate aim, they are utte ly t effecttve or rapid snap-shooting a. animals in'quick 1 L„ . win e for long shots, across wind especially, the smallnass and Lghtnass of tha.r metal causes .he balls .0 be blown many inchea 8c.me..mes even fee., to leeward. ^ ' Another objection is, that .heir pea-bullats have neither the wetght nor the force sufflcient to make the W c. J, hou'h U^ey r^ay make .he fur fly , and .ha. ,h„ small orifice made Cy these hue m,ss,les, will often, aspecially in fat animals, closest completely over .hem, as to prevent .he flow of blooi, which fiom an ounce ball wound will speedily exhaust the quarry and bnng him to the ground. 4oarry, and To shoo. Deer, or large animals, with balls of 80, or even lOQ nart CI "f "1 '" "' "™'°" '"''"""'y' "= ««' ""*- quany will run for leagues with his death-wound from so oaltrv a missde, and the hunter shall lose his labor. ^ ^ The best sporting implement of this kind in the world is un- .duedly Pnrdeys double-banellad rifle; and, althoui Te of to Was., .ts superior execution and utility is now full/ad- H;^ ii i w '-m J[" -i-'fl ■T' ■ ([ Vim if ' ■ i U M k il 22G FnANK forester's FIELD SPOltTS. mitted on the prairies, since it has been rendered current, and its value proved by British officers and sportsmen, especially by my old friend and school-fellow, Charles Augustus Murray, whose exploits with his double-barrelled ounce-ball rifle, still survive among the Red-skins of the ^- ^'^'^K, having gained him as wide a celebrity there, as hirj u ctions have pro- cured for him in the civilized world. I am well aware that the lines I have last penned, will, in all probability, call down upon my head a burst of dissent, per- haps of anathemas, from the gents who make elaborate strings of half, and perhaps quarter inches, from the rest, or even off- hand, with ponderous pea rifles, fitted with patent loading muz- zles, telescope sights, and all the last improvements of the Im- proved American Rifle. I am aware that these amateura make marvellous shooting at the target ; but I know also that target shooting with ball is as different from Field or Forest shooting, as Pigeon shooting from a trap is different from game shooting. For the former, in both instances, iron nerve, good eyes, and long practice, are all that can be desired, — for the latter much more is wanting ; and there are hundreds of men, who would shoot almoat nowJiere at a target, who shall beat your crack string shot, year in and year out, into fits, in the woods or on the prairie, as also may be predicated with regard to the trap. The patent loaduig muzzle is of course out of the question as regai'ds war, or the chase, unless in still hunting, where a man expects to get but one or two shots a day. Such intricate and nevv- fangled apparatus, can rarely be put to account in real sei-vice. The two-grooved rifle, with the belted ball — the belt fitting the grooves — by which the application of force to the bullet in loading, and the consequent wear and tear of the muzzle, are rendered unnecessary, is a most beautiful and effective weapon, even in the ordinary cheap fonn of it, wjiich is carried by lier Majesty's Rifle Regiments, and the flank-men of the Light Infantiy companies. Its range is prodigious ; and I have been credibly informed, by those who should have known, that the practice of the Rifle FOREST SPORTS. 227 Bngade i, eighi humSm yard,. Whelhov ,l,i. I 1 have ,»„„ „„„j„,.f„|| 4 2^7 t °'"'" "■• ""•• hunared yard., and .l,o„ d t ilf/rr' "' """' "" '""' Minnie.' purchase if .., , ^ ''^ "' ""' '"'"l' five fi%"»ir,y:;:: L: ,:]:" i\'L '--;; ^fr -^""» »f I •". .old IhalWilliamM'^!^'^'''''"'"'*!'! Infantry. E.'«e»are Road rl 7a.^"^'° ° "^'"'"^ ''™^' "^ "■« relied rifle, on ,L princLr 1""* """'"'' "■* ■"""We-bar- taking into con JidZionT :• 7" ' """"'' '""''» >"--'• -vin, „nwc,i„„ „; ; *J;;7'-'^ °f «■« engine, a,:, '.he' I wo„ld prefer one^fl 'f"'"""?™' the extended range »f..e.Jc.i„'„\™rtr::.;r''°°''""'-'°-^'"'i''--' Eu-pean^ i. e.. illth tr '^X: rirT^ "^*'" ^"^ mainly in thi«,_,hat where.. ,L A . *'"'ting, consists ban nohigge^hX^r. tZTT"'""'"' "'* » eye out of a Soninel at ,iZ\ / I '"''' "'" ''"<"^'' «he probably miss'he an "a Uwl T ""' ^"™P=" "™''' bnllet, will be nearZe IffM '"~S° '""""'•"'"'■ I"' "»~e « t-ee or four hunjrldyall Z:^^'''' °' ' <"■«--• «uch a. think of firing at k ™°'' """'''' »« ,o I»» tX™::/'*' "r™'"' ""'^ ■"'''»''•«■« "-Euro, infinitely inS "t w' ""•^"'■^' '" *» "?»"■ -Me oiTrest, i. often as far slel: 7 " ". ' "'"'"^ *"•'• '"'' AU these point, cllTeJ^ZT. "" ""''' "'"'""'■ '"e. Except on the prai,Cwle e lothr"""""" "' "" "=<^ent, the nature of the counTrT , """S" ™">P»rativeIy 'ong .hots, since an animal clrT,!"." "^ ""^""^ "^ •he dense forest, of Ame ic! Tht "T "'"""''''^ """■" -eXrhr^-^n^---- ♦Is I ( 1 ^PH t 1 - r ■-.,?■ ! 1 ->-!■ 1, ' ^ <"« 1 1 ^^1 |l I !1 228 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. at a short distance, rather than to rapid sighting, and qtjick firing. In the same manner, the difficulty of procuring ammu- niiion, and of carrying a sufficiency of lead for the moulding of large bullets in distant and spareely settled districts, afar from shops and civilization, have led to the adoption of the small boi-e and tiny bu' ats, by which a few ounces of powder, and a single pound of lead, may be made to subsist a hunter during a whole year in the wilderness. The same cause has led to the habit of stealing warily upon the game, and never firing a shot until certain of a close and covered aim. This practice, however, like the rifle formed with regard to it, will not be found effective on the great open plains of the West, noi- with any animal which must be hunted d.)wn by speed of foot, and shot while at speed, in lieu of being marked down by wary ambush ; nor is this a mere theory of mine, for throughout the South and South West, wherever the rifle is used in preference to the gun and buck-shot, the yager, as it is called, or short-barrelled, large-bored piece, is universally pre- ferred; and on the prairies the ponderous, unwieldy, long pea rifle, is disused,— guns caiTying less than thirty-fiv or forty to the pound being, as I am informed, at a discount. I am not aware what weapon the United States Voi rs and Mounted Rifles caiTy, but I presume it is a plainly-stoc piece, without the crescent-shaped heel-plate ; otherwise I can not conceive the possibility of attaining any rapidity or regula- rity in platoon or volley firing. But enough of the rifle,— and these remarks will be all that are required on this subject,' being equally applicable to every species of hunting of which I shall treat, but the more particulariy so with the larger and more savage quadrupeds. The next question to be considered is the sportsman's dress ; and as it is in the coldest weather only that this sport is pur- sued, wamth is a sine qua non, while any apparatus of greut coats, or the like, is so inconvenient and unwieldy, that it cai.- iiot be adopted in the field. On the whole, the best rig is a red flannel shirt, buckskin FOREST SPORTS, 229 breeches and leggins. and an ordinary winter shootine-jaoket and waistcoat, over which may be indued an Indian hunting, shirt of blanketing, and if this latter be pure white, from its similarity to the hue of the snow, it will, perhaps, be less con- spicuous to the timid game than any other color. There is however, a coarse woollen stuff of a kind of dead leaf tint manufactured by the hahitans in Lower Canada, which is very well suited for the purpose. A fur cap will be found the most commodious head-piece. The hunting-shirt should be confined at the waist by a leather belt, m one side of which an old woodman will stick his lon^. keen, stout-backed wood-knife, the blade of which should be about a foot long, by an inch and a half in breadth, while his httle axe, or tomahawk, will occupy the other side, with its sharp head secured m a sort of leathern pocket, and the handle depen- dent on the thigh. It is a very good plan to have this handle made to taper gradually from the head, and to finish it with a sharp steel pike, which will admit of its being used a^ a stabbing weapon. ° To the front of the belt it is usual to attach a large pouch of otter or some other handsome fur, similar to the sporran of a Scottish highlander, in which to carry the bullets, patches, clean- mg apparatus, &c., to which may be added on occasion, a flint anri steel, pipe and tobacco, which will be found desiderata on such a march as I am describing. The powder is most conveniently carried in an ox horn, slung over the left shoulder so as to hang under the right arm, finished with a simple stopper. For in order to make accurate shoot- ing, a rifle must be loaded with so nicely measured a charge of powder, that a spring-topped flask, of however excellent fabric will not cut it off with sufficient nicety. Old woodmen, there' tore use a charger, hung by a thong or sinew from the collar ot the hunting-shirt, by which the charge can be measured to a traction ; and this is by far the better way. If carried in the manner I have described, none of these im- plements will be found burthensome or inconvenient ; and as V\ i i ! 1. 1 Xi fi-k 230 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. in expeditions of this nature, every man, who wishes to enjoy the cream of the sport, must rely on his own resources more or less, however well he may be accompanied or attended, espe- cially in the crisis of the chase, many occasions will turn up, on which he will find, that far from being superfluous, the want of them might deprive him of substantial comforts, nay, might be the means of his losing his life. A wounded Moose, or Cariboo, is an ugly customer at close quarters ; yet, when the blood is up, men will go in, and bring it to the " hand to hoof" encoun- ter, when all will depend, after the coolness and expertness of the hunter, on the nature and condition of his tools. For those who would read brilliant fiction, founded, I doubt not, upon fact, and lively anecdote connected with this subject, and other topics of kindred interest, I cannot do better than refer to the articles by J. H. Willis, Esq., of Quebec, and of B. P. Wallop, Esq., of New Brunswick, the former well known for his admirable Salmon Fishing articles, published many years since in the New- York Albion, under the signature of Miles, the latter as Meadows of the Spirit of the Times. The anecdote related by the former, of Bob Millar, the Moose hunter, entitled " Close quarters with a bull Moose at night," is as brilliant and exciting a sporting sketch, in my opinion, as was ever penned ; and I cannot but think it strange, that having such correspondents within reach, as Mr. Willis, of Quebec, Mr. Perley, of St. John's, N.B., Mr. Wallop, of the same Province, and many others, both officers and civilians, thoroughly compe- tent to describe the fine Wild Sports of this Continent, the Eng- lish Sporting Magazines should all rest content with publishing and republishing, usque ad nauseam, trite fadaises, on utterly exhausted subjects, such as Partridge Shooting in September, or Battues in December, concerning which all is known, and has been said, that can be eliminated by the wit of man. The increased facilities of intercourse between England and this Continent, the proverbial taste of the English gentry to travel all distances, and incur all hazards in pursuit of Field Sports, and the continually increasing importance of the Ame- FOREST SPORTS. 231 ricau Colonies, in which it is probable that a largo English gai- rison will henceforward always be maintained, would, I am cer- tail, cause information on American Sporting, which has of late years been unfairly undervalued, to be received with eagerness, A little entoiprise and spirit on the part of editors, would not fail to be duly remunerated by increased patronage ; and I do not despair of seeing the names of some American correspon- dents attached to the articles in the Sporting Magazine, now that it has passed into the hands of " Craven." That gentleman is, I know, well acquainted with the works of American Sporting writers, since he has done me the honor to insert in his " Sporting Recreations," some remarks concern- ing the difference of English and American game, published by mo in the American Turf Register, though credited not to me, but to a letter from an American sportsman. This, by the way, is of late becoming a common practice in our good England. Mr. Carieton, in his Sporting Sketch Book for 1842, has published one article by the late Wm. Hawes— " J. Cypress, Jr."— describing a scene at " the Fire Islands," wliich lie at the eastern, or rather south-oast end of Long Island, oifthe coast of New- York, the great merit of which consists in Its accurate allusions to topography, and its graphic pictures of Long Island Bay-men. This, Mr. Carieton, for reasons best known to himself, has attributed to a " Gentleman of Kentucky," thereby utteriy destroying the whole pith and point of the arti- cle, and depriving it of all " vraissemblance." An unfortunate little tale of my own, entitled " The Last Bear," the scene of which is laid in one of the river counties of New- York, and which professes in itself to be written, as it was, by an English- man, is quoted, again, as " A Scrap from the Sketch Book of a Rhode Islander,"— again making nonsense of whatever small degree of sense the article may have originally possessed. Heaven knows ! I am very willing that my countrymen should have the benefit of any little Sporting information I may have collected during a long residence abroad ; and have no earthly objection that English gentlemen of letters, in compiling works m ■ hkl f I If' !»,■*,; i ^ '• 232 FRANK FORKSTER's FIELD SPORTS. on Sporting flubjocts, sl.ouUl ropublish my labors for their own advantago, as the selection of such articles implies preference, and is therefore in some sort a compliment. I do, how.v<>r,' most seriously protest, both in my own name, and in that of the Sporting brotherhood here, whether imported—like myself— or to the manor born, against bei.ig transmogrified into some strange fish whid. we never pretended to be, and against having our writings converted into silly balderdash, by glaring misap- plicati(m of names and places. What would not be the roar of laughter at home, si ould it bo discovered that an American pe- riodical had quoted part of Mr. Scrope's fine work on •• Deer Stalking," ascribed to a " Gentleman of Whitechapel," and represented as having come off on Highgato Hill, or in P:i)ping Forest ] Yet this is pretty much the way in which Mr. Carle- ton has dealt by me, and one or two others of my fellow-sci il). biers here. But, to return to our muttons / The first thing to be do.. * i geneml, on a tramp after Moose or Cariboo, is to encamp for the first night, since it is rare that a single day's march carries the sportsman to the scene of action ; and this process of en- campment is one of the most exciting and spirit-stirring thin'-ii 8. f i' ') 1 I M 4, 234 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. in a fold, while the cows are browsing the young fi.-tip, or lying here and there chewing the cud lazily, secure of human intrusion, human cruelty. Meantime, the posts are taken silently, each hunter chooses h,8 own victim and at a preconcerted signal, the rifles flash and crack, and all IS tumult and confusion in the late tranquil yard Some of the forest cattle are prostrate in their gore, shot merci-* fully dead outnght, or, as the Western hunters term it, in their quaint praine parlance, " thrown in their tracks;" others severely wounded, are floundering to and fro in the siow-dnft ' bellowing savagely, and showing desperate fight, it antlered males ;-trumpeting piteously. and seeming to implore pity with then- great soft brown eyes, if females ; while those m< e fortu- nate, which have escaped the deliberate volley, are out of sight already, perhaps, ere this, half a mile distant, in the boundless The keen knife bleeds the slain,_the tomahawk, or the re- sen.d nfle shot, finishes the wounded; and remember this, gentle hunter, never go up to your wounded Moose, or Cariboo Til Tw''^;"'" ^""" "^' " ''^''^'^' ^- ««'"«times a' shght hurt will stun the quarry for a moment, and the sight of h s foe, close at hand, will give him power for a furious charge. or for rapid flight, ere hatchet or knife can reach him; and if they could, neither to bring down a charging bull Moose, nor to ari^st a bounding Deer, will they avail the sportsman much. But now. when the yard is broken, or before this, if the Moose have discovered the approach of their enemy betimes, and. as often happens, betaken themselves to flight, the tug of war com- mences. The snow-shoes are again buckled on, the rifles re- loaded; and,-while the camp followers tarry in the rear, to butcher the game, and hang it from the trees, beyond the reach of the prowling Wolf, and then to bring forward the provisions,- away dash the hunters, with trailed arms, fepon the track of the heavy Moose, deeply imprinted iri the treacherous snow ; for the crust which supports the light weight of the runners, mounted upon their broad-surfaced snow-shoes, breaks at every fluu,i. FOREST SPORTS. 235 dering stride beneath the ponderous bulk, and comparatively small and slender feet of the great Deer. Yet even at this disadvantage, so immense is the power, and 80 unwearied the vigor and speed of this noble animal, that, even when it breaks through the crust fetlock-deep, it will often require a chase of three successive days, at the best pace of a strong and active runner — and no one who is not strong and active can attempt this glorious sport — ^before the Moose is worn down so completely that its pursuer can run into view of it, and bring it down with a single ball, or even with a fowUngpiece and buck-shot. During the chase the excitement is intense, for a good wood- man, or an Indian, can tell with great certainty, by the appear- ance of the track, the comparative hardness or softness of the snow at the bottom of the prints, the dung which is dropped during the flight, and other signs, how far ahead the animal may be at any period, and, consequently, how fast you are gaining on him. The Moose lays up at night, and when it has become so dark that you can follow the trail no longer, you also build your fire for the night, and your followers having brought up the toboggins with the meat and "provant" — which they do the more readily, that with the Indian instinct they can almost inva- riably foresee the course of the hunted herd, and cut off the angles, or run the chords of the circles described by the hard- pressed quaiTy — you pass the night encamped as before, and arise again refreshed, and like a giant again ii - run your course. Then as the hunt waxes hot, the intense eagerness and ex- citement of pursuit still increases, nor does it lack the aliment whereon to exist, for as the herds in general follow the same line of flight, and all are not equally endowed with speed, pluck, and endurance, the younger, the weaker, and the unduly fat of the party, break down the first, and lagging in the rear — for in such a chase it is, indeed, the devil take the hindmost — are over- taken, and shot down by the foremost and fleetest runner, who,^ after finishing his victim with a thrust or two of his keen knife, and heralding his triumph to the followers by the proud " who- 236 FRAN-C FORESTEtt's FIELD SPORTS. whoop !" speeds onward, almost maddened by the emulation and excitement, leaving to the laggers, who increase their pace at the rifle crack and death halloo ! the care of breaking up and gralloching the mighty carcase. This is the mode of Moose hunting, whether you find him in his yard, or start him from it unawares ; or yet again, if you find the trail of his deeply-dinted foot, where he has wandered at his own will through the wilderness. It is a sport for men, not to be assayed of babes or sucklings, and only to be enjoyed— without the aid of Indians or back- woodsmen—by the accomplished and experienced forester, who, with no provision but his rifle, axe, and knife, his tinder- box, his biscuits, and his salt, will fatten on the luxuries of the land, where the spruce city sportsman would unquestionably starve. Assisted, however, by Indians, or old hunters, any man, possessed of stout thews and sinews, long-winded, and accus- tomed to field exercise, may embark on such an expedition as I have described, with the certainty, or something very like it, of enjoying glorious sports, and great fun beside. No particular fitness, or unusual p .wers are required, as is evident from the fact I have recorded above, of the great sport which fell to the lot of twenty-three ofiicers cf the Guards— for it is well known that the officers of that splendid corps are the flower of the Eng- lish gentry, who live hi^, and sleep soft, and certainly are in no wise habituated to the hardships of a life in the woods— though, be it remembered, en passant, when need is to rough it, no man roughs it better or more uncomplainingly, than your thorough- bred English gentleman,— it is your cockney, who first gives himself airs, and everybody else tiouble, and then gives— a«^' Verbum sap. For the rest, no particular instructions are needed, nor can be given for this sport. The best place to aim at, when a fair shot presents itself on a Moose— or indeed on any animal— is the arch of the ribs, immediately behind the fore-shoulder, that is to say, at about two-thirds of the depth from the withers downward. If you are compelled to take the head, directly between the FOREST SPORTS. 237 eyes in front, the root of the ear from the side, or the base of the skull from behind, are the deadliest marks. At any animal of the Deer kind crossing you, at full speed, aim well forward ; I should say at the forward point of the shoulder, and fire as the animal is descending in its bound ; other- wise you will be likely to undershoot, and either miss it altoge- ther, or only break a limb. When a Deer, or Moose, runs a few hundred yards after being shot, it is a hundred to one against its rising again. On the contrary, when it falls instantly in its tracks, it has often received only a stunning or glancing wound, from which it speedily recovers, and, if approached incautiously, and with un- loaded arms, often effects its escape. When a Deer falls, therefore, if you have dogs with you, restrain them ; if not, stand still yourself until you have loaded, which do as quickly as possible, consistent with due delibera- tion, and then step coolly forward, prepared for either fortune. I advise no man to go in upon a hurt Stag, much less upon a Moose, or Cariboo, with knife or axe, although I have myself done so with a Hart, in order to save aiavorite hound. It is, however, a foolish and useless risk, and I should have been severely hurt, if I had not been well backed, though I had good weapons. The best place to strike with the knife, whether to terminate the agonies, or to bleed a fallen Deer, is the jugular vein, about four inches below the ear, a little forward. But to hamper a hurt one at bay, strike with the edge at the ham-string, between the hough and quarter. This will disable him, and take the fight out of him most effectually. The mode of hunting Cariboo differs in nothing from that of Moose, with this exception, that — owing to the inferior weight of the animal, and the pliability of his pastern joint, which bends so completely at every stride under him, as to afford a very con- siderable fulcrum and support in the deep snow — he is able to travel so much longer, and so much more fleetly, even in the worst cmsts, that it is considered useless to attempt to run him m Kfll \fv. i _i... J 238 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. down, when once alamed and in motion. He must, therefore euher be stalked silently from the leeward, or shot while in his' His flesh is said to be inferior to that of the Moose, which i, to beet, as venison to mutton. To those who are wholly inexpert with the rifle, and hopeless of usmg It effectively, a good double gun of fourteen, or-bet- ter-twelve guage. heavily loaded with powder, and with an Eley 8 wire cartridge, green, of SSG mould shot, will prove a deadly implement. ^ At seventy to a hundred yards, it will throw fourteen largo buckshot into a circle of a foot diameter; and. if compelled-- which the Lord forbid !_to fight a Grizzly Bear at close quar- ^rs. I would rather use such a gun so loaded, than any firearm known. At ten paces it will make a ragged wound, as big as the mouth of a tumbler, and send its shot through and through. \l DEER HUNTING. 239 DEER HUNTING. HE Common Deer of North Ame- rica, Cervus Virginianus, differs eu- tively from all the European or In- dian varieties of this order. It is smaller in size than the Red Deer — Hart and Hind — of the British Isles and the European Continent, and is far inferior to it in stateliness of character, in bearing, and in the size and extent of its antlers, which, moreover, are very dis- tinct in form from those of the stag. This distinction consists in the fact that, while the main stem of the horn in the Red Deer invariably leans backward from the brow, with all the branches or tines pointing forward and downward, to the number of ten or twelve, in the American Deer it points forward and downward, with the branches arising from it backward and upward. From the Fallow Deer of Europe, which I believe to have been originally introduced from the East, it differs in being much larger, and having branched, as distinguished from pal- mated horns. Its flefih is much nearer akin, as indeed is its general appear- ance, to that of the Red than the Fallow Deer, being very rarely fat, and much drier, and less delicate, than that of the buck or doe. It is so very much larger than the Roebuck, and differs from it so greatly in all respects, that it is needless to enter mi- nutely into the difference. ilil I , ! • >| t- I ,1 i 240 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. The venison of the American Deer is a very favorite meat "d 13 particularly famous for its tenderness/and eaBineTsof digestion ; I must, however, record my own opinion, that it very much over-rated, as it appears to me deficient in flavor and fatness, and in no wise comparable to good four or five year old mutton, which has hung long enough to become tender This beautiful animal abounded formerly in every pan of his Continent, from the extreme North-eastL MexicZ o'r even taither South; and it is even now found inconsiderable num- bers, wherever the destruction of the forests, and the wanton rapacity of man, have not caused its extinction. But a few years ago it abounded in the State of New- York as far south as Orange. Rockland, and Putnam counties, but it^ range is rapidly becoming circumscribed; and, though a few scattered herds may be found still north of the Shawangunks. the sportsman must go to Greene or Ulster counties. Hamilton county or the valley of the Chemung, and the head waters o the Alleghany, before he can be secure of sport. In New Jersey, a few are found yet on the highlands of Navesink. and perhaps a few on the mountains toward the Delaware river, but heir number is small, and daily decreasing. To the eastward, they are still tolerably plentiful in the northern parts of Ver- mont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire; and i„ Maine they abound in the great evergreen forests, their woi.t enemy there toT%- . ' "/'^" ''' P^^'^P^' '- ^' ^^« sporting' d to be found in the hardy and laborious natives of tL fine State, than m any other part of the Union: The loggers and lumber- hunt, oi fire-hunt a Deer or two, and in their leisure time may tf a Sl^' k T' 7'' ''"^^ ^'''^^ '''' "'• ^""«' ^™- - 0.1 Le but'h :•""' '' '''' P--i-"ously. and counted as game.-but huntmg proper ar.d scientifip. I may say there is v^^'ZTTT '"'" ™"''^^ " -"«tly brought by Indians, who watch patiently at the run-ways by the lake margins, and I!lt| M^mM ■•''..■ ■ r^ ^^— ^ ^ ill. T^ p-:-::.~-^ Utr fk~ 'ff -=zr.r_z:-jP ^hsiisi 1 ^'~-^0iS^ -♦s^^prr— -J JPF^iZ^^j »K..i U^S ■:^^^" 'vt^r-'^ ^^^#^* \'\^ '^ 5£*« ^;i^>SV ^^ i%£^^^ '^^ Ml^* THE DEER. H I'll' I'] .i I f^ .a-tiiJ I M» DEER HUNTINO. 241 shoot the Deer as they come down to drink at dawn, an.l at nightfall. From Pennsylvania, and the western part of Now- York thev are found everywhere to the westward abundantly, although such cruel and promiscuous havoc is made among them at all seasons, without respect for age or sex. that it cannot be dis- tinctly said how soon they may cease to exist. Up to the winter of 1836, they were found in thousands, in what are known as the Becch-woods, on the confines of New- York and Pennsylvania; but in February of that year, hordes of savage rustic ruffians, profiting by the deep snows, and unex- ampled crust, went into the woods on snow-shoes, and literally slaughtered the helpless Deer, by droves, with clubs and knives, fur the worth of their skins, the flesh at that season being use- head '^**' '''"° '^'^^ ^'^^^ "'''^'"' ^^^^'^'"^'^ ^° ^"y '^'•^^ Such wanton brutality is inconceivable, and I cannot but beheve that the hipeds capable of such butchery, would bo equally capable of knocking a man in the head for his purse could they do so undetected. The Legislature of New- York has done its duty in this matter, but their efforts, I fear, are destined to effect no good, such is the strange impatience of legislation, and the abhorrence of game laws, quasi aristocratical, by our rural population, and such the greedy selfish gluttony of our rich cockney snobs, who will sup- port the illegal market, and uphold the criminal dealers and res- taurants, who sell out of season. The hunting of Deer, everywhere north of the Potomac, is, m my opmion, vastly slow work, lacking alike the animation, the pomp, and spirit-stirring bustle of the chase proper, and the quickly-recurring excitement, and rapid occurrence of game pecuhar to the shooting field. It is practiced for the most part by two modes, driving and rtill-hunting, of which I consider the last, in general, by fai the most legitimate and exciting, as it demands both skill in woodcraft, and endurance, on the part of the hunter ; whereas VOL. II. jg iTfTJ < J • rt 1 ' 212 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. the Other requires only the patience of Job, added to enough skill with the gun to knock over a great l)oaHt, as big as n Jack- ass, and as timid as a Sheep, with a heavy charge of buck-Hhot. The former mode is i)riicticed, almost exclusively in Penn- sylvania, where the hunters are very apt to shoot hounds on account of their disturbing the forests, and diiving the Deer off the ranges, as also in the southern tiers of counties in New- York; on Long Island, and to the eastward, as also with some small variation of mode, in Hamilton county, and the northern section of the State. On Long Island, especially, at Snedecor's and Carman's, where excellent hotels are kept for the accommodation of city sportsmen, it is usual to collect large parties, often numbering twenty or thirty guns. All the Deer-paths and run-ways are perfectly well known to the hunters and drivers, and the com- parative excellence of them thoroughly ascertained. The stations at these are, therefore, meted out by lot to the sportsmen, some of whom have thus a fair chance of getting a shot in the course of a whole day's weary watch to leeward of Deer-path, while against others the odds are, perhaps, a hundred to one against their so much as hearing the distant bay of a hound. Meantime the hounds are uncoupled, the drivers enter the woods, and endeavor to force the quarry to the known passes, at which the gallant cits, wait patiently, or impatiently, as it may be, with little or no excitement ; beyond the knowledge, that if they are detected indulging in a cigar, or in firing an unwise shot at any passing small game, much more in being absent from their stand when a Deer— if any— crosses it, or missing him if present under arms, they will be fined a dozen of Champagne at dinner, for the benefit of the company; whereas, if they suc- ceed in killing Hart or Hind, they will be rewarded by the hide and horns, and by the permission to buy the venison at auction in the evening, if they bid more for it th^n their unsuccessful neighbors. I was once present at one of these Epping hunts of Amerioa'e cockneys, and I most assuredly shall never be present at niio DEER HDNTmO. 243 her. There .s certainly no sublimity about them. unle«H it be h. Hubhmuy of the ridiculouB ; an.l I believe that novv-a-aays lew pHr8on« worthy of the name of sportsmen honor tl.eso tra- vestied battues with their presence. High living by day, hitrh play at night, soft pillows in the morning, with just enough sporting to servo a. an excuse, are the great inducements to T^ow- York gunners to visit " the Island." unless it be fr.r Fowl «hootmg. which is really fine, and a sp,>rt worthy of a sportsman, or for the kindred amusement of Trout fishing with the fly in wators which it is no easy matter to surpass anywhere, either for the excellence of their stocking, or the quality of their fish I or the rest, I can conceive nothing more lugubriously dull than a Long Island Doer-hunt. It is just the thing for a Broad- way dandy, and for nothing on the broad earth beside. In Hamilton county, among the fine bright lakes, the pellucid nvors, and the great breezy hills, although the order of the day IS still driving, it is a very different affair, leaving much, almost everything indeed, after the Deer is started, to the energies, the tact, and the activity of the hunter. He is stationed, in.leed, at the first, by a run-way, whore it opens on the lake, or river-that which the guide deems the best; but when the deep bay of the Staghound, bellowing through the passes of the miglity mountains, and repeated fifty fold by the sportive echoes, gives note that the game is a-foot the hunter must shift his place, as the music sweeps onward over rock and through ravine, now bounding, rifle in hand over stuck and stone, with gait swift at once, and stealthy.-r.ow making his light skiff; or yet lighter hark canoe, glance over the clear waters, with strong-pulled sculls, or dertly-mana-red pad- dles, and owing it to his own speed and skill in avoidincr the sight or the scent of the hunted quarry, if he gets it within rifle range. Again, if it take the water boldly, as it will often do, and swim across from shore to shore, there is a race in view, with all ,le pendent on the individual faculties and personal prowess of the sportsman, producing all that consciousness of power, that emu- 844 FRANK PORRSTEr's FIELD SPORTS. lation against the rifal crew, that rapture of pursuit and Btrife, that triumph of buccobs, which constituteB the chiefest ploasure of the hunter's toilaome life. Then nothing is lovelier in nature than the lone passes of the Adiromlach highlands, with all their pomp of many-colored autumn woods, piled tier above tier into the pale clear skies of Indian summer, with all their grandeur of rock-crowned peaks, almost inaccessible. Tahawus, Nodoneyo, or Oukohlah, namt-s exquisitely significant, as grandly sonorous in the old native tongue, but now degraded and vulgarized i/ito the Mount Marcy, Mount Seward, and Mount Emmons— names equally unmeaning, and small-sounding, of political survoyors— and all their broad and bright expanses of ialand-studded lakes, reiul- gent to the hazy sunshine. Here there is no work for the feather-bed city hunter, the curled darling of soft dames. Here the true foot, the stout arm, the keen eye, and the instinctive prescience of tlie forester and mountaineer, are needed ; here it will be seen who is, and who is not the woodsman, by the surest test of all— the only sure test — of true sportsmanship and lore in venerie, who can best set a-foot the wild Deer of the hills, who bring him to bay or to soil most speedily, who ring aloud his death halloo, and bear the spoils in triumph to his shanty, to feast on the rich loin, while weakly and unskillful rivals slink Rupporiess to beat. For those who would read stiiTing sketches of these things and places, given apart from instruction in the most spirited and graphic tone, whether of prose or verse, I cannot do better than refer to the works of my friend, C. F. Hoffman, whose Sacon- DAGA Deer Hunt, and Lays op the Hudson, bespeak at once the accomplished woodman, and the almost inspired poet. I now come to the still-hunting of Pennsylvania and the West, a sport, which though entirely divested of the fascination derived from the music of the hounds, or the melody of the horn, from the excitement of swift pursuit, or the thrilling eagerness of a chace in view, has yet its own peculiar charm, from the wild ness and solitary nature of the haunts into which it leads you DEKK HTTNTINO. 945 tit: from tho strange and almost mysterious skill which it requires, and from the pride of conscious ability which you derive from tracking up a blind trail, by signs wholly invisible to unfamiliar eyes, to a successful and triumphant issue. No written instructions can give this lore to the tyro ; nothing but lon^' practice, and the closest experience, can give to the eye of man the ability to follow the path of the devious and pastur- ing Deer, through every variety of soil and surface, with a cer- tainty as unerring as that attained by the nose of the Blood- hound. The least foot-print on the moist earth, nay, the merest punc- ture by the sharp extremity of the cloven hoof in a displaced dead leaf, shall tell the experienced eye hew hmg since, at what pace, whether sauntering in pursuit of food, or dallying with his hinds, or flying from his foes, tho noble hart has passed, and thence whether the pursuit is worth trying, and success possi- ble. Not the bark of a bircli tree frayed by his bonis, not a dewdrop dashed from the brushwood, not a leaf browzed, or a moss-tuft ruffled on the fallen cedar, must be unnoticed, not a well-head in which he might have drank, or a stream-pool in which he might have wallowed, must be unvisited. The slightest variations of surface, the changes of the growth of tim- ber, the qualities of the lying ground, and the feeding ground, the houi-8 of the day, the situation of the sun, the shifts of the wind, must be known and noted. The wisdom of the serpent and the stealthiness of the cougar, crawling upon his prey, must be imitated ; and to one truly skilled, and endowed with all the qualities of head and hand, of eye and foot, the patience of hun- ger and thirst, the endurance of fatigue, and the indifference to heat or cold, there is no surer method, and certainly, to my ap- prehension, none so sportsmanlike or scientific, practised in the Eastern, Midland, or Western States, as still hunting, which may indeed be dignified by the name of American Dekr Stalking. It is, however, so difficult, that an apt and observant scholar shall require many seasons of apprenticeship to a wise wood- f fi il rf L u if' -"II 246 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS, man ere he may hope for the least success in attempting it un- aided ; and for a long time he must be content with followin.r silently m the wake of his skilful guide, straining his every fa! culty to distinguish the signs which he literally reads as he runs and must he satisfied at first to be told and taught, by slow de' grees, the various symptoms by which he shall one day uner. ringly pronounce on the size, the sex, the weight, the rate of progress of the animal; and last, not lear.t, of the length of time which has elapsed since the impress of the track which alone can guide him on the soft forest soil, or in the streamlet's bed. For a long time, it shall appear marvellous to him, indeed when, after winding to and fro, perhaps for an hour or two' among the monstrous stems of the tall timber trees, or through' the deep alder brakes, or upland tracts of dwarf pine, he is told m a guarded whisper to make his rifle ready, and crawl warily over the brow of this hillock, or o the brink of that dell —for sure enough, the Deer are at hand ; and, still more marvellous' when he is set within twenty or thirty yards of the unsuspecting quany, and bade to take his time and make sure ; and yet most rapturous of all, the moment, when the quick rifle cracks and the stncken hart bounds aloft, death-wounded, and falls headlong. Yet all this thou, too, mayest attain, mine adventurous reader li thou wilt take patience to be thy rule of conduct, and a wise woodman to be thy guide, and wilt eschew soft sleeping and high feeding for a time, and exchange city luxuries for forest fare, and model thyself after the fashion of a man, not of a Man- tahm ! Success and speed to thee, if thou assay it ; and of this be sure, that thou wilt not rue the adventure, either for the manhood thou shalt gain, or the fun thou wilt find in gaining it In order, however, to enjoy Deer-hunting in anything like perfection-for, after all. here, to the Northward, it is practised ninety-nme times out of a hundred, as it is in the West-I had almost said altogether-^^ a means of obtaining venison, and not for sport's sake-we must go into Virginia, into the Carolinas. Louisiana and Mississippi. There we find the gentlemen of the DEER HUNTING. 247- land, not pent in cities, but dwelling on their estates; there we find hunters, par avwurs, if I may so express myself, and jjacks of hounds maintained regularly, and hunted with all legi- timate accompaniments of well-blown bugle and well-whooped halloo ; with mounted cavaliers, fearlessly riding thorough bush, thorough briar, over flood, over mire, taking bold leaps at fallen trees and deep bayous in the forest lands, at sturdy timber fences or dense hedges and broad drains, if the chase lead across the open ; and riding, one against the other, as fearlessly and as desperately, for the first blood, or the kill, as they do in old England, in Leicester or Northampton, to the Quorn hounds, or the Squire's lady pack. This is the sport, par excellence. He who has ridden once to a good pack, in the open, over a good scenting country, with a well-bred one under him, whether the game be *' pug" in Eng- land, or a ten-antlered buck in Carolina, will hold Deer-driving or Deer-stalking as mighty slow sport in all time thereafter. It is true that, in the South, the fowlingpiece and buck-shot is a part of the hunter's equipment, and that the aim of the rider is to come within gun-shot of the buck,— not to see the hounds run into him fairly ; hut this is inavoidable, from the woodland and marshy character of the country, and from the consequent impossibility of riding up to hounds, for any considerable length of time, or, in any event, through a whole run. The Deer know too well their advantage in the covert, to attempt more than an occasional burst across the open ; and, therefore, the mounted hunter's skill is oftener taxed to make happy and knowing nicks, whereby to ride the chord of the arc, or the hypothenuse of the triangle on which the hounds are running, than to hold his own across the open, neck and neck with the leading dog," taking everything in his stride, with a firm foot in the stirrup, a light hand on the rein, and an easy seat in the saddle. And a thorough knowledge of the country, added to good horseman- ship, will generally beat the greatest nerve in riding and the best horseflesh, if the nag be not piloted by one who knows the lay of the land. I % ' ' '' .1 I' K i 218 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. Still desperate runs, and desperate riding do occur, and me judrce Habrv W., of South Carolina, for whose " workman- like style of putting a certain small bay horse over the coun- try, Mr. Porter vouches on page 351 of Hawker on Shootino- describes there and thereabouts as pretty a burst which he rod'e' on ''Daredevil," in Mississippi, as I have ever seen from "Bil- lesdon Coplowe," " Misterton Gorse," or across the " Whissen- dine." This sport I have never had the fortune to enjoy on this side of the water, though I trust that I may do so during the com- ing winter, after which, I dare say, I shall find reason to alter my present opinion, which decidedly now leans to the side that Deer-hunting in America is rather slow work. I have no remarks to make on any of these kind of sports except to hint to stand-shooters for Deer, that they cannot too carefully adapt the color of their clothes and caps to the preva- lent colors of the foliage at the time being, and to stand perfectly still when a Deer is approaching. These animals, timid as they are will otten come directly up to a man in full view, if he move no imb, and more especially avoid turning his head, when they will stop short and dart off at a tangent on the slightest motion of a person, who may flatter himself tolerably well concealed by brushwood or other covert. In shooting at a Deer on the leap, with a gun and buck-shot, even more than with a rifle, shoot well forward, and low, as the animal descends from its bound; and, in shooting from horse- back, at speed, bear well on your off" stirrup, if firing on the nigh side, and, vice vend, bearing hard with your hand on the rein to which you shoot. The cause of this advice is obvious- the body IS naturally thrust forward in the direction toward which you present your gun, and the best broken horse will swerve a little fi-om the sudden flash. Your business is to balance the tendency of your own body by the bearing on the stirrup, and to check the swerve by the rein. No one should attempt to ride across country, without a dou ble bridle, snaffle and curb, or with a martingale. DEER HUNTING. 849 Fire-hunting is a style of hunting, or rather poaching Deer, which, I suppose, I must mention, as it is largely practised in' many regions of country; and, being very destructive and very certain, has many votaries,— but I confess that I am ashamed to do so, and must regard it as utterly unsportsmanlike, and butcherly. This fire-hunting is peiforraed in two manners ; one, the most usual, is to build a fire of pine-knots on a grating in the bows of a canoe, with a sort of wooden screen behind it, immedi- ately in the rear of which the murderer sits with his ready rifle, while his comrade, seated in the stern, propels the light vessel along the channel of deer-haunted rivulets, or along the margin of forest lakes, at which they descend to drink. Astonished by the fire-light, the animals stand stupidly at gaze, until the red glare, falling upon their eyeballs, shows them to the concealed rifleman, who levels his deadly piece, at ten or twelve paces distant, between their gleaming orbs, and rarely fails to kill a buck at every shot. The principle of the other method is identical, although the modus operandi is slightly different :— A scaffold is erected, about four or five feet in circumference, and high enough to admit of the hunter's sitting under it; this is covered with sticks, bark, and a thick layer of earth, upon which a bright fire is' kindled, of pine-knots, as before, while a screen of branches is erected about it to conceal the persons of the crouching hunters. These preparations are made in the vicinity of one of the salt springs, or licks, as they are called, which are so eagerly sought out, and so much frequented by Deer; and the animals approach with the same disregard of, or. perhaps, I should rather say fas- cination by the fire, for which they are remarkable. The great drawback to this species of sport, apart from the not slight odor of pot-hunting which attaches to it, is that other animals than Deer often approach the treacherous blaze ; and instances are not uncommon of hunters shooting their own horses and cattle,— nay, every now and then, their°own compa- nions, sisters, and sweethearts. J; 850 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. There is nothing of fair play about it. It is a dirty advan- tage taken of the stupidity of the animals; and. apart frcm its manifest danger, ought to be discountenanced. _ The last mode of Deer-hunting to which I shall allude, is what 18 culled m some of the Western States_in which there are large tracts of wide prairie land, dotted with clumps or islands of brushwood and timber- bouncing them. This is done by drivinjr them, by means of an old slow hound, into the open, and then pui-sumg them by relays of horsemen, in the hope of getting a A far finer sport, and one for the neglect of which I cannot account, would be to slip a brace or a leash of good Greyhounds on them, the instant of their breaking covert. I do not doubt m the least that high-bred dogs would run into them, after a course o a mile or two over the open, than which 1 can con- ceive no sport more exciting, no sight more beautiful. But, shouid the common Greyhound prove too weak to pull them dowii, which I do not believe would be the case, the rough Scottish Deer-greyhound would do so undoubtedly, and more- over, uniting scent to speed, wouw hunt the Hart down.'should he run out of view. The Scottish Deer-hound, or Streaker, as he is sometimes called, 13 a cross-bred, not an original dog; and may be bred thus : — •' To a very large Foxhound bitch-black and tan, if possible- put a tall, high-bred Greyhound dog; to the best bitch pup of the htt .r, put a Newfoundland dog,-or. better yet. if you can find one. a rough-haired Colley, or Scottish sheep-dog ; a^ain to the best bitch pup of this litter, put a tall, high-bred G°ey' hound dog. The result of this fourth cross will be a very tall and powerful litter of dogs, possessing almost all the speed, with the form and grace, of the Greyhound, the shaggy hair of Ae rough breed, and the scent and indomitable courage of the Foxhound. I would rather have two couple of such doffs for Bporting in the Far West, than the best pack of hounds that ever opened on game. DEER HUNTING. 251 One of them, single-handed, will pull down a Red Stag of the fiiTRi head, or throttle a Wolf; and I would back a brace to bring to bay any Elk that ever ranged westward of the Cross- timbers, in a mile's course. They are intelligent, handsome, hardy dogs, and will be found vastly useful. The Newfoundland, or Slieep-dog cross, may be dispensed with ; but it renders them handsomer, hardier, and more intelligent than the mere double cross of Greyhound upon Foxhound,— it also gives them some of the powers of the water- dog, and adds to their courage. A dog so bred, it will be re- membered, combines, in some degree, the qualities of each of the three great natural divisions into which zoologists have dis- tinguished the order dog, canis,— viz., vcloces, the swift runners, entirely or nearly devoid of scent -, pugnaces, or fighters ; and sagaces, or intelligent,— having, in their composition of four crosses, two of speed, one and a-half of intelligence, and one- ha\£ of pugnacity, from the Foxhound. I should earnestly recommend my friends and readers of the Western Prairie States and Territories, to try this combination —I could almost vouch for their compensating the trouble, by the sport they would shew ; but, apart from these, I should urge the gentry of St. Louis, and places similarly situate, to try a kennel or two of Greyhounds. I can discover no reason why, among a population so spirited and so fond of field sports as the Western men. Greyhound coursing of Deer, with all its excite- ment of plates, cups, matches, and handicaps, should not begot up in as fine style as at Swaffham, Malton, or Newmarket, a°nd in so much finer, as the Hart is a nobler animal than the Hare, and the illimitable prairies of the West a wider field for sports' manship than the Yorkshi-e Wolds, or the Chalky Heaths of Suffolk. Before closing this branch of my subject, it will be naturally expected that I should say something concerning the habits and the mode of pursuing the Black-tailed Deer. In truth, how- ever, so little is known, comparatively speaking, of this fine Deer, that I cannot enlarge upon the topic. It is f )und only I ft! 'If • f't. ( I t 1 1 ■1 li m A 252 PRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. •o large a portmn of that country, „p to the base of ,hTTT Mou„tai„,^„d beyond then., .o';he^hors. ofTh p "^^l^ « shot tn the .ame manner a» the common Deer, by.tl2; i, whtch ,s more than ordinarily difficult, from the fact Ta^t ra.'ely found in the woodland diBtric. prefernW the ^Je pra.r.ea, on whic, it, ,„ick eye and di^criminatbg^n^ ^1 ca„ iw-mrir^s-Lrui'— rii'--™ But my Ji^ts warn me to abstain from farther discussion of Deer huntmg, a subject to which I hope I have doj Zee til '""' »r''™"'»/'=M 'PO" of mfnc-for nobler uati Westward, and the Wild Turkey will no, be forgotten. ^ ' Far West ;- ward of th^ few Elk sti Bylvania. The nortl identical; n to the easti Lake Winn 50th degree, so far as Te of the Soutl selves. An Elk ol since in Lou ap;irty ofgt '>wn, the din particular rac PBAIBIB SPOETS. 353 BISON AND ELK HUNTIN G. "Ui NCE ranging over every part of ^^ the United States, from the Hu.l- ^s e,^ son River and Lake Champlain, westward, to the Pacific Ocean— • unle8s it were in a few forest dis- tricts on the Atlantic seaboard— both of these noble quadrupeds are now confined to narrow limits, Far West. n«;.J i-u ^^^"""y "^^^^^^^nff more, in the ward of rM- "" ^''"^ '"""^ '" ^"y ""'"bers east- few E,k tm T "'" '' '' '"'' "'"' ' '°"''' *'^^ ^ syLnia. '' """^ ''' '"'"^^ °' North-western Penn- The northern limits of both these animals appear to be nearly |dent.cal; neither of them, it would seem, bavLg ever ex sted ^oe eastward, north of the Great Lakes, though wes to Lake Winnipeg they have both been killed, so far north as the 50th degree. Southward, they extend over all the prairie lands oHhe South-western States they do not often intrude them! sint"if r*" '^^''' u '^"""'^' ^''' *^""^^«^' '^"l^'^ - fe^ yeai^ mrtv f"T'' ^''"''" ""'""'"^y ^^y'^" -'I '^^ river, by a ^uty of gentlemen, one of whom is a particular friend of my own, the dimensions of which are so enormous as to deservl particular mention. cooive ilk |J 'it r hr'fi :.5i FRANK PORESTBR'S FIELD SPORTS. Its gross weight was 7041b8. ; its length, from the tip of the nose to the hinder hoof. 11 feet ; height at the withers, 5 feet 4 ^nches-sixteen hands; length of antlers, 4 feet 2 inches ; width of antlers from tip to tip, 2 feet 6 inches. It appears to me, however, that the great male Elk, exhibited under the name of Wapiti, in the Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly which was trained to draw a gig-the females being broke to the saddle-was yet larger than this animal. If I err not, it mea- sured nearly eighteen hands. I had the good fortune, while a boy, at Eton, to enjoy fre- quent opportunities of obsei-ving a small herd of these magrifi. cent Deer, in the paddocks of Lord Glenlyon, at Datchet. There wei^, if I remember rightly, two great Stags, and ten or a dozen Hmds. the latter being so tame as to eat anything, par- tjcu arly bread or apples, of which they were very fond, out of the hand. They were imported, as I understood, for the pur- pose of being naturalized in his lordship's highland estates ; but whether that project was carried out, I cannot state. They Avere kept within very lofty and very strong enclosures; and I was told that, during the rutting season, the males were exceed- mgly dangerous and savage, and that they would attack a man dunng their mtrum, without any provocation. This I by no means doubt, as the common Red Deer, and sometimes even the Fallow Bucks, which are so much smaller and more timid, will, at the same season, occasionally attack intiiiders on their haunts. In the description I have quoted above, of this animal, from Godmans American Natural History, there is a long description of and discussion concerning, the subocular sinuses, or lon^i- udinal mucous slits beneath the eye in this animal. I have only to observe, in relation to this, that similar sinuses exisr in almost all animals of this genus, and that it is universally believed that they do contain an apparatus to facilitate inspiration and ex- halation during moments of great exertion. That singularly ".gemous and observant naturalist, the Rev. Gilbert White, of Selborae, whose work on the natural history of his own parish PRAIRIE SPORTS. 255 IS one of the most valuable and delightful books in the English language, states distinctly, either of a Hind-the female of the Red Deer-^or of a cow Moose, which he had an opportunity of examming, but I think of the former._I have not his book beside me for reference.-that. on an orange being offered to it. It smelt and snuffed at it alternately with the nostrils and the subocular smus ; and further, that he saw the same animal breathe through these sinuses for a considerable length of time while drinking very greedily, with both nostrils completely' submerged in the water. ^ _ An obse^-vation of the habits, in the live animal, in such cases. IS far more satisfactory than any examination by means of dis- section, as small ducts may easily be overlooked, or their nature mistaken. I understand that a large herd of these noble Deer are kept in a state of semi-domestication, by a gentleman who possesses a fine park and demesne in the neighborhood of Lexington, Kentucky ,- by his aid, this disputed matter might readily be investigated to demonstration. ^ Neither the Elk. nor the Bison, are ordinarily hunted with * hounds.-the latter. I believe, never. The former has been run to bay, with great success, by my friend, Mr. Sibley, of Men- DOTA. near St. Peters, on the Upper Mississippi; by aid of his celebrated Scottish Deer-hounds. Lion and Boston, on which fact L m no small degree, found my opinion of the great sport that might be had. and the great addition that might be made to the spirit and excitement of Western hunting, by the introduction ot this hne and gallant breed of dogs. The only other instance I know of the use of dogs with the -^Ik, was m the case of the great monster killed in Louisiana, as desciibed above. There can be no doubt, however, that the use of dogs is per. fectly applicable, either to the Elk or the Bison. The latte* animal is. we are assured, constantly assailed by Wolves and no person who is at all acquainted with the wonderful instinct trequently displayed by the particular breed of dogs I have de- I ill' 2.'>(> FUANK FORESTKH's FIELD SPORTS. scrilKHl, l)()ih ill Ninglinrr indivi.lmil Rod Df)or out of herds, nnd in sticking to tlio sloi ot' wounded Hurts, through the midHt of whole companies i.f Iliiids, and hringing them to bny uner- ringly, ovon wlun they huvo taken lliglit down th(« shaUow lu'ds of mountain tonentH, can doubt tlioir utility iioth in soparatiiifr marked animals from tho droves or gangs, and in preventing that very frequent, and, to tho humm. ■ hunter, painful cutas- trophe, of wounded brutes going off" to die alone in unteiided and protracted agony. As it is at present, the l^ison and the Elk are attacked in two modes only— either by Ktalking tlieni on foot with the rifle, which must bo an exceedingly animating and exciting, as well as a very difficult and laborious task, the objects of pursuit being in full view of tho hunter all the time, and his approaches being necessarily made over the bare and nearly level surface of the prairie, with nothing to conceal his stealthy advance, but the scanty shelter of the coarse grasses, unless he be so fortunate ns to find the channel of some vmter-course or ravine, down which he may wind upon his watchful (pinrry. His advances must, of course, be made vp wind, as the scent of both these creatures is inexpressibly acute, as is also their sense of hearing ; and, at the least alarm, they are off like tho winds of heaven, no man knoweth whither. This is the only species of stalking practised on this continent, which bears any sort of analogy to Red Deer stalking in the Highlands of Scotland, and this closely resembles it in all essentials,— though, in one respect, it is easier, and, in another, more diflUcult and arduous than the still sport of the Gael. In the first place, horses can be used by the stalker of the American Elk or Bison, until the animal is discovered on the far horizon, by aid of the optic glass, or the nearly as telescopic eye of the Western hunter. Secondly, the gi;ound being generally level, or broken only by long, wave-like swells and lidges, the toil is not comparable to that of climbing the crags and breast- ing the heathery mountains of the Caledonian deer-forests Thirdly, the stalker is not baffled by those singular swirls, eddies I'HAIHIE SI'oiiTS. 257 and cunonfs of uir. wl.ich ho per,.I.,x him l.y ti.eir nhiftH «,..] voorn.jj u.no,.^ tho ^I.m.h. gorg,.H, nu<\ coni.H of t}.e Scot.mh ban hn« all J.ks ho,,o« of a sl.ot. when he han hno,. manoMivrinu ior houvB to work well to looward of somo grand Stag royal "..d .s already Haltering himnelf that ho huH nucceed,..!. Thn« far, .he pnurio stalking is eanicr than its correNjn.ndent Hp.ut among ,ho hills; hut, .-..smuch as the grass of the, prairies ulh.rds far less c'ovort — the stealthy spor.sn.an than the tall .n.u.rlan« beneath the fric-ndly shelter of which to wind the devious way' an.] as yet, again, the wate^r-courses and holh.ws of the great VV..Htern Plains are neither so numerous nor so dec-t, as the stony nfts and gulli.-s of the mountain torrents, it is harder to iipproaeh the American that, the European game. To take M.e two sports all in all. the pros and cons as to the difficulty would seem to be pretty evetdy balanced, and it is very clear that no bungler or milksop can si- cced at either game. The best weapon for stalking either of these animals on fo(,t m undoubtedly the heavy ounc-hall rifle, h.Hh from the greatrr certainty of its execution at very long ranges, and . ...ecially across wind; and from the fatal nature of the large wound in- flicted by its ponderous missile. At no sort of game would the double-baiTelled, two-grooved rifle 1 have mentioned, give a more decided superiority to its bearer, over the small-bored p<.lygrooved, ill-balanced, single-barrelled piece of the Western trapper, than at these monsters of the wilderness. In case, however, of the game taking alarm before the hunter can get within range of i' or of his coming upon the drove of Bison or gang of Elk. while it is in motion, he exchanges his travelling horse, or sure-footed mule, for his swiftled through- bred,— his Buff'alo-runner, as it is termed in tlie West.— and charges down, at full speed, upon the terrified and scattered herds. If he be well mounted, he soon finds himself in the middle vol''rif ''^''^ '"^"^'' '^''"^^'^ ^°'"'' ^"'^ S^^""S eyes of tlie : . r. :i)lMl ,i 1 If- 25S FllANK FOIIKSTKK's FIELD SPORTS. torriblo and vicioiis-lookinjr, but, in rnality, torrifiod and timid Bisons; or, after a faster an "f rtiH «ort is brillmmly rolutcl a. Imvi„s l,of„ll..„ l,i„ biy .,„ best »ma,e,„. ni.„„ .„d Elk I,,.,.,™ i„ ^^erij.' '""'"■ - lun tor'?!,'"' T'"'' '"°''° '""' ''°"«'" """'"'? '■'■""> «>"" "f tl.« ""to, . horse, „b„„ „, ,p„,j. ft„„ „,„,,,; « ""f,""""'''" "- '■ 'I'"- from .b„ bom, „,„, hoofs of L 1 i»„r wh p^ ,,„,., „a„ h., „„r„ bulky and savago-boku.g comrade of chaso of tho Huiralo, but I confess „ prejudice againsl it fl™t . bo,„g very .„„p„,.a,ed, and theraL liable fo g to to o .bsordorcl, in which case it cannot possibly bo laired whereas any arn,„..r „,„ .ct a common percussion 'Xk';; in the,, steadj and ,.egular execution, I understand that tbey have been found to work very well, especially by .he RangZ of Texas, dunn,, the la.e Mexican campaign, ; but 1",™!,.? unless aga,„st «c», with whom the ^e4« is very, in"aT; * ,u,ck repcftion of shots a thing dreaded, I woufd i, finitely rather depend on a brace of good ten-inch duelling pi,t„,;„' tin * Th ^""™ "• "" """"■'• *»" "' * "voiv ;: : am 1 d , f ,"• :"""•• ° ■»»"-<"■ "Pinion and taste, and I am ed to behove that Coifs weapons have been i„,„r^ved s.nce I tned .hem. But when I did so, a few years sfnce I constantly found them failing to revolve ', all, or ,-f a .u'ly m consequence of the caps being d,.ive„ backward by It' P o«on and ailing down between .he cylinder and th'e b,ee , so as to make a jam. The bos. of these weapons, by all ac coun s ,s the largest pistol. The rifle is cumbrous and „' willdy -the f„wl,ngp,ece, I believe, was instantly abandoned, at all wents, ,t ,s preposterously and self-evidently useless all suffi T° ■^'"""°* '", «^''"™'' ' *™''' ■■^™>"me„d, as an allsufficent a.mo,y, a double-barrelled, two-grooved rifle- a .'N •f 2f50 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. short, heavy double-barrelled gun, say 30 inches in length, 12 guage, and at least nine pounds weight, with a pair of good ten-inch, smooth-bored pistols, all, of course, on the percussion principle ; for I perfectly agree with Mr. Sibley, that any man who calls himself a sportsman, and uses a flint-lock gun, when he can get a percussion, " should be considered a fit subject for a commission de lunatico, and should forthwith be furnished with a straight jacket, at the public expense." To these, if you please, may be added one of Colt's largest-sized revolvers — but about this I would not care. To make the equipment abso- lutely perfect, however, if late Grouse shooting or Wild-fowl shooting were intended, a heavy double gun, such as I have recommended for inland Duck shooting, will be found effective. For Eastern or English sportsmen, wishing to make their way to the region of Elk, Buffalo, and Grizzly Bear, I consider the best course to be this ; to take the lake steamboat to any of ths towns of Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan, and thence strike west- ward for Mendota and the mouth of the St. Peters, where, from the gentleman so often named, he will obtain every mformatioii and assistance he can need. All his arms, saddles, and bridles, as well as good powder, should be carried with him ; as well as a high-bred hunting horse, and dogs, if he decide on carrying them with him ; horses, mules, wagons, and all stores for his ex- pedition, he will readily obtain at his point of departure ; and, if he is well found and well mounted, he will find no difficulty in disposing of his stud and superfluous traps, bariing accidents, on the spot, previous to his return. As a general rule, the less baggage he caiTy with him, the better he will get on ; for, in the West, baggage will be found literally, what the old Romans used to term it, impedimenta. Salt, coffee, flour, and sugar — or, better than flour, sea bread — are the main things he will require in addition to blankets, a camp kettle, a tin cup or two, and am- munition. ^ There is no more delightful way that I can imagine of pass- ing a few months, for a young man of leisure, than such a trip into the wilderness ; and if he time his movements, so as to be PRAIRIE SPORTS. 361 at the Great Falls o;' St. Anthony, or thereabout, early in the month of October, and can obtain permission to accompany Mr Sibley's party on the hunting excursions which he makes annu- ally, he will have, in all probability, enough sport and excite- ment, consisting of Deer, Elk, Bison, perhaps a little Antelope a vanation or two of Grizzly Bear-which I should earnestly advise him to let alone-and Cougar, spiced, it may possibly be, with a dash of Sacs and Foxes, a-.d rendered thrilling by a trifle of scalp-taking, or losing, as it may be— to satisfy him for one year at least, and to add ten to his mortal existence, by the health and hardihood he will acquire, through the roughing and the gallant exercise. 'M • ii 262 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. ANTELOPE HUNTING. O be honest with you, gentle and dear reader, this, as yet, can scarcely be called a sport, and it is even doubtful whether it ever will be so; for so wild, so wary, and so ineffably fleet of foot is this beautiful little creature, that the speed of hounds and horses, the skill, the science, and the arras of man, are alike almost vain against it. Hidierto it has been pursued by none but the wild Indian waiTior, and the scarcely less wild hunter or trapper of the prairies. Few are the civihzed men who have chased it— a few amateurs, who have braved the long marches and precari- ous supplies, the perils and the terrors of the wilderness, with the officers of the gallant little frontier garrisons, the few scien- tific explorers of those far solitudes, and the yet fewer spirited and well-nurtured adventurers, whom the promotion of their fortunes, coupled to something perchance of a truant dispo- sition, has led overland to trade in tlie Spanish countries, or to explore the mineral regions— these are the only persons who have hitherto in America puraued the Prong-horn Antelope. Its speed is recounted to be such that, even when taken at advantage, so as to admit of being pursued by relays of horses, a fresh one started as fnst as the last fell weary, it has been very rarely nm down in the field. It is usually stalked by the white hunter, as the Elk or Deer ; but its ^vary or timorous nature, its habits of feeding on the tops of the pi great qui perhaps game of mention, i principall haunts w' I do no attempted is a diffic dogs, to t^ truth, a t\ fact, that reasonabh true and e by scent, prey, as it ing j^rairit Falconr; and so gre training H coners fro: this prince of attenda not wondc United St£ Expensi Turf, of \ there oppi country foi would hav< has been € fectness of alone are s Southern S without tal PHAIRIE SPORTS. 263 of the prairie swells, with posted sentitiels ever watcl iul, its great quickness of sight, of scent, and of hearing, render it perhaps the most difficult to deal with of all the four-footed game of America, if we except only that which I shall next mention, the Rocky Mountain Goat, who owes his impregnability principally, if not entirely, to the inaccessible nature of the haunts which he frequents. I do not suppose that the use of the Greyhound has ever been attempted against this beautiful little animal, and indeed there 15 a difficulty in applying the faculties of this the fleetest of dogs, to the pursuit of this swiftest of American quadrupeds— in truth, a two-fold difficulty, arising in the first instance from tlie fact, that it is scarce possible to slip the hounds within any reasonable distance of the quarry; and in the second, that the true and speediest Greyhound, running by view alone, unaided by scent, would soon be thrown out, from losing sight of its prey, as it would disappear beyond tl-.e ridgy swells of the roll- ing i^rairies, which it most loves to frequent. Falconry has never, I believe, been even attempted in America, and so great is the expense, the trouble, and tlie uncertainty of training Hawks, owing to the necessity of importing skilful Fal- coners from the continent of Europe, or from the East, where this princely sport is still cultivated, of maintaining a large train of attendants, with kennels and stables proportionate, that it is not wonderful it should not have yet become a sport in the United States. Expensive as it is, however, it is scarcely more so than the Turf, of which we have so many ardent votaries, and were there opportunity in the older and wealthier portion of the country for its adoption, I doubt not this most kingly of sports would have long ago had its ardent amateura. In Europe it has been extinguished by the density of population, and per- fectness of cultivation in all the level and rich districts, which alone are suited to it by nature. In the Eastern, Midland, and Southern States, the land is either too rugged or too woodland without taking the enclosures, which are an insurmountable ■' 11 • If i ■u4 !i :•',! 264 FRANK FORESTErt's FIELD SPORTS. whole Le 7,^1 'w Jn r- '"?""■• "' »" ■■"P™' on ,!,„ Manyof the'bestyarietioijofFal.'on -inH ,1,^ for training, are native, of America .:,ri/r.'""°"^""'"'''° evfr flew „ ^Zt^ '"''""^ '" "^-^ <" -y Fa'cn .hat wth ,„<,„,e„,, „, ,„ ,,«_ unoce„,« e rf anrrr" fined c,vi,i.ati„„, ,,e extended int , our II^^ W f ^"'■ tncts previous to the exHnctiou „f """"'O"- Western di,. question as yet is not to !.e stll, ' "'""" "' ""' ^''" At present there is prohablv less Ime fl- ing's sake, in ,|,e West th.n T "P°""'g- ^r «po,f. owing ,0 he g^eaTa uld™ ' 7 °"'" "'^"° "' *0 States, rog^'dingwhat^isiet;: :k:2r:r'' *°,""' ""'■'■ °^ «ro.ase,asanord.a,a„dev:X:nrara:rn:r PRAiniE SPORTS. ggjj or delicate article of food. In very many regions, if I am not much mismformed, salt pork and tough poultry are infinitely preferred to Venison, Grouse, or Wild-fowl, unless in the large and opulent cities. Hawks can be, and in the East— India and Persia especially— are trained to pursue and take the Antelope It is said, and I can easily conceive it to be, the finest sport in existence. Tho fleetest of quarry a-foot, the noblest of animals, the thorough- bred horse, the fleetest of dogs, and tho bravest of birds in pur- suit- the rush of the horse over the boundless green sward the swoop of the Falcon through the illimitable air-what excite- ment could exceed that. If I could imagine it possible, I would ask no better sport, than a thorough-bred horse, a brace of Greyhounds, and a cast of Hawks, would afford, at dawn of an autumn day, on the far- thest wihls of the West, with the Antelope, the Grouse, and the Whooping Crane for my quarry. Whether such sport will be seen ever on this side of the At- lantic, time alone can tell— elsewhere it will not through the broad universe; it what I dream of occur ever, ere age have chille Maine, and the northern parts of the other New England States, he is stiH abundant; in New Yo k a^w are yet to be found among the wilder hills of Greene .l' extmct-and thence to the Westward through all the southern tmct spec:es_known in Carolina as t]>e Yellow Bear and z; tr""^^' ^^ r '-' '-''^ --^^ '- -- ^^'^^ ^n:: mon Beaz, a nomenclature obviously derived from the color of ineir pelage. BEAR HUNTING. 267 This Bear is principally granivorous and graminivorous, d'>ing great mischief to the maize fields, of which grain he is ex- tremely fond, and like the Common Bear of Europe he is a gieat bee hunter, and voracious amateur of honey. He does not, however, refuse a change of diet, when it offers in the shape of animal food, such as young calves, lambs, and even sheep full-grown. Moreover, when he has once addicted him- self to this sanguineous diet, he rarely returns to his more innocent vegetable regimen, and becomes a very pest to the frontier farmer. To man, unless pursued and wounded, he is perfectly inno- cu( .IS, and will, on occasions, if })ermitted, betake himself to his k^els, which carry him off at a far more rapid rate than his singularly wad.iling and awkward gait would lead you to ima- gine possible. Even when badly hurt, he is not dangerous, and though he may cljarge and make a savage snap at you en jjas- mnt, he is easily avoided, and rarely if ever returns to the charge voluntarily. At close quarters he is of course an ugly customer, pan-ying all blows aimed at him with a blunt weapon, or even with an axe, the handle of which he will dash aside! without allowing the head to strike him, with the dexterity of a prize fighter. A tjjmahawk is therefore, unless used as a missile, an in strument of no avail against him, while vvitli a good stout bowie knife of two or three pounds' weight, the Western hu.iijrs have no hesitation whatever in going in hand to hand with the brute when at bay, in order to preserve their hounds from his fatal claws, and yet more fatal hug ; nor is it once in a hundred times that their temerity is punished by a wound. The exception to this innocuous character of the American Black Bear, is the female with young cubs. She has been known pertinaciously to attack intruders upon the privacy of her young bearlings, and even to climb trees in pursuit of the offender, to the utmost height the strength of the branches will "dmit, and then, unable to rise higher, to maul and mangle the dependent limbs of the fugitive in her impotent ferocity. Such '^■ffflp IK aJHTiwi ^ _ ■ ;{B'' ■ W'f ^ W'l'- Ml s • 1 ,1 1! m [^ 1 mi ji' • |}i 1. ;1vH{' ''■»■' fj' '1 'E i' 1 i ' 1 'Ml 268 FRANK FOHESTER's FIELD SPORTS. incidents are. however, uncommon, and rarely take place with grown-up men; though children and young lads are not u^ frequently thus annoyed in the back settlements In the Northern and Midland States, it cannot be said that the Bear ,s anywhere scientifically hunted. If the haunt of one il discovered m the vicinity of any town or village, a levy 1 Z takes place, weapons of all kinds are prepLd ani 7.oZZ up. and all the dogs of high and low degree, are f rt S pr ssed mto the service.- then after a hurly-burly sort of sk r^ »ish of perhaps two or three days' duration, bruin is fairly worned to death, and after being shot at by platoons enough to ■ h rr.", ""^' '^ " '^™^ '" ^""-P'^ -^« the village and his hide du^played as a trophy by the rustic cockneys, who hav accomplished his " taking off." Otherwise the woodsmen, and the few who hunt by profes- sion as It were and for a livelihood, either stumbling on him by accident while m pursuit of other game, or falling on his trTcks and hunting him out with one or two old sL,dy h unds shoo him at a single shot as a matter of business. Occa tonally when they have found his watering places, such ^en he in wai for him in the afternoon, and shoot him fr;m ambu " o leeward of his path. Still. I may say. that eastward of Loui- siana. Mississipp, and Arkansas, there is no such thing as Bea - hunting proper, as a regular sport. Many are killed, it is true, to the north-eastward, in New Brunswick and the Canadas many in Hamilton County. Chatauque, and Cataraugus in New lork. and yet more in Northern and Western Pennsylvania, but in all these places the mode of killing them is casual, rather than systematic, and for profit rather than for sport In all the northern regions, the Bear lies up regularly in some den among the crags during the winter season, and remains in a state of almost total torpidity, which is properly termed hiber- nation takes neither food or water until the return of spri„. It has been vulgarly believed that during this period, the animn'l subsists Itself by suction of its own paws. This absurd and fa- bulous tale has been completely exploded by the researches of BEAR HUNTING. 2G9 Captain Lloyd, the celebrated English Bear huntei, who for many years passed every winter in Norway, in pursuit of his favorite game, which is there hunted on snow shoes, and wlio has published two very elaborate and agreeable volumes, on the habits of the animal and the methods of killing him in Scnn- dinavia. By his researches, it has been found that during this hibernation of the Bear, his intestines are absolutely sealed up by a species of resinous fatty matter, and that no secretions, either by the pores or the bowels, passing from the animal du- ring this singular lethargy, he is supported by his internal fat. The Bear is in the best condition when he is on the point of lying up for the winter, in the worst when he issues forth in spring, lean, lank, and hungry, after his four or five months' fast. This habit has led to a mode of taking him in these regions, perilous apparently and exciting in the extreme, which is nevertheless not un frequently resorted to when a den is dis- covered, and wliich, strange as it may seem, is almost invariably successful. Indeed, I never heard of an accident taking place of a fatal nature in one of these desperate adventures. Several years since I wrote for the "American Tuif Register," a sketch of an occunence of this kind, which occurred on a favorite sporting ground of my own, tlie scene of which is per- fectly familiar to me, and for the facts of wliich I can vouch, although I did not seethe feat performed— that having occurred previous to my visiting this country, and indeed the'' principal actor being at that time dead. The brother, however, who is mentioned in the tale, still I am happy to say, survives, and from him I heard, what, as it has never been republished, I shall proceed to quote, the incidents of the death of I I'l I ' B HI I m i^. ^ ;l'' I " lion in tlie hard stone at the bi.ittf)m. Immediately behind this natuial fountain, which, in its free leap, formed an arch of several feet in diameter, might be seen a small and craggy aperture, but little larger than the entrance of a common well, situate close to the rock's base, descemiing in a direction nearly perpendi- cular, for several feet, as might be easily discovered from with- out. " There, Frank," cried Harry, as he pointed to the cave — " there is the scene of my Bear story ; and here, as I told you, is the sweetest nook, and freshest spring, you ever saw or tasted !" " For the sight," replied I, " I confess. As to the taste, 1 will speak more presently." While I replied, I was engaged in producing from my pocket our slight stores of pilot biscuit, salt, and hard-bf)iled eggs, whereunto Harry contributed his quota in the shape of a small jnece of cold salt pork, and — tell • It not in Gath — two or three young, green-topped, summer onions. Two modest-sized dram bottles, duly supplied with old Farintosh, and a dozen or two of right Manilla cheroots, ar- ranged in tempting order, beside the brimming basin of the IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V // 'i..< 't. / 1.0 1^ |7..8 1 2.5 t 1^ III 2.0 1 1.4 1.6 • 1.1 L25 A" . ► n 0 V] m. ^W W % <^ # O ^ ■«r / 11 Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ '^ 272 PRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. nymph-hke cascade, completed our arrangement; and, after hav.n^ laved our heated brows and hands. begriJd whL gu powder and stained with the red witness of voLrine slauX stretched on the cool granite floor, and sheltered from the le ee rays of the summer sun by the dark foliage of the oak-!we feasted, happier and more content with our frugal fare than I most lordly epicure that ever strove to stimulatfiiX^t the appreciation of fresh luxuries. ^^ " Well, Harry." exclaimed I, when I was sdtiate with food and whne, having already quaffed two moderate bonis, I waj engaged m emptying, alas! the last remaining drops of ;hirky mto the silver cup. sparkling with pure cold water- "well Harry, the spriqg is fresh, and cold, and tasteless, as any wate; I ever dtd taste ! Pitv it wpva nnf oJt,, » • ^ ^ trl^n «P A J. "**® '" ^"""^ Faun-haunted glen of green Arcad.a, or some sweet flower-enamelled dell of merry England, that it might have a meeter legend for roman Uc ears than your Bear story-some minstrel /ream o Dry ^ or Oread, or of Dian's train, moital-wooed !-some frolic ule of Oberon and his blithe Titania !-or. stranger ye, some th H^ mg and disastrous lay. after the German school, of ^oZn wa . mg for her demon lover, But.sith it may not be. letCrthe "Well, then." replied that worthy, " first, as you must know he hero of .ytaleis alas! that I must say . Jrathe !la bri' ther of Tom Draw, than whom no braver nor more honest man no warmer friend, no keener sportsman, ever departed to hi' long last home, dewed by the tears of all who knew him He Twi! "T r '"^ "^^^^ ^'^"^ reminisce„ces-y : knfw the brother who still survives ; and. knowing him. you have Z vemable pict^ of the defunc, as regards^ou rLaT epmt-for he was not a mountain in the flesh, but a man o^Iy- and a stout and good one_as. even more than my asseiL. my now ftuthcoming tale will testify. It was the very Isl her f . T' " ''' ''""^'^ «^^^-' '^^^ I -as staying p here, for the first time likewise. I had. of course. becU.e speedily mtimate with Tom, with whom, indeed, it need BEAR HUNTING. 273 longer space so to become ; and scarcely less familiar with his our feet I had been resident at Tom's above six weeks; and dunngthat spell, as he would call it. we had achieved much highly pleasant and exciting slaughter of Quail. Woodcock, and Partndge ; not overlooking sundry Foxes, red. black, and Jay and four or five right Stags of ten. whose blood had dyefthe' hmpid wate,s of the Greenwood Lake. It was late'in he autumn; the, e,,es had fallen; and lo ! one moi.ing we awoke snow Enough had fallen in the night to cover the whole sur- Zor ^.'^«^^'^^^•"' -'«' -<1 cultivated level, with one we ve of virgm punty-but that was all ! for it had cleared off early m the mornmg, and frozen somewhat crisply; and then a bnsk .,reeze rising, had swept it from the treesf before the sun brlir ' ''"" '' '''" ^'^ '"'•^^^" «^ ^^« 1-^ed " Tom and I. therefore, set forth, after breakfast, with dog and gun. to beat up a large bevy of Quail which we had found on he preceding evening, when it was quite too late to profit by the find m a great buckwheat stubble, a quarter of a mile themr t r^'"";'^P" ^'^^^ ^ '"^"•y '--P. - flushed hem in a hedgerow, drove them up into this swale, and used them up considerable, as Tom said. The last three birds pitched into that bank just above you; and. as we followed them we came across what Tom pronounced, upon the instant, to be the fresh track o a Bear. Leaving the meaner game, wL set our! selves to work immediately to trail old bruin to his lair, if pos- sib e ;_.the rather that, from the loss of a toe, Tom confidently and with many oaths, assorted that this was no other than ' the damndest etanial biggest Bar that ever had been knowed in Warwick, -one that had been acquainted with the sheep and calves of all the farmers round, for many a year of riot and im- punity. In less than ten minutes we had traced him to this ZuJtT'' ''' '"'' ''' ^^^^''^' ^"'^ "^-- - ^-ck re. VOL.* II. "'°™'"' ""^ ^"^ ^^"'"^ ^^' T«"^ 'eft me with 18 274 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. directions to sit down close to the den's mouth, and there to smoke my cigar, and talk to myself aloud, until his return from reconnoitring the locale, and learning whether our friend had any second exit to his snug hiemalia. ' You needn't be scar't now, I tell you, Archer,' he concluded ; • for he's a deal too 'cute to come out, or even show his nose, while he smells 'bacca and hears woices. I'll be back to-rights !' " After some twenty-five or thirty minutes, back he came, blown and tired, but in extraordinary glee ! " ' There's no help for it, Archer ; he's got to smell hell any- ways ! — there's not a hole in the hull hill side, but this !' " ' But can we bolt him V inquired I, somewhat dubiously. " ' Sartain !' replied he, scornfully,—' sartain ; what is there now to hinder us 1 I'll bide here quietly, while you cuts down into the village, and brings all hands as you can raise — and bid them bring lots of blankets, and an axe or two, and all there is in the house to eat and drink, both ; and a heap of straw. Now don't be stoppin' to ask me no questions -shin it, I say, and jest call in and tell my brother what we've done, and start him up here right away— leave me your gun, and all o' them cigars. Now, strick it.' " Well, away I went, and, in less than an hour, we had a dozen able-bodied men, with axes, arms, provisions — edible and potable— enough for a week's consumption, on the ground, where we found Tom and his brother, both keeping good watch and ward. The first step was to prepare a shanty, as it was evident there was small chance of bolting him ere nightfall. This was soon done, and our party was immediately divided into gangs, so that we might be on the alert both day and night. A mighty fire was next kindled over the cavern's mouth the rill having been turned aside— in hopes that we might smoke him out. After this method had been tried all that day, and all night, it was found wholly useless — the cavern having many rifts and rents, as we could see by the fumes which arose from the earth at several points, whereby the smoke escaped witliout becoming dense enough to force our friend to bolt. We then BEAR HUNTING. 275 giea, and maimed, and bleeding • «,«^^ v con.,a„i„„, „H„.e gre J^f J iaT I, r^ ^J'^^' harder and ™or« mournful fate We apT, f T I ' kept up, for some Aree h„u„ uch a dt , X'"'""' ""'' might have .cared tl,e devir^rhl ,at ? , l" T"""' " with truly stoical endurance Mi "' " ''"'^ '' "" and we e..ayed .o blaat he^rfn "rhuTrwl"":""'" ■ "^" ' hardne. of the .tone defied ourUW T rdl'hT"' ""^ away, and we were now no nearer th^n „ T ^ ''"'""' had been ..,ed, and eve., ZZr^:^ fit irZY 7'"' po,„tme„t„t on every face, when 1^10',!"^ T • ■"'" ther, not merely volunteered, but could lot be h "" aetetred fr,m going down i^o the dt'and aWiLT T™ .» .« vety hold. Disauaeion and remoCnCfi* va'r that decided the whole matter *°- '"' ■""" ' »" wiiet :::• ^'no:r;e:r:fTh::rb r^^"^- -" "= •he.e wa, no passage whether for man or beast and iT u 7 was eertai. that the welLknown and much d ^^ "ettd taken up his w nterauartera Th^ i i ■ # 1 ^H 276 FRANK FORESTEk's FIELD SPOKTS. forward, on his back, along the horizontal tunnel, and to sl.oot at the eyes of the fierce monster, which would be clearly visi ble m the dark den by the reflection of the torches ; ti-ustin^ to the alertness of his comrades from without, who were instructed instantly on hearing the report of his musket-shot, to haul him' out hand over hand. This mode decided on, it needed no long space to put it into execution. Two narrow laths of pine wood were procured, and half a dozen augur holes drilled into each-as many candles were inserted into these temporary can- delabra,.and duly lighted. The rope was next made fast about his chest-his musket carefully loaded with two good ounce bullets, well wadded in greased buckskin-his butcher-knife disposed in readiness to meet his grasp-and in he went, with- outone shade of fear or doubt on his bold, sun-burnt visage As he descended, I confess that my heart fairly sank, and a taint sicliness came across me, when I thought of the dread risk he ran m courting the encounter of so fell a foe. wounded and funous m that small narrow hole, where valor, nor activity, nor the high heait of manhood, could be expected to avail anything against the close hug of the shaggy monster. "Tom's ruddy face grew pale, and his huge body quivered wuh emotion, as bidding him ' God speed.' he griped his brc hers fist, gave him the trusty piece which his own hand had loaded, and saw him gradually disappear, thrusting the lights before him with his feet, and holding the long queen's arm cocked and ready in a hand that trembled not-the mly hand that trembled not of all our party ! Inch by inch his stout frame vanished into the narrow fissure ; and now his head disappeared, and still he drew the yielding rope along ! Now he has stop- ped, there is no strain upon the cord !-there is a pause <~a iong and fearful pause ! The men without stood by to haul, their arms stretched forward to their full extent, their sinewy frames bent to the task, and their rough lineaments expressive of strange agitation ! Tom, and myself, and some half dozen others, stood on the watch with ready rifles, lest, wounded and infuriate, the brute should follow hard on the invader of its pe- BEAR HUNTING. 277 nlous lair. Hark to that dull and stifled growl ! The watcher, positively shivered, and their teeth chattered with excitement There ! there ! that loud and bellowing roar, reverberated by the ten thousand echoes of the confined cavern, till it might have been taken for a burst of subterraneous thunder !-that wild and fearful howl-half roar of fury-half yell of mortal anguish ' With headlong violence they hauled upon the creaking rope, and dragged, with terrible impetuosity, out of the fearful cavern-his head striking the granite rocks, and his limbn fairly clattering against the rude projections, yet still, with gallant hardihood, retaining his good weapon-the sturdy woodman was vyhided out into the open air unwounded ; while the fierce brute within rushed after him to the very cavern's mouth raying and roaring till the solid mountain seemed to shake and quiver. " As soon as he had entered the small chamber, he had per- ceived the glaring eyeballs of the monster; had taken his aim steadily between them, by the strong light of the flaring can- dles ; and, as he said, had lodged his bullets fairiy-a statement which was verified by the long-drawn and painful moaninas of the beast within. After a while, these dread sounds died away and all wa^ still as death. Then once again, undaunted by his previous peril, the bold man-though, as he averred, he felt the hot breath of the monster on his face, so nearly had it followed him m his precipitate retreat-prepared to beard the savage in his hold. Again he vanished from our sight !-again his mus- ket-shot roared like the voice of a volcano from the vitals of the rock !~agam, at mighty peril to his bones, he wa^ dragged into dayhght!_but this time, maddened with wrath and agony yelhng with rage and pahi, streaming with gore, and white witli oam, which flew on every side, churned from its gnashing tus^s, the Bear rushed after him. One mighty bound brought It clear out of the deep chasm— the bruised trunk of the daring hunter, and the confused group of men who had been stationed at the rope, and who were now, between anxiety and terror floundering to and fro. hindering one another-1 ay within three i-U I,' I* J: 278 FRANK FORESTKh's FIELD SPORTS. I ' or, at most, four paces of the frantic monster ; wlnle, to increase the peril, a wild and iU-directed volley, fired in haste and f.-ai was poured in by the watchers, the Imllet. whistling on every side, i)ut with far greater peril to our friends than to tho ol.jcct of their aim, Tom drew his gun up coolly— pulled— but no spark replied to the unlucky flint. With a loud curse he dashed the useless musket to the ground, unsheathed his butcher-knife and rushed on to attack the wild beast, single-handed. At the same point of time, I saw my sight, as I fetched up my rifle, in clear relief against the dark fur of the head, close to the root of the m ear !-my finger was upon the trigger, when, mor- tally wound.-d long before, exhausted by his dying eff-<,rt-the huge brute pitched headlong, without waiting for my shot, and withm ten feet of his destined victims, ' in one wild roar ex- pired.' He had received all four of Michael's bullets !-the first shot had planted one ball in his lower jaw. which it had shattered fearfully, and another in his neck !-the second had driven one through the right eye into the very brain, and cut a long deep furrow on the crown with the other ! Six hundred and odd pounds did he weigh ! He was the largest, and the last ! None of his shaggy brethren have visited, since his de- cease, the woods of Warwick !— nor shall I ever more, I trust, witness so dread a peril so needlessly encountered." The above is no fancy sketch, but is time to the letter, with the sole exception, that the nan-ator was not present, as has been stated above ; and that the names of the real actors in the scene have been slightly, very slightly, altered : and with this I shall conclude my nairative of Northern Bear-hunting. In the South and the South-west, on the contrary, Bear-hunt- ing is a favorite and systematically followed sport. Many gentlemen in Louisiana and Mississippi keep regular packs of Bear-hounds, and go to great expense and trouble in training, managing and hunting them together; and, as to dogs, if not to men, this sport abounds with bloody catastrophes— the coet from wear and tear, and necessary expenditure of life, is BKAR HUNTING. £71) very large. All kinds of hounds have been tried, with but one or two excopti(„,8, and none have been found perfectly to an- «wor, for the dmh and courage of the genuine and thorough-bred racen lead them to rush in upon the brute at bay ; and it would Beem, by all accounts, that scarcely any number of the bravest hounds can pull down this savage, even after the rifle has done bloody execution on him. One gentleman of Louisiana, a passionate amateur of this Hpoit, resolved on attempting the use of Bloodhounds, thinking thereby to force him at once to bay; and, with m.ich pains, collected nine of these noble animals, and set foith in full con- fidence of success. The consequence was, that, being brought to bay m an impenetrable canebrake, where none of the hunt- ers could get up to finish him with shot or stab, the Bloodhounds fell on like fiends, and in less than no time the Bear " killed or cnppled seven out of the nine, breaking the shoulders and Lacks of some, and tearing out the bowels of others-serving some with his teeth, and clipping others with his claws." Mr. Thorpe, too, who has contributed two fine papers on this subject to Porter's Hawker, speaks of thirty-five staunch dogs bringing a Bear to hay, and being entirely mauled and defeated until the hunters finishod the job with the rifle. The Bulldog is tl.e worst of all dogs, from his want of scent and speed, and his indomitable ferocity, which leads him at once to rush to close quarters, when he gets his quietus in an instant What would be the consequence, were a full pack of the great Pomeranian Boar-hounds, such as we see depicted in Snyder's hunting pieces, set upon him simultaneously, I can- not say ; but, for my own part, I can scarcely conceive the pes- sibihty of any animal on earth, unless of the bulk of the Bison, Elephant, or Rhinoceros, standing the combined attack of five' and-twenty couple of these monstrous hounds, or even of a full pack of English Pox or Stag-hounds. The groat desideratum, however, in Bear-hunting, is a dog to tease the Bear, by biting his heels, when he flies, and then to wony and snap at him when he turns to bay. avoiding his ' 'J * ii S80 FSANK FgHESTIiK's HELD SP0HT3. lunges a„d passes when be strike, „,■ charges, and fclli,,, „„ .g.n. .he ,„s.a„. he turns again .„ «,. To a,i.lnd. d„„h 'w ^ . Scotch lerner, or even the half-Sctchhalf-Bull Terrier w ,uU prove an excellent coadjutor, but. although this galla' tit ,a dog has p„„e« of renting e,„al almost to anything, and 1 constderable speed, with immense endurance-..*;;,", Z seen the htele Temers never lagging above half a geld hLbind nably up at the shortest check-I should doubt their having tongue enough to give note to the hunte™ of the cou^e oh! quarry through the tangled and pathless canebrakes. ,t i b! gu.ded, as the hounds are rarely or never in view until the toie they can get a shot at him. thiee of the old, deep-tongued Southei-n Hounds in company which would follow on the traces of the fleeter little on" and make the whole i<>rests resound with their deep-tongued Z::' m,gh not answer all purposes and meet all contingencies '' Stdl .t ,s desnable to have a dog or two, along with the rest, who does not lack courage enough to charge home on occasion as on thexr domg so, m case of a rifle missingfire at close quar- ers or a kmfe-blow being parried, it may be that the hfe of the hunter may depend. The dog now most in use. and considered the best combina- Uon for all contingencies, is a treble cross of the Hound, the .Bulldog and the ordinary yellow, sharp-nosed cur Watch-dog. This ,s the Bear-hound proper of Arkansas and Louisiana In the former of these countries, this sport is chiefly pui^ued on foot .. m the latter, especially in the great Mississippi swamp, on horseback ; for a genuine and highly graphic account of which see Porter's Hawker, pp. 300, 339. In the former, the long, ponde'rous, clumsy rifle, with the small ball, is the most commonly-used weapon. In the latter, BEAR HUNTING. 281 loth for the convenience of carrying it on horseback, and from a conviction of its greater deadlines^, the short, large-bored yager, or the heavy double.shot gun. with buck-shot or car- trulge. In the former State, Bear-hunting is pursued both for snort and profit by the rough hardy vvoodnme.. who form the ^Jater poition of Its rural population; in the latter, by the wealthy and cultivated planters, who dwell on their own fine estates, and resort to this wild and sometimes dangerous pursuit, merely as a Irolic. ^ In both States, the same rules of hunting are ..bserved ^the hunters cnmp out for the night, in whatever suitable position they can find, near to the haunts of the Bear. These haunts are easily kno^^n by the habit of this animal during the summer months, from July to September, of tearing the bark of the trees in the vicinity of his favorite resorts, with tooth and claw as high up as he can reach, in the same manner as the Stag frays them with his antlers, or the Bull and Bison toss the eaith with hoof and horn, in their corresponding seasons. By a careful observation of these marks, old and experienced hunters will speedily tell you how many Bears are to be found many given neighborhood, and will pronounce, with what ap- proximates wondrously to certainty, on the size, sex and weight of each individual. In Louisiana, the Bears do not hibemate ■ but the female, during the first month or two' after producing cubs, which she does ordinarily but once in two years, and then two or three at a birth, conceals herself with the cubs in the hollow of a decayed tree, until they are able to follow her leaving her den neither for food nor for water, but subsisting' as before described, on her own internal fat and juices—which 18 the more astonishing, when we consider that, during this pe- riod. she self-supported, supports also, from the same internal storehouse, her voracious family. The Bears make their beds in the thickest canebrakes in the vicmity of their watering-places, to which they have their regu- lar paths, which they never change, so long as they bed in the S88 FRANK KORESTRU'S riKLD SPORTS. same place, and in whicli tl.ey travt,] to a.ul fro, invariably set. tinff their i'eet down in the old trackn. % observation of these factH, it is ea«y for a skilful guide to conduct a party to a ground selected over night, on uhich they 8hal be nearly certain of finding great sport on the morrow. I he camping is performed much as the same op.Tution has been described with regard to Moose and Cariboo hunting, on page 233, except that here it is usual to build temporary slian- lies of the wild cane, and thatch them wi.h palmetto loaves as a d,.fon(H, against the heavy dews and occasi<,nal showers. As soon as the brief but savory hunters' breakfast is con- eluded, horses are saddled, weapons loaded, and the ho.mds called together, the party proceed silently and calmly to the place selected for the throwing off; and on reaching it, two or three of the oldest and most experienced huntere dismount and entenng the cane-brake with the hounds, crawling through the dense thicket, now half-erect, now stooping, now on their hands and knees, lay them upon the trail of the animal, and endeavor to dnve hnn out to their comrades in the open forest without. Some of these, as soon as the hounds were thrown into the brake, have hurried forward and taken up their stations along the margin of the thickest coveit, at distant intervals one from the other, wherever, from the discovery of a path, or crossing place, as it is termed, or from any other indications, they think It hkely the Bear may show himself; othere continue in the saddle on either hand of the brake, until the burst and crash of tongues proclaim that the Bear is afoot, when they gallop for- ward helter-skelter, endeavoring to get ahead of the hunt, when they rush into the covert, and if they can head the quarry, often succeed in killing him before he is brought to bay. If they fail in this, or if the shot do not prove fatal, forward again is the word, until the prolonged clamor of the pack now confined to a «ngle spot, and stationary, announces that thg savage is at bay. Thereon ensues a headlong and determined rush into the thicket, m desperate but friendly rivalry of the hunters strivmg who shaU obtain the honor of the first blood, and the deatk IIRAR HITNTI.NO. 983 If till' first flliot 1)0 a miss, or inflict only u Huperficial woiuhI, tlio iIojTH, which have been haying him in a wary Bomicircle, tlio noId.Ht now dashing in and giviiiprhim a nip, and instantly, if bo foitunato aH to escape hiu hug or fatal blow, retreating to a Bccure distance, break in upon him with a simultaneous criiHli *)f tongues; but knocking them over right and left, he fights his way clear through and again onward, onward through the densest canes crackling like straws or 8tu»)l)lo liefore his headlong impetus, with the pack again yelling nt his heels, till his speed Blackens, his wind fails him, he again turns to the combat, and is at length brought down by a better aimed and deadlier bullet. The head of a Bear never should be aimed at ; in the first place, because the animal, when at bay, keeps it constantly in motion, so thnt it offers anything but an easy mark ; in the second, that it is so hard, and of a i()rm so singularly rounded, that unless the ball strike it at right angles, on a pei-pendicular line, it is almost sure to glance off" at a tangent, without inflict- ing a wound. The best places at which to aim are, the centre of the breast if the Bear be coming directly at you ; if he be facing you, erect on his hind quarters, a little to the left, and low down on the breast toward the belly ; if he be crossing you, behind the shoulder, about the arch of the ribs. In any one of these places, an ounce, or even a half-ounce bullet— I should be loath to shoot at a Bear with anything smaller— will find the heart, and do the business, without giving the trouble of a second shot. If it be necessary to take to the knife, never strike, for the Bear is sure to parry the blow, but always thrust, which if it take effect, inflicts a far more certain and deadly wound ; and in thrusting, keep the edge of your blade, which should be very keen and heavy, upward and outward, if you are facing the animal ; and forward, if you are standing against his broadside. By this means his paw, in parrying, will meet the edge of the knife, which will probably disable him. But the better way with, a wounded Bear, if your dogs are in such sufficient force, ''■''ill f -f-'f Hi 2Sl FRANK roilESTER's riKLD SPOHTS. ii ami of pluck enough, to occupy his attention, is to reload yo.r Mf-e as quietly and as deliberateiy as possible, and then L. pii.ff up to him, to give him the charge in a vital place delih - rately. ^ Bears, if they ar.^ long run. and can outrun the hounds, which m dense coverts an old lean one will often do, are very apt to run in circles, and return to the lair from which they were first started : the drivers, therefore, when the game is afoot and the hounds have gone away on a hot scent, can hardly do better than take post on the paths by which he is likely to return and await his coming patiently. In crossing bayous, or streams, these sagacious brutes will always take advantage of a log or tree which may have falle.i acmss It, if there be one in the vicinity of their course, and for It they will frequently shape their path, so that it is a common and by no means unwise manoeuvre, when the cry of the homuh betokens that the quarry is heading for a known stream, to da.h forward and take post at any crossing log of which the hunter may be aw.ve, remembering always the old rule to ke,n well to leeward. As a general rule, no wild animal, not even wild fowl, can be approached certainly down wind, althouc.!. 1 believe it is the ears and not the noses of the latter, to which our presence is oL^noxious. There is another noble animal peculiar to these regions, fiercer and more dangerous than any. but he is rare, and of his habits and whereabouts little is known-I mean the VAld Bull I do not mean the Bison, nor a Domestic Bull which may have broker bounds and taken to the forest accidentally, but the descendant of the cattle turned out by the earliest Spanish 8ett ers, to increase and multiply in the wilderness, the progeny perhaps of the far-famed Bulls of Andalusia, which were the pride and terror of the plazas di tc:-o. at Grenada, or Madrid, for the delight of Moorish kings, or prouder Spanish nobles. Of these tremendous animals. I know nothing except an anec- dote of the ate General Floyd, who it i. said used to encounter them nnd Kill them single-handed, on horseback, with the lance. BEAU IIUKTING. 285 Now, I believe, tlioy are becoming scarce, and are rarely or never hunted, tliough of course they aie dealt wilh summarily, if encountered while in pursuit of humbler game. The same may be said of the Wolf, the Wild-Cat, and the Cougar, or Panther ; all of which are occasionally hunted with hounds, and none of which ever receive grace or law, if encounteied in the woods or on the prairie, but which are not in anj sort to be regarded as game, and which are never, I might almost say, hunted in form and of malice prepense. Not so the Grizzly Bk\r— Ursus Horrih'ilis— -which is to America, what the Lion ib to Southern Africa, and the Tiger to Bengal, the fiercest and most tciTible of all its quadrupeds ; and probably in fierceness, cruelty, and wanton thirst of blood, more to be dreaded tha-.i either of the Royal Cats, which desi)ite all that has been said of them, are but sneaking varmints after all, which would rather nm than fight any day, unless, when verjJ sorely pressed by famine, or pinned in a corner. The Grizzly Bear, however, has not the least idea of running, unless it be at you ; in which direction he persists with so much tenacity that it is not very easy to say what will stop him— being kilt, as an Irish- man understands the word, has no effect on him whatever, as is proved by the fact recorded by those adventurous and veracious travellers. Captains Lewis and Clarke, the first explorers of the haunts of tl.is pleasing gentleman, who state that one individual of this race, which measured above eight feet in length and five in girth, swam half a mile, and lived half an hour, or thereabout, after being shot five times through the lungs, and receiving five other wounds, any of which, in ordinary animals, would be deemed mortal, The Grizzly Bear has been knovni to fight desperately after being shot through the cavity of the heart ; and the only cer- tain death-wound that can be inflicted on him is by a bullet tlirough the brain, which, from the peculiar form of the scull, the shape of the muscles which protect it, and the extreme hardness of the bone, it is almost impossible to send to this mark. In like manner, the thickness of his hide and the shag- 1 1 I' lii. II ( bm 286 FRANK FORESTER S FIELD SPORTS. giness of his coat, render it all but useless to aim at his henrf:. It is stated that this tremendous savage is able to carry ofT the carcase of a horse, without being materially impeded in its speed by so vast a burthen. One would suppose, that all these things considered, the hunter would be willing to give this sanguinary and gigantic monster the widest of all possible berths ; but such is not the case. The Indians esteem the slaughter of one of these dreadful Bears as equal to a great victory over a hostile tribe, and a necklace of his claws is the noblest trophy which can be borne of heroic daring ; his trail is therefore eagerly pursued, and he is brought to battle with ardor, and if slain, his slaughter is ce- lebrated by the death-song and death-halloo, and his slayer regarded as a great brave from that time forth. In like manner, sometimes for the sake of gain, for his fur is rich and valuable, sometimes for the sake of a hearty meal, sometimes Tor the mere love of sport, the huntsman of the western wilds gives chase to this most terrible of beasts, and even ventures single-handed into his winter den, wherein to assail him. My friend Mr. Thorpe's admirable description of the manner in which the hunter of the plains, which lie about the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, judges of the qualities, age, &c., of this animal, and of the mode in which he demeans himself in the encounter, is so incomparably true and graphic, that I cannot refrain quoting it from Porter's Hawker, to which it was contributed by the author. I have the less hesitation in doing this, that I have entirely refrained from making use of this excellent work, when I could elsewhere find materials ; and farther, that I have heard the author relate vivd voce all and i/iore than all here recited, so that I might, if I pleased, rewrite the same matter, and so give his experience to the world in my own words ; but always willing myself that any one who deems it worth the while, should quote from my poor lucubrations, I presume in this instance to take the like liberty with my friends, sure that it will pass unreproved. " The different methods to destroy the Grizzly Bear by those BEAR HUNTING. 287 who hunt them, are as numerous almost as the Bear that are killed. They are not an animal that pennils of a system in hunting them, and it is for this reason that they are so dange- rous and difficult to destroy. The experience of one hunt may cost a limb or a life in the next one, if used as a criterion ; and fatal, indeed, is the mistake, if it comes to grappling with an animal whose gigantic strength enables him to lift a horse in his huge arms, and bear it away as a prize. There is one terri ble excepticm to this rule; one habit of the animal may bo certainly calculated on, but a daring heart only can take ad- vantage of it. " The Grizzly Bear, like the Tiger and Lion, have their caves in which they live, but they use them principally as a safe lodging-place, when the cold of winter renders them torpid and disposed to sleep. To these caves they retire late in the fall, and they seldom venture out until the warmth of spring. Sometimes two occupy one cave, but this is not often the case, as the unsociability of the animal is proverbial, they preferiing to be solitary and alone. A knowledge of the forests, and an occasional trailing for Bear, inform the hunter of these caves, and the only habit of the Grizzly Bear that can with certainty be taken advantage of is the one of his being in his cave alive, if at the proper season. And the hunter has the tenible liberty of entering his cave single-handed and there destroying him. Of this only method of hunting the Grizzly Bear we would attempt a description. " The thought of entering a cave inhabited by one of the most powerful beasts of prey, is one calculated to try the strength of the best nerves ; and when it is considered that the least trepidation, the slightest mistake, may cause, and probably will result to the hunter in instant death, it certainly exhibits the highest demonstration of physical courage to pursue such a method of hunting. Yet there are many persons in the forests of North America who engage in such perilous adventures with no other object in view than the sport / or a hearty meal. The hunter's preparations to • beard the lion in his den,' commence 288 FlUNK forester's FIELD SPORTS. with examining tho mouth of the cave he is about to enter. Upon the signs there exhibited, he decides whether the Bear is alone ; for if there are two the cave is never entered. The size of the Bear is also thus known, and the time since he was last in search of food. The way this knowledge is obained, from indications so slight, or unseen to an ordinary eye, is one' of the greatest mysteries of the woods. Placing ourselves at the mouth of the cave containing a Grizzly Bear, to our un- tutored senses there would be nothing to distinguish it fr ;m one that was emjjty ; but if some Diana of the forest would touch our eyes, and give us the instinct of sight, possessed by the hunter, we should argue tliis wise : « From all the marks about the mouth of this cave, the occupant lias not been out for a great length of time, for the grass and earth have not lately been disturbed. The Bear is in the cave, for the last tracks made are with the toe marks towards the cave. There is but one Bear, becauso the tracks are regular and of the same size. He is a large Bear ; the length of the step and the size of the paw indicate this ; and he is a fat one, because his hind feet do not step in the impression^ made by the fare ones, as is always the case with a lean Bear.' " Such are the signs and arguments that present themselves to the hunter ; and mysterious as they seem when not under- stood, when explained they strike the imagination at once, as being founded on the unerring simplicity and truthfulness of nature itself. It may be asked, how is it that the Grizzly Bear is so formidable to numbers when met in the forest, and when in a cave can be assailed successfully by a single man ] In answer to this, we must recollect that the Bear is only attacked in his cave when he is in total darkness, and suffering from sur- prise and the torpidity of the season. These three things are in this method of hunting taken advantage of; and but for these advantages no quickness of eye, or steadiness of nerve, or forest experience, would protect for an instant the intruder to the cave of the Grizzly Bear. The hunter having satisfied himself about the cave, prepares a candle, which he makes out of the wax BEAR HUNTING. 289 taken from the comb of wild bees, softened by the grease of the Bear. This candle has a large wick, and emits a brilliant flame. Nothing else is needed but the rifle ; the knife and the belt are useless, for if a struggle should ensue that would make it available, the foe is too powerfiil to mind its thrusts before the hand using it would be dead. Bearing the candle before him, with the rifle in a convenient position, the hunter fearlessly enters the cave, he is soon surrounded by darkness, and is totally unconscious where his enemy will reveal himself. Having fixed the candle on the ground in a firm position, vrith an appa- ratus provided, he lights it, and its brilliant flame soon pene- trates into the recesses of the cavern, its size of course render- ing the illumination more or less complete. The hunter now places himself on his belly, having the candle between the back part of the cave, where the Bear is, and himself; in this posi- tion, with the muzzle of the rifle protruding out in front of him, he patiently waits for his victim. A short time only elapses before bruin is aroused by the light ; the noise made by hia waking from sleep attracts the hunter, and he soon distinguishes the black mass, moving, stretching and yawning, like a person awakened from a deep sleep. The hunter moves not, but pre- pares his rifle ; the Bear, finally roused, turns his head towards the candle, and with slow and waddling steps approaches it. Now is the time that tries the nerves of the hunter ; too late to retreat, his life hangs upon his certain aim and the goodness of his powder. The slightest variation in the bullet, or a flashing pan, and he is a doomed man. So tenacious of life is the com- mon Black Bear, that it is frequently wounded in its most vital parts, and still will escape, or give terrible battle. But the Grizzly Bear seems protected by an infinite greater tenacity of life ; his skin, covered by matted hair, and the huge bones of his body, protects the heart as if encased in a wall, while the brain is buried in a skull compared to which adamant is not harder. A bullet striking tbe cSear's forehead would flatten if it struck squarely on the solia o .ne, as if fired against a rock ; and dangerous indeed would it be, to take the chances of vot, ir. 19 I 1^ 1 ill II! r'i 1 '-up 290 FRANK FOaESTEK's FIKLD SI'OKTS. reaching the animal's heart With these fearful odds against the hunter, the Bear approaches the candle, growing ev.'ry moment more sensible of some uncommon intrusion ; he reaches the blaze, and either raises his paw to strike it, or lifts his nose to scent it, either of which will extinguish it, and leave the hunter and the Bear in total darkness. This dreadful moment is taken advantage of— the loud report of the rifle fills the cave with stunning noise, and as the light disappears, the ball, if suc- cessfully fired, penetrates the eye of the huge animal, the only place where it would find a passage to the brain ; and this not only gives the death-wound, but instantly paralyzes, that no temporary resistance may be made. On such chances the American hunter perils his life, and often thoughtlessly courts the danger. ^ ^ ^„ With this brilliant sketch, I close my observations on the Bear m particular, and on Western hunting in general I have written on this part of my subject with less confidence and more fear of erring.— in that with Western sports I have no practical acquaintance; and that I have in consequence been obltged to depend for my facts on what I have learned from conversation or correspondence with others, or from the pub- hshed works of those who have seen the animals in their natu- ral state, and whose opinions, founded on the notice and expe- nence of years, are doubtless more correct than any I could have arrived at in the course of a transient tour through the re- gions of Elk and Bison-on the strength of the briefest of which every travelled cockney deems himself fiilly justified in discoursing learnedly anent all the wild sports of the West. I mention this, in order to deprecate any severity of censure on this portion of my work, should errors occur, though I trust there are none so flagrant as to merit such. With many of the animals, in a state of domestication, I am familiar, as I am with the weapons used in thoir destruction ; and I intimately know men who have killed all the animals I have recorded here, ex- cept, perhaps, the Antelope, the Rocky Mountain Goat.' the III BEAR HUNTING, 291 Black-tailed Deer, and the Grizzly Bear, almost as often as I have killed Woodcock; and who are as familiar, at least, wiih the chase of those, as I pretend to be with the pursuit of Ihese For the rest, both with regard to this and other heads of my subject, I shall be but too grateful to any kindred spirits and fnends, whether known or unknown, who, whether from love of the author or of the subject, will be so kind as to forward me either the corrections of errors, or the statements of new facts' relating to the habits, haunts, food, and, more especially, the seasons and migrations, of every sort of Game, which may be embodied in future editions of the present work. UVI I if soe FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. MOUNTAIN SPORTS. PON the highest crags and ridges of the Rocky Mountains, where no foot of man, save that of a few ^ bold explorers or daring trappers, H has frayed the virgin snows, dwells, almost unknown, in his unap- proached, secure solitudes, the Wild Goat of the Rocky Moun- tains ; for, though he has been incorrectly styled a Sheep, such is his proper name and order. Little is known of his haunts, of his habits, less. No very accurate description exists, so far as I can discover, even of its appearance ; that given by Godman, which I have quoted above, being both bald and contradictory, inasmuch as in one line he states that " the traders do not consider its fleece of much worth ;" and ten lines lower, on the same page, asserts that " it is said that the fleece of this Goat is as fine as that of the cele- brated Shawl Goat of Cashmere." Its flesh is said to be musky and unpleasant ; and, although so little is known positively concerning the animal, it would not appear that there is much difficulty, in its pursuit or capture, beyond the difficulties inherent to its haunts, and unavoidable by visiters to the Ultima Thule of America, the Rocky Moun- tains. This much is certain, that it bears no analogy whatever to the Chamois of the Alps, or the Ibex of the Pyrennees, both of which are smooth, sleek-coated animals, nearer akin to the r,v ■i ''l!^ ' fey fi mm ' ,ii ^m:mm^!^^^i£M:3'^- MOUNTAIN SPORTS. 993 Deer or Antelope, than to the Goat. This creature, on the con trary. has no relation either to Deer or Antelope, and would seem to border closely on the Sheep, and to be a connecting hnk between that and the true Goat. To this conclusion I am led by the loose and fleecy nature of its covering, as also by the shortness of its homs. ^ Had it not been for these, I should have fancied that some analogy might have existed between this Goat and that de- scribed ages ago by Homer, utterly lost sight of during all intervemng time, and lately rediscovered by English travellers as peculiar to the highlands of the Isle of Crete, or Candia ai It 18 termed in modem Geography, in the Levantine Sea. If It be true, that this Goat is easily killed by the hunter, it IS an anomaly in natural history-for. generally speaking, in all countnes, the Wild Goat of the mountain-tops is, to a proverb the most wary and difficult to be pursued of all beasts of chase -their extraordinary agility and sureness, no less than swift- ness. of foot, giving them an advantage among their rocky, and often, to the tread of man, inaccessible fastnesses, which neither the craft nor the deadly firearms of the civilized man can ob- viate or neutralize ; but I am inclined to doubt the truth of the assertion. I conceive that the Rocky Mountain Goat is rarely an object of particular systematic pursuit, and that when killed at ail it IS almost by accident, during the winter season, the snows of which are said to drive it down into the valleys. While among the herbless crags and awful precipices of those dread mountain solitudes which it inhabits, and among which It bounds fearless and sublime, where man can only creep and cling, it is out of the nature of things that it can be captured easily. It is not easy to see it, in the first place ; and when seen, to outclimb and circumvent it, must require that the hunter should be every inch a man. With regard to stalking these animals-of course, there is no other way of approaching them— I have but one or two remarka to make, which I have defeired to this place, rather than con- ;.., \i-i 1 S04 FRANK FORKSTKr's FIELD SPORTS, nect them with my general hints on this subject ; since, as thov relate to this, more particularly than other kind of game, being more necessary among hills, they are here the most suitable. The first is, if possible, to stalk the Mountain Goat, having the sun on your back, and in his eyes; the other is to approach him, again if possible, from the upper to the lower ground • I say in both cases, if possible-for all depen.ls on the direction of the wind, dmvn which it is impossible, under any circum- stances, to approach Deer or Goats. Both these animals have the habit, so far as they can, of al- ways keeping the upper ground ; and, consequently, it is their nature to keep the brightest look-out for an enemy's approaches from below. They rarely, in comparison, look upward. Wild-fowl, on the contrary, and birds of all kinds, expecting all attacks from above, are most easily approached from below, upward. Cloudy weather, with a light, steady wind from one quarter, with occasional glimpses of sunshine, is very favorable for stalk- ing. High and changeable winds are very bad, as they render the herds wild, and make it more difficult to approach from the toward. Mist is the worst of all, as animals of all kind, whether Fowl or Quadrupeds, with the solitary exception of the Brant Goose, which is most readily overhauled in a thick fog, can generally discover you before you have a suspicion of their whereabouts. Of the Mountain Goat I have no more to say, nor much more of the Mountain Sports at all. Five species of Grouse.-the Great Cock of the Plains, Tetrao Urophasian^ tl. Sharp- tailed Grouse, Tetrao Phaah: .Mm ; the Dusky Gro,,e 'Mrao Obscurus! the Rock Ptarmigan, Tetrao Ruj.^,,,,. a:,., the White-tailed Ptarmigan. Tetrao Leucurus -are n&tiyea, more or less abundant, of the Rocky Mountains-some dwelling on the highest and most difficult peaks, some in the higher valleys, and some-as the Cock of the Plains, and the Sharp-tailed Grouse- on . H) great plains at their base. The first of the two latter is .'..).v. . c^.Iy on those plains which produce the artemisia, or Mountain sports. 296 w.lc w.H-mwoo.1 ; and it« flesh is aaid to be rendered so hitter by the food, as to bo uneatable by hungry men. Th. Sharp, aded Grouse of all the five varieties, is that which approaZ he most nearly to the abodes of civilized men. being killed on the M.Hsoun. as far south as 4r north latitude. It is a beauti- ful r..d dohcous bird. Mr. Bell, the deservedly celebrated natund.n and tax.dermist of Now York, to whom I take this opportunity of offering my thanks for assistance in this work by tue loan of some beautiful specimens of birds, which to desi'gii informs me that he has shot them in such numbers as to consti ' ' tuto good sport. For the present, however, so little is known of the habits of the game of these wild, remote, and uncivilized regions, and so very few are the sportsmen, in the true sense of the word, who visit them, that I deem it enough to indicate their existence and whereabout, leaving it to a future edition, if necessary, after American aits and civilization shall have followed the march of American arms, to deal more at largo with the game of the lately conquered territories. I believe all the game, in the pro- per sense of the term, which they do contain, from the extreme northern to the utmost southern limit, has been named. It will be time to speak of the how. the when, and the where to shoot them, when there shall be the who to do so on the ground In the meantime, the letters and anecdotes collected by those gallant explorers of the remotest districts, and dwellers on the outmost frontiers of the United States, the officers I mean of the American army, will rapidly and surely add to our know- ledge on these points. For to their credit, and to the honor of West Point be it spoken that nine-tenths of all the correct information we pos- sess. of the geography, geology, topography, and natural his- tory of the farther Territories and Districts, apart from mere verbiage and fable, come from the members of the one, and the graduates of the other. A large command, I observe, has lately received the route for Cahfoi-ma ; and when once they shall have got warm in their i II 296 FRA.VK FORESTER S FIELD SPORTS. new quarters, we may look for some authentic information as to the habits of many animals now— like that concerning which [ am now writing — so vaguely described as to be almost fabulous. I hope, en passant, that when all or any of them wish to give the world at large a correct idea of the diet of particular beasts or birds, they will descend a 7ittle more to niceties than Captain Wilkes has condescended to do, in describing that of the Grizzly Bear. " Its food," says the gallant captain, " is the same as •that of the Indians, and varies with the seasons." We presume that he might have added, " and of the whites," since his mean- ing is evidently that its food is whatever it can get ; which, in those re^. iS, is, in fact, as all know who have read Fremont's Journal, the food of all who visii them — except, by the way, that I never heard of either white or Indian supping upon man which, unless foully belied, is a favorite plat of my friend the Bear. TURKEY SHOOTING. 297 TURKEY S HOOT IN (^. NDOTJBTEDLY the most deli- cious, as it is the largest and no- blest, of all gallinaceous game, there is yet litlle sport in its pur- suit, and beyond mere proficiency with the rifle, little skill required to kill it. The case is the same with this, as with all other wild and forest-haunting fowls and animals. In the size of the game, and its variety, or its excellence, de- pends all the essiiement of its pursuit and capture. It is extremely wild and wary, running in flocks when alarmed, at such a rate that it is difficult for a speedy dog to overtake it, and never, so far as I have heard or read, lying close enough to allow itself to be stood by Pointers or Setters, or to be shot on the wing. The ways adopted for shooting it, are, therefore, all depen- dent on ambush or stratagem, the shooter either concealing him- self in some place which commands a view of the spots on which they are in the habit of scratching and removing the dry leaves, in order to pick up their food, or making use of a sort of pipe or call, by which the cry or yelp, as it is termed, of the female may be simulated so exactly, as to bring the old males, or gobblers, within gunshot, almost unfailingly. Mr. Audubon relates in occurrence which befel himself, indicating the singu- lar boldness, if it should not rather be called stupidity, of the ill ■-j'il 298 FRANir forester's firld sports. male birds during the breeding season, and the facility with which they may be pot-hunted at that time. '* "Whilst speaking of the shooting of Turkeys," says he, " I have no hesitation in relating the following circumstance, which happened to myself While in search of game, one arfernoon late in autumn when the males go together, and the females are by themselves also, I heard the clucking of one of the latter, and immediately finding her perched on a fence, made toward her. Advancing slowly and cautiously, I heard the yelping notes of some gobblers, when I stopped and listened, in order to ascertain the direction in which they came. I then ran to meet the birds, hid myself by the side of a large fallen tree, cocked my gun, and waited with impatience for a good oppor- tunity. The gobblers continued yelping in answer to the female, which all this time remained on the fence. I looked over the log and saw about thirty fine Cocks advancing rather cautiously toward the very spot where I lay concealed. They came so near, that the light in their eyes could easily be per- ceived, when I fired one barrel, and killed three. The rest, instead of flying off, fell a strutting round their dead compa- nions, and had I not looked on shooting again as murder with- out necessity, I might have secured at least another. So I showed myself, and marching up to tlie place where the dead birds were, drove away the survivors." Had the kindly-disposed clucking female been absent, an im- plement made, I believe, from the pinion-bone of the bird itself, affords an imitation so perfect of the cry of the Turkey, that not the unsuspicious birds alone are lured within reach of men far less scrupulous than the worthy naturalist — men who would never pause to consider whether the game could be used or not, but who would go on killing, like the Tiger or the Grizzly Bear, for the mere love of killing, without either skill or excitement but that these gallant imitative gobblers deceive one another, and lure up to their log some rival hunter, who, hearing the well- simulated cry responsive to his own, and seeing the bushes shake, speeds his unen-ing bullet to the mark, and pays the mu- / ^m ^^•:.'f^' ^ /^K '\,' r" THE WILD TURKEY 4/ i ,! siciii rea8( deatJ Tl estiiT from shoot frequ thoy 1 liis pi not m term, for th wliat ] name ( thank still CO and w\ bles? The is, that game q with wl gling w them to serves, l on a gr wing, ai The ] tempted cur, or t after for still yelp the hunt( Such s Ii for one TURKEY SHOOTING. gOO sician for his amatory notes, by what the Turkeys conl.l ,l from Mr. Audubi .^™Sl'r"''r' ''"°'°''' '''° "'" "■°-> fo.,v. 1 , •'^ "-"uw wnat he means to imnlv bv tlm term, unless that the fellnwa «,'««,« v, j ^ ^ ^ ° .»awhe..,.ai.e.„eeb«.ee„.heg.e„„Z:rrit:: game qualitv about it T^ o i u ^"""^^^ ^^^ no gl.ng way of r„„„i„g, „Mch, awLarf as" n^Lsee^T I?" them to outstrip any other animal" Tl,. """S^ ""^■"' """''les »erves, eha, he has often pursued ihem^ I ^""™" "''" on a good h„.s, wl.hourbX :" 'j" - succession. Win. and has ultimately given I t^lV;:t """^ '° ''"' Ihe nearest approach to fairness, or snort tl,-,, i. tempted „ith regard to these birdsjs toC; , fa ! "7 ■"' -•" yeipi„/to re ti: n'luf ::; :;;r ™ -; ''°z "■^"■• the h ., ,,,, „„^ ^^ on::iz:^^:: :t";rr '■• Such sport ts all very well for those gent.e^.n wit, lit!' ; I. for one. am always delighted to see aVild tJI; oIM,'' m i''i" jyj MB, 300 FRANK FOHESTER'S FIELD SFOHTS. board well roasted, especially if he be stuffed with truffle$, and served up with well dressed bread-sauce ; but I would not give the least palatable mouthful of him, no not his undeoilled giz- zard, to pot-hunt a thousand in so unsportsmanlike a style. There is no accounting for tastes, however. I have an excel- lent friend, and a keen sportsman too, who constantly tells me , that he would just as much think of shooting Canaries in a cage, as Woodcock, which in his contempt he classes as little birds. By the way ! I have seen him do singular execution on the said little birds trencherwise, — ^but he marvels greatly when I res- pond, that I should find just as much sport in ensconcing myself behind one of the columns of the Astor House, and shooting the first omnibus horse that came panting and groaning up Broad- way, as I should in standing to leeward of a runway, and blow- ing a charge of buckshot through a great terrified Deer, at ten paces' distance, after bleating or whistling at him first, so as to make him halt in dumb terror, and give me a point-blank shot. To constitute sport for me, several thing's are necessary. In the first place, the animal must be game ; in the next place, there must be both skill and system requisite to his destruction. Again, he must be dealt with according to the laws of chival- rous and honorable sporting ; and lastly, there must be either peril, or the excitement of rapid pursuit and emulous compe- tition in his pursuit. Barking Squirrels requires great skill, and is a very nice amusement, I dare say ; so is shooting Swallows on the wing, for those that like it, — and the latter requires by far the greatei combination of qualities in the performer, of the two. Neither of them, however, are Field Sports, for neither of the animals are game. L ENVOY. And thus having run my brief circle, I find myself at the spot whence I started— my race is run— my shaft is shot ; and may I hope that I part from thee, if uninstructed, at least not all un- entertained, gentle Sportsman, and I trust not, ungentle Reader; and that some thought of me may dwell with thee, amid the sere leaves of the autumnal forest, or on the boundless prairies of the West ; and that between us two, although we ne'er have met, and ne'er, it is most like, shall meet, some kindliness of thought, some touch of mutual friendship, may exist, bom of tastes kindred, and pursuits common, to all who take delight to be held Sportsmen. Good sport to thee, and fare thee well; and at the close, sometimes, of a slashing run, or of a capital day's shooting, think upon one who would fain have been there, and remember that every one of our sporting brotherhood, who is clear in the spirit, and staunch in the principle, hath a friend, ever and willing servant in Frank Forester. The CaDAns, August 1, 1648. -!'1 APPENDIX.-(A.) THE FISH AND FISHIN OP NORTH AMERICA. G A SORT Of half promise, made in the earlier portion of this work, induces me to add a few words, under this head, though they wd be so brief and of so general a nature as to come more behttmgiy under the form of an Appendix, than into the body ot the work itself. ^ In f^eld Sports. Fishing cannot properly be included, although it IS so decidedly abranch of Sportsmanship that it would scarcely be proper to pass it over without some notice; and yet to so bnef a space must my remarks be limited, that anything more than a few of the most passing hints, would be woi-se than ab- surd, and impertinent. The Fishing of the United States and British Provinces of North America is, to say the least, not infeiior to the Shooting and Hunting ; more especially in the Northern and Eastern Dis! tricts of both. In Maine, from the mouth of the Kennebeck, eastward Sal- mon and Sea Trout are abundant, though they are not, for the most part, much taken with the .rod and line, the New England waters, so far as Salmon are concerned, being for the most part virgin of the Fly. I„ Nova Scotia, however, and New Bruns- wick, such is not the case ; and there, as well as in Lower Ca- nada. so far up as the Thousand Islands, immense sport is had annually by amateurs with this king of fishes. The St. John's the ^t. Lawrence, and all their tributaries, abound with Salmon m #1 I' ' / 304 APPENDIX. — A. !i S of the largest size and most delicious quality, and wit.. .„„ Trout beside— although not in such hordes, as they affect in the waters which fall eastward, like the Richibucto, into the Bay of Gaspe. Below Quebec, the fishing is excellent, quite d.iwn to the mouth of the St. Lawrence ; and in the Chaudiere, the Jacques Cartier, the St. Maurice, the Ottawa, and all the other rivers, so far up their courses as they are able to penetrate, before reach- ing impassable cataracts. In Lake Ontario they are taken abundantly with the net ; but will not rise to the fly, or at least rarely, if at all ; and thence, through the Oswego river, they make their way into Cayuga, and,' if I am not mistaken, Sejieca Lake also, in the interior of the State of New York ; but in neither of these have I ever heard of their being taken by the fly. Southward and westward of this, the Salmon exist no longer ; although I believe, in former times! they were found so far south as to Virginia— certainly to the Hudson and the Delaware— now, alas ! until the sportsman strikes the Columbia and the streams falling from the westwarrj watershed of the Rocky Mountains into the Pacific Ocean, not a Salmon shall he find westward of the Kennebeck or south of the St. Lawrence. Trout of small size, but delicious flavor, swai-m in all the mountain brooks of the Northern and Midland States, until you reach the Virginia Alleghanies. In the Western States, and the rivers running thence northerly, into the Great Lakes ; or southward and westward into the Ohio, Missouri, and Missis- sippi, the Trout is not found ; but I believe it reappears in the north-western rivers with an easterly course. In Lake Superior and the Falls at the outlet of that grand sheet of water, they are again abundant, with a superb variety of the Salmon — Salmo Amethystinus — so called from a purplish tinge on his teeth— which, though in some respects analogous to the HucJio of the Saave and Draave, and of the Norwegian and Swedish rivers, is peculiar to these waters. There is another species of Salmon, generally known as the APPENDIX. — A. 30^ Sa mo„.Trout, a heavy, dull-colored, deep-water fish which -11 not nse to the fly. but is taken in deep'wate, with a drt- inland ponds and lakes of America, from Pennsylvania ea^^ "The t" " ^r""''^'^ '-'' ""^^ '^' «P- -'- ^'^-abt -alt creeks, are deservedly famous -a fine, deep-colored, well- pounds' "^•^■«P""«^«-^^' -nning from one'half to three pounds, and occasionally to five, beyond which weight it ie rarely caught in the United States. ^ taken up to three pounds, and sometimes even to five and six ; but elsewhere, as a general rule. Trout rarely exceed two a„i a-half pounds, and m most places that is called a monster. and much more easily taken than in Europe, do not run to ". The" ''^^ '^^^! "^•«-' ^^ '-«^ aft- they have bec'ome large. They may be taken with all the flies usual in England but with a much coarser tackle, and with a larger hook which 18 decidedly more killing in America. Other fish there are. the name of which is legion ; the best t'hfRTVt ":' ^"' ^'^ "°^' sporting-afte? the Trout- : he Black Bass of the Lakes, which will rise freely to a large red and gray fly made of Macaw, or Parrot and Silver Pheas- an . or Guinea-fowl. The Pike. Maskalonge. Pickerel, and Stuped Bass, all afford good sport to anglers in diff-erent waters • and to the southward and west, the Catfish grows to a gigantic H.ze. Sturgeon are abundant in all the larger rivers, but are httle used as an article of food. Eels. Perch, and Bass, of many varieties, also afford sport to beginners, and minister to epicu- rean tastes ; there is also a fish called " Trout." to the south- ward, which IS certainly not a Trout, though I do not know its correct appellation, which is eagerly pursued, and considered a game fish. VOL. n. 20 I [ I'll nn i '* U 30G APPENDIX. — A. For my own part, I care little for any species of Fishing, but fly-fishing for Trout or Salmon, and perhaps for Black Buss- though I have never tried them ; but trolling or spinning for Bass and Maskalonge is said to be excellent sport for those who affect. The art piscatorial is, comparatively speaking, little under- Btood or practised in the United States, bait-fishing being all in vogue, even for Trout, and an accomplished fly-fisher— though the number of them is now Increasing, rara avis in ter- ria nigroque simillima cycno. With these few hints, I cry hold, enough— there is matter for a volume on the subject ; and a mrjst excellent one might be compiled and written on the subject. In the meantime, I com- mend my friends and readers to the beautiful American edition of Walton's Angler, with notes and addenda, lately published by Messrs. Wiley and Putnam of New York, under the auspices of that distinguished scholar and divine, the Rev. Dr. Bethune »f Philadelphia. APP£NDIX.-(B.) SPORTING NOMENCLATURE. It has been suggested to me by a friend, from whom no m,g. gest.on IS to be disregarded, William T. Porter, Esq., of tl^ Sp.nt of the Times, that the appropriate sporting nomenclature and terms are so little understood, or so much neglected here that a brief compilation of the most remarkable in general use' would be an addition to this work, not unacceptable to the sportmg world of America ; and agreeing with him in the fact, 1 have readily fallen into his views. I shall proceed, therefore, to give first, the technical name for a smgle hatching of young from every game bird-that I mean which we call a hrood, when speaking of chickens-I shall then go on to the technical term for larger collections of game birds such as we should call flights or flocks, if speaking of small birds; and, lastly, I shall point out to what birds, or animals, the words brace, leash, and couple, are properly applicable. Turkeys, a single hatching of, is a brood. •Pheasacts, " « .. nide. •Partridges, " « « ^ovey. tGRousE, before they can fly, hrood. " afterward, pack. Q^^^^' bevy. Woodcock, ^^^^^^ Snipe, ^^^ • Observe here, that neither Partridge nor Pheasant existing i„ America the words «.^« and co.ey are useless. What is generally called, therefore, a covei, of Partridges is a pack of Ruffed Grousb. + When we use the term Grouse alone, the P.nv.ted Grouse is unde«tood to be iiitenuea. '<>'! .1' >., !■: I i 308 APPENDIX. — B. For large flocks of WilJ-fowl, we say of— Swans, a white less. Geese, a gaggle. Brent, a gang. Duck, a team, — smaller number, a plump. Widgeon, a company, or trip. Teal, ajlock. Snipe, a whisp. Plovers, and all Shore Birds, ajlock. Bitterns and Herons, a sege'. Larks, an exaltation. Grouse, \ Partridge, > several hatchmgs united, a pack. Quail, ) The young, not full-grown, of Grouse are cheepers, of Quail tqmahers, of Wild-duck flappers. As many as go together of — Bison, vulgo Buffalo, ' Stags, 1 Moose, VareaAerJ. Cariboo, Elk, Wolves, The female of the — Bison, ^ Moose, > is a Cow. Cariboo, ) Elk, Boe Elk. Stag, or Hart, Hind. Buck, Boe. The terms Stag or Hart, and Hind, are applied to the Red Deer, " Buck, and Boe, " Fallow Deer. The Deer of America is nearly akin to the Red Deer, and has no relation to the Fallow Deer ; therefore, unless as ap- plied to the Goat, or Antelope, as a qualification of sex, the words Buck and Boe are misnomers in American Sporting. a gang. a drove. APPENDIX. — B. 319 are a brace, — three are a leash. Two Grouse, " Pheasants, " Partridge, " Quail, " Hares, " Leverets, Two Woodcock, " Snipe, " Wild-fowl of all kinds, " Plover, and Shore Birds, " Rabbits, And the applying these terms vice versd is a bad sporting blunder. All large game, as Deer, Swans, Geese, Herons, are numbered numerically, as one, two, thjee, &c. Two Hounds, \ are a couple, — three are a hurdle. ■\ are a couple, — three are a couple and a half. *' Harriers, " Beagles, Two Pointers, " Setters, " Spaniels, " Greyhounds, " Terriers, • are a brace, — three are a leash. J All other dogs are reckoned numerically. By a pack of hounds,five-and-tweiity couple is generally under- stood, though it is not usual to take out, except wiiere the woods are very large and dense, above eighti-en (ir twcnity couple. When a Stag breaks covert the cry is tai/ho ! " Fox " " tallihof whoop/ " Hare, found sitting with Harriers, tantaro ! " " " with Greyhounds, soho ! To make Poivters, or Sktters, stand, toho ! " drop to shot, charge ! '* " " come behind, heel ! " careful, steady ! " rise from the charge, hold vp ! II M II II M « " hunt for killed game, seek dead. / when found, fetch I l! Jl ' i Ij^ ! I 310 APPENDIX. — B. When any animal is killed before hounds, the death halloo is invariably who-whoop / When any animal turns on the hounds, he is at hay / When a Stag is driven by hounds to water, he soih / When a Fox " " to ground, he «ar as implying an improper consciousness. APPENDIX.HC) A FEW MEMORANDA, AND naiEP RECEIPTS FOR SPORTSMEN. It is well that a Sportsman, without being anything of an epicure, should, like an old campaigner, know a little of the art of the cuisine ; otherwise, in the country, even in this country of abundance, he is very likely to fare badly, where, with a very little knowledge and a very little care, and having the precaution to cany with him a few simple condiments, he can live like a prince. In the first place, he should always cairy his own black tea with him, if he would not be compelled to drink execrable rye- coffee. I commend him also to be his own liquor-bearer, as the spirits in country places are usually execrable, especially the rye- whiskey of Pennsylvania and the West. If, however, he detennine to take his chance in this matter, I advise him, in all cases, to eschew brandy, which is the most easily adulterated of all liquors, and, when adulterated, the worst. In New York and New Jersey, the cider-whiskey, in country places, is decidedly the best thing to be got ; it is too cheap to adulterate, and it is a wholesome liquor in itself— when very old, it is a very fine liquor—the taste, if disagreeable, as it is apt to be at first, is completely disguised by sugar and lemon- juice— and, whether hot or cold, it will be so found a very tolerable beverage. The best receipt I know for cold punch, and that which I al- ways use, is, to one tumbler of crushed sugar, one and a-half of spirit, six of water, the peel of two lemons, and the juice of one. I' I ir i 312 APPENDIX. Or, if you use lemon syrup, which is far more convenient to carry, half a tumbler thereof to the above proportions. In cold weather, a very palatable hot drink may be made of common draft ale, or bottled porter, by simmering it slowly, with a few table-spoonsfuls of sugar, one of ginger, and a nut- meg grated to every quart of malt liquor, and two wine-glasses of spirit— gin is the best — to every quart. This will neutralize the ascidity of the malt liquor, even if it is a little stale and even acid. To this end, and for all reasonable wants in the way of cook- ery, I say, carry with you a few pounds of black tea, a few bottles of lemon-syrup, one or two do. of Harvey sauce, pow- dered ginger, a few nutmegs, some Cayenne pepper, some cloves ; and, if you are wise, add thereunto a few pounds of rice, and the same of pearl-barley, and a flask or two of salad- oil. With these, if you can persuade your country hostess, instead of broiling the five minutes ago slaughtered cock on which you are destined to dine, to skin it, quarter it, and stew it for at least three hours, with a bit of salt pork, an onion or two, ad libitum, and a few handfulls of rice or barley, which last should only be boiled one hour, you will feed like a prince, instead of breaking all your teeth, and dying afterward of indigestion. Thf I same receipt for mutton, lamb, or veal, will be found in- valuable to a campaigner— for meat in the country is, nine times out often, tough- As broiled cock is, however, the stand-by— and if you are tra- velling with your own horses, and arrive late at night, nine times out of ten, all that you can get, without waiting longer than is agreeable— it is an excellent plan to carry a pair (n the plate ; uncramp it, and your lock is together, I would, however, advise no tyro to attempt this, as it is very rarely necessary to be done, and can, under all ordinary cir- cumstances, be postponed until a gunsmith can be found to do it. Natheless, like Columbus' egg, it is not difficult to b(j done, when once you know how to do it. I disapprove the use of wire, brush, sand, or anything of tho Bort in barrels, which I believe, except in extraordinarily rapij APPKNDIX.- 317 Hl.f..,tiT)p;, nrn miiil, 1,,hh liable to become leaded, than is gene- rally Huppom;*!. I am in the l.abit, however, at the end of a severe nenHon'fl work, ofpiitting my gun into a good workman's hands, and having tho brredicH taken out, ho that I can inspect the barrels myself. If leaded, they (tan be reamed out in a few moments with a blind borer, without half the risk of damaging the bairels that is in- currcd from the bruHh or sand ; though, by the way, I disbe- Iicfve the pow.ir of a brass wire-brush to scratch pcdished iron barrels. 'J'he best powder in the world for Upland Shooting is Curtis and Harvey's ting, Hawker's Ducking powder, by Curtis and Harv(!y, is the best by all odds. Whatever sized shot you use, always use it unmixed. If you use two or more sizes, the heavy ahot casts off the lighter to the right and left, at all soils of tangents. The best copper caps in the world are Starkey's best central fire waterproof, and the next best are Westley Richards' large heavy caps. Both are dear, but they will save their own cost in certainty and cleanliness. The anti-corrosive caps I don't like at all— they should be called corrosive. The French caps are very good for pocket pistols. Powder should always be dried before using, on a hot China plate, but beware of sparks. For shooting apparatus of all kinds, pouches, belts, flasks, liquor-flasks, and the like, Dixon and Sons, of Sheflield, are a hundred t«» one against the world. I have done,— therefore adieu, friend. You are set fairly a-fie!d ; if you do not succeed, it is not my fault,— fare thee well APPENDIX. -(D.) CANINE MADNESS. From my childhood upward 1 have been among dogs. My fatlier kept a liiifro kennel of Pointers and Setters; from the age of ten years I was among Foxhounds, I lived, up to my visiting the United States, in Yorkshire, perhaps the most sport- ing county in England ; and since 1 have been a man, I never have been without one dog, and much oftener have owned half a dozen. During this space of time, certainly not less than five-and- thirty years of clear and comprehensive memory, I have never seen a mad dog, nor heard one authenticated instance of a dog being mad, though I have seen hundreds knocked on the head as mad, which were infinitely saner than their slayers. The consequence of this jhct— (or a fact it is— was, that for many years I was a disbeliever, if not in the possibility of canine madness at all, at least in the possibility of its communication to any animals but those of the canine race. And all the deaths attributed to hydrophobia— as the disease is most absurdly mis- named—I assigned to tetanus— lock jaw— to inflammatory dis- ease arising from punctured wounds, and a sympathetic state of body — to imagination, and to terror. Of these maladies, I am still well satisfied that four-fifths of the persons said to die hydrophobous, are the victims j as well as of malpractice in cutting and burning the parts. Since studying Blaine's Canine Pathology, I am satisfied that I carried my theory too far, and that the disease is communica- APPENDIX. D. 310 ble to the human race, although instances of this are extremoly rare, and although the disease, even in the dog, is unusual. The ignorance concerning this malady, the superstitious awe . in which it is held, the absurdly sanguinary laws, and the popu- lar mania— for I can call it nothing else — existing in this coun- try with regard to that highly useful and excellent animal the dog, which has been properly styled the natural friend of man, have induced mo to devote a considerable space to the symp- toms, treatment, and diagnosis of canine madness, both in the animal and in the human being. My object being to show what are the real symptoms in the dog, which have been thus far generally misunderstood— what are the symptoms and diseases on which false opinions of mad- ness have been found ; and, lastly, how rare the malady is in itself, and how perfectly easy and certain is its cure, if the pro- per sanative course is adopted in time. And, above all things, here, and once for all, I would impress on every one the coiivic- tion, that there are no prophylactics, no antidotes, no cure except the knife and fire; and especially I would caution them against the use of quack medicines, now widely advertised as of certain effectiveness in this, when it occurs, fearful malady. Before proceeding to quote and abridge from Mr. Blaine, I will observe, for the last time, that— although if we credit news- paper reports, never a week passes without, at least, a dozen rabid dogs being killed, after biting a dozen people in every large city in the United States — I am convinced not a dozen rabid dogs ar^ to he found annually in any town on the whoia continent of America ; and farther, that of a dozen persons bitten by really rahid dogs, not above one in four cortracts the disease ; and that he is in no danger, if he goes to work rightly. Canine madness, if taken in hand instantly, is a disease infi- nitely more under the control of the mediciner, than half the maladies to which we are liable,— more so than any malignant fover, for instance, and more sc than any serious inflammation ; if neglected until too late, it is fatal ! — so are they. Bui had I my choice to-morrow, of being bitten by a certainly rabid dog, :iyo APPENDIX. — t). or of an attack of vii.lcnt hrom-liitis, inflammiifion of lun^rH or l)ovv«ld, or of Hcarlot or typhus fovorH, 1 would certainly cliooso till) (log. The romody is sovoro and painful, hut it is, at loaHt, infallildu. Hour now what fJi.AiNE, a canino veterinarian of the first order, says on the subject. On the d.)g Mr. Ulaino is what Mr. Abornethy, or Sir Astley Cooper, are on the man, and his opi- nions are entitled to the like respect. " niSTO II Y OP RABIES. " The popular term oT madness among dogs has, of late years, given place to the more classical one iA' rabies ; but a slight view only of the subject is sufficient to shew, that this disease yet wants a name more strictly descriptive of its nature and charac tor than any of those in general use. The complaint itself is, nnciuestionably, of great anti.piity ; for we i. authentic ac- counts of it for more than 2000 years. It is described both by Aristotle and Dioscorides. Other of the ancients likewise notice it,— history has continued to furnish us with numerous traces of it, particularly in Europe, where it seems sometimes to have raged with epidemic fury, and at others to have been but little known. In 1500, Spain was ravaged by it. In 1604 it was very common in Paris ; and 100 years after this, Germany be- came the theatre of this dreadful scourge among its wolves as well as dogs. Historians of every age have left short but fright- ful records of its dreadful visitations. Boerhaave may, per- haps, be considered the first who, by attentive observation, threw much light on canine madness. In England, little had appeared worthy of notice before the account presented by Mr. Meynell. This celebrated sportsman published his memoir in the tenth volume of the Medical Commentaries; and if his account of ca- nine madness does not exactly coincide with future representa- tions, drawn from a wider field of observation, it nevertheless characterizes the disease with considerable precision ; and, at the tin banishi "In land, ai the ncx passed souietiti togothe after wl Itut it I isao it or foir moderat ravages visitatior wliich 0( one. T! eases of ject, an(i dire mall probably vidual w neglect ; which ha tanco oft rative on the subjec serious m whose op] nation to wards the in a Dom of rabies ; of it also f it. was the] VOI,. II. AI'I'KNDIX.—n. gn. tho tim., it w„H w-itton. vvuh calculated to ,]„ h^fun'o m.o.l l-v ba.nslnnjr «,.,„.. ,lHM.,r,.n,u8 a..,! ermn.M.us ..pini.ms relative to if "I.. lN()(i, rahios a.nou^ ,hyr, |,o,,i,no very common i„ K,,,,. Ian.1. an.l al..,ur.,lo,l i„ the vicinity „f Lut It never hocame apparently extinct or rare as hefore. In ISi-O ,t was again ohservod to ho on tho increase, and for three or o.r years c.nfinued alarmingly comm..n. when it acjain mo.leratod for a few following seasons; hut since 1828 its ravages have exceeded even its former hounds. Of these latter visitations I have hren a more qui.-t spectator; but of those winch occurred hetween 1805 and 1820, I was a very active one. The publicity which attached to my attention to the dis- eases of dogs occasioned constant reference to me on the sub- ject, and threw such opportunities in my way of observing this d.ro malady in all its varieties in both man and beast, as ha.l probably, at thai time, nev.r before fallen to the lot of any ir.di vidual whatever. These ..ppor.unities. I believe, I did not neglect ; ,t was a field so little trodden, that the few truths which had sprung up were choaked by error; and the impor- tanco of the subject at that time was such, that it became impe- rative on those whoso experience enabled them to do it to set the subject in its true light, and to divest it of many gross and serious mistakes that hung about it ; and which none but those whose opportunities of observation were great, and whose incli- nation to profit by them was also considerable, could do To wards the close, therefore, of 1807, I placed before the public in a Domestic Treatise on Horses and Dogs, a detailed account' of rabies ; and soon after, being requested to furnish an account of it also for the Cyclopa3dia of Dr. Rees, a condensed form of it. was there inserted. VOL. II. gj 'li f 11 ': r ■ i 322 Al'PENDIX. — D. " It hccomes not me to say further of these accounts ; Imt others have said of them, that tliey furnished tlio most faithful picture of the disease that had, at tliat period, ever appeared. I would hope therefore, tliat, in the present detail, as much has been added on the subject to each several edition of the work, and to none more than the present, wliat follows will be f(>und more amply to elucidate former opinions, correct erroneous or doubtful positions, i.nd to collate new and illustrative facts." Hereupon in Mr. Blaine's work follows a learned dissertation on the origin, causes, &:.c.., of this disease, a refutation of a number of ideas formerly prevalent, but so absurd as to have become now entirely obsolete, even with the lowest and most ignorant, or what is worse, prejudiced orders; such as, "that a mad dog carries his tail between his lef^s — that he is instinc- tively avoided by others — that bread, meat, &c., besmeared with tlie saliva, blood, or any of the secretions of a mad dog, is re- fused with horror by others — that the bite of a healthy dog, should he become at any time afterwards rabid, is dangerous — . all of which, are not only " errors of the grossest kind, but may lead to very serious danger." This dissertation, although very interesting, is not directly to the point in a work of this nature, and I shall therefore pass directly on to his consideration of symptoms, diagnosis, etc., merely stating here, that Mr. Blaine, after stating that canine madness, like syphilis, 8raall-])ox, and many other diseases, was originally spontaneous, proceeds to give it as his " own opinion — fe acted on by sudden impressions, as noises, the appearance of a stranger, &c. This watcljfulness, however, often yields to a momentary stupor, and inclination to doze, from which the dog will start up, and fix his eyes steadfastly on some object, pro- bably on one not usually noticed, and often on one altogether imaginary; at which he will attempt to fly. In this stage the breathing is often hurried ; sometimes the panting is excessive, and, where the pulse can be examined, it is invariably found rapid, and sometimes hard. The irritability in these cases is marked by extreme impatience of control ; and even when no aptitude to attack or act offensively towards those around may appear, yet a great disposition to resist any slight offence offered c(»mmonly shews itself. A stick held to such a dog is sure to excite his anger, even from those he is most attached to, and he will seize and shake it with violence ; the same vrill occur if either the hand or foot be held out, but, unless in a very great state of excitement, these he will rather mumble than tear, if belonging to those he is acquainted with. This disposition to become irritated on the slightest show of offence, as flying at a stick, is a very marked feature of rabies, and should be very particularly attended to, and the more, as it usually is present in both varieties of the malady ; unless when paralysis has blunted the capability of excitement. A peculiar suspicion marks these particular cases, and a degree of treacheiy also, by which in the midst of caresses, apparently received with plea- sure, the dog will at once turn and snap at those noticing him : he will, perhaps, readily come when he is called, and with every mark of tractability, will wag his tail atid seem pleased, but on a sudden he will seem to receive a counter impression,' and hastily bite the person who called him. This stage is often marked, in large and naturally fierce dogs, by an utter feariess- ness of danger, and contempt of every menace; every re- straint is submitted to with extreme reluctance ; the miserable brute shakes his chain with extreme violence, and, when con- fined without one, he will attempt by every means to escape, ■nr m. 332 APPENDIX. — D. and will force or gnaw his way out of his confinement in a most surprising manner. The vessels that are placed before him, he overturns or breaks with mischievous alertness. "A disposition to rove accompanies each variety of rabies ; but as, in the dumb kinds, the paralysis, stupor, and prostration of strength, are hindrances to it, so it is more particularly apparent in tlie acute kind. This inclination does not usually shew itself by an attempt to escape altogether, neither does it appear a de- lirious affection; on the contrary, much method is displayed in it, which makes it rather seem an instinctive disposition com- mon to all, to propagate the disease. In its early stages, before the strength is much impaired, dogs will travel immense dis- tances under this impulse : such a one trots along, and industri- ously looks out for every other dog within his reach or sight. Whenever he discovers one, little or large, he first smells to him, in the usual way of dogs, and then immediately falls on him, generally giving him one shake only ; after which he com- monly sets off again in search of another object. The quick- ness with which this attack is made very frequently surprises the bitten dog so much, as to prevent his immediately resenting it : but nothing is more erroneous than the supposition that a healthy dog instinctively knows a rabid or mad one. I have watched these attacks in numerous cases, and I have seen the mad dog tumbled over and over, without the least hesitation, by others that he had himself fallen on. " During this march of mischief, rabid dogs but seldom, how- ever, turn out of the way to bite human passengers ; neither do they so often attack horses, or other animals, as their own spe- cies. Sometimes they will not go out of their line of travel to attack these even ; but, trotting leisurely along, will bite only those which fall immediately in their way. In other cases however, where the natural habit is initable and ferocious, and' where dogs may have been used to worry other animal's, as guard-dogs, farmers' dogs, terriers, &c., a disposition to general attack is sometimes apparent ; and by such horses, cows, sheej), pigs, and even human persons are all indiscriminately bitten! APPKNDIX. — D. UJ3 When such a dog has roved about for an iiidetorminate period, as ten or even twenty hourH, he will return home quietly, if not discovered and destroyed in his progress.* " The affection of the larynx produces an invariable altera- tion in the voice, and a very marked one it usually is. A hw are altogether mute, from engorgement of tlio parts. The sounds emitted of themselves form a strong characteristic of the complaint. In the irritable variety, the alteration is first observed by a more quick and hasty method of barking, with some difference also in the usual tones of the bark ; by degr/ os, an occasional howl either follo^vs the bark, or takes place of it altogetlu'r. t This howl which is common to both varieties of the c .mplaint,in the dumb kind has a choaking lioarseneHs with it ; the whole, however, is of so peculiar a kind, that it may be said never to be heard under any other circumstance than from a rabid dog. J « • In elites and large towns, this return after a march of mischief is suffici- ently common ; but in the country it is different, and, therefore, this peculiarity has not an opportunity to shew itself; for there the unfortunate animal is soon detected by his manner, and is immediately hunted. If not overtaken, he is too much alarmed to return soon ; and, before he has time to recover his fright, he is discovered in some other situation, and falls a sacrifice to the anger of his pursuers. The very hunting wU, of course, do to him what it would to auy other dog-it will beget fury: otherwise there would very seldom be much ferocity apparent, and, in most instances, such a dog would return home when thoroughly tired." » t It is evident that it is not easy to form a written description of any pecu- harity of voice, but the rabid howl may not unaptly be resembled to the tones produced by what is called, among sportsmen, the < giving tongue' of the old heavy southern harrier. It appears composed of something between a bark and a howl, being made up of tones longer than the one and shorter than the other and always with the head thrown up ; and is usually single and repeated at un- certain intervals only, and is altogether so peculiar, that, when once heard, it can never be forgotten ; and so characteristic, that it may be, I may say, impli- citly relied on, I have in several instances been attracted to houses where do-rs have been confined, by the sound alone, in time to warn the inhabitants of their danger." « t Boerhaave seems to have this howl in view, when he says, ' muti quoad latratum, murmurantes taraen.' " n.')i AI'I'KNDDf — I). " T II K T \ (! I r V it N It \ II I K R . "Dumb mu,/nr.i.i Umn tlio <,tlior uii.l m.mt fr.u,ii..nt vurii.ty In a«lult m8 npring from tliia Hpocific liiryiij^itirt and hronchit'iM, by which th«8o purts uru tumofitij ovon to pariilyHis, yet aro totally fret) from uiiy of tlio human spaHmodic ri^o^M. It in, howcvjsr, fur othorwiHo with tho oxtornal muHCular tiHHiiOH : tho ciitanooua muHclos iiccomt) oflon first ufTfcted, twitchinj,'H puHH over the face, and aflorwards tho spaHmodic and paralytic aflbction IV«- quontly extends also to all the organs of locomoticm : in others, it is principally confined to the loins and hinder oxtromities. When tho morbid ad'ection acts very strongly on tho bowels, it occasions the hinder parts to be drawn forward by a specii's of tetanic spasm toward tho fore parts, so as to bend the body of the poor ".uU'eror into a circle ; somotimos it fixes the animal cm his rump, almost upright. " A sym[)tom common to dumb madness, and not altogether uncommon in the more raging kind also, is a disposition to cany straw, litter, or other matters, about in the mouth, which the dog seems to make a bed of, frequently altering it, pulling it to pieces, and again remaking it. It is also very comrntm to (»b- servo dogs scratch their litter under tlnjm with their fore feet, not as when making their beds, but evidently to press the straw or litter to tlie belly. This peculiarity appears to arise from some particular sympathy with the intestines, which, in these cases, are always after death observed to be very highly inflamed. There is also present a disposition to pick up and to swallow, when not prevented by the affection of the throat, indigestible and unnatural substances, selected from whatever is around them, and which tho costivencss usually piesent tends to retain within the l)ody. It appears to be this impulse, likewise, that leads rabid dogs to gnaw boards, or whatever is within their reach ; and this aptitude may bo considered as common to every variety of the complaint, except, as already observed, where the tumefaction and paralysis of the throat are so extreme as alto- gether to prevent it. " The irritability attendant on dumb madness is even subject to more variation than that called tho raging. It is sometimes con- siderable, and exhibits all the treacherous and mischievous dis- position that marks the other ; but when the dumb character I ! 336 APPENDIX. — D. 18 Strongly marked, there ia then seldom either much irritahiHtv or delirium apparent; on the contrary, in many instances, a most peaceable disposition is manifest, and which does not ap- pear dependant on the inability to bite, but really from a total want of mclination to it. Indeed, in many cases of this kind the tractabihty of character and mildness of disposition have appeared to be even increased by the disease, and that to a de- gree that will not permit strangers to suppose it possible for rabies to be present. It would sensibly affect any one, to wit- ness the earnest, imploiing look I have often seen from the unhappy sufferers under this dreadful malady. The stron-est attachment has been manifested to those around during their utmost sufferings ; and the parched tongue, as I have before noticed, has been carried over the hands and feet of those who noticed them, with more than usual fondness. This disposition has contmued to the last moment of life, in many cases, without one manifestation of any inclination to bite, or to do the smallest harm. I have obsen .d this particularly in pugs, and it has not been uncommon abo in other lap-dogs. " The progress of the disease in its latter stages is marked by increased paralysis, and it often happens that, as it extends over the body, that of the jaws lessens: the wretched animal now reels about with little consciousness ; tumbles, and gets up again ; now seats himself folded on his rump, and in this posture life IS stolen often away without a straggle. The fatal tormina- tion ranges between the third and seventh days; few die sooner than the thud day, and very £ew survive longer than the seventh • the average number die on the fourth and fifth. In man, it has destroyed at the end of twenty-four hours ; few have lasted be- yond the third day : by repeated bleedings, however, a case which ,s related in The Lancet of July 12th, was protracted to the fourteenth day. Horses do not sui-vive beyond the third or fourth ; the ox and sheep, Mr. Youatt says, from five to seven days ; but a rabid sheep, the property of Mr. Adam, of Mount Nod, Streatham, died on the third; and I have a recollection of one or two others which did not survive longer. APPENDIX - D 337 " IV/iat other canine diseases may bv vossihH;/,. ha /• ^ 7 """ """" ^-The importance of .L '„^ . S! iT"' qu., „ece.ary , b„. U .us. ba p™ec„.^d ™ TZltC'' we now come to what are especially worthy of rr>,r,o 1' fo he dec«,o„ whother any preventive n,aa„,. and ifa"'' nave inflicted a wound on any individual. ^ fi "POST-MORTEM APPEARANCES. tanl ^f *'^ '"''"^ '^ ''" ^«*''^ ^^«' ^«™« - --t impor- tant feature m a portrait of the malady, but is one thaTwL n.iudsbyneed,:.rea«r:r:r^^^^^ leptic dogs which have been killed ZLr ""* "'" ""'"^" '<^ "P'" on the oL hand, not unfitly tj 37'"^ ?'*"' '""'^ """^ ' -''' had.™edi«.ad™i„.tered to le. a't' ;fat l^Lll"- . P "'" '*' ^"' they labored under some other compkint ''~ ^ j/^T '"PP""'"" *''^* or the consequence of dietemne T ! ^PfP'''fi*'' «'''«ther occasional, ren^enabered that th rttTrLb^ 7"*'" '" '^''^^•- ''"' '' ^"-''^ ^^ «ch a «, Whether in '^^Xt LTdr r^r " '^T ' -udden ; it completely bewilders the do., and aTter aTet . ^ """ '^^ '" him perfectly sensible, and not at all irrii.h IT ^T ""^^ P°^'°d leaves rabies there is no fi i e no ll f n '"'"^ "^ ''« ^^ ^^^^^^ = •» convnision ; neitherll't'h:; : ZLr I^ 1:^7 •^^""' "'^'^ '" ant on rabies. If a dog in an epilentic «/!! Z k ^'*' "'''^^^''^ """"d- to bite, it . -videntlylL Jhtr:^^^^^^^^^ ^O^'"' 7 '' ^^^^ may make him seize anvthi„„ .„a •. 's spasmodic, and paiu -. .Side The ::i:s::;r ::2h:r i^r tJ: ^: -r never. A puppy i„ .Sste^p ; f, „ tr^^^^^ '"« '"^-P^-'i one stones, or eat coals, or he may in Ttr flinl H , , '' '""""'' ""^^ P'*''' "P yet no dog but a ribid onrw^i ..V ? ''" "^' "'""""' '"'^"^'^ - ^ood ; -tomach al.ost 0 u t ; tL d'^ U '' " "°°'' "^ ^"^' "' -'" '^'^'-"^ '- VOL. II. "''""^- ^''« 'J'-'^harge Jrom the nose and eyes which some- !l 1.!^ 'i.:!; 338 APPUNDIX. — D. long neglected. Tt by no mcana unlrequently happens, that it is not until aftoj a dog is dead that he is suspected of haviiis,' been rabid, although he may have bitten one or more persons. Under such circumstances, it is evident that it is of the utmost consequence to be able to decide, from a post-mortem exami- nation of the dead body alone, whether the disease did or did not exist. Fortunately the morbid appearances peculiar to tliese cases are usually well marked, and so universally present, that a just decision is seldom difficult to form, even from them alone." The morbid appearance of the brain, jaws, and thoracic vis- cera are here examined seriatim, but although their symptoms are very well marked and defined, I shall pass at once to his times occurs in rabies, I have often seen mistaken for distemper, and that even by veterinary surgeons : it is, indeed, the most deceitful of all the appearances which occur, particularlv where it continues for some time, as is occasionally the case. Usually, however, it is the permanent attendant on distemper, and a temporary one only of rabies ; while the previous emaciation, cough, and gra- dual increase of the flow, from thin and watery to muco-purulent, and then to pus, are distinguishing symptoms of distemper. A tetanic attack has been mis- taken for rabies ; but the extreme rarity of this disease renders such error not of very likely occurrence, and the medical attendant ought never to be deceived : rigid convulsions may contort the frame, and close the mouth ; but there is no other likeness to rabies present, and the dog is as incapable as he is disinclined to do mischief in any way : the death of the tetanic dog will also, by internal inspection of the body, at once distinguish between these diseases, as in tetanus there are few marks of visceral disturbance. Spasmodic colic will contort tlie dog, and may sometimes make him irritable and disposed to bite, if he be dis- turbed ; but he will never attempt it purposely : on the contrary, he will ratli.r avoid all intercourse with living beings. Colic also, particularly that occasionfvi by taking lead internally, produces excruciating pains not present in rabies, which pains also remit and return at uncertain intervals: again, althcigh plain- tive moans may be heard in spasmodic colic, barking or howling is always al)- sent : neither are the jaws paralyzed : active purging also relieves this, but is totally inert in the other. Lastly, the mistakes likely to occur between rabies and other diseases are, in some degree, attributable to erroneous pictures drawn by authors of such diseases : thus, Dr. Jenner's account of the distemper, instead of deserving the praise his great name has drawn down npon it, is entirely cal- culated to mislead: indeed, it miglit be supposed by his readers, that he waa purposely describing rabies and not distemper." APPENDIX. — U.- 3^9 notices of the stomach and abdominal viscora-.here appearan- ces are presented which cannot be mistaken. ^^ and tnt' ''"""'' ^"fl-'"-atory marks are very seldom wanting ; and tu^mg our attention to a rabid one, we are often firs stiuck wuh ,ts appearance of distention, and, on opening it the cause .seen, o arise from an accumulation of a consifeltb!: oftentimes of an immense, mass of indigestible substances, a hay t aw. wood coal, or, in fact, of any surrounding matter tToi^to rr- ' '" '""^' '^'- ^«gJ"^i^-'>-' This disposi- tion to take in unusual ingesta exists in every variety of the early stages, are but seldom to be found during the latter naZf :;' ^' '":' ^^'"^-^^^ ^'^'^" -■ ^^--^ o^-- indigestib : nature, necssarily remain within the stomach until death There IS ittle rep«on to doubt that a morbid sympathy i„ this ot these haid bodies gives some relief, probably by the disten- indigestible and incongruous matter within the stomach is so common, that it becomes a pnthognomonic sign of the utmost zrrs: ^"' ' ^^^"^ '' '-''' ^'- ^» --y -r: "In describing the criteria of the disease, I have purnosolv ommed before enlarging on this particular, that I m i Z J e ctu: aT;:f^:^'r'^'" ' "'^^^^ ^-^ describe 1:11;: cause and effect : I must now therefore ol-serve, that, of all the characteristic marks of the complaint, I consider this as the mo^ genuine, and as the one liable to the -east variation. I will no say hat I never saw a rabid stomach, after death, withou thh Zft rf: """'"' ''"^"'"'-'"'^ ^'-— -tion of mo. than two hundred cases. I do not recollect to have met with bu very few indeed in which there has not been either this Ir a chocolate-colored fluid : and when these indigesta a ; Lt present, on inquiry it will stil, b. often fhund that „rhave been vomited up. This genuine characteristic cannot tW fore, be too strongly kept in mind, because it is one that may be I;' ■ ' ■ ''I'l, •'Mi 'I: J i 340 APPENDIX. — D. Bought for by one person as well as another, by the most un!n formed, and by the amateur as well as the professional man. It is also more important, because it may be found long otlor death, when the other marks have become blended in the uni- versal decomposition and decay of the body. I cannot exem- plify this better, than by relating a circumstarse of my being Bont for, to a considerable distance in the country, to examine a suspected dog, that had been already bMned three weeks, but was now dug up for my inspection. All other marks to bo gained from the morbid anatomy had, o^ course, disappeared ; and I must have been left in doubt, (for the dog had come from' some distant part, had bitten a child who was caressing him, and had been in consequence killed on the spot— nothing, there- fore, of his history was known,) had it not been for this unfailing criterion, which I found to exist, in this instance, in its full <"orce, and from which 1 was led, without fear of error, to decide that the dog had been rabid, and, consequently, without exci- sion of the bitten parts the child's life was in danger. " When the stomach is emptied, it usually presents marks of very intense inflammatim. If the dog has been destroyed very early in the complaint, tne inflammatory markings may not be very considerable, but, in every such instance even, which has fallen imder my notice, in some degree or other, they have still been present ; while, in those cases where the animal had been suffered to die of the disease, I never remember one in which the morbid appearances were not consideiuhle. The inner surface, or rugous coat, is often livid, and not unfiequently sprinkled over with pustular prominences ; it is not unusual, likewise, for it to exhibit sphacelated ulcerous patches. I have seen it actually perforated by the mortification present. The outer surface is seldom wholly free from inflammatory marks either, particularly along the great curvature ; and such is the intensity of the inflammation, that I have seen blood extrava- sated between the membranous and muscular coats. There are seldom many fluid contents present,— the mass of ingesta usually absorbs what may be there ; but when any such are APPENDIX. — D. 341 fonml, they invariably consist of a dark-colored liquor, not unhke coflee grounds. ^ ' ^ " The intestinal tube is often found with strong marks of dis- ease also; but the frequency of these is not equal to the sto machic affection. ^ ^ """ " The bodies of those dogs who die of this disease soon be- come putnd ; but there is no peculiarity of smell attending hem : neither are they so offensive as I have often witnessed them m other cases of inflamed bowels, particulariy of that kind produced by mmeral poisons. I have frequently offered to a healthy dog various parts of the body of rabid dogs, but I could never distinguish a^y marks of dread or disgust; I am, there- fore, convinced that, living or dead, there is nothing in the smell that charax^terises rabies from one to the other, as has been so often alleged, among the other vulgar errors held forth " After this Mr. Blaine proceeds to that of— "THE MEDICAL TREATMENT OP UABIRS. "The curative treatTnenf. oi rabies in the dog has hitherto proved invariably unavailing, neither has it been found other- u;se m any other animal : while the few successful cases on re- cord of a favorable result from any means tried on the human hydrophobia, have a veil of obscurity thrown over them that damps our confidence, and leaves us to hope only that time may yet afford us a remedy for this dreadful scourge. The extent to which this inquiry has already been carried, will prevent a circumstantial detail of the various medicinal a.n.nts which have been tried as curative of rabies." These, which ¥r, Blaine cursorily names, pointing out com- pletely in what regards they have failed, beginning with cold and ,^a.hathing, drugs, inoculation. &c.. I shall skip entirely and proceed at once to the directly preventive treatment. The only intenial remedy, of which it is worth while to make any mention, is a draught of which Mr. Blaine gives the follow- 'il 342 APPENDIX. n. ing account, and it is worthy of note, only as auxiliary to the more activx means of excision and cauterization. " I had long known that a family of the name of Webb, liv- ing in the neighborhood of Watford, prepared and sold what is called a drinl-, as a remedy against rabies generally. The many assurances I had receivt-d relative to its efficacy, supported by facta apparently authentic and conclusive, gave me reason to hope that it really possessed some preventive properties; but, till the year 1807, I had not embraced any opportunity of put- ting its qualities to the test of experiment. About that time madness proving very prevalent, and the public curiosity be- coming very much excited on the subject, my attention was awakened to the importance of such z. remedy, even if it had only some moderate pretensions. To endeavor, therefore, to ascertain the grounds on which the reputation of this remedy stood, I went to Watford, and prosecuted my inquiries with such suicess, that, from one of the two brotheiTB who had dis- pensed it, I gained the original recipe, which had been before verified on oath before a magistrate. The public anxiety was then such, that, united with the knowledge that I had particu- larly directed my attentiim to the subject, it would have enabled me to realize a very considerable sum, had I chosen to keep the recipe a secret, and vended the compound ; but no such thought entered my mind. Humanity required that it should be universally known ; and the day after I returned from Wat- ford I communicated to the public at large, by various chan- nels, the recipe, with all I could learn at that time of its opera- tion, &c. ; the original communication may be seen in full in the Medical Review for December, 1807. The following me- thod of preparing it is an improvement on the original for- mula; the proportion and mode of administration agree with the country instructions : — Take of the fresh leaves of the tree-box. Of the fresh leaves of rue, - Of sage, .... 3 ounces- ounces, half au ounce. I APPENDIX. D. 343 Chop these finely, anJ, after boiling ihom in a pint of water to half a pint, strain and press out the liquor. Beat them in a mortar, or otherwise bruise them thoroughly, and boil them again, in a pint of new milk, to half a pint, which press out as before. After this, mix both the boiled liquors, which will make three doses for a human subject. Double this quantity will form three doses for a horse or cow ; two-thirds of it is sufficient for a large dog, calf, sheep, or hog ; half of the quantity is required for a middle-sized dog ; and one-third for a small one. These three doses are said to be sufficient, and one of them isdirected to be given every moniing fasting. Both human and brute subjects are treated in the same manner, according to the pro- portions specified." Of this remedy the writer asserts, that he has repeatedly seen it tried, and in one or two instances without any other means being taken, at the particular request of the patients ; and that in all the cases it proved successful. It would, however, be worse than madness in every person bitten, to rely upon such means as this. I shall now conclude my observations on this subject, by the directions which he gives in relation to the extirpation of the virus by means of the knife, or the actual cautery, or caustic, which is the only pre- ventive on which dependence can be placed. His remarks on the curative treatment of bitten dogs I shall entirely pass over, for greatly as I deprecate the wholesale and inhuman butchery of these valuable and in many respects admi- rable creatures, as it is annually perpetrated without cause in the streets of our great cities, still more do I deprecate the sparing of a dog bitten by one suspected of madness. Every dog-owner should remember that, if he knowingly preserve a dog bitten by another on good grounds suspected of madness, and that if death ensue to a fellow-being from his guilty neglect, whether human law regard him innocent or no, there is much cause to believe that He, without whose know- ledge, it is said, that not a sparrow falls from heaven, will re- quire at his hands the blood of his brother. m i' :l 5U Al'PE.NDlX. — 1). From what has already been stated with regard to the ranonale of the rahid inoculation, it will readily a^ppear, that provided the vzrus be immediately taken into the cimdation U mu hete commence a neu, irritation, by which some new moib,d compound is generated ; and it is the absorption of this compound that ,s alone capahle of producing the malady. Again, on the more popular theory, that the rabid virus does not enter the constitution, but lies dormant in the part where it was first received u,s still the same, as regards the preventive treat- ment, which ,t ,s evident is o,.ly effected with certainty by the entire removal of the inoculated portion; because, that being absent, no new morbid compound can be formed on the first supposition, nor can any local excitement arise on the second. Pletely destroyed, the patient will, to a demonstration, be ren- dered as secure as though never bitten; which is a most consolatory circumstance in the consideration of this dire disease. It IS also rendered doubly so, since the rationale of the action of the morbid virus teaches us. that it is indifferent at what time this removal takes place, provided it be within the limits of the inoculation and those of the morbid symptoms. This ciirum- stance is of immense importance to the human subject ; and it IS as fully supported by facts, as consistent with the theory laid down. I am as confident on the subject as a veiy Ion. expe- nence and close observation of innumerable easel can make me, that not only is the destruction of the bitten part a certain preventive, hut that such ren^val of it is as effectual at any Ze tUUte My professional education as a human surgeon bein. not ahogether unknown to the public, it is not to be wondereS at that this recollection, when united to some notoriety which a ached to my attention to this particular and then prevailing d^ease. and to my vast opportunities of obsei^ing't, should have produced some direct confidence in my opinion. It. there- fore, often happened, that, from being consulted about the rabid ij APPENDIX.— D. 34s mmeJ to any other .„rge„„, n,y attendance woa likewise re whet' I. "-yelf "P«r.ted on upward, of fifty „„„„„. ca t, hT„h rr'""' "? °""'°™ ■'=P<>"-« on the practi- 1 .?^n„: ■°'' '"'"' ''^'^' '"" °» "■"" "iraction/wiUch .. Invtmf ',"■! Tr' "'■ *° '■"""" P"" ""y l-" ""^^""kan What time ih,, Moondary inflammation may take place .o it i. prudent .„ perform the excision, or cauteriLtion.'Trn a u eo„ven,en., but i, i, frequently a matter of gre t imprrtal" to the peace of ,h„« unfortunately „„„„de! to kZw Zt when any accidental cau.e ha. delay.1 the opemion Il^h e M safely done at the end of several daya a» it would a. .^.f ! moment of the accident 1 1,., J ™ ''"' oi we accident ' have myself repeatedly removed the b.tto„ part, many day., and not unfrequently week. ZT.t .he onginal wound had been perfect,; heaM^p yet I ^Z .j:rf;2L-rra:d^-tre:;,tr:^ have each of them their advocates. employed, and burned the part, w.th heated iron, sometimes with brass ilTeV or go d. Some of the modems have also favored it Ts'e and - « ,s a remedy immediately at hand, it is not an beli'^ible one, particularly where the unnecessary dread of after c^s^ quences, from immediate absorption, is'fixed in the ml "and also where other assistance is not at hand. When likew^L th« wound .s of a determinate fonn. and superficial i^' tZ 1 wxth regard to horses, cows, and other large animals, who are ^ ! r\ Jili, I ,' it 34(> AI'l'KMllX. — I). not.M,Milyrost,miMOstruct a proper and clear view of tho extent of the injury ; and a conse- qu-nce follows, which I have frequently witnessed among sur- geons m operations on the human subject, which is the removal ot a much larger quantity of substance than is absolutely neces- sary Wuh the caustic, nothing of this kind happens : pro- ceeding deliberately, every j^ortion of ..rundcd ^rface \. taken in succession, until the whole inoculated part is destroyed, but no " Frocess of operation for the rahid bUe.-When a dog, or any other animal, has been attacked by one that is rabid, it is evi- dent that a difficulty presents itself which does not exist in the human subject under similar circumstances. The incapability of the wounded animal to point out the wounds that may have been received, and which the hair may prevent from beir... ob- Berv.d, renders it necessary that a very minute examination of every part of the body shoul.l take place, by turning the whole hair deliberately back; after which, to remove any rabid saliva that may adhere to the hair in other parts, the animal should be washe,l all over, first with simple warm water, and, next, wilh water m which a sufficient quantity of either potash or soda is dissolved, to render it a moderate ley. in doing which the eves must be carefully guarded. Having finished this operation, which will render the doff or other animal secure from acciden- i 1^ Ml': I SCO APPENDIX. — U. tal virus hanging about, it may increase the safety of the opera- tion if the wounds were bathed with an arsenical solution, made by pouring four ounces of water on two drachms of arsenic. " TI:erefore, after these precautions have been attended to, proceed to the actual removal of the bitten part by whatever mode may appear most e'igible to the operator. The means of destroying the bitten surfaces by incision and cautery, actual or potential, as it is termed, are as follow. A sportsman who might choose to act for himself, would find a ready one, when the wound was a simple puncture or punctures made into the hide of a horse or dog, to thrust in a blunt-pointed iron, heated to a red heat ; after which the part might be further treated with any escharotic he may have at hand, as muriate of anti- mony, f butter of antimony,) sulphate of copper, (hlue vitriol,) &c., &c. The regular practitioner would, in the case of simple punctures, adapt a portion of nitrate of silver, (lunar caustic,) to the shape and size of the wound ; this he would insinuate by degrees into it, making it embrace the sides fully, and extend it completely to the bottom, where it should be worked around sufficiently long to insure a complete destruction of the inocu- lated surface. A lacerated wound I would recommend to have its ragged edges removed, and its sinuosities enlarged, that the caustic may reach every part of the wounded surface, which it is evident must be most particularly attended to. As the sloui,^h hardens during the process, remove it by means of a probe, and then retouch all the parts every or every other day. When the punctures were deep in operating on a human subject, I always repeated full cauterization at the end of every second or third day for at least twice. By applying the caustic gradually at first, the pain it gives is by no means intense, and it even les- sens the further it is proceeded in. If much heat and pain fol- low, envelope the whole part in a poultice. There is every reason to suppose that keeping up a continued discharge in the part, after the entire destruction of wo\mded surfeces, is unne- cessary ; I never practised it myself, and I have hau no reason to regrot the omission. " Having thus reached the close of the practical detail I shall APPENDIX, — D. li.n finish this Important subject by offering a few remarks, calcu- latt^d, I would hope, to ease the minds of many individuals on some material points wliich are apt to occasion much unneces- sary dread, and much false alarm. I would first notice, that, by a veiy distorted view of the lisk incurred by association with him, the dog. at once our faithful friend, gallant protector, and useful sei-vant, is in danger of being proscribed altogether. Many of those who ar. otherwise warmly attached to the ani- mal, yet iare not indulge in the pleasure of his company, from a totally unnecessary dread, grounded on a supposition that he can become rabid from a variety of other circumstances besides the bite of another affected dog. I would beg to assure those who think thus, that they are entirely in error ; nothing but a successful inoculation can produce it; nor, out of those actually bitten, do more than a third, piobably, become mad, even when an effectual inoculation has been made ; thus, there is little rea- son for all the alarm that is felt. The disease never makes its Jirst appearance with any mischievous tendency : indeea, so little danger is there from the early stage of the complaint, that I should entertain no fear whatever were I confined altogether day and night in the same room with half a dozen dogs, all duly inoculated with rabid virus. The slightest degree of attention will always detect some peculiarity in the affected dog's man- ner—some departure from his usual habits; and this maybe observed one day, at least, commonly two days, before the most active symptoms commence, or before any mischievous disposi- tion shows itself; and wliich, at the worst, is not often practised towards those they are habituated to, if not meddled with. In a great number of the cases that occur, no mischievous disposi- tion at all appears towards human persons through the whole complaint, except it be called forth by opposition and violence ; which consideration tends to reduce danger still more mate- rially. It ought likewise, in no small degree, to lessen the dread and fear of this malady, even when the worst has hap- pened, and a human person has been unfortunately bitten by a ra])id animal, that a ready, simple, and efficacious remedy is still at hand, the application of which is attended with HttlJ incon- ! f J 352 APPENDIX. — D. venience, while the consequences are certainly productive of all the safety that can be wished for. On this immediate part of the subject, however, I am well aware that intense mental dread is often excited. From simple fear of the consequences many have died; many others have been rendered temporarily insane, and some permanently so. Would I could instil into such minds the uncertainty of the disease appearing at all : that is, even when no means have been used ; and the perfect security they may feel who have submitted to the preventive treatment detailed. I have been bitten several times,— Mr. Youatt seve- ral also: yet in neither of us was any dread occasioned ; our experience taught us the ahaolute certainty of the preventive means ; and such 1 take on me to pronounce they always prove, when performed with dexterity and judgment. It unfortunately happens that these prejudices and fears are too often very deep- rooted, and even immovable. What is then to be done 1 Is nothing to be attempted 1 Yes : we will hope that a physician may be found for the mind also, in the judicious medical atton- dant on the case; to whom I hardly need hint, that, in those desperate instances r.f mental excitement, it is totally in vain to argue down the needless dread and imaginary dangers fostered in a distempered mind ; it is still more useless, it would be even cruel, to be offended or made harsh by them. No one, I presume, would harass himself with fear, could he avoid it ; fear weakens the mind, and it is remarkable, that it ofien makes its greatest inroads on an otherwise powerful one. Arguing here is reasoning against fearful odds ; it is, in fact, offering reason at the shrine of insanity ; for a i)er8on so im- pressed is, to all intents and purposes, on that question, beside himself." I- INDEX. Adirondacii highlands, ii, 244. Albemarle Sound, ii, 8. Attagen Americana, i, 51. Alteratives, i, 343. Alleghanies, ii, 194. Alliby, gunners of the name, ii, 67 American Antelope, i, 32 : ii, 147, 178 Bear, ,,32: ii, 148, 184,231,266" B.son,,,32: ii, 147, 149, 257. Sr'-'if -."'^47, 173,239. Elk, 1.32: n, 147, 159, 255. 248!262.^^' '^^' ^'^' ^^' 2^^' Hare, i, 32, 100. Quail.i, 36, 80,219. Reindeer, i, 32 : ii, 172,200. S'l'pe, I, 40, 91, 137,210. ^wan i, 4|. ii,45^ ^35^ Teal, 1, 41, 119. Turkey, i, 35 : ii. 194, 297. Widgeon, i, 41, 1.32: ii, 109. Woodcock,i,40, 86, 169,209. gunmakers,i,310: ii, 121. rifles, ii, 225. dog-breakers, i, 356. game, i, 30. army, officers of, ii, 295. shooting, i, 46. Auas Boschas, i, 41, 106, 293. Obscura, i, 41, 110,293. ^trepera, i, 41, 133, 293. Urewerii, i, 41, Americana, i, 41, 132, 293: Acuta, i, 41, 128, 293. Sponsa, i, 41, 122, 293. Carolmensis, i,41, 119,293. Uiscors, i, 42, 115, 293. Clypeata, i, 42, 133, 293. 1 AiiatidoB, I, 38. Aiiser, i, 41. I Canadensis, ,41: ii, 57, 123. I VOL. II. 23 f Auser Leucopsis, i, 41 : ii, 65 I «f"'i«''*. i. 41 : ii, 66, 129. Albifroiw, i, 41 : jj, 7;^ Hyperboreus, i, 41 : ii", 73. 32 :1! llrS"' " ''""«""™' '' Antlers, Moose, ii, 169, 204. Cariboo, ii, 172, 2OO. Ueer, ii, 174. Elk, ii, 161. Apalachian chain, i, 13 : ii, 194 Apparatus, sportsman's, i, 1491 301. 310: .1,144,236,257.317. Atlantic coasts, ii, 8. seaboard, i, 28. Audubon, tribute to, i, preface. talents of, i, 160. Autumn Woodcock shooting, i. 209 shooting, i, 257. &•'«'• jiiies on, i, 257. i" America, i, 258. woods, i, 259. Snipe shooting, i, 210. Avoset, i,40. Balize, ii, 7. Ball, the belted rifle, ii, 227 ounce, ii, 226. pea, ii, 228. Bangor, in Maine, i, 204 Banks, Sir Joseph, ii, 90. «artmes Liniament, ii, 224, 315. Bamam's Sandpiper or Tattler, 1.39. rifle, II, 225, 281. how to clean, ii, 315. Barrens, Grouse i, 60. Battery, i, 128. Bay,Iioston, ii,7,91,113, 116. Casco, i, IG. Chesapeake, ii, 8, 109, 133. Hudson's, i, 104; ii, 61. 1 « ' ! 354 INDEX. Bay, Great South, ii, 8. Long Island, ii, 123. of Gaape, ii, 304. of Honduras, ii, 81. ofFundy, i, 76. Snipe, birds falsely so termed, i, 40. description of, ii, 9, 44. shooting, ii, 133. great shots at, ii, 12, 17, 29. best shot for, ii, 116. best guns for, ii, 119. best fowlers, ii, 115. mode of calling, ii, 115. how to shoot, ii, 117. Beach Bird, ii, 39. Beagles, ii, 309. Bear, the American, i, 32: ii, 148, 184, 266. theGrizzIy, i, 32: ii, 148, 186. the Last, ii, 269. hunting, ii, 266. hounds, ii, 279. breeding of, ii, '281. habits of, ii, 281. best weapon for, ii, 281, Beating for Snipe, i, 152. Cock, i,212. Quail, i, 235, 261. Grouse, i, 253. Beaver, i, 14. Bell, Mr., ii, 295. tribute to, i, preface. Bellport, ii, 17- Berkshire, i, 17. Bethune, Rev. Dr., ii, 306. Bevy of Quail, ii, 307. Beech woods, ii, 241. Boe line, i, 251. Bird, Bay, ii, 9. Beach, ii, 39. Brent, ii, 29. Doe, ii, 43. Frost, ii, 36. Reed, ii, 290. Birds of Long Island, Giraud'a, i, pre face : ii, 11,43. Bison, i, 32 : ii, 147, 253. hunting, ii, 253. aspect of, ii, 258. best weapon for, ii, 259. chase ol, ii. 259. speed of, ii, 258. stalking, ii, 956. a herd oi, ii, 308. Bison, charge of, ii, 258. bull and cow, ii, 308. Bitch, ii, 310. Bittern, i, 39 : ii, 9, 308. a sege of, ii, 308. Black-breasted Plover, ii, 11. bellied Plover, ii, 34. tailed Deer, i, 32 : ii, 176. headed Uuck, ii, 84. legged Stilt, ii, 40. Duck, i, 42 : ii, 97. misnomer for the Dusky, i, 41, IJO. Blaine's Canine Pathology, i, 347 : ii, 318. Bleat of Deer, ii, 175. Bloodhound, ii, 279. bill, ii,83. Blue-stocking, ii, 40. Boat, gunning, ii, 145. for Rail shooting, , 288. for Brent shooting, ii, 69. for Canvass- backs, ii, 78. on the Delaware, i, 109. for Swan shooting, ii, 52. for stanchion guns, ii, 104. Boschas, Anas, i, 41, 106, 293. Boston Bay, ii, 7, 91, 113, 116. Brace, use of the term, ii, 309. Brant, misnomer for Brent Goose, i, 41 : ii, 66, 129, 14.5. Breakfast, sportsman's, ii, 313. Breaking of dogs, i, 158, 180, 233. 355. to Snipe, i, 158. Quail, i, 237. Grouse, i, 2.53. Woodcock, i, 180. Breeding of Bears, ii, 281. of Dogs, i, 314. of Grouse, i, 55, 66, 75. of Hares, i, 103, 104. of Quail, i, 81. of Snipe, i, 91, 160. of Woodcock, i. 88, 171. British Provinces, i, 17: ii, 200, 9i.'2 Broad-bill, misnomer for Scaup iJiiok, ii,82. Brown-back, ii, 27. Brood of Grouse, ii, 307. Woodcofk, ii, 307. Snipe, ii, 307. of Turkeys, ii, 307. Brunswick, New, i, 17, 73, 137 : li, 200, 222. INDEX. ^'"^k, a misnompr, ii, 308. «"lt;»lo, none jn Amoricu, i, 42 misnoirHT for Bison, ii, 149. Bull, Biaoii, ii, •2C-)H. Moose, ii, 204, 210. Cariboo, ii, ^32. Wild, ii, "84. headed Plover, ii, 34, dogs, bad for Hear hiu.ti,,,,, jj, 070 a cross i„ the Greyhound, i,3lG and^probubly iu the Pointer, i. 355 Califorma, I, 41 : ii, 2^5. Californmn Quail, i, :ic 1-a.np-hunter's, i„ Caiia(;.,ii, 231 m the South West, li, 283. t^anada, 1, 16. Goose, i, 41 : ii, 57, 123. Grouse, i, 3C, 71. Canebrake, i, 21(;: ii, 279 Canine Pathology, i, 347. ■ Kabies, u, upp.j„dix D.31Q Canoe, 11, 213, 249. Canvass-back Duck, i, 42 • description of, i|, 75 food of, ii, 7C, J.34. ' habits of, ii, 133. how to tole, ii, 143. how to shoot, ii, 138. Capra Montana,,, 32: ii, ; ^. I'aptam Grimston, ii, 2-^i Douglas, i, 278.' *'~'" Wis and Clarke, ii 191,285. Wilkes, ii, 295. ii, ' i, 134. ii, 353. Cariboo, i, 32 ; ii. 172, 90. antlersof, ii, 17:J description of, ii, ' /q habits of, ii, 221 size of, ii, 201. speed of, ii, i«:,7. hoofs of, ii, 201. danger of attacking, ii, 237 Oarleton, Sj>orti„g skeich uLk. ii. Carman's, i, 242. Carolina, i, 165: ii, 2t7 Caroli„e„sis^Anas,i,4!,'-]i9.O03 Central fire caps, ii. 12-. 317 Cerviis, i, 32. Alces i,.32: ii, 169,200. »-anadensis, i, 3;> : ii, igi. CervnsTarandus,i,32: ii, 172, 200. V'rginianus, i, 32: jj, 173 ' Macrotis, i,32: ii, 176. ^;hancp, a fine Sett-r. i, I84 (hapter on Hla^k 1),,^.,^ ii g Cliaradrius, ii. 34, Helvcticn.4, ii, 3.1. lylarnionitiis, ii, 36. i^emipalinatHs, ii, 37. Melodus, ii,39. Vociferns, ii, .11). Montaiius, ii, 4(/. Wilsonius, ii, 40. ^hathani, in xNew .Tersev i no iri? Chateau Richer, i, WO.^' ' ^^^' ^''<'- Chemung, ii, 240. Chenail L'carte, i, 16. Cheswick, Grou.so at. i, 59. C appor Rail, i, 39, 285. t^liib. Brush, i, 5.5. Carrol Island, ii, 130 Sportsman's, i, 170, 199 I Cluck of the (irousn, j, (;o Clumsiness of the Turkey, ii, 299 Bison, ii, 258. Cock of the plains, i, 37 r[-"'*''?';7'"™okanold. ii,3l2. ^''''"!:'"'""Pton i.dedicat'on. Co t s revolving firoann., i,, 259 Colquhoun, of Luss, 1,295 quotation from his Moor Loch, i, 295. CookeryoftheSiiipe, i, 167. 01 the Woodcock, i, 247 of the Quail, j, 246. of the Grouse, i, 2.')0 ''')5 ofthe Wild Duck, i, 246" of the Rail, i, 293. a few receipts for, ii, 312. l-uoper, Henry T., 1 121 Cooper's Hawk, ii, 264. Coot, i, 38. Wiiite-viringed, ii, 94. American, ii, 96. Common, ii, 98. Cougar, ii, 261. Co^ur«i„g^recommendedintheWest,i- Cow, Bison, ii, 2,58, 308. Moose, ii, 211,308. Car.boo, ii, 3()ri. Crane, the Whooping, ij, 265 and s.:g INDEX, Crnnc, head of, ii, 26fi. Ohveii, editor of the Sporting Maga- zine, ii, 331. Crot 1 of Setter and Pointer, i, 3 1 6. Foxhound and Pointer, i, 316. Bulldog and Pointer, i, 316. Foxhound and Newfoundland, i, 316. Water dog and Terrier, i, 297. Greyhound and Foxhound, ii, 350. Hound, Cur and Bulldog, ii, 381. Cullen, Mr., ii, 150. Curlew, i, 40 : ii, 40 Long billed, ii, 40. Hudsonian, ii, 41. Esquimaux, ii, 4.1. Curriers dubbing, ii, !51. Curtis and Harvey'a powder, i, 311. diamond powder, li, .117. ducking powdei', ii, 317. Cycnus, i, 41. A.'nericanus, i, 41 : ii. 45. Buccin^or. i, 41 : ii, 53. Cygnet, ii, i>'i. color of the, ii, 50. flesh of the, ii, 51 Cypress, T. Jr., ii, 331. talents of, ii, 135. verses by, ii, 126. Daredevil, a famous horse, ii, 9 18. Deer, the Moose, i, 32 : ii, 147, 166. the Elk, i, 33: ii, 147, 15'J. the Rein, i, 33: ii, 147, 172. the Common, i, 33: ii, 147, 173. the Black-tail, i, .32: ii, 147, 176. hunting, ii, 339. in the Eastern States, ii, 240. on Long Island, ii., 243. in Hamilton County, ii, 343. Btalk'ng, or still hunting, ii, 31-5. in tiip South with horse and hound, ii, 247. fire-hunting, ii, 249. on the prairies with Streakern or Greyhounds, ii, 251. best weapons for, ii, 228, 238, 247. how to ride in, ii, 247. how to shoot in, ii, 236, 243. DeKay, cred't to, ii, 200. quotations from, ii, 173i l>o!aware. State of, i, 140. rivei,i,2H,387. shooting in, i. 140. I Rail shooting on the, i, 287. I Delaware, Dock shooting on tlio, i, 291. Detroit river, Woodcock shooting oa the, i, 169. Rail shooting on the, i, 277. Devonshire, the Duke ol, i, 320 the county of, i, 245. Dilke, the dog-breaker, i, 153,328, Diseases of dogs, i, 343. account of, i, 346. Distemper, its symptoms, i, .347. epilepsy of, i, 348. treatment of, i, 349. Disturbing Woodcock ground, i, 199. Brent Geese, ii, 68, 125. Canvass-back Duckc, ii, 143. Dive, Swans never, ii, 49. Geese, when wounded, ii, 62. Brent never, for food, ii, 69. Canvass-backs will, ii, 77. Broadbill, when wounded, ii, 83. Widgeon never, ii, 109. Longtailed duck, from the wing, ii, 140. Divers, i, 42, 299. the Buffel-headed Duck, i, 42 : ii, 103. the Goosander, i,42: ii, 112. the Red-breasted Merganser, i, 42: ii, 112. the Hooded Merganser, i, 42 : ii, 112. the Golden Eye, i, 42 : ii. 99. the Velvet Duck, i, 42 : ii, 94. the Surf Duck, i, 42 : ii, 96. the .Scoter, i, 42 : ii, 98. Dogs, the best for Snipe shooting, r, 147. how to hunt for Snipe, i, 151. the best for Cock shooting, i, 180. how to hunt for Cock, i, 183. the best for Quail shootinj:, i, 233. how to hunt for Quail, i, 237. the best for Grouse shooting, i, 253, sporting, i, 312. the Setter, i, 313 : ii, 3n9. the Pointer, i, 328 : ii, 31'!). the Cocking Spaniel, l, 33.'1 : ii, 309. the Ketriever, i, 295, the Bulldog, i, 316. the Bearhound, ii, 278. the Boarhound, ii, 279. the Deerhound, ii, 255. INDEX 3.-7 D0JT8, the Foxhound, i, 279. the Greyhound, ii, 251. 263, 309. the Streaker, ii, 250. the Harrier, ii, 309. the Bloodhound, ii, 279. the Terrier, ii, 280. the Southern Hound, ii, 280. breaking of, i, 355. kennel inanagenipnt of, i, 336. diseases of, i, 347. food of, i, 338. madness of, appendix, ii, 318. Dorsetshire, county of, i, 245. Dowitcher, i, 40 : "ii, 42. Down charge, i, 185. how to teach, i, 35.5. Drains, duck shooting along, i, 301. Dress for Snipe shooting, i, 149. Duck shooting, ii, 52, 145. Deer hunting, ii, 248. Driver, the best for Plover, i, 207. Driving, for Upland Plover, i, 208. Deer, ii, 242. Breht, ii, 304. Red-heads, ii, 304. Duck— Anas— the Mallard, i, 41, 106. the Dusky Duck, i, 41, HO. the Gadwall.i, 41,133: ii, 109. Brewer's, i, 41. 1 the American Widgeon, i, 41, 132: ii, 109. " ' ' '[ the Pintail, i, 41, 128. j the Wood-Duck, i, 41, 122. the Green-winged Teal, i, 4] . 119. . . •*i. the Blue-winged Teal, 1,42, 115. the Shoveller, i, 42, 133 : ii, 109. I Sea, P'uligultB, i, 42 : ii, 74. the Canvass-back, i, 42 : ii, 74. the Red-headed, i, 42 : ii, 80. the Scaup, i, 42 : ii, 82, 84. the Ring-necked, i, 42 : ii, 85. the Ruddy, i, 42 : ii, 88. the Pied, i, 42: ii, 92. the Velvet, i, 42 : ii, 94. the Surf, i, 42 : ii, 97. the American Scoter, i, 42 : ii, 98. the Eider, i, 42 : ii, 99. the Golden Eye, i, 42 : ii, 99. the Harlequin, "i, 42 : ii, 104. the Buffei-headed, i, 42 : ii, 103. the King, i, 42: ii, 107. the Long-tailed, i, 42 : ii, 106. thp Western, i, 42: ii, 108. English Wild Dircks, i, 298. Duck Creek in Delaware, ii, 111. Duck guns, for inland waters, i, 310. for Bay shooting, ii, 118. best makers of, ii, 120. how to load, ii, 118, 130, 141. best calibre, ii, 130. breeching of, ii, 144. ointment for, ii, 144. for punt shooting, ii, 143. Duck shooting on inland waters, i, 29.?. on Long Island, ii, 123. on Chesapeake Bay, ii, 133. on the Delaware, i, 291. on the Drowned Lands, i, 293. at Egg Harbor, ii, 141. at tho Fire Islands, ii, 127. on the York and James rivpi«. ii, 133. on the Gunpowder river, ii, 135 on the Passaic, i, 293. on the Susquehanna, ii, 13.3. atSpesutic Island, ii, 135. in drains, i, 301. in lakes, i, 29.7. best mode of, i, 298: ii, 123, l."l 138. at Miller's island, ii, 75. Duckmg batteries, ii, 128. boats, ii, 145. powder, i, 311: ii, 104,317. caps, ii, 317. shot, i,311: ii, 131. Dupont's gunpowder, ii, 317. Dutchess county, i, 17. Egg Harbor, Canvass-back Ducks t. i, 79. Fowl shooting at, ii, 141. Egrets, i, a-*, 235 : ii, 9. Eley's patent cartridges, i, 149, 311- ii, 119, 144,238,258. Elk, the American, i, 32. : ii, 1 i7. 159, 253. description of, ii, 159. antlers of, ii, 161. size of, ii, 254. w«ight of, ii, 2.54. habits of, ii, 163. courage of, ii, 165. mode of hunting, ii, 253. use of Deerhounds for, ii, 2."ii. stalked by Mr. Sibley, ii. 2,")."). b»«st weapon for, ii, 257. river. Duck shooting oa tlie, !, 133. Elk 358 INDEX. English Sportinnr wrilfrs, i, 112, 295, 309,317: ii. 2:j(». game, i, 48, 79, 90, KJl, 230, 304. guiimukere, i, 311: ii, li.'0, 121, 130. Oreyhounds, ii, 251. ISetterH, i, 318. Poiiitors, i, 331. Spuniels, i, 333. Foxhounds, ii, 279. Esquiiniuix Curlew, ii, 43. Europoiiii giime, i. ditlereut from American, i, 48. (iroiiHc, i, 79. Partridge, i, 219. Pheasant, i, 230. Quail, i, 219. Wild Fowl, i, 29>i. Snipe, i, 93. Naturalists, I, Kll, Woodcock, i, 90. Widgeon, i, 298. Golden Eye, i,302. Pochard, i, 304. Tufted duck, i, 305. Scaup duck, i, 305. Teal, i, 121. Exaltation of Larks, ii, 308. Falcons, i, 24. the Ger Falcon, ii, 264. the Peregrine, ii, 2()4. Fetch, correct term, ii, 309. Field Plover, misnomer for Bartram's ^ Tattler, i, 203. Fmt) guns, i, 311. Russian Setters, i, 326. brace of Setters, i, 328. Fire hunting of Rail, i, 277. hunting of Woodeook, i, 216. hunting of Deer, ii, 2-19. central caps, ii, 317. the only cure for hydro|)liobia, ii, 319. Island inlet, ii, 127. Island bar, ii, 67. Fish and tishing, ii, 303. Salmon and Sea Trout, ii, 303. in Lake Superior, ii, 304. on Long Island and Hamilton CO., ii, 305. Black Bass, ii, 30.5. Cat-fish, Maskalogne, Pickerel, ii, 305. I Fits, epileptic of Dogs in distemper, i, 348. often mistaken for Madness, i, 337. Flappers, the young of Wild-Duck, ii, 309. Flight of the Quail, i, 320. Grouse, i, 60, 251. linH'od Grouse, i, 245. Snipe, i, 145 Woodcock, i, 197, 215. Swan, ii, 48, 56. Wild Goose, ii, 58, 124. Brent Goose, ii, 67, 129. Canvass-backs, ii, 135. Flock, rightly applied to Plovers and all shore birds, and to Teal, ii, 30» Florida, Gulf of, ii, 8. Food of Dogs, i, 338. Fowl, varieties of wild, ii, 45 to 112. nomenclature, ii, 308. on Long Island, ii, 123. on inland waters, i, 293. on Chesapeake Bay, ii, 133 Fox, i, 31 : ii, 308. hounds, i, 27D : ii, 309. Futes, ii, 43. Gaddlinq of Brent Geese, ii, 129. Gadwall, the, i, 41, 133: ii, 109. Ga/rirle of Geese, ii, 308. Gallantry of American hunters, ii, 289. Gallopavo Meleagris, i, 34 Galloping dangeroiM on the prairies, ii, 259. after the Antelope, ii, 180. Game, American, i, 31. upland, i, 43. western, ii, 147. Gang of Elk, ii, 308. Ganders, honking of, ii, 58, 141. Gentry of different lands, i, 27. of the south, ii, 247. Goat, the Rocky Mountain, i. 32 : ii, 293. description of, ii, 183. huntuig of, ii, 292. Godman's Natural History, ii, 14;j. Godwit, i, 40. the great marbled, ii, 22. the Hudsonian, ii, 23. Goosander, i, 42: ii, 112. Goose, i, 41 : ii, 57. the Canada, i, 41 : ii, 57. IN DEX. 3Jl) GooRP, llutchios' Barnacle, i, 41 : ii, 65. the Hrent, i, 41 : ii, 66. the White-fronted, i, 41 : ii, 72. the 8now, 1, 41 : ii, 73. uhootiiiff, Canada, ii, 63, 124. Hhooting Brent, ii, 125, 12!). driving; Brent, i, 304. sailing for Brent, ii, 68. bo«t weather for Brent, ii, 145. bektifunsfor, ii, 119, 143. beat g!iot for, ii, M4. Greane forHhooting boots, i, 151. for cleaning gunM, ii, 315. for dog's feet, ii, 352. Greyhounds, ii, 251, 263, 309. a brace of, ii, 309. a leash of, ii, 309. GrindiE, i, 319. Grizzly Bear, 1, 32: ii, 148, 186, 285. Bear hunting, ii, 285. habits of, ii, 193. Grouse, i, 36. the Ruffed, i, 36, 64, 241. the Pinnated, i, 36, 49, 248. the Canada, i, 36, 71. the Dusky, i, 36 : ii, 294. the Cock of the plains, i, 37: ii, 294. the Sharp-tailed, i, 37 : 234. the Willow, i, 37, 79. the American Flurmigan, i, 37. the Rock Ptarniigau, i, 37: ii, 294. the White-tailed Piarmigan, i, 37:ii,294. shooting Ruffed, i, 241. Pinnated, i, 248. Canada, i, 255. Guards, officers of the, ii. 236. ( tiilis, how to cook, ii, 121, Guncaps, Starkey's, i,3ll: ii, 132,317 Westley Richards', ii, 317. Gunmakers, American, 1,310: ii, 121 English, i, 310: ii, 121. Gunnery, science of, i, 24. skill of Americiiim in, i, 28. Gunpowder, the best, ii, 317. Curtis &- Harvey's, i, 311. diamond, i, 311 : ii, 317. Ducking, 1,311: ii, 317. John Hall's glass, ii,317. Dupont's Eagle, ii, 317. Dr. Fyfe's Scotch, ii, 317. Guns, American, i, 310 : ii, 121. Guns, English, i, 311 : ii, 120. Woodcock, ii, 118. general use, i, 311. Rail, ii, 118. Bay Snipe, ii, 119. Wild Fowl,ii, 120, 130. inland Duck, i,311. stanchion, ii, 143. double, i, 31 1 : ii, 130. single, i, 119: ii, 130. toload, 1,310: ii, 119, 1.30, 144. to clean, ii, 3l.'i. to dissect, ii, 316. to preserve from rust, ii, 316. to guard against scu air, ii, 144. Gunwadding for Duck guns, ii, 119, general use, ii, 122. stancheon guns, ii, 144. metallic, i, 122. Habitant of Canada East, ii, 229. Hackmetack Woods, of Maine, ii, 75. Hsmatopus, i, 39. Hall, John's glass powder, ii, 317. Hamilton county, N. Y., ii, 243. Hampshire county, Mass., i, 17. Hampton, Colonel, dedication to, i, 4 Hand to hoof, ii, 230. Hardihood of Ruffed Grouse, i, 245. Hare, the American, i, 32, 101, 266. the northern, i, 32, 103. cry for, ii, 309. Harrier, the heavy southern, ii, 333. Hart and Hind, i\', 308. Hat for general shooting, i, 151. for fowl shooting, ii, 145, Hawes, Wm. P. Esq., ii,231. Hawker on shooting, i, 23. Porter's edition of, i, 23 : ii, 142, 222. excellence of, i, 309. authority of, i, 295. opinions of, ii, 130, 143. on sea-fowling, ii, 119, 145. Hawker's Ducking powder, ii, 119, 144, 317. stanchion guns, ii, 143. Duck guns, ii, 121. receipts lor cooking, ii, 313, Hawks, i, 24: ii, 265. Cooper's, ii, 264. the Sharp-shinned, ii, 264. the Gobs Hawk, ii, 264, Havre de Grace, ii, 77. Heath Hea, the, i, 52, Hi'i 3ti0 INDEX, Ifoel—cry to a dofr, ij, Hd!). Herd, to what aiiiiimla applied, ii, ;j()8 lltTou, i, ;JU, '285 : ii, !>. llillM, MuHconetcoiig, i, 13. Mliitwui)f;uiikH, i, 13. Warwick, i, 13: u,'2G9. Himautopus, i, 4U. Hind, ii, 239, 3Ua Hotfinuii, C. F. Esq., ii, l!)l), 2|4. Horse, hunting with, i, i>4; ii, 146. Bison hunting with, ii, '2iVJ. Doer hunting witli in the South, Elk hunting with, ii, 257. ii, 246. iu the West, ii, 251. a high bred hunting, ii, 261. terms relating to, ii, 3l(». Horsemanship, southern, ii, 247. Hound, Fox, ii, 146, 27!», 309. Deer, ii, 252. Stag, ii, 279. Grey, ii, 251, 255. Bear, ii, 278. Boar, ii, 279. Blood, ii, 279. Southern, ii, 280. Hudson, the, i, 13, 76, 143. lays of the, ii, 244. Hunter, a real, ii, 299. Hunter's camp, ii, 28, 233. Hunt, the Saconduga Deer, ii, 244. Hunting, proper, i, 24. Deer, ii, 239 to 252. still, ii, 244. fire, i, 216, 277 : ii, 249. Elk, ii, 253 to 261. Moose, ii, 199 to 237. Cariboo, ii, 199 to 537. Bison, ii, 253 to 261. Bear, ii, 260 to 291. Antelope, 262 to 265. Turkey, ii, 297 to 300. Mountain Goat, ii, 292 to 296. Hurdle of hounds, ii, 309. Ibex of the Pyrenees, ii, 292. Ibis, i, 39, 285 : ii, 9. Impedimenta, ii, 260. Incapahco, ii, 199. Indians, ii, .180, 208, 232. the Delaware, ii, 190. Micmacs, ii, 214. Shoshonees, ii, 179. Infantry, Highland light, ii, 227. Inlet, Albemarle, ii, 8. Inlet. Fire island, i, 208. Pamlico, ii, 8. Island, Abbey, ii, 135. ('arrol's, ii, 135. Fire, i, 208 : ii, 127, 231. Miller's, ii, 73. Long, i, 13, 52: ii, 8, 64, 113. Spesutic, ii, 135. in tlid Detroit, i, 169. Martha's Vineyard, i, IH, 2,';i, 249. .». CypRESs, Jr., i,47: ii, 125, "VM. nom deplume of Wm. P. llaweti, Esq., ii, 231. Jack Snipe, misnomer for the Pectoral Sandpiper, ii, 15. Curlew, misnomer for the Iludso- nian Curlew, ii, 41. Jacques Cartier river, ii, 304. Jamaica, tiie island of, i, 81. Long Island, ii, 187. James river, ii, 133. January, shooting in, ii, 142. Jem Smith, ii, 115, 127. Jersey, New, i, 17. Chatham in, i, 139. Game law in, i, 177. Greenwood lake in, i, 13. Passaic river in, i, 153. Snipe'ground in, i, 141. Sussex county, in, i, 17. Woodcock ground in, i, 210. J. H. Willis, E8q.,of Quebicii, 231. John Verity, ii, 115. Joseph Banks, Sir, ii, 92. Juniper, i, 46. Kachesco, ii, 199. Koimebeck river, i, 16, 28: ii, 30a Kennel, bust ki:id of, i, .'(35. maiiugement, i, .33't). Kentucky, barrens of, i, 60. giMitleinan of, ii, 231. Elk iu, ii, 255. Killoquore, lake, ii, 199. Lauuador, i, 75, 113: ii, 8, 57, 127. Lag, Gray-lug Goose, ii, 60. Laggers, ii, 236. Luke Borgue, ii, 8. . Cayuga, ii, 304. Champlain, ii, 102, 199. Erie, ii, 198. Greenwood, i. 13. INDEX, 361 Lako, Huron, ii, 198. Killoquoro, ii, 199. MemphrutnHgog, ii, 198. Pontchartruiii, ii, W. Kucquet, ii, 191. ^!ielleca, ii, 304. Superior, ii, 304. Lake Trout, ii, 304. Salinou Trout, ii, 305. Larch, ii, 73. Larks, m viiltation of, ii, 308. Lainiers o ,e Elk, ii, 162. LaHt Bea.-, n, 231, 239. Latest Snipe shooting, i, 166. Woodcock bhootiug, i, 1G7. Latham, ii, 90. Lawyer, name for the Black-legced Stilt, ii, 40. Leaf, thickness of in summer, i. IHl. beauty of in autumn, i, 257. colors of, i, 259. of kulmiu, poisonous, i, 69. Lean Bears, i, 269, 2«a Leaps, ii, 247. Leash, applied to what, ii, 309. Lee of Moose yards, ii, 222. Leeward, of wild Ducks, i, 301. of Moose and Cariboo, ii, 205. of Deer, ii, 243. of Bear, ii,284. of Goats, ii, 295. Lending dogs, i, 185. Lesser Yellow-legs, ii, 17. Scaup Duck, ii, 84. Morillon, i, 303: ii, 102. Lewis and Clarke, Captains, ii, 191, 285. Licks, Deer or Salt, ii, 249. Licking river, ii, 86. Lip, tenacity of in the Grizzly Bear, ii, 190,289. in the common Black, ii, 289. Lily water, ii, 205. i Limb, lengtli of in the Moose, ii, 167. Limosa, i, 40. | Fedoa, it> 22. Hudsouica, ii, 23. Liniament, Bartine's, ii, 224,315. Liquors, ii,311. Longlsland, i, 18, 52: ii, 8. 123. island Sound, billed Curlew, ii, 40. tailed Duck, i, 42: ii, 106. Louisiana, i, 216, 2.'')3, 281. fire hunting in, 1,217. Louisiana, Bear hunting in, ii, 879. Elk hunting in, ii, 253. Machotih, CervuB, i, 32: ii, 176. Macularius, Totanus, i, 40. Macularia, Triuga, ii, 82. Madison, Bishop, i, 278. Magazine, i, l'», 171. American Sporting, ii, 231. English Sfwrting, ii. 231. Magnesia, Henry's calcined, ii, 312. Magpie, i, 31. Maine, i, 1 % 141 : ii, 167. Maize fields, I, 194, 2.52. Mallard, i, 41, 106, 266, 299. Man, ii, 227. Management of dogs, I, 157, 183, 233, 355. field, i, 354. kennel, i, 335. Manan, grand, ii, 168. Manor, Livingston, i, 205. Manion, ii, 121. Joseph, ii, 326. Maple, i, 228 : ii, 257, 259. Marbled, Great Godwit, i, 40 : ii, 22. March, i, 160, 222, 301 : ii, 168. Margaux, chateau, i, 187. Marking Snipe, i, 1.55. Woodcock, i, 175,182, 155. Quail, i, 231, 262. Marlin, ii, 22. Ring-tailed, ii, 23. Marmoratus, Charadrius, ii, 36. Marsh Hen, ii, 285. Martha's Vineyard, i, 18, 243, 249, Mary, William and. College, i, 278 Maryland, i, 64. shooting in, i, 226. Maskalonge, ii, 305. Maurice river, ii, 277. May, i, 132,201: ii,41. Brent, ii, 69. Cape, ii, 115. Meadow bog, i, 165, 226. long, Lewis', i, 144. Snipe, ii, 14. Hen, i, 39, 285. Larks, i, 286. Meadows, nom de plume of B. P Wallop, Esq, ii, 231. Meal, oat, barley, maize, i, 340. Melancholy, autumn not, i, 208, 2.'>7. Molodus, Charadrius, ii, 39. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V / A O 4> Jf-T^ H M v: . %o % (/. "^ 1.0 i.l c 1^ i^ IIIIIM IIIIIM 12.0 1.8 :25 illllU II 1.6 y] ^^ CW' 7 ^ ^• Photographic Sdencer. Corporation 23 WEST VAIN SFREET WEBSTER, If.Y. 14580 ^ri6) a/2-4503 362 INDEX. Meleagris, Gallopavo, i, 35: ii, 194, 297. Mellow note of Plover, i, 205. Memphramagog lake, ii, 199. Merit of Settlere, &c., i, 180. Merriness of the Quail, i, 220, 224 Merganser, i, 42, 105. Michigan, 239 : ii, 195. Lake, i, 93. Microptera Americana, i, 48. Middle States, i, 43, 137 : ii, 268. of September, i, 201 . Migration of Snipe, i, 166, 210. ^ Woodcock, i, 170, 195, 209, 216. Quail, i, 220. wild fowl, ii, 10 et passim. Militia, American, i, 28. Mimicking the cries of Bay Snipe, ii, 10, 115. of Geese, ii, 61,124, 141. of Turkeys, ii, 297. Minor Scolopax, i, 40, 86. Mississippi, i, 216, 278. Missouri, i, 77: ii, 176. Missile, i, 158. Moccasin, ii, 224. Muiitauk, ii, 35, 115, 127. Montanus, Charadrius, ii, 40. Montreal, i, 150 : ii, 222. Montana Ovis, i, 32 : ii, 148. Capra, ii, 182, 292. Moore &, Gray, gunsmiths, ii, 121, 227. Moor Fowl, i, 255. and Loch, i, 183, 295. Moorish kings, ii, 284. Moors, Yorkshire, i, 325. Moose, i, 32: ii, 167, 198. hunting, ii, 24. Moosehead lake, ii, 199. Moose wood, ii. 168. Moose yards, ii, 168, 221. Morillon, lesser, i, 302: ii, 102, 144. Mountains, Adiroudach, ii, 244. Alleghanies, i, 13: ii, 194. Appalachian, i, 13 : ii, 194. Blue, i, 13. Musconteong, i, 13. Rocky, i, 13, 33 : ii, 187, 292. Shawangunk, i, 13. White, i, 13. Warwick, i, 13. Mount Tom, i, 13. Holyoake, i, 13. Emmoiu, ii, 244. [ Mount Marcy, ii, 244. Seward, ii, 244. Mountain, Rocky, Goat, i, 32 : ii, 148, 182, 292. sports, ii, 292. Mounted hunters, ii, 204, 246, 257, 282. rifles, ii, 228. Mullin, gunsmith, i, 310: ii, 121, 144 Muzzle, wire for dogs, ii, 351. Natatoreb, i, 41, 45, 106, 293 : ii, 45, 123. Native, i, 25. Nature, lovers of, i, 25. Natural history of game, i, 135. of upland game, i, 49 to 133. of Bay Snipe, ii, 9 to 44. of wild fowl, ii, 44 to 112. of Western game, ii, 146 to 197. Nelson's river, ii, 158. Neoxena, Ortyx, i, 36. Nets, gill for Ducks, ii, 140. landing for Rail, i, 290. New Brunswick, i, 17, 34 : ii, 301. California, ii, 157. England, ii, 155, 166. forest, i, 246. Foundland, i, 77 : ii, 107. Jersey, i, 17, 137. South Wales, ii, 157. York, i, 34, 139, 169, 267: ii, 200, 353. Niagara, i, 16, 140. Nigricollis, Himantopus, ii, 40. Nitrate of silver, ii, 347. Nocturnal habits of the Snipe and Woodcock, i, 215. Nodoneyo mount, ii, 244. Nomenclature, sporting, ii, 307, appen- dix B. Nostrums for hydrophobia, ii, 319. Numenius, Longirostris, ii, 40. Hudsonicus, ii, 41. Borealis, ii, 43. Obsuura, Anas, i, 41. Obscurus, Tetrao, i, 36, 110. Observations, introductory, i, 11. on fishing, ii, 303. on game, i, 30. on gunmakers, i, 3lO: ii, 121. on gunpowder, ii, 311 : ii, 117. on guns, i. 310, ii, 119, 121, 130, 143, 317. INDEX. 363 ObservationB on Greyhounds, ii, 250, 265 on hawking, ii, 363. on hunting, ii, 199, 296. on shooting, i, 47, 146, 182, 2.30, 231,299: ii, 51, 117, 131, 138, 237, 248, 283. Ontario, lake, i, 13 : ii, 304. Oregon, i, 179. Ornithology, Audubon's, i, 49, and passim. Wilson's i, 49, and passim. Ortyx, Virginiana, i, 36, 80, 219. Caiiforuica, i, 36. Plumifera, i, 36. Neoxena, i, 36. Picta, i, 36. Douglasii, i, 36. Oswego river, i, 304. Ottawa, river, i, 304. Otter, i, 310. Oukorlah, mount, ii, 244. Oyster bay, i, 52. catcher, i, 39. pond, ii, 19. Packs of hounds, i, 31. Foxhounds, i, 31 : ii, 146, 219. Otterhounds, i, 31. Staghounds, ii, 279. Bearhouuds, ii, 278. Bloodhounds, ii, 278. Grouse, ii, 307. Painter, spirit of, i, 258. Paralysis of distemper, i, 350. of Hydrophobia, ii, 336. Partridge, none in America, i, 38, 219, 241. Quail, so called, i, 219. Ruft'ed Grouse, so called, i, 24. Pathology, Blaine's Canine, i, 338 : ii, 318. Pavonidse, i, 35. Pectoral Sandpiper, ii, 14. Peet of the Snipe, i, 161. Penobscot river, i, 37. PeritUB, i, 359. Perley, Mr., of St. John, ii, 210. Perspiculata, Fuligula, i, 42: ii, 96. Phasianellus, Tetrao, i, 37 : ii, 294. Pheasants, none in America, i, 38. Rullied Grouse, so called, i, 65. Plialaripe, i, 40, 205. Pickerel, ii, 305. Picta Ortyx, i, 36. Pie, Quail, i, 246: 11,314. Hare, ii, 314. pot, ii, 314. Pied Duck, i, 6 : ii, 92. Pigeon not game, i, 31. tailed Duck, i, 128. Pike county, Pennsylvania, ii, 248, fish, ii, 305. Pill, a sportsman's, ii, 315. Pinnatipedes, li, 9. Pine barrens, i, 248. shavings, i, 336. Pinnated Grouse, i, 36, 49, 248. Pintail Duck, i, 41, 128. Piscatorial art, ii, 306. Pistol, Colt's revolving, ii, 259. smooth-bored, ii, 260. pocket, ii, 317. Plank kennels, i, 334. Plate, China, ii, 317. Plover, black-breasted, ii, 11. Black-bellied, ii, 35. Bull-headed, ii, 35. American Golden, ii, 36. Ring,ii, 37. Upland, i, 94. Fiping, ii, 39. Mountain, ii, 40. Killdeer, i, 100 : ii, 40. Grass, i, 94. Wilson's, i, 100 : ii, 40. Plum, Heath Hen, i, 56. Plumifera, Ortyx, i, 297. Pocket telescope, i, 297. Poet, fire of, i, 258. born a, ii, 127. Pointer, merits of, i, 180. qualities of, i, 147, 180. compared with Setter, i, 318. Lewis, Dr.'s, opinion of, i, 320. Long, Mr.'s, opinion of, i, 323. breeds and points of, i, 329. the Spanish, i, 330. the English, i, 331. Poisons, ii, 351. Poling for Rail, i, 275. Pond, oyster, ii, 19. Pools, limpid, i, 297. Pork, ii, 314. Porter, Wm. T. Esq., i, 23 : ii, 142, 222, 286. » Post mortem of mad dogs, ii, 337. Potage, a le Meg Merrilies, ii, 313. Pot pie, ii, 314. Pot hunting, i, 12, et passim. 364 INDEX. Potential cautery, ii, 345. Powder, gun, ii, 317. Ducking, i, 311 : ii, 317. Curtis &. Harvey's, i, 311: ii, 317 John Hall's, ii, 3 17. Dupont's, ii, 317. Fyfe's, ii, 317. medical for dcirs, i, 314. Seidlitz, ii, 315. Process of operation for rabid bile, ii 349. Prognosis of hydrophobia, ii, 328. Progress of hydrophobia, ii, 327. Piarmigan, American, i, 37. Rock, i, 37 : ii, 294. White-tailed, i, 37 : ii, 394, Punishment of dogs, i, 183, H'.iH, 359. Punt for Uuil shooting, i, 275, 288. for stanchion gun, ii, 144. Purgatives for dogs, i, 344. Quack of the Woodcock, i, 89. Quail, common American, i, 36. the Califomiau, i, 36. the Plumed, i, 36. the Welcome, i, 36. the Painted, i, 36. the Douglass, i, 36. description of the Common, I, 80. call of, i, 220. habits of, i, 224, 226. haunts of, i, 227, et. tea. 236. flight of, i, 230. migrations of, i, 220. nest of, i, 222. scent of, i, 263. shooting of, i, 219, 257. Quartering ground, i, 180, 256, Queen's county. Long Island, i, 52. Rabbit, none in America, i, 34. Hare, so called, i, 32. Common, i, 100. White, i, 103. Rackett river, ii, 199. Rail, Virginia, i, 39, 285. Clapper, i, 39, 285. Sora, i, 39 : ii, 268. Great Red-breasted or Ki 285. natural history of the Sora, i, 268 habits of, i, 274. migrations of, i, 281. fits of, i, 279. shooting of, i, 287. ting, i, Rallus Virginianiw i, 39, 985. Crepitans, i, 39, 285. Caroiinus, i, 39, SW5. Klegan«,i,39,2S5, Range of shootini;, i, 154, 198, 231 : ii. 117, 130,311, at fowl, ii, 130, 144,311. of cartridges, i, 144, 149, 2ai, 31 1 Ranging of dogs, i, 1H«,25«, Rangers of Texas, ii, 2,'»9. Rnquette, mal d, ii, 224, Repairing of fireantw, ii, 259, Retriever, i, 184, 187, 295, 357, Rifles, American, ii, 2S,'», Purdey's double, ii, 225, two grooved, ii, 226, 259. C. A. Murray'*, ij 22«. H. M. teginmtUt, it, 227, yager, ii, 228, loading, muzzle ot, ii, 228, crescent, heel-plate «f, iJ, 228, flint-locked, ii, 260, Rifle sliootiug, Arnericttu and Europe- an coiriparwj, ii, 227, field and target com|wr(rd, ii, 22.', Rifts of mountain torreut«, ii, 257, Rip-Raps, the, ii, 49, Rock, Ptarmigan, i, 37 ; ii. 294. Rocky Mountain*, i, 13, 33 j ii, leT, Mountain Goat, i, 33; ii, 148, lfe2, mountain sport*, ii, 292, Rolling gait of the Bijwm, ji, 258, prairies, ii, 263, Runway of Deer, ii, 199. Rush of a wounded Kisoti, ii, 258, of a horse, ii, 258. Salt Water Teal, ii, 89, Sand Shoal Duck, ii, 92, isaiidford, Mr. Michael, i, 185 : li,2.19 Sanderling, ii, 30. Sanding place* ot Breut, ii, 67, Sandpipers, i, 39, Curlew, ii, 12, the Red.brea«ted, ii, 9, the Red-backed, ii, 11, the Pectoral, ii, 14, the Semipalmated, ii, 27. Wilson'*, ii, 28, the Spotted, ii, 33. the Upland, i, 94. Saskatchewan river, ii, 182. Scaup Duck, ii, 8. INDEX. 365 Scpof, rpt«. Shinnecock plaina, i, 52. Sibluy, Mr., " Hal a Daliootali." ii 255. hia Deerhounda, ii, 256. Skunk Duck, ii, 92. Slaughter river, ii, 153. Snipe, i, 40. varietiea of the, i, 40. birda wrongly tormed, i, 39. Bay, i, 39 : ii, 9. Snipe, the Common, i, 40, 91, 137. wrongly termed English, i, 160. arrival of the, i, 141. alighting of the, i, 155. breeding of the, i, 160. cry of the, i, 161, 165. departure of the, i, 166. description of the, i, 191. flight of the, i, 145. habita of the, in apriug, i, 145, 160, 162. habita of the. In autumn, i, 210. migrationa of the, i, 141, ] V,t], 2 1 0. return of the, i, 166. weight of the, i, 167. Bwimwith eaae, i, 163. perch on treea, i, 161. drum with the winga, i, 160. never tower, i, 156. how to cook, i, 167. Snipe ahooting, i, 137, 210. in apring, i, 137. in autumn, i, 210, 266. knack of, i, 147. beat dresa for, i, 149. beat doga for, i, 147. beat ground for, i, 144. Snipe, oeat ahot for, i, 148. best weather for, i, 142. best way to beat, i, 151. best way to mark, i, 156. at Pine Brook, i, 153. at Chatham, i, 163. at Chateau Richer, i, 166. near Lorette, i, 164. near Niagara, i, 141. near Quebec, i, 160, 164, 160. on the Delaware, i, 140. in Salem county, N. J., i, 211. in Orange county, N. Y., i, 166. in Georgia, i, 211. on Long Island, i, 143. Snipe, only two proper, i, 40. the Red-breasted, i, 40 : ii, 24. wrongly termed Quail, ii, 24. Dowitcher, ii, 24. the Robin, a misnomer for the Red-breasted Sandpiper, ii, 9. the Lesser Yellow-leg, a misno- mer for thfi "" - llow-shauk 'I'm tier, ii, 16. the Greater Yellow-leg, a misno- mer for the Tell-tale Tattler, ii, 18. the Meadow, a misnomer for the Pectoral Sandpiper, ii, 14. the Quail, a misnomer for ihe Red-breasted Snipe, ii, 9. the Horsefoot, a misnomer for tlio Turnstone, ii, 29. the Winter, a misnomer for the Red-backed Sandpiper, ii, 12 the Jack, a misnomer for the Poc- toral Sandpiper, ii, 14. the Marlin, a misnomer for tlie Great Marbled Godwit, ii, 29. the Ring-tailed Marlin, a misno- mer for the Hudsouian Goduit. ii, 23. the Teeter, a misnomer for tlic Spotted Sandpiper, ii, 32. Snipe, bay shooting, ii, 11.3. in Boston Buy, ii, 11.3. in the Great South Bay. ii, IJG. at Egg Harbor, ii, 116. best guns for, ii, 119. best men for, ii, 115. best shot for, ii, 116. best powder for, ii, 119, 317. how to call, ii, 117. how to kill, ii, 118. how to clean guns after, ii, 318. 333 INDEX. Suipo, bay shooting, how to dry pow- der for, ii, 317. Snipe, a whisp of, ii, 30. a great shot at Yellow-legs, ii, 17. a great shot at Red-breasted, ii, 17, 18. Snow Gooae, ii, 73. shoes, ii, S4. Snobbish to kill small birds, i, 286. Sound, Albemarle, ii, 8. Pamlioo, ii, 8. South Southerly, i, 106 : ii, 133. Spaniels, i, 259. Cocking, i, 333. Springer, i, 333. Blenheim, i, .333. Spirit Duck, ii, lUl. Squirrels, not game, i, 30 : ii, 300. Squaw Duck, ii, 92. old, ii, 106. Strains, cure for, ii, 224, 315. Swan, American, i, 41 : ii, 45, 135. Trumpeter, i, 41 : ii, 53. cry of, ii, 47, 50. flight of, ii, 48 food of, ii, 49. Swan shooting, i, 306 : ii, 135. boat for, ii, 52. dress for, ii, 52. sailing for, ii, 51. ■hot for, ii, 144. Tadpole, i, 131. Tahawus, mount, ii, 244. Tailed, Black Deer, i, 32 : ii, 176, 251. Long, Duck, i, 42 : ii, 100. Pigeon, Duck, i, 41, 128. Pin, Duck, i, 41, 128. Sharp, Grouse, i, 37. Sprig, Duck, i,41, 128. Talliho, ii, 309. Tantaro, ii, 309. Tattler, Bartram's, i, 39, 94, 201. Semipalmated, i, 39 : ii, 20. Spotted, i, 39. Yellow-shank, i, 39 : ii, 16. Tell-tale, i, 39 : ii, 18. Green -shanks, i, 39. Tayho, ii, 309. Teal, Blue-winged, i, 42, 115. Green-winged, i, 41, 119. Salt-water, ii, 88. Team of Wild Duck, ii, 308. Tetrao, Umbellus, i, 36, 64, 240, 262, Cupido, i, 36, 49, 249. Tetrao Canadensis, i, 36, 71. Obscurus, i, 36 : ii, 294. Urophasianus, i, 37 : ii, 234. Phasianellus, i, 37 : ii, 2.')1. Saliceti, i, 37, 77. Mutus, i, 37. Rupestria, i, 37: ii, 29. Leucuras, i, 37 : ii, 294. Toho, ii, 309. Totanus Bartramius, i, 39, 94. 201 Semipalmatus, i, 39 : ii, 20. Macularius, i, 39. Flavipes, i, 39 : ii, 66. Vociferus, i, 39 : ii, 66. Glottis, i, 39. Tringa, i, 39. Islandica, ii, 9. Alpina, ii, 11. Subarquata, ii, 11. Pectoralis, ii, 15. Semipalmatti, ii, 27. Wilsonii, ii, 28. Macuiaria, ii, 31. Trip of Widgeon, ii, 308. Trout, Salmon, ii, 303. Sea, ii, 303. Spotted, ii, 304. Ix>ng Island, ii, 304. Brook, ii, 304. Tufted Duck, i, 42: ii, 85. Turdus migratorius, ii, 11. Turkey, i, 35; ii, 194, brood of, ii, 307. description of, ii, 195. haunts of ii, 194. habits of, ii, 298. calling, ii, 299. gait of, ii, 299. shooting, ii, 297. Turnstone, ii, 29. Upland Plover, i, 39, 94, 201. shooting, vol. i. game, i, 48. Urophasianus, Tetrao, i, 37 : ii, 294. Valisneria Americana, ii, 49, 76, 141 Fuligula, i, 42 : ii, 74. Vegetable diet for dogs, i, 341. Velvet Duck, i, 42. Vents, an Otter, ii, 310. Veterinarian, i, 321. Veterinary science, ii, 318, 335. Vines, ii, 344. Vineyard Martha's, i, 255. INDEX 867 Virginiana, Ortyx, i, 36, 80, 219. Virginianus, Cervue, i, 32 : ii. 147, 173. Lepus, i, 32, 103. Rallus, i, 29, 2d5. Vitiate, i, 339. Vixen Fox, ii, 31. Waderb, i, 3 : ii, 1 to 44. Water Birds, i, 38 : ii, 1 to 145. in hydrophobia, ii, 324 to 3.52 Waters, shooting on inland, i, 293. Watford, medicine for canine madness, ii, 342. Weather for Grouse, i, 76. Snipe shooting, i, 144. fowl shooting, i, 308 : ii, 145. West, Canada, i, 137. wind for Snipe, i, 151, 153. Westerly hill-sides for Cock, i, 211. Western wild sports, ii, 146. Duck, i, 42. Whirring sound of Grouse, i, 245. Whisp of Snipe, i, 139 : ii, 308. Whiteness of Swans, ii, 308. White Rabbit, i, 103. Fronted Goose, i, 41. Robin Snipe, ii, 11. Bison, ii, 150. Widgeon, American, i, 41, 132: ii, 109. description of, ii, 110. habitsof ii. 111. cry of, ii, 110. I Widgeon, trip of, ii, 308. ' "hooting of, ii, 134. Wilson's Snipe, see Common Snipe. Wild fowl.i, 106, 239 : ii, 45, 123. sports of the West, ii, 146. Swan, ii, 45, 133. Willet, ii, 20 Willow Grouse, i, 37, 77. Winter Snipe, ii, 12. Moose shooting, ii, 221. haunts of Snipe, i, 211. Woodcock, i, 93, 211. wild fowl, ii, 45 to 145. fowl shooting, i, 301 : ii, 125, 142. Swan shooting, ii, 52. Woodcock, i, 40, 86. description of, i, 86. habits of i, 88, 210. summer shooting, i, 169. autumn shooting, i, 209. flight of, i, 174. food of, i, 176. autumn, ground for, i, 211. summer, ground for, i, 177 fire hunting of, i, 216. Wood Duck, i, 41, 122. Yard, Moose, ii, 221. Yager rifle, ii, 281. Youatt, i,329: ii, 348. Zeal of the Setter, ii, 325. Zostera marina, ii, 67, 7b END OF VOLUME TWO NOTE. I TAKE thii laat opportunity of correcting two erron into which 1 have inadvertently fallen, nor diwovered them until too late for alteration. In the body of the work I have itated it at my opinion that the Englieh and American tireen-winged Teal are identical. Since I have had the advantage of examining Mr. Jacob Giravu'u aplendid ornithological collection, I am convinced that thiit opinion ia incorrect, and that the varietiea are aufficieutly distinct and broad. I am aatiafied, however, that both varietiea exist here, having kilted the male bird, without the lunated thoulder bar, within a few montha. The aame in the C8m with the Widgeon, the European bird being found here, though the American is unknown in Europe. Secondly, I have commented c:i the want of claaaification in Wilson'. Ornithology. I should have said in Brewer's small edition of it, which I had then only seen. The original work » complete in this respect, as excellent in all. "«*- I take this occasion of repeating the expression of my gratitude to Mr. Giraud, to whose kindnotw my readers are indebted for the plate of the Wild Turkey-the noblest H|>ccinien I have ever seen— which I was permitted to design from that in his unrivalled cabinet. SEPTBMBeR l(i, 1848