I: 
 
 
 
fpoin the Uolleetion 
 
 of 
 
 Katkerine iVieajiiAjLjliBBL 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022517670 
 
AMERICAN 
 
 Game Bird Shooting. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN MORTIMER MURPHY. 
 
 AUTHOB OP " SFOBmrS JL-DTEHnvSXa V3 THB FAB WBST ; " " BAUBLES HT HOBTH- 
 
 WBST AHBKIOA ; '* ** THB ZOdLoaT AXm BESOTTBCES OF OBEGON AKD WASH- 
 
 nrSTOK TEBBITOBT;" "A SKABCH FOE THE MOUKTADf OF GOLD;" 
 
 "THB F0BE8TBB OF THE ABDBNiniS," JfcO., AG., AC. 
 
 IIiIitTSTKATED. 
 
 NEW TOBK: 
 
 ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 
 
 751 BEOADWAT. 
 18 8 2. 
 
3/3 ^ 
 
 Entered, according to Act ot Congress, in the year 1882, by tbe 
 
 OEANGB JUDD COMPANY, 
 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Chapter I. 
 The Wild Turkey 9 
 
 Chaptee II. 
 The Pinnated Grouse • 56 
 
 Chapter III. 
 The Sharp-Tailed Grouse 81 
 
 Chapter IV. 
 The Canada Grouse - 97 
 
 Chapter V. 
 The Dusky Grouse - 135 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 The Ruffed Grouse - 153 
 
 Chapter VII. 
 
 The Sage Cock - 175 
 
 Chapter VIII. 
 Ptarmigans - 179 
 
 Chapter IX. 
 Quails - - 198 
 
 Chapter X. 
 Wild Swans - 333 
 
 Chapter XI. 
 Wild Geese.-. - - 840 
 
 Chapter xii. 
 Wild Ducks- - ---- 365 
 
 Chapter XIII. 
 The Woodcock 313 
 
 Chapter XTV. 
 The Snipe - ..330 
 
 Chapter XV. 
 Bay Birds... 336 
 
 Chapter XVI. 
 Eails 338 
 
 Chapter XVII. 
 
 Pigeons, Doves, Bitterns, Cranes, and Herons 348 
 
 5 
 
AITTHOE'S PREFACE. 
 
 This work has been written for the purpose of giv- 
 ing a concise description of the Game Birds of Canada 
 and the United States, their haunts and habits, and the 
 methods of shooting and capturing them practised in ya- 
 rious parts of the Continent. I have also endeavored to 
 show how the birds act when pursued by man, to give an 
 idea of what field sports are in different sections of the 
 country, and to sketch , some of the types of sportsmen 
 which one frequently meets on the borders of civilization. 
 Having no sympathy with those who slaughter birds in- 
 discriminately for the sake of boasting of heavy bags, 
 I have kept the pot-hunting element of sport as far in 
 the background as possible; and as I do not consider that 
 men armed with modern weapons, and assisted by highly 
 trained dogs, have much to vaunt about even when they 
 make unusually big bags, I have given more prominence 
 to human incidents in the field than to the mere shooting 
 of birds, which is largely a mechanical act. Field sports 
 ought to be with gentlemen a means to an end, that end 
 being the development of faculties which are useful in 
 every sphere of life, the cultivation of generous- traits of 
 character, and the retention or recovery of health through 
 exercise, fresh air, and abstention for a time from harass- 
 ing duties. The pleasant excitement and change of scene 
 incident to field sports, and the opportunities they afford 
 for communing with Nature in all her moods, make them 
 a panacea for many of the ills which afflict men of seden- 
 tary occupations. If this work induces some of them to 
 devote more attention to the "virile amusements of gen- 
 tlemen," I shall feel that it has accomplished some use- 
 ful purpose, provided they do not destroy life wantonly, 
 nor forget that 
 
 " He prayeth well, who loveth well 
 Both man and bird and hcast. " 
 
 1 
 
AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 THE WILD TURKEY. 
 
 The Turkey — Its early history— Different species— The Mexican turkey- 
 Size, weight, and color, of the American species — Opening of the 
 love season — How the males woo — Severe combats— Characteris- 
 tics of barren hens— Bachelor parties — Nests — Calling for mates 
 — Vigilant mothers— The young broods — Haunts of the birds— Mi- 
 gratory tours — Jealousy of the males — How flocks cross a river — 
 Franklin's opinion of the turkey — Its habits — Calling turkeys — 
 Varions kinds of callers — Methods of shooting turkeys — Captur- 
 ing them alive — Pens— Baiting the grounds — Taming wild tur- 
 keys—Change produced by domestication — Blinds— How to find 
 a turkey roost — ^The use of dogs — The best' months for shooting 
 — The brands of shot used — The secret of successful shooting- 
 Wholesale slaughter— Turkey hunters— A colored sportsman — 
 How to build a blind — ^An " enchanted gobbler," and the manner 
 in which he was bagged — Deceiving a human caller — A turkey dog 
 — ^A bet and its result — A day's shooting — Turkeys in the Indian 
 Territory — I kill seven in Southern Colorado — ^A forest feast — How 
 to cook turkeys — June gobblers. 
 
 The wild turkey is, undoubtedly, the finest game-bird 
 on the American Continent, and possesses many of those 
 qualities which are so much appreciated by lovers of the 
 gun, for it is diflBcult to find any feathered creature that 
 can excel it in cautiousness, yigilance, acuteness of vis- 
 ion and hearing, and foresight, and when to these are add- 
 ed fleetness of foot and strength of wing, it is easy to 
 understand why old hunters say that " it is harder to 
 kill a turkey than a deer." 
 
 9 
 
10 AMEKICAlfr GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 The early history of this bird is interesting to those 
 who care to note what great vitality a fallacy has, and 
 how easy it is to err unwittingly. Thus, Belon and Ges- 
 ner assumed that the tarkey was the Meleagris of the 
 ancients, whereas the bird known by that name was the 
 Guinea fowl {NumidcB Meleagris), which was quite com- 
 mon in Turkey, Egypt, and other Oriental countries. 
 
 Linnaeus, keen observer and naturalist as he was, 
 adopted the technical nomenclature of a preceding nat- 
 uralist, and gave the turkey the name by which it is 
 known to science, namely, Meleagris gallopavo, although 
 he knew very well whence it came, and mentions the fact 
 in his work, for he places the habitat of the Gallopavo 
 sylvestris of Eay in New England. 
 
 Brisson was the first person to disentangle the history 
 of the turkey and the Guinea fowl, for he gave an elab- 
 orate description, many synonyms, and a figure of 
 each, and thus proved that the Meleagris mentioned by 
 Aristotle, Athanaeus, Pliny, and other authors could 
 not be the gobbling native of the New World. 
 
 The source from which the turkey came to Europe was 
 also a matter of dispute for some years. All the early 
 ornithologists, such as Eay, Willughby, Gesner, Belon, 
 Barrington, and Aldrovandi thought it had been im- 
 ported from Asia, and their statements were accepted as 
 facts until Buffon gave a lucid history of its migrations. 
 
 Its English name is derived from the idea that it orig- 
 inally came from the Turkish dominions, so that it has 
 been one of the most misunderstood members of the 
 feathered creation, so far as its name and origin are con- 
 cerned. The supposition that it came from Turkey was 
 probably based on the fact that Guinea fowls were im- 
 , ported into England from the Levant in the sixteenth 
 century, and the turkey having found its way into the 
 country about the same time, the general public assumed 
 that both came from the same place. 
 
THE Wild turkey. 11 
 
 Barnaby Googe, a writer on husbandry, says, in 1614, 
 that "those outlandish birds called ginny cocks and 
 turkey cocks," were not known in England previous to" 
 the year 1530, but he, evidently, derived his statement 
 from the German author Heresbaoh, who was one of the 
 prominent writers on the history and habits of the bird. 
 
 The earliest European mention of the turkey was 
 made by Oviedo in his summary of the history of the 
 West Indies, which was written in 1525, for the Em- 
 peror Charles V, of Spain. In his time the domestic 
 bird was very common in the West Indies, as well as 
 on the mainland, it having been introduced into the 
 islands by the Spaniards, who found it abundant in 
 Mexico, when that country was discovered by Grijalvo, 
 in 1518. Daines Barrington, in his essay "Whether the 
 turkey was known before the discovery of America," as- 
 sumed that it was not known in Mexico, but acknowledged 
 that it was a resident of Virginia when that region was first 
 explored by the whites. In contradistinction to his 
 statement, however, we learn that Montezuma had one 
 of the finest zoological gardens in the world, long before 
 the Spaniards visited his country, and that the wild beasts 
 were fed daily with turkeys — a proof that they must have 
 been very abundant. 
 
 Oviedo calls those found in the West Indies, peacocks; 
 but that they were not peacocks is evident from a part 
 of his description of them which is given in Purchas's 
 "Pilgrims," for this author says: "The neck is bare of 
 feathers, but covered with a skin, which they change 
 after their phantasie into divers colors. They have a 
 horn, as it were, in front, and haires on their breast." 
 
 K6n6 de Laudonniere, the proteg^ of Admiral Coligny, 
 found them numerous in South Carolina, in 1564, but 
 the domestic species had found their way into Spain sev- 
 eral years before that time. They are supposed to have 
 reached England between the years 1524 and 1541, for. 
 
12 AMEKICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING, 
 
 according to the old doggerel whicli is assigned to the pe- 
 riod of Henry VIII: 
 
 " Turkies, carps, hoppes, piccarel and beere, 
 Came into England in one year." 
 The poet who wrote these lines was wrong so far as the 
 carp is concerned, for that is mentioned in the Book of 
 St. Albans, but the turkey is not even referred to in the 
 feast given by Archbishop Nevills to Edward IV, nor in 
 the Earl of Northumberland's Household Book, which 
 dates as late as 1513. After the bird was introduced into 
 Great Britain, it must have increased rapidly, as Barring- 
 ton says, that turkey chickens, or powts, formed a por- 
 tion of a Sergeant's feast in 1555; and Tusser, in his 
 "Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandrie," places 
 them among the Christmas fare of farmers, in 1585; for, 
 in describing a dinner, he says: 
 
 " Beefe, mutton, and porke, shred pies of the best, 
 Pig, veale, goose and capon, and turkie weE drest, 
 Cheese, apples, and nuts, jolie carols to heare. 
 As then in the countrie is counted good cheare." 
 
 According to Blumenbach, the bird was introduced 
 into Germany six years after it appeared in England, but 
 the first heard of it in France was at the marriage feast 
 of Charles IX, in 1570. 
 
 The domestic turkey was, for a long time, supposed to 
 be descended from the wild species found in the eastern 
 portion of the United States; but Gould, in a paper read 
 before the London Zoological Society in 1856, proved 
 that its progenitors belonged to the Mexican variety, 
 which differs in some details from its more northern con- 
 gener. The latter may be readily identified by the tips of 
 the tail feathers and the upper tail-coverts, which are of a 
 chestnut-brown color, whereas these parts are tipped with 
 white in the former. The Mexican variety is also a lit- 
 tle more brilliant in coloring, and the gloss is more green- 
 ish. When thetail and tail-coverts of a turkey are black. 
 
THE ■WILD TUBKET. 13 
 
 or any shade of ■white or light f uItous, one may be sure 
 it is the farm-yard species, but if they are chestnut- 
 bro-wn, it is the common ■wild bird of the United States, 
 A strong reason for asserting that the domestic turkey is 
 descended from the Tariety found in Mexico and the 
 South-'western States is, that the iiesh of both is dry and 
 sweet, of a darkish hue on the back and legs, and •white 
 on the breast and "wings, "whereas, it is darkish through- 
 out in the more northern and eastern bird. 
 
 The farm-yard species is sometimes very much likci its 
 progenitors, the main difEerence between them being in 
 the greater development of the fatty lobes of the head 
 and neck of the former. The changes in color produced 
 by domestication are, of course, well known, for some of 
 the tame turkeys are totally black, while others have de- 
 veloped a tuft on the head, but these variations in hue 
 do not disprove the theory about the source whence they 
 sprung. The Mexican variety is found in portions of West- 
 ern Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and the regions adjoining 
 them on the south. Accordmg to Prof. Sartorius, it is 
 very shy, lives in families like wild geese, and is so vigi- 
 lant that sentinels are kept on watch when flocks are 
 feeding. It is so fleet of foot that some dogs can- 
 not overtake it; and it rarely flies to trees except when it 
 is very hard pressed, as it depends mainly on running for 
 escaping its foes. He thinks it does not trail its wings as 
 much as its congeners do, as some captured by him did 
 not have the ends of these appendages worn away by 
 scraping them against the ground. 
 
 During the breeding season, which commences in March 
 or April, each hen lays from three to twelve brownish-red, 
 spotted eggs. The hatching takes thirty days, and dur- 
 ing that time the birds rarely leave their nests, except when 
 they go in search of food, and then they cover them with 
 leaves or grass to protect them from predaceous animals. 
 
 The wild turkey of the northern and eastern division 
 
14 AMBKIGAW GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 of the United States was formerly abundant in the region 
 lying between the Atlantic Ocean and the Eocky Moun- 
 tains, but it is now mainly confined to the Western and 
 Southwestern States and Territories, though it is still 
 rather common in some of the more densely populated 
 States, but its habitat is confined to forests, cane brakes, 
 or the vicinity of swamps where acorns, hazel nuts, and 
 other mast are found. 
 
 It is a much handsomer bird than its domestic con- 
 gener, and has all the fire and spirit which distinguish 
 creatures in a state of nature from those of the farm- 
 yard. The gobbler is a perfect specimen of pomposity, 
 and, evidently, considers himself the emblem of stateli- 
 ness. The female difEers from him in several points, so that 
 it is an easy matter to recognize her. She is, primarily, 
 much smaller, less brilliant in plumage, devoid of spurs, 
 and, generally, of bristles on the breast, and the flesh 
 process above the base of the bill is less developed. 
 An adult male measures from forty-six to fifty inches 
 in length, about twenty-five inches in height, and weighs 
 between sixteen and thirty-five pounds, the average 
 weight being twenty pounds. The female varies m 
 weight from eight to eighteen or more pounds, the aver- 
 age being twelve pounds. 
 
 The largest gobbler I ever heard of was said to turn 
 the scales at forty pounds, but that weight is phenomenal 
 even in Florida or Texas, which are considered the home 
 of the giants of the Mdleagris gallopavo, I may add 
 here parenthetically that an old hunter told me that 
 the Mexican variety {M. Mexicana) attained an unusual 
 size along the banks of the Eio Grande, in Texas. 
 
 The head of the turkey is remarkable for its small size, 
 compared with that of the body, but what it lacks in 
 quantity it atones for in quality, for few of the feathered 
 creation can equal the bird in those characteristics neces- 
 sary to protect it from foes or to enable it to secure food. 
 
THE WILD TUBKET. 15 
 
 It is, in fact, unusually intelligent, and as pugnacious as 
 it is conceited. Its form is a combination of strength and 
 gracefulness; and even the peculiar appendages on its 
 head and breast are pleasant to look at when they are 
 properly displayed. 
 
 The bill is short and robust, and about two inches 
 and a half in length; the superior mandible is vaulted, 
 overhangs the inferior, and is covered at the base by a 
 naked cere-like membrane, in which the nostrils are situ- 
 ated. The aperture of the ear is defended by a fascicle of 
 small feathers; the irides are dark-brown; the head and 
 half the neck are covered with a naked bluish skin, on 
 which are a number of purplish-red excrescences. A 
 fleshy, extensible caruncle, which is hairy and pencillated 
 at the tip, arises at the conjunction of the bill and fore- 
 head. "When the bird is quiescent, this is not more than 
 an inch and a half in length; but when excited by love 
 or rage, it becomes so elongated as to fall two or three 
 inches below the bill. 
 
 The neck, which is of moderate thickness, has a 
 pendent fascicle of black, rigid hairs, which vary from 
 nine to twelve inches in length, on its inferior portion. 
 The tarsus, which is red, is about six inches long, and 
 the feet are very robust. The general hue of the plu- 
 mage is glossy coppery-bronze, merging into green and 
 purple in some lights. This gives the bird a most brilliant 
 appearance, especially in the spring, when all the feathers 
 are in their best condition. 
 
 The males commence wooing as early as February in 
 some of the extreme Southern States, but March is the 
 opening of the love season throughout the country, and 
 April the month in which it reaches its highest develop- 
 ment. The males may then be heard calling to the 
 females from every direction, until the woods ring with 
 their loud and liquid cries, which, are commenced long 
 ere the sun appears above the horizon, and continued for 
 
16 AMEBICAS GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 hours with the steadiest persistency. As hoth sexes roost 
 apart at this period, the hens avoid answering the gob- 
 blers for some time, but they finally become less obdurate, 
 and coyly return the call. When the males hear this, all 
 within hearing respond to it promptly and vehementlyj 
 uttering notes similar to those which the domestic gob- 
 blers do when they hear an unusual sound. 
 
 If the female answering the call is on the ground, 
 the males fly to her and parade before her with all the 
 pompous strutting that characterizes the family. They 
 spread and erect their tails, depress their wings with a 
 quivering motion and trail them along the ground, and 
 draw the head back on the shoulders, as if to increase 
 their dignity and importance; then wheel, and march, 
 an^ swell, and gobble, as if they were trying to outdo 
 each other in airs and graces. The female, however, 
 pays little attention to these ceremonious parades, and 
 demurely looks on while the rivals for her affection try to 
 outdo one another in playing the gallant and dandy. 
 
 When the strutting and gobbling fail to win her, the 
 candidates for matrimony challenge each other to mortal 
 combat, and whichever is successful in the contest walks 
 away with her in a most nonchalant manner. The easy 
 indifference of the hen as to which she will follow may 
 not be pleasing to persons imbued with romantic feelings, 
 yet she is only obeying a wise law of nature, which 
 decrees that only the fittest should live, and in the lower 
 animal world these are characterized by their physical 
 qualities. 
 
 The battles between the males are often waged with 
 such desperate valor that more than one combatant is 
 sent to join the great majority, as they deliver very hard 
 blows at each other's heads, and do not give up a contest 
 until they are dead, or so exhausted as to be scarcely able 
 to move. When one has killed another, it is said to caress 
 -the dead bird in an apparently affectionate manner, as i£ 
 
THE WILD TUBKET. 17 
 
 it Tfere very sorry to have been compelled to do such a 
 deed, but could not help it, owing to the force of circum- 
 stances; yet I have seen the winner of a tournament in 
 such a rage that it not only killed its rival, but pecked 
 out its eyes after it was dead. 
 
 When the victors have won their brides, they keep to- 
 gether until the latter commence laying, and then sepa- 
 rate, for the males are so jealous that they would destroy 
 the eggs if they could, in order to prolong the love 
 period, and the hens, knowing this, carefully shun 
 them. The males are often followed by more than one 
 hen, but they are not so polygamous as their domestic 
 congeners, as I never heard of a gobbler having more 
 than two or three females under his protection. 
 
 The adult gobblers drive the young males away during 
 the erotic season, and will not even permit them to gob- 
 ble if they can, so that the latter are obliged to keep by 
 themselves, generally in parties of from six to ten, unless 
 some of the veterans are killed, and then they occupy 
 the vacated places of the bridegrooms, according to the 
 order of their prowess. 
 
 Some aged males may also be found wandering through 
 the woods in parties of two, three, four, or five, but they 
 seldom mingle with the flocks, owing, apparently, to the 
 waning of their salacious disposition. They are exceed- 
 ingly shy and vigilant, and so wild that they fly imme- 
 diately from an imaginary danger created by their own 
 suspicious nature. They strut and gobble occasionally, 
 but not near so much as their younger kindred. Barren 
 hens, which also keep by themselves, are almost as dem- 
 onstrative in displaying their vocal powers, airs, and 
 feathers as the old males, whereas they are exceedingly 
 coy and unpretentious when fertile. 
 
 This fact would seem to prove that ordinary animal 
 nature is changed by circumstances. When the love 
 season is over, the males are very much emaciated, so, 
 
18 AMEEICAN GAME BIBD SHOOTING. 
 
 when the hens leave them, they keep by themselves until 
 they recover their strength, and then reunite in small 
 bachelor parties; but instead of being exceedingly clam- 
 orous, as they were in the early part of the mating 
 period, they become almost silent. Yet they sometimes 
 strut and gobble on their roosts, though, as a general rule, 
 they do not, and content themselves with elevating and 
 lowering the tail feathers, and uttering a puffing sound. 
 They keep at this exercise for hours at a time on moon- 
 light nights, without rising from their perch, and some- 
 times continue it until daylight. 
 
 When the hen is ready to lay, she scratches out a 
 slight hollow in a thicket, a cane brake, beside a pros- 
 trate tree, in tall grass or weeds, or a grain field, lines 
 it rudely with grass or leaves, and then deposits her 
 eggs in it. These, which vary in number from ten to 
 twenty, are smaller and more elongated than those of the 
 domestic turkey, and are of a dull cream or a dirty-white 
 color, sprinkled with brownish-red spots. 
 
 Audubon says that several hens may lay their eggs in 
 one nest, and hatch and raise the broods together. He 
 found three hens sitting on forty-two eggs in a single 
 nest, and one was always present to protect them. 
 
 If the eggs are not destroyed, only one brood is raised 
 in a year; but if they are, the female calls loudly for a 
 male, and when she is rejoined by one, both keep com- 
 pany until she is ready to commence laying again, when 
 she deserts him or drives him away, as he has the very 
 strongest penchant for destroying the eggs, in order to 
 keep her in his company. This forces her to build her 
 nest in the most secluded spot she can find, and to cover 
 it carefully with leaves or grass whenever she leaves it in 
 search of food. 
 
 She seldom moves far from it, and is so faithful to her 
 trust that she will allow her deadliest foes to approach 
 her to within a few paces before she manifests any sign 
 
THE WILD TTTBKBT, 19 
 
 of being disturbed. "W^hen the eggs are about to be 
 hatched she rarely leaves them eyen for a short time, and 
 will often permit herself to be captured rather than de- 
 sert them. When the young are ready to appear, at the end 
 of thirty days, she assists them in breaking their fragile 
 prisons, and when they emerge she caresses them, dries 
 them with her bill, and in t£e course of a couple of days 
 helps them to totter out of the nest. 
 
 As soon as they are able to move about she leads them 
 in search of food, and exercises the greatest discretion in 
 finding it for them, while she is equally zealous in pro- 
 tecting them from their numerous foes. The sight of a 
 hawk causes her to give a prompt note of alarm, and on 
 hearing this they scatter and hide in the long grass or 
 under leaves, and remain concealed until the danger is 
 over. Their color, which is a light-brown, with dark-brown 
 markings on the head and back, is a most valuable means 
 of guarding them from enemies, as it harmonizes so well 
 with the hue of their surroundings that they cannot be 
 readily seen. The mother is also very careful to keep them 
 away from swampy places, as a wetting is most fatal to 
 them. When they are about two or three weeks old they are 
 able to fly well enough to seek refuge in trees at night, 
 but they generally roost on the lower limbs. Being dili- 
 gent seekers after food, they quit their perches with the 
 first gleam of dawn and hie to the woods or fields in search 
 of it. They are very fond of berries and insects, but as 
 they increase in size they become omnivorous, and seem 
 to equally relish grain, grass, grapes, beetles, lizards, 
 tadpoles, pecan nuts, fruit, acorns, hickory nuts, and 
 other mast. They may, as a general rule, be found 
 seeking for pabulum in the newly cut stubble-fields each 
 morning and evening, but during the heat of the day 
 they prefer places where they can dust themselves, in 
 order to destroy the wood-ticks which find a congenial 
 home in their flesh. Sandy hillocks, much-travelled 
 
20 AMEKICAN" GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 roads, and places where logs have been burned are favor- 
 ite dusting-grounds, and are such objects of interest that 
 flocks will travel a long distance for the purpose of revel- 
 ling in dirt baths. Their presence may be readily noted 
 in the forest by the manner in which the leaves are turned 
 over and the earth scratched about, but as they work 
 quite a large tract of country in a short time, a person 
 may have to walk several miles before he meets them, 
 especially if foxes and raccoons are any way abundant. 
 
 The powts change their coat of dirty-gray to one of 
 blackish-bronze about the middle of October, and from 
 that time forth they are considered fit to be shot and to 
 furnish legitimate sport. All their faculties seem to be 
 fully developed then, and being fleet of foot and strong 
 of wing, and in the highest possible condition for the 
 table, they are deemed worthy the attention of the most 
 gifted sportsman and the daintiest epicure. 
 
 When food becomes scarce in a region, the turkeys 
 form into flocks, numbering from ten to a hundi-ed, and 
 commence a migratory tour in search of it. The adult 
 males keep by themselves, while the mothers lead their 
 broods, either alone or in company with other families, 
 for the gobblers are so jealous of the young that they 
 would kill them if they got the opportunity; hence the 
 necessity of keeping them apart. 
 
 As the flocks move onward they are gradually joined 
 by others, until each drove numbers fifty and upwards, 
 and these remain together until they are dispersed by 
 foes or they voluntarily separate. Should they meet a 
 broad river during their migration, all ages and sexes are 
 said to make a stay of one or two days on its bank, pre- 
 paratory to crossing. This time is not idly wasted, how- 
 ever, as they devote it to strutting, running round one 
 another, expanding the tail feathers, gobbling vocifer- 
 ously, or making the loud puffing or purring noise for 
 which they are famous. 
 
THE WILD TURKEY. 21 
 
 All this clamor and parading is supposed to be for the 
 purpose of screwing their courage up to the highest 
 sticking-point, and of cheering each other to undertake 
 the passage across the treacherous water. 
 
 When their bravery has been raised to the utmost pos- 
 sible pitch, they mount on the trees, and, at a signal 
 from their leader, launch themselves into the air and fly 
 for the opposite shore. If the river is wide, some of 
 them fall into it, but on touching it they spread the tail 
 in the form of a fan, bring the wings close to the body, 
 and, plying their strong legs in the most vigorous man- 
 ner, swim rapidly for the land. 
 
 If the bank is not very steep they may he able to sur- 
 mount it, but if it is many of them are drowned, as their 
 efforts in the water exhaust them in a short time. The 
 first to succumb are the weakest of the young broods, 
 and then the decrepit veterans, whose vehement gobbling 
 proves that they are better vocalists than athletes, and 
 that they have more courage than discretion. 
 
 When the birds cross a river of any magnitude they 
 become so bewildered that they fall an easy prey to 
 sportsmen and predaceous animals, for they seem to lose 
 all their natural caution and cunmng. If they find food 
 abundant in their new quarters they separate into small 
 droves, which are composed of all ages and sexes, and 
 remain together until the following spring, when they 
 disperse, preparatory to mating. 
 
 They become so daring as to enter a farm-yard some- 
 times, and to indulge in contests with their domesticated 
 congeners, if the latter do not acknowledge their physi- 
 cal supremacy. Yet they often get along amicably to- 
 gether, and even "take each other for better or worse" 
 in the pairing period, but, as a rule, the wild birds pre- 
 fer to confine their conjugal relations to themselves. 
 
 The combativeness of a domestic gobbler and his 
 hatred of red and crimson colors are well known; yet 
 
22 AMERICA:^' GAME BIRD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 he is by no means as quarrelsome as his feral congener, 
 the latter being one of the most pugnacious of creatures. 
 
 It was probably on this account that Benjamin Frank- 
 lin considered that the turkey, and not the eagle, ought 
 to have been selected as the emblem of the United States, 
 for, besides being a true native of America, he considered 
 that it was also a more useful animal than the monarch 
 of the air, and, though somewhat vain and silly, that it 
 had the courage to face a grenadier of the British Guards 
 if he entered the farm-yard with a red coat on his back. 
 The wild bird would not, however, attack a child who 
 displayed that disagreeable hue, as it is too much afraid of 
 enemies to attack anything having the semblance of man- 
 kind. It is so wary that it is very difficult of approach in 
 the daytime, but, by watching its movements, it may be 
 caught on its perch on moonlight nights. It generally 
 roosts high up on the trees, and, if the flocks are to- 
 gether, a dozen or two may be found on one tree. Like 
 all the gallinaceous birds of the American Continent, it 
 fancies itself secure when once it gets amidst the foliage, 
 and may remain on its perch even when its deadliest foe 
 is walking beneath. It is said that a flock can be killed 
 on a roost, if the lower ones are shot first, but I have 
 never seen this done, though I have seen five bagged 
 before the remainder decided to seek safety in flight. 
 
 Notwithstanding the extreme cautiousness and vigi- 
 lance of these birds, many are shot annually by men who 
 know their habits. The favorite method with experi- 
 enced hunters is to lie in ambush and call the males 
 towards them by imitating the notes of the female. This 
 is done with the mouth, or by making a call out of the 
 small bone of a turkey's wing, or out of brass or wood. 
 The number who can call well with the vocal organs 
 alone is small indeed, as it requires long practice and a 
 close study of the various intonations of the hens to 
 imitate them, yet I have known men who could cluck. 
 
THE WILD TURKEY. S3 
 
 drum, yelp, and gobble so accurately that they would 
 deceive the oldest yeteran in the forest and bring him 
 within range of their rifle or shot-gun at the proper season. 
 The caller made out of the ■fring-bone of a turkey is 
 probably one of the simplest and best that can be ob- 
 tained, as all a person has to do is to put one end into 
 his mouth and draw the air through it, and if he knows 
 his business he can imitate the notes of the female. 
 
 Some men make a caller by sawing ofE about two 
 inches of the end of a cow's horn, and cutting a piece of 
 shingle so that it will fit the small end of the piece sawed 
 off. By boring a hole in the middle of the shmgle, and 
 inserting in it a piece of wood about the thickness of a 
 large nail and long enough to project a short distance 
 beyond the open end of the horn, and scraping this stick 
 on a piece of slate, the familiar "keouk " of the hen can 
 be imitated. 
 
 A very good caller is made out of a tapering cylinder 
 of hard-wood, about six inches long, an inch in diameter 
 at the bottom, half an inch at the top, and hollowed in 
 such a manner that it will correspond with the outside 
 shape. By inserting in this a small piece of cane, about 
 seven or eight inches long, and having a very fine open- 
 ing through it, nearly every note of the turkey, except 
 the gobble, may be produced. One made out of the large 
 wing-bone of the turkey, that nearest the body, is very 
 popular with some hunters, as it is portable and easily 
 prepared. This is made by cutting a crescent-like open- 
 ing in one end of the bone; the small end is then cut 
 off; the bone is cleaned out; a nicely fitting plug of wood, 
 with a small hole in it, is inserted into the piece cut off ; 
 and into this wood a piece of cane, having a fine opening 
 running through it, is fitted as in the wooden caller. 
 
 Still another is made out of a piece of cedar about two 
 mehes long, one. and a half inches wide, and one-fourth 
 of an inch in thickness. This is hollowed out to within 
 
34 AMERICAK GAME BIfiD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 a quarter of an inch of the bottom, and cut as thin as 
 possible. By taking both ends between the thumb and 
 fingers, and rubbing it crosswise on the barrels of the 
 gun or the butt plate, the call notes of the hen can be 
 produced after a little practice. One that imitates the 
 " yelp " of a turkey very well, is made of a piece of wood 
 about three inches long, two inches wide, and hollowed 
 out until it is quite thin. By inserting a nail or a piece 
 of wire in the bottom of this simple apparatus, and 
 drawing it across a slate, an erotic gobbler may be coaxed 
 within range; but, to be successful, the hand must care- 
 fully cover the hole, in order to produce the intonation 
 which is so deceptive and alluring. Some persons prefer 
 to all these a piece of thin rubber — that known to dentists 
 as rubber dam — about three inches long and an inch wide. 
 By turning down one edge, and partially articulating the 
 notes into it, the yelps and calls can be fairly imitated. 
 Even with all these devices, and a perfect mastery of the 
 cries of the turkey, one may sit and call for hours with- 
 out receiving a response from the wary birds, and if he 
 does, they may not so much as deign to approach him. 
 The novice who has not mastered the notes of the turkey 
 would be more liable to scare away every gobbler in the 
 forest with these calls than to bring him within shoot- 
 ing distance; to bag one, he must, therefore, resort to 
 some other tactics besides calling; but as these are varied 
 enough, he need not return empty-handed from a dis- 
 rict in which the birds are plentiful. 
 
 The general methods employed in bagging them are, 
 to stalk them; to shoot them on their perches during 
 moonlight nights; to wait for them in ambush behind a 
 baited blind; to work them up over trained dogs and 
 bring them down when they are on the wing; to follow 
 them to their roosts; and to track them on the snow. 
 The latter is perhaps the most unsportsmanlike system, 
 as they cannot easily be induced to leave their roosts if 
 
THE WILD TUEKEY. 25 
 
 they think the snow is too soft and deep to preyent tra- 
 velling; and they are so fond of shelter that they may 
 remain without food for several days rather than face the 
 wintry blasts. They are frequently caught alive in rude 
 penSj made of logs or fence rails, but only in places 
 where they are somewhat abundant. The first thing to 
 be done in such cases, is to find the haunt of a flock and 
 scatter grain over it, by putting small quantities in dif- 
 ferent places, and marking these spots for future use. If 
 this grain is eaten, the trapper rebaits the ground, as his 
 purpose is to induce them to come there regularly in 
 search of food. 
 
 When they have been persuaded to do this, he digs 
 L trench five or six feet long, two feet deep, and about 
 the same width, with the sides sloping gradually from the 
 edge to the bottom. An old rail is placed across the 
 middle of this trench, and others across that until they 
 form a rectangle which encloses an area of two or three 
 hundred square feet. A roof of rails or logs is next 
 placed on it, and the trap is complete. The trench is 
 then sprinkled over with grass and dead leaves, to take 
 away its appearance of freshness, for turkeys carefully 
 avoid any spot that has an unfamiliar aspect, as they con- 
 sider it dangerous to their physical welfare. The trench 
 and trap are then baited, and a trail of grain is carried in 
 various directions, in order to lure wanderers towards them 
 from every quarter. When the birds commence eating 
 the grain they become so anxious and heedless that they 
 may not lift their heads until they find themselves inside 
 the pen. Having devoured the generous store usually 
 deposited there, they look around for some means of 
 escape, but in vam, for nothing meets their vision except 
 solid wood, which no amount of flying on their part can 
 shake down. Finding their efforts ineffectual, they com- 
 mence marching round and round in hopes of being able 
 to obtain an opening that may lead them to freedom, 
 2 
 
36 AMEEICAK GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 yet they never think of looking down, and retreating 
 through the trench by which they entered, although they 
 jump oyer it every few moments during their ceaseless 
 procession. 
 
 This want of thoughtfulness on their part proves fatal 
 to them, for they are kept in prison until the trapper ar- 
 rives and wrings their necks, or takes them home alive, 
 to see if they «re susceptible of domestication. If cap- 
 tured young, it does not require much time to make them 
 as tame as the ordinary farm-yard variety. 
 
 Audubon says that these " semi-civilized " turkeys will 
 not roost with their domestic congeners;" andBachman 
 states that if they are kept away from the latter, and 
 bred among themselves, in confinement, the third gen- 
 eration will lose their brilliancy of plumage and assume a 
 pale-brown color, with an occasional white feather. Al- 
 though turkeys are killed in various ways, shooting them 
 from baited blmds is the favorite method with some 
 persons. The blmds are made of leaves and bushes, 
 and are generally crude afEairs, as all that is required is 
 a shelter sufficiently dense to conceal the movements of 
 the hunter. When one of these is built, a trail of grain 
 is carried from it into the haunts of the birds, and while 
 they are eating the food that is to lead them to death, 
 the sportsman sits or stands almost as motionless as a 
 statue behind his improvised screen, waits until several 
 of them get their heads in a line within range, and then 
 blazes away at them. If he uses more than one gun he 
 may bag half a dozen, but he is also likely to claim only 
 one or two, as they can stand a large amount of lead. 
 
 The negroes of the South frequently have a baited trench 
 before their blinds, and when once the birds get into this 
 pit of destruction few escape, for the black hunters load 
 their guns nearly to the muzzle, and when they fire they 
 cut a clean swath through the ranks of their feathered 
 visitors. As this is not considered legitimate sport by 
 
THE WILD TUKKEt. H^ 
 
 Southern gentlemen, the colored brethren strenuously 
 deny that they ever shot a bird in such a nefarious man- 
 ner. Calling turkeys to a blind is considered fair and 
 honorable by all lovers of the gun, as the chances of 
 bringing a veteran gobbler within range are problematical, 
 unless a person is well versed in that vocal art. The best 
 time for calling is the early morning during the pair- 
 ing period, or the autumn, when the birds are in prime 
 condition, but no true sportsman kills the hens during 
 the spring and summer. The roosts of a flock of turkeys 
 may be readily discovered on a moonlight night, by imi- 
 tating the cry of the barred owl, as every male within 
 hearing of that disagreeable sound responds to it in the 
 most vehement manner, and thus reveals his position to 
 the deceiving hunter, who soon makes preparations to 
 pepper him with shot. It is rather difficult to shoot tur- 
 keys over dogs, as they rarely lie to a point, for the 
 moment they see their canine foe they run away or seek 
 safety in a tree; hence, a dog ought to be trained spe- 
 cially for their pursuit, and his first principle of edu- 
 cation should be to point on winding them, for they will 
 will not stand close drawing, and to bark when they are 
 flushed. They are naturally so vigilant and suspicious 
 that the sUghtest movement or the least noise, even if 
 it is only the breaking of a rotten twig, will flush them 
 or cause them to hide in the densest thickets and cane- 
 brakes, and even to leave a region for good. 
 
 If they aie shot on the wing, a person is not always 
 sure of getting them, for they may go half a mile or 
 more after being mortally wounded, and when they alight 
 they try to conceal themselves in the heaviest cover if 
 they cannot keep their foothold on a tree; but as they 
 fly in a direct line, they may be secured with the aid of a 
 dog which knows how to use its eyes as well as its nose. 
 
 The best months for shooting them in a sportsmanlike 
 manner are October, November, December, and January, 
 
S8 AMSKiOAK GAME BlED SHOOTIUQ. 
 
 as they are then in the highest condition, both physically 
 and mentally; and the best guns for bagging them are 
 those having a full choke, for both velocity and penetra- 
 tion are required to bring them promptly down. The 
 most eflective shot to use are No. 1, B, BB, or BBB, as 
 either of these brands can stop a gobbler at a distance of 
 fifty or sixty yards. Some persons prefer buckshot, 
 however, whilst others consider a rifle-ball the only sure 
 missile, so that in this, as in other matters of sport, 
 people of various experiences^difler in their opinions. 
 
 If a rifle is used, aim should always be taken at the 
 body; but the head and neck are the safest parts to fire 
 at with a shot-gun, if the bird is any distance away, for 
 a shot in the side is more likely to wound than to kill; 
 yet, I have known more than one struck in that part 
 with No. 6 to give up the ghost without much effort. 
 
 The main secret in being a successful turkey-hunter is 
 to learn the haunts and habits of the bird; to be light of 
 foot, keen of eye, and persevering in pursuit; and, above 
 all, to be a good caller. Correctness of intonation is 
 not everything, however, for a man must learn the ex- 
 pression and meaning of every note, and be coy or bold, 
 persistent or silent, according to the mood displayed by 
 the creatures he desires to bag. If a person calls too 
 much, he may bring the most resolute and daring mem- 
 bers of the flock within range before the remainder can 
 come up, and if he does not shoot them then they may 
 detect his deceptive character, and not only flee from 
 him themselves, but take all their companions with 
 them, and if he does fire, he is almost sure of scaring 
 away those that have not come up. Persons who de- 
 sire to make a big bag with one volley, call cautiously 
 on this account, as they want to bring the whole flock 
 within range together, and mow them down when they 
 get several heads m a line. This saves time and trouble, 
 and may be legitimate enough, but whether it is in ac- 
 
THE WILD TURKEY. 29 
 
 cordance ■with the ethics and esthetics of true sport is 
 another matter. 
 
 If a man wanted the birds for food, no one could ob- 
 ject to this system of destruction, as the old adage, 
 " necessity has no laws," would be applicable in his case; 
 but if he did not want them particularly, this idea of 
 calling a flock at a time within gun-shot would be open to 
 criticism. The veriest tyro can bag gabblers in regions 
 where they are little, hunted, for the necessity of cau- 
 tiousness and vigilance has not been forced upon them 
 by stern lessons; hence, they allow their human foe to 
 approach close enough to deal destruction among them 
 before they learn to know that he represents death to 
 them. 
 
 The turkey is quite common in Florida, Texas, Ari- 
 zona, Ifew Mexico, Arkansas, the Indian Territory, 
 Louisiana, and some of the contiguous regions, and its 
 pursuit is a favorite pastime in winter with those who 
 like a life in the wilderness, and prefer its virile amuse- 
 ments to the gentler, though more exacting, pleasures of 
 a city. People who have pursued and bagged their 
 twenty-pound gobblers, whether by calling, stalking, or 
 any other method known to the initiated, consider them- 
 selves "no small apples," when compared to those who 
 have not; and veteran turkey-hunters think all other 
 kinds of bird-shooting quite tame, if not insignificant, 
 in comparison with their favorite sport. 
 
 There is scarcely one of these men who cannot tell a 
 tale about some unusually keen-witted turkey which he 
 could not kill, or which cost him so much time and 
 trouble to bag that it proved an exceedingly costly 
 trophy; but the question of labor and expense is a very 
 minor one with all of them when contrasted with their 
 sense of satisfaction at their final success. I have had 
 several opportunities of judging what an astute gobbler 
 is capable of doing so far as escaping his foes is con- 
 
30 AMERICAN GAME EIED SHOOTING. 
 
 cerned, and these have taught me to respect his mental 
 and physical qualities, and to sympathize with those who 
 capture him after many trials and tribulations. I re- 
 member what difficulty an old settler and myself had 
 one morning to bag a gobbler which was said to be " so 
 cute," owing to the number of times he had been fired 
 at, that he knew the " call " of every man in the district 
 who owned a gun. It was even intimated that he knew 
 how near he could approach them without getting hit, 
 and that his usual trick was to draw their fire and then 
 stand and laugh at them until he was ready to drop from 
 exhaustion. My informant went so far as to say that 
 this celebrated gobbler respected good marksmen, and 
 only smiled or laughed at them when they missed, but 
 that he fairly hated the poor shots, and hooted them in 
 the most contemptuous manner. 
 
 " Better look out for yourself ! " he exclaimed, " or he 
 may give you a dose of hissing." 
 
 " And what about yourself ? " I asked. 
 
 "Oh! I'm used to it," was the answer; "I don't care 
 much for his hissing now." 
 
 " All right; then I'll steel myself against his derision 
 also, by bagging him as soon as he comes near enough," 
 I replied, confidently. 
 
 " Well, you needn't fret about that, for unless he has 
 become mighty polite of late, he won't come near enough 
 to bite you, anyway." 
 
 I expressed my pleasure at this feeling of considera- 
 tion on his part, as we started for the haunt of the 
 cynical bird, about three o'clock, one delightful morning 
 in March. This haunt being in the sunny South, the 
 light breeze that stole through the vale was laden with 
 the fragrance of many flowers, while the air resounded 
 with the droning hum of bees and insects, and the song 
 of the early-rising birds. We marched about three 
 
THE WILD TUBKBT. 31 
 
 miles from my companion's house, and entered a charm- 
 ingly romantic piece of woods, in which the orange, pal- 
 metto, and magnolia trees were intermingled with the 
 gloomy pine and the graceful, feathery cedar. Brilliant 
 vines or long festoons of funereal moss draped each forest 
 giant, while gaudy flowers and rich-hued shrubbery 
 formed parterres in every direction. Our walk dis- 
 turbed numerous paroquets and humming-birds, which 
 went flitting through the trees like so many rays of rich, 
 bright colors, and roused the crane and heron — whose 
 whooping cries resounded throughout the silent woods — 
 and sent them sailing high into the air. 
 
 The scene was so enchanting to me that I did not care 
 if I never met a turkey there, for it seemed out of place 
 to kill any creature in such a lovely locality. Even my 
 companion, who had turkey on the brain that morning, 
 relapsed into silence when we entered the forest, and 
 evidently drank in its beauties anew, much as he was 
 used to them. He did not lose sight of the object of 
 our journey, however, for he carefully scanned the ground 
 at intervals in search of "signs," and peered earnestly 
 into trees to see if he could not rest his longing eyes on 
 a plump gobbler. He was unsuccessful in detecting 
 either signs or birds, and this caused him to indulge in 
 a few expletives at turkeys in general, and at our ill-luck 
 in particular. While passing through a dense piece of 
 undergrowth, where we could not see thirty paces ahead, 
 we were startled by hearing the heavy tread of some ani- 
 mal on the dead leaves, and the rapid crashing of branch- 
 lets. This unexpected sound caused us to look at each 
 other in silence for a moment or two, as if to inquire, 
 What can produce that noise? I was the first to find 
 the use of my tongue, and I asked him^-because I sup- 
 posed he ought to know everything about the neighbor- 
 hood — 
 
 "What is that?" 
 
32 AMEKICAN" GAME BIED SHOOTIUa. 
 
 " A thundering big grizzly or a behemoth, I reckon," 
 was the answer. 
 
 " Is your gun loaded? " I inquired. 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Is yours?" 
 
 " No." 
 
 " Then get behind this tree and load, and if it pitches 
 into us we must fight." 
 
 I obeyed his suggestion with a promptitude I was 
 rarely guilty of, and both secreted ourselves behind a 
 huge live-oak. As the footsteps were approaching rapid- 
 ly, we began to load our guns with small shot m violent 
 haste, but before we had finished the operation, a sturdy, 
 ragged negro, who was laden with three turkeys, emerged, 
 not ten feet away from us. When my companion saw 
 him he indulged in a vigorous expletive, while I laughed 
 heartily at our needless scare. The Fifteenth Amend- 
 ment was evidently as frightened as ourselves, for, on 
 seeing us, he stopped abruptly and stared at us for a few 
 moments in stupefied amazement; but when we advanced 
 towards him his distended eyeballs ceased rolling, and 
 a broad grin overspread his features as he exclaimed: 
 
 " Loh, gemmen, how you did skeer me," and he 
 chuckled deeply, as if it were the funniest of jokes. 
 
 My companion, who was not of so amiable a disposi- 
 tion as the colored voter, asked abruptly: 
 
 " Where did you kill those turkeys? " 
 
 " Down dere in de bottoms," was the answer. 
 
 " Did you kill them in a trap? " 
 
 "Loh, no, massa; I shot 'em wid dis gun," and he 
 held up an old weapon that looked as if it were more 
 dangerous to the carrier than to the birds. 
 
 " I tell you what it is, boss," he continued; " I had 
 the powerfuUest time you eber seed in calling dese yere 
 gobblehs widin range. Mighty hard to fool 'em, I tell 
 you; why, dey knows more 'n some preachers, I fetched 
 
THE WILD TUBKET. 33 
 
 'em, dough, by callin' till I was nearly hoarse, and I jest 
 histed 'em when I got de chance." 
 
 " Didn't you shoot them from a baited blind?" asked 
 my companion. 
 
 " Loh, no, massa! I sweah I didn't; d'ye tink I'd kill 
 a turkey like dat? No, massa; I knows better'n dat. 
 I'se a sport, massa; I ain't no old cullud roost-robbeh." 
 
 " I doubt it," was the response; " as I never yet saw a 
 nigger who would kill a turkey by fair means, if he could 
 do it by foul, nor leave one on a roost, if he could get 
 at it." 
 
 " But I sweah, massa — " 
 
 "Nevermind your swearing. Did you see any more 
 turkeys in the bottoms?" 
 
 " Whole lots, massa! Dat big gobbleh — " 
 
 " Did you hear him? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " All right; let's be off," said he, turning to me, and 
 without any more ceremony we resumed the march, 
 while the unbleached American started for his cabin. 
 After travelling for about fifteen minutes we came upon 
 a blind with a trench in front of it, and, from the 
 quantity of fresh grain and feathers scattered about, my 
 companion surmised that it had been used that morning 
 by the ebony-hued reprobate who had so strongly dis- 
 avowed the crime of killing the birds with such a de- 
 vice. He gazed at this spot for some moments, then ex- 
 pressed his opinion, and that in the strongest terms, of 
 the character of his unbleached fellow-countryman, and 
 from this I inferred that he did not consider him the para- 
 gon of truth and honesty, or the ideal of a sportsman. 
 Leaving this place, we walked onward for a few hun- 
 dred yards, and found ourselves in the "bottoms," 
 which were nothing more than the thickets bordering a 
 savanna, through which flowed a dull and narrow stream. 
 The woods were quite open, however, so that we could 
 
34 AMERICAN' GAME BIED SHOOTINQ. 
 
 command a good yiew in every direction. Having care- 
 fully scrutinized the ground, my companion said it was 
 a good spot in which to build a blind. 
 
 " But there are no turkeys here," I exclaimed. 
 
 "Then we must try to bring them here," was the 
 quiet answer. 
 
 As he seemed to know his business, I said nothing 
 more, and, seating myself on a prostrate log, I calmly 
 watched him as he hewed and bent oak, pine, and mag- 
 nolia saplings, and ari-anged them into a sylvan screen. 
 He cast a glance at me occasionally which signified that 
 he thought I was not dead in love with hard work, and, 
 as he interpreted my feelings rightly, I did not offer to 
 explain matters to him. When he had finished it, he 
 asked me if I had ever built a blind, and I replied that 
 I had not. 
 
 "You look as though you wouldn't care to, either," 
 said he, in a sly tone. 
 
 " Not particularly." 
 
 " You wouldn't even know where to build one, if you 
 tried, I suppose?" 
 
 *' Not so well as you." 
 
 " Thank you; this is a turkey morning; compliments 
 ain't in season. But, as I really think you don't know, 
 I'll tell you: 
 
 The first thing is to select a good position in a place 
 which turkeys are known to frequent, and then to build 
 the blind so that it will conform in appearance with its 
 surroundings, for turkeys are suspicious of everything 
 unusual in the lay of the land. It must have a clear 
 space in front, to enable you to fire at an object thirty or 
 forty yards away with some assurance of success. 
 
 When you get inside the blind, take your bearings, 
 and make up your mind not to shoot at a turkey until it 
 gets to a certain point, for it looks, on account of its 
 size, to be nearer than it actually is. You must'nt get 
 

 /^- ,we^ ' ' :ls- "^ ■ ■ \i\ ill u 
 
 ■•' ■''V;'''*f'C-. " .'flS^'^^^-'-T-'- 
 
 N^IW ' ■■ ' ' 
 
 
p. 
 
 
 
THE WILD TURKEY. 37 
 
 excited and let your heart bump the gun out of your 
 hand; nor must your eyes get so big that you see ten tur- 
 keys instead of one. Keep cool, above all things; and if 
 ever you get bald-headed keep your hat on, or the mos- 
 quitoes and sandflies may tickle you so much that you 
 ■will feel more Uke killing tfiem than the turkeys. Now, 
 do you understand me plainly? " 
 
 "I think so." 
 
 "Then 1 have taught you the first lesson in turkey 
 shooting; so we'll get inside the blind and see if you 
 can't bag the enchanted gobbler." 
 
 We entered accordingly, and having seated ourselves on 
 Vi fallen log, and loaded our guns with BBB shot, my 
 cicerone indicated the various points at which he thought 
 I could afford to risk firing at a bird, in case I got the 
 chance. Having committed them to memory, I com- 
 menced putting his advice into practice by imagining 
 that turkeys appeared on every special spot, and aiming 
 at them in the coolest manner possible. While I was 
 engaged in this mental and physical exercise, the settler 
 was carefully improving the blind, by inserting leaves 
 and grass in the larger openings, so as to prevent the 
 sharpest-eyed gobbler from detecting us, but before he 
 commenced doing this I had to promise I would not 
 shoot him, in my excitement, by fancying he was a turkey. 
 He said that some greenhorns imagined stumps, and 
 mules, and niggers were gobblers, and frequently killed 
 them in their ardor to bag something, but when I said I 
 would not make such a mistake, he pretended to feel safer. 
 
 When everything was arranged to his satisfaction, he 
 gave a coy yelp or two, then stopped to listen for an an- 
 swer. Not receiving any, he rolled forth the seductive 
 tones of the genuine wild turkey with a loudness and 
 distinctness that caused the forest to reverberate ^ith 
 numerous echoes, and then relapsed into silence, 
 
38 A-MBEICASr GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 " That will bring them if they are around here," said 
 he confidently. 
 
 His notes were so exact that I complimented him on 
 his proficiency, and told him he was the best caller I had 
 ever heard. 
 
 "I know I'm good enough at that business," said he 
 slyly; "if they had a turkey-calling chair vacant in Yale 
 College I think I could take it away from all competi- 
 tors," and, as if to prove his statement, he sounded sev- 
 eral appealing notes, which were delivered in the most 
 endearing manner; but still no response came. After 
 waiting for about ten minutes we heard a sharp yelp, 
 which caused my blood to tingle with pleasant anticipa- 
 tion; but as he did not answer it, I asked him if he had 
 heard it. 
 
 " Of course, I did," he replied, " but that fellow can't 
 call for sour apples. He ain't much at the business." 
 
 "Wasn't thab a turkey, then?" 
 
 " jSTo; that was a man who is using a caller. No person 
 can fool me unless he can call with his mouth alone, and 
 then he must be good at it. He may fool a turkey, but 
 he can't fool me." 
 
 Onr conversation was disturbed at this point by a 
 series of yelps and rolls and " keouks," but they sounded 
 so badly that even I could tell they were uttered by a 
 person who was not very proficient in the art of calling. 
 
 " That fellow will drive every turkey in the country 
 out of it," exclaimed my companion petulantly, "and 
 we'll only have our pains for our labor." 
 
 " What liad we better do, then?" I asked. 
 
 " I know what I'll do," he exclaimed. He then poured 
 forth such a series of erotic appeals, that the gobbler 
 that heard and did not respond to them was flinty-hearted 
 indeed, in my estimation. The only response to this, 
 however, was the mocking cry of some ghostly owl, whose 
 repose had been disturbed by the resonant notes. 
 
THE WILD TUKKBY. 39 
 
 "That fellow is mocking me," said my companion; 
 " but if I knew where he was, I'd teach him better man- 
 ners, if a dose of lead would do it." 
 
 " Why should he laugh at you?" 
 
 " Because he and that gobbler seem to be in partner- 
 ship about laughing at me." 
 
 The jocose seriousness of his manner would have made 
 me chuckle at another time, but just then my heart was 
 set bounding by the rapid and vehement gobble of a vet- 
 eran turkey. When the vocal roll died away, my com- 
 panion poked me in the side, and in earnest, though 
 hushed tones, exclainied: "That's him!" 
 
 "Who?" 
 
 " Why, that enchanted gobbler. You see now that he 
 and that owl are in partnership in mocking me." 
 
 "I'll soon dissolve the partnership if I catch that tur- 
 key within range," I exclaimed in a mock heroic tone; 
 but my companion did not seem to think so, as he ex- 
 pressed his willingness to bet me any sum I pleased that 
 I would run on seeing him. As I scorned to take any 
 notice of such an insinuation, the caller gave a low yelp, 
 and was answered by a throat-splitting gobble, which re- 
 sounded throughout the forest. 
 
 "We have him sure this time," exclaimed the turkey 
 actor, "and if you miss him after he gets to that place," 
 — pointing to a certain spot — " you'll never again be 
 able to kill a turkey." 
 
 " You need not fear about my missing him," I said, as 
 I peered cautiously about for the object of so miich solici- 
 tude, but as it did not appear within the range of my 
 vision, I asked the yelper to yelp again. 
 
 "Not I," was the response, "I'm the modest maiden, 
 and that gobbler must come to me; mark that." 
 
 "A pretty maiden you are," I replied laughingly, 
 when I glanced at his brawny form and rude attire, but 
 instead of answering me he pointed to the right, and 
 
40 AMEEICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIHG. 
 
 though I looked earnestly in the direction indicated, I 
 could see nothing resembling a turkey. 
 
 While I was peering, I heard the cheerful tzit boom 
 of the gobbler as he struck the ground suddenly with his 
 wings, and strutted about, trying to induce the supposed 
 hen to come out and see him on parade. The caller 
 waited a few minutes to see if the strutter would gobble 
 again, and finding he did not, he gave a low and appeal- 
 ing call, and received in reply a long and throat-splitting 
 roll of liquid sounds, which seemed to come from a small 
 thicket only a few feet to the rear. 
 
 " He's flanking us," whispered the yelper. " You had 
 better retreat now if you don't want him to attack you." 
 
 " I thought you said he would not bite? " I exclaimed. 
 
 " Did I? "Well he seems to be in a mood to bite this 
 morning, for I never before knew him to be so willing to 
 advance." 
 
 " I'll make him bite the dust if he attempts to bite 
 me," I replied. This was greeted by a loud gobble from 
 the turkey, and a suggestion from my comrade that the 
 bird was mocking me; but I disdained to notice such 
 an insinuation. 
 
 " He knows where I am now," he continued, "but I'll 
 have to encourage him a little more;" and suiting the 
 action to the word, he indulged in two or three soft, endear- 
 ing " keouks." When he finished, he told me to look out 
 for the gobbler, and give him some small shot in the head 
 if he left the thicket. I nodded assent, as I was so agita- 
 ted that I did not dare to trust myself to even whisper; 
 and having loaded one barrel with No. 6 shot, I drew 
 back the hammer of the gun in the most noiseless manner, 
 and poked the muzzle through the blind, in order to 
 avoid all possibilities of a miss, 
 
 I was so anxious for the appearance of the expected 
 visitor that every moment seemed to be a minute, but. 
 
THE WILD TUEKBT. 41 
 
 as he neither called nor presented himself, I was about 
 to withdraw the gun, when he crept to the edge of the 
 thicket and stared at the blind. After reconnoitring the 
 ground in front he stood still, and, with one leg half- 
 raised, as if he were suspicious of the very ground on 
 which he stood, he surveyed his surroundings in the 
 most cautious manner. I looked at him with admiring 
 eyes for a few seconds, as he was one of the most superb 
 specimens of his family I had ever seen, being full grown, 
 and arrayed in a new suit of feathered armor, which glis- 
 tened with a metallic effulgence of bronze and purple and 
 green. Spurred and bearded, he looked to be the ideal 
 of a feathered monarch of the forest, for his eyes glowed 
 with a liquid brilliancy, while his attitude expressed 
 pride, daring, and vigilance. Having feasted my eyes on 
 his beauty, I made preparations to make a subsequent 
 feast on his body, by taking a steady aim at his head and 
 pulling the trigger. A sharp crack followed, and I ex- 
 pected to see him fall, but when I looked for his dead 
 body I saw him footing it in the liveliest manner for the 
 woods a little to the right. Seeing that he would soon 
 disappear if I were not quick in my movements, I fired 
 at him again just as he was about entering some bushes, 
 and when the smoke cleared away I scanned the ground 
 for him, but he was invisible. This caused me to give 
 vent to an expression that would lead hypercritical per- 
 sons to fancy I was not an angel, but it had scarcely been 
 spoken before the who-who-who-are-you of the barred 
 owl, the defiant gobble of the turkey, and a mocking 
 laugh rang throughout the woods. 
 
 "Oh, yes, you're very clever!" said I to my com- 
 panion, for it was he who had uttered the sounds. 
 
 "The animals are making fun of you, my boy," said 
 he, in a bandpng tone, " and I don't blame them after 
 making such a miss as that. " 
 
 "Why didn't you shoot him, then?" 
 
42 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 "Because I never like to double-bank anything, let 
 alone a poor turkey." 
 
 " A nice excuse that." 
 
 " Never mind, my boy, you scared him badly enough 
 to make him run away, whereas I thought you would 
 leg it on seeing him." 
 
 " I'm much obliged to you for your good opinion, but 
 you need not express it, for I think I scared him to 
 death." 
 
 " If he saw your face you might have done so; but he 
 didn't — so you needn't imagine you did." 
 
 " I'm going to see about the matter, anyhow," said I, 
 in a mock serious tone, for I had an idea I could not 
 have missed with both barrels; so I left the blind, and 
 started for the thicket, gun in hand, telling him to wait 
 until I returned. 
 
 " Oh, I'm going with you," said he; " else you may 
 go to the next farm-house and buy a gobbler, and, after 
 shooting him, impose him on me as the old original." 
 
 " The most suspicious people are always the worst," I 
 replied, in the gravest manner, "and I think you are an 
 old sinner." 
 
 " I know I'm not a saint," he answered; " if I were, I 
 wouldn't be shooting turkeys in the wilds of Florida." 
 
 When we reached the position where the turkey first 
 stood, I saw some feathers there, and this induced me to 
 indulge in some boasting at my friend's expense, but he 
 insisted that the gobbler had plucked them out himself, 
 in order to deceive me. 
 
 "Oh, you incorrigible!" I replied, "how you do like 
 to discourage people!" 
 
 " You may not believe it, but it's a fact, neverthe- 
 less," he replied. "I have stuffed two beds with what 
 feathers I shot out of him, and I think more than a 
 dozen others have done the same, but still we can't kill 
 him. He is enchanted, I tell you, and can't be bagged by 
 
THE WILD TUEKET. 43 
 
 any person except a great prince who has carroty hair 
 and a tumed-up nose, and has slain more men single- 
 handed than the hero in a dime novel." 
 
 " Go on with your romancing." 
 
 " All right. Now, you may not believe it, but I can 
 assure you I have seen that turkey running through the 
 woods without even a pin-feather on him. And I can 
 also tell you that he didn't present a very respectable 
 appearance without his clothes." 
 
 " What became of them? " 
 
 " They were all shot away by hunters." 
 
 We had reached the thicket by this time, and, on en- 
 tering it, I saw bunches of feathers on the ground. 
 
 "You see," exclaimed my companion, "he's leaving 
 them behind him. You may get enough to stuff a bed, 
 if you keep on — " 
 
 I bounded forward before he could finish the sentence, 
 for, lying on a bier composed of gaudy flowers, was the 
 stately creature whose beauty I had so much admired, 
 and whose life I had so eagerly sought. Lifting it up by 
 the legs, I dangled it before my comrade's eyes, and, 
 straightening myself up so as to assume as much altitude 
 as possible, I looked him boldly in the face, while my 
 features beamed with rectitude and the self-assertive air 
 of a great conqueror. After staring at each other in 
 silence for a short time, he curled up his lip, and said, 
 disparagingly: 
 
 "Phew! that's nothing; that's not the gobbler I was 
 talking about. Why, anybody that wasn't stone-blind 
 could kill that fellow." 
 
 "That will do," I replied; "you are so jealous of me 
 that you can't speak well of anything I do." 
 
 "Well, you haven't much to be proud of there, for 
 that veteran is as old as the hills. He is the patriarch of 
 the forest." 
 
 " I killed him, anyhow, and didn't run away from him, 
 
44 AMEEICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 SO I am satisfied," I replied, as I started back for the 
 blind with my trophy. 
 
 " The fellow was so rheumatic that he couldn't bite 
 you, or he would have tried it," he said, and, to prove it, 
 he made a careful examination of the bird, and com- 
 mented on its apparent age and where I had hit it. 
 
 When all its bad qualities were discussed, my com- 
 panion commenced calling again in the most careful 
 manner — now low and endearing, anon loud, command- 
 ing, and vehement, as if to denounce the males for their 
 want of gallantry in not responding to such appeals. 
 Having called in vain for two hours, we concluded to 
 change quarters, to see if we could not be more fortu- 
 nate, so we walked about a mile to an open piece of 
 woods, which looked quite promising. Seeing the 
 ground scratched a good deal, we decided to build a 
 blind there and try our luck, for it was evident that the 
 birds were numerous somewhere in the vicinity. 
 
 We set about our task immediately, and while busily 
 engaged on it, we were startled by the sharp and unex- 
 pected call of a turkey hen. This pleasant sound caused 
 my companion to suspend operations abruptly, and cock- 
 ing his ear, so as to catch the note in the most distinct 
 manner, he listened intently until the seductive call was 
 repeated, then answered it with a long and voluble gob- 
 ble, and when that was over he indulged in a quiet fit 
 of chuckling. I asked him what he was laughing at, 
 and received as a reply, "Do you want to fool that hu- 
 man turkey hen?" 
 
 Thinking there might be some fun in the matter, I 
 assented willingly; and, when the next call was heard, 
 my companion and myself started in the direction 
 whence it emanated, while he kept pouring forth a vol- 
 ume of loud gobbles which would have done honor to 
 the sturdiest turkey-cock in the forest. When we had 
 traversed a distance of five or six hundred yards we came 
 
THE WILD TUEKET. 45 
 
 to a blind, and saw a man, gun in hand, standing up in 
 full view behind it. lie wore a most rueful counte- 
 nance, and when my cicerone advanced and cordially 
 shook hands with him, he did not seem to have feeling 
 enough to perform even that simple act of courtesy in 
 an earnest manner. After I had been introduced to him, 
 my comrade asked him if he had not been "fooled" 
 nicely, and he replied that he had, and was sorely dis- 
 appointed at the result of such splendid gobbling. 
 
 " No man in the country but you could a-done it," 
 said he, in a little more animated tone; "and it is a con- 
 solation to know that I'm not the first one you played 
 your durned old trick on." 
 
 "Oh! never mind the trick now," exclaimed my com- 
 panion; "so don't look as if you had lost your mother- 
 in-law. Have you killed anything?" 
 
 "No." 
 
 " Then we must get something, if its only a powt. 
 Let's try to rout a flock, for I see you have your dog with 
 you." 
 
 This proposition proving acceptable, we started through 
 the woods and set the dog to work. He seemed to be a 
 cross between a hound and a spaniel, as he displayed 
 some of the distinct markings of both breeds; but what- 
 ever he was he knew his business, for he carefully quar- 
 tered the ground, using both his eyes and nose in the 
 most admirable manner. After working for fifteen min- 
 utes, he struck the hot trail of a feeding flock, and 
 dashed away from us. We followed as fast as we could, 
 and soon heard the sharp put, put, the whirring rush of 
 many wings, and the vigorous bark of the dog, to an- 
 nounce that he had flushed the quarry. "We ran a few 
 hundred yards further, and on reaching a glade we 
 built a blind in a very short time, by entwining the 
 bushes, and breaking them down where we thought 
 necessary. When this was ready, we entered, and the 
 
46 AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOOTIKG. 
 
 dog having crouched behind us, he was covered with 
 leaves to conceal the light-colored spots on his body. 
 My companion then commenced his endearing calling, 
 and performed his part so well that I decided that if 
 any man could bag an enchanted turkey he could, as he 
 was undoubtedly the chief of yelpers. His call was soon 
 responded to by the rattling cry of a young turkey, 
 which was evidently some distance away. 
 
 "I'm going to have that fellow if he comes near 
 here ! " exclaimed my new acquaintance, who rejoiced in 
 the name of Hank Greene. 
 
 "I'll bet you ten dollars to one you can't hit the first 
 turkey that comes within twenty yards of you," said my 
 friend. 
 
 " Done!" and a hand shake followed to decide it. 
 
 The yelper then resumed his calling, and soon received 
 a vehement reply from an adult which was not, appar- 
 ently, thirty yards away. His resonant call stirred my 
 blood like a bugle blast, and gave me an excellent idea of 
 one of the causes that makes turkey-hunters so enthusi- 
 astic about the sport. He received no endearing response 
 in return, however, for we were busy loading our guns in 
 hot haste, in order to give him a warm reception when 
 he appeared. Finding that the supposed hen was coy, 
 he flew down from his perch and announced the fact by 
 a loud gobble, and received in answer a soft but distinct 
 yelp. This induced him to make an efEort to split his 
 throat, for he poured out volumes of gobbles in rapid 
 succession. 
 
 "That's the enchanted gobbler, I do believe!" ex- 
 claimed my cicerone; "and if he is, you" — motioning 
 his head to Greene — " are to have the first shot, and you 
 (me) the second, if he misses. " 
 
 Greene laughed at the idea of missing, and the other 
 also chuckled in the most intense manner, as if he 
 thought there was something exceedingly ludicrous in the 
 
THE WILD TURKEY. 47 
 
 matter. The gobbler had beeu calling for some time 
 without receiTing a response, and this made him so 
 angry that he advanced to a thicket, but, being too cau- 
 tious to pass through it, he flanked it, and appeared on 
 our left, twenty yards away, and commenced strutting 
 in the most pompous manner. 
 
 " Fire, Hank," whispered my comrade. 
 
 Hank raised his gun slowly to his face and pulled the 
 trigger, but the only noise it made was a slight click, 
 which caused the gobbler to look intently towards us, 
 and stop his parading. Before the splendid creature 
 could decide what to do — whether to stand or run — for 
 he looked suspiciously at us, I gave him the contents 
 of the right barrel, which was loaded with five drachms 
 of powder and an ounce of BBB shot, and when the 
 smoke cleared away I saw him struggling in the throes 
 of dissolution. 
 
 "That's the enchanted gobbler, beyond doubt!" ex- 
 claimed my friend, as he gazed into the face of the 
 stupefied and disgusted Hank, who was eyeing him with 
 a mingled expression of blank stupidity and suspicion. 
 
 After a long pause Greene recovered his tongue, and 
 dolefully said: 
 
 "If you hadn't drawn my cartridges, I'd have jest 
 blown that fellow to smithereens. It was one of the 
 prettiest shots I ever saw. I wouldn't have missed him 
 for five dollars. I'm out of luck now for the day." 
 
 This pathetic expression only caused the other to 
 laugh heartily, and when I left the blind to secure my 
 trophy, he was indulging in a severe fit of coughing, 
 owing to the intensity of his cachinnatory exercise. 
 When I returned and showed Greene what a splendid 
 bird be had lost, he looked more doleful than ever, and 
 eyed it with such longing glances that I offered it to him, 
 but he would not hear of such a thing, as he did not 
 consider himself entitled to it. As the turkeys were ap- 
 
48 AMEEIOAlir GAME BIED SHOOTIKG. 
 
 parently abundant, my friend commenced calling again, 
 and in a short time we had the satisfaction of hearing 
 the faint, far-off notes of two or three young gobblers. 
 This caused Greene to jump to his feet, gun in hand; 
 but my friend advised him to keep quiet, and not to 
 shoot until the birds came in sight; so he sat down 
 again, with as rueful a countenance as if he were over- 
 powered with a load of sorrow. The lost turkey was 
 evidently preying on his mind and destroying his happi- 
 ness. 
 
 After calling for half an hour, we saw two young gob- 
 blers advancing up an avenue of trees, but they moved 
 very slowly, peered about them constantly, as if they 
 feared that every bush contained a foe, and stopped fre- 
 quently, and for some time, in order to get the direction 
 of the call. They came within range at length, much to 
 our delight, and, jumping on a log, seemed to look 
 into the muzzles of the guns which were pointed at 
 them. As I had killed my brace during the morning, I 
 decided to give the others a chance, so I watched the 
 actions of the feathered visitors, while my companions were 
 preparing a reception for them. "When they were ready, 
 Greene whispered "Fire!" and both pulled trigger to- 
 gether, but only one report was heard, and that was from 
 Greene's gun. The result was one dead bird, which had 
 been cleanly killed, but the second dashed away at race- 
 horse speed, and disappeared in the forest. When it had 
 vanished from sight my cicerone turned towards his 
 rival, looked ruefully into his face, bowed his head 
 sorrowfully, and, extending his digits, which the other 
 took, both shook hands slowly, solemnly, and in silence, 
 as if the occasion were too solemn for utterance. The 
 Chief of Yelpers having performed this ceremony, 
 opened wide his arms, and, in a highly-pitched, tragic 
 voice, invited his brother in misfortune to enter them. 
 The invitation being accepted, both embraced and pre- 
 
IHE WILD TUKKEY. 4^ 
 
 tended io \reep over the perfidy of man and the splendid 
 shots they had lost. They shook hands again after the 
 embrace, and my friend told his " brother " that his con- 
 duct had been so noble in thus turning the tables that 
 he would waive all claim to the sum of money which was 
 due to him, and suggested that it should be taken out in 
 drinks the next time they met in town. This proposition 
 being favorably received, they doffed hats, bowed lowly, 
 and promised to let each other's cartridges alone for the 
 future, as abstracting them from guns while out shooting 
 was unworthy of generous rivals. The dead turkey hav- 
 ing been brought in, the two men commenced calling 
 alternately — one using his mouth, and the other a caller 
 made out of a turkey's wing — but, not receiving any 
 response after two hours' steady calling, they concluded 
 to start for home. On our way back we met a man who 
 had been in a blind for eight hours, and though he 
 had been calling persistently, and receiving responses 
 occasionally, yet no turkey had been polite enough to 
 come within range of his gun. 
 
 Finding he could do nothing that day, he jomed us on 
 our homeward march, and as We trudged onward my 
 waggish friend regaled him with the tale about the en- 
 chanted turkey, and insisted that we had killed it, so 
 that It would never again be heard in that part of the 
 world. Greene insisted that we had not killed it, and 
 that it would live forever as a monument to the super- 
 stitions of negroes, and the romancing power of certain 
 hunters, who had lived so long among the gobblers that 
 the only language they could speak properly was that of 
 the turkeys. The march was enlivened by so many witty 
 sallies and grim jokes that I was sorry when our roads 
 diverged, and each wended his way to his own domicile. 
 For gobblers dead, what more than funeral ntes ! My 
 " enchanted " specimen having been found to turn the 
 scales at twenty-five pounds, was roasted to a nut-brown 
 3 . 
 
50 AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 by the hostess, ami we crowned our labor with a feast fit 
 for the daintiest of epicures, for the bird was in the 
 finest condition. 
 
 Lying in ambush, and alluring turkeys to it by ap- 
 pealing to their erotic feelings, may not be the highest 
 form of sport, yet it is far superior to grouse-shooting on 
 preserved moors, or pheasant battues, which are really a 
 " slaughter of the innocents." It is not pulling a trig- 
 ger and bagging a bird that constitutes true sport — ^that, 
 really, ought to be the secondary consideration — it is the 
 opportunity which a love of the gun affords for rambliug 
 amidst delightful scenes and of communing with nature 
 in her various moods. What can be more interesting 
 than to ride on horseback, day after day, from sunrise 
 to sunset, over hills and through woods and valleys, and 
 camp each evening in some wild or picturesque nook, or 
 seek shelter in a lonely farm-house, where eternal hospi- 
 tality reigns and every wayfarer is made welcome. 
 When a party of men start out on a turkey-hunting 
 expedition, they may travel for days without meeting a 
 flock, in some regions, whereas they may be able to dis- 
 charge their guns twenty times a day in others. It is 
 the uncertainty of finding, and the difficulty of outwit- 
 ting, the birds that makes their pursuit so infatuating 
 to true sportsmen, and not the mere killing; hence, the 
 enthusiasm of successful turkey-hunters is quite pardon- 
 able. The gobble of the bird is a blood-quickening song, 
 which some men love better than any refrain in an opera; 
 while the death of a male adult makes them feel like 
 victorious generals. That the pursuit of the bird is very 
 attractive is quite evident, when we consider that men 
 are willing to "rough "it, in the literal sense of the 
 word, by riding fifteen or twenty miles a day over 
 mountains, across streams, through dense forests and al- 
 most impenetrable thickets, and pull down and put up 
 fences for the sake of bagging a gobbler. 
 
THE WILD TtTRKBY. 61 
 
 A good turkej-dog is almost a necessity where birds 
 are scarce, and he, like the successful caller and the poet, 
 must be born so, though training 'will do much for him; 
 in fact, he must be trained specially for his work. No 
 matter how good he may be, however, unless his master 
 is acquainted with the habits of the birds the number 
 brought to bag will be exceedingly small, for the best of 
 marksmen is not always sure of his turkey at a distance 
 of twenty paces, even though it be standing still, and 
 broadside on. Men may wait for hours in a blind, and 
 not get a shot, although the birds may be numerous in 
 the vicinity, and as for stalking them with any positive 
 assurance of success — well, let any person try it. He 
 may ambush them or kill them on their roosts, but 
 these methods do not equal the pleasure of shooting 
 them over dogs, or even of chasing them on horseback. 
 
 I have heard adepts with the gun say that they missed 
 turkeys more frequently than any other members of the 
 feathered tribe, and that they were by far the most diffi- 
 cult birds they knew to be caught off their guard. In 
 portions of Florida, Texas, Arizona, the Indian Terri- 
 tory, and contiguous regions, where the birds know little 
 or nothing of man, flocks of them may be met with sud- 
 denly, and if they ilush they will either sail over the 
 sportsman's head or fly into the first convenient trees. 
 I have even known them, when shot at from blinds, to 
 fly forward at such a low altitude as to afford good wing- 
 shooting. It would be better in such cases to allow them 
 to pass by a few yards before firing than to shoot 
 when they are coming, as the mass of feathers on the 
 breast may turn the shotj whereas it is sure to take ef- 
 fect from the rear. The instances in which turkeys fly 
 towards one are exceptional, for, as a rule, they only come 
 close enough to set persons to speculating about their age 
 and weight, and how nice they would look when roasted and 
 stuffed with fois gras, oysters, walnuts, or bread and sage. 
 
53 AMEEICAU" GiMB BIRD SHOOTtKG. 
 
 I have sought them occasionally under yarious condi- 
 tions and with different degrees of success, and I can say 
 that I never returned from a trip after them, -vyhether for- 
 tunate or otherwise, without feeling improved mentally 
 and physically, and having a more exalted opinion of 
 them, as the monarchs of the American game-birds — 
 they having evety essential quality necessary to win the 
 admiration of sportsmen who like to work for their tro- 
 phies. To show how readily they may be killed where they 
 are numerous and little hunted, I may mention the fact 
 that a party of four men killed seventy-five in two nights 
 in the Indian Territory, nearly all of which were shot 
 from the tops of trees. When these men could not find 
 them by glancing into the foliage, a trained vocalist imi- 
 tated the hoot of the large owl, and soon received a 
 peremptory answer from every gobbler in the neighbor- 
 hood. Their position being made known by this simple 
 trick, little difficulty was experienced in bagging them, 
 for they were so loth to fly that one of the party killed 
 five in one tree with a Winchester rifle. 
 
 The largest bag I ever made in a day, was seven, and I 
 killed them in about half an hour, in Southern Colo- 
 rado. I happened to be riding along the base of a 
 shrub-clad hill, when a Mexican approached and asked 
 me in his native patois if I had seen horses bearing a cer- 
 tain brand, in my travels. I answered in the negative, 
 and was about to ask him how far it was to a certain 
 farm-house, when he darted towards a clump of cedars 
 some four or five hundred yards distant. I thought, on 
 seeing his sudden departure, that my efforts at speaking 
 his native tongue had set him crazy, but I changed my 
 opinion as soon as I saw him fire his revolver at some ob- 
 jects, and then chase them as fast as his mustang could 
 run. After watching him for a few moments, I saw that 
 the objects he was pursuing were nothing less than tur- 
 keys, and as they were approaching me, I dismounted, 
 
THE WILD TUKKBY. 53 
 
 took aim when they came within range, and killed the 
 leader in his tracks. This caused the others to head up 
 the hill; I followed in hot pursuit, and on reaching tho 
 crest of the mound-like ridge I got another shot, but it 
 proved to be a miss. Before I could get a second one, a 
 splendid stag jumped out of covert and dashed away at 
 a bounding gait, but ere he could get out of sight I fired 
 at him, and brought him headlong to the ground. He 
 was up and ofE again in a moment, however, and the last 
 I saw of him was a switching white tail as he disappeared 
 in the undergrowth. I fancied at first that I had killed 
 him, but when I saw him move away at the pace he did, 
 I concluded I had only hurt his feelings. As soon as he 
 had vanished, I entered a coppice, and saw eight turkeys 
 advancing towards me in the most heedless manner. Dis- 
 mounting, I took aim over the horse's back, and fired 
 twice at them, bat I only killed one. I scared them badly 
 though, for they retreated with the speed of greyhounds. 
 Picking up my trophy, I mounted my steed and ran 
 around the coppice to head them off, as I had seen them 
 fly in that direction. On reaching my position, I dis- 
 mounted, squatted on the ground behind a tree, and 
 waited patiently for their appearance. They did not 
 keep me long in suspense, for they came out of the bushes, 
 not thirty feet away, and the moment they appeared I 
 opened fire, and bagged two. 
 
 The remainder darted back into the woods, and think- 
 ing they would head for the extreme crest of the hUl, I 
 galloped in that direction and had scarcely reached the 
 shelter of a huge granite boulder before I heard the 
 anxious call of the leader of the flock. He was answered 
 in a short time, and in less than fifteen minutes more I 
 saw a nice drove of twenty or thirty emerging from the 
 shrubbery. When I got them in a bunch I flushed them, 
 fired, and bagged two, as they flew very slowly and 
 heavily. Having as many as I cared to carry, I started 
 
54 AMEKICAN GAME BIBD SHOOTIKO. 
 
 for my destination, and reached it early in the afternooti, 
 but I found that the person I sought was encamped 
 about three miles distant, he being absent on a hunting 
 expedition. I rode to his quarters and was cordially 
 greeted by himself and his companions, and compli- 
 mented on my good fortune in securing so many birds. 
 
 These were handed to the cook with instructions to 
 roast them in the highest style of art known in the wil- 
 derness, and he promised not only to obey but to show 
 what could be done with them in a culinary sense. This 
 led to a conversation about preparing food in camp, until 
 it finally developed into a suggestion that we ought to 
 indulge in a game dinner that evening. The suggestion 
 being favorably received, each of us seized a gun or a 
 fishing-rod, and sallied forth to replenish our larder. I 
 went after quail, and was so successful that I returned to 
 camp in about an hour with seven brace. 
 
 I gave these to the cook, and he commenced preparing 
 them for dinner immediately. Having plucked three, he 
 placed them in the abdominal cavities of three turkeys, 
 and chuckled as he did so. He then placed six forked- 
 sticks, in twos, quite close to the fire; spitted the tur- 
 keys with straight, thin sticks; and laid the ends of each 
 stick in the upright crotches. The birds were turned 
 slowly and basted with butter, flour, salt, and water, 
 which dripped into pans placed beneath. 
 
 " That's the way to cook a turkey in camp," exclaimed 
 the chief of the kitchen; " and I'll bet you'll say its the 
 sweetest turkey you ever ate, after you've tried it." 
 
 I said I hoped he was right, and that I could vouch for 
 the richness of the odor, it being superior to any I could 
 recall. The remainder of the party returned in a short 
 time with a goodly supply of provender, one having a 
 young buck on his shoulders and another carrying a 
 string of trout in his hand. These were also soon under- 
 going the process of cooking, and when they were ready 
 
THE WILD TURKEY. 55 
 
 we sat down to a feast fit for the chief gods and goddesses 
 of the forest. ."When the turkeys were opened, and the 
 quail found inside, the gentleman who acted as carver 
 said slowly, and in a serious tone: — 
 
 " Well, I must say that these are the durndest turkeys 
 I ever saw. I've been acquainted with turkeys now 
 for nearly forty years, but these are the first I ever knew 
 to carry their young in their innards. The ways of 
 nature in the West are inscrutable. Let us pray — for 
 more of such turkeys." 
 
 The "young" were roasted in admirable style, and 
 divided the honors with the birds in which they were 
 stowed away. Koast turkey and grilled venison steaks 
 were the pieces de resistance of the feast ; but the dishes 
 which elicited the most discussion were venison stew 
 and the salmon trout. Having finished the meal, we 
 threw ourselves on the ground before the fire, and, light- 
 ing our cigars, indulged in angling, shooting, and hunt- 
 ing expeditions until near midnight, when we retired to 
 rest on beds of fragrant cedar boughs, our lullaby being 
 sung by the soughing and the sighing of the forest. 
 
OHAPTEE n. 
 
 THE PINNATED GROUSE. 
 
 Grouse — Their haunts — Differences between the European and American 
 species — How to distinguish each genus — The prairie fowl — Gen- 
 eral hue — Pugnacious males — The use of the gular sacs — Birds 
 breed in captivity — Artifices of the female to protect her young — 
 Her signal of danger — Increase in the number of grouse — The 
 color of the flesh changed by frosty weather— The shooting season 
 — Haunts of the birds — Marking them down on the prairie — How 
 dogs should be trained— The Texas variety of pinnated grouse — 
 Shooting from an open carriage — The best gronse regions — Num- 
 ber of prairie fowl destroyed annually— A stirring scene — Sir 
 Thomas More's opinion of sport — A Western Diana — A day with 
 the prairie chickens — Rivals in the field — A runaway — Good luck- 
 How we spent St. Prairie Chicken Day. 
 
 Grouse are more abundant in Canada and the United 
 States than in any other part of the world, especially in 
 the western and north-western divisions, where they still 
 have plenty of room, both in the forest and on the 
 prairie, in which to thrive and multiply. Of the various 
 species and their varieties known on the American Con- 
 tinent, the prairie fowl and the sharp-tailed grouse are 
 confined to prairies; the sage-cock is a denizen of the 
 sterile plains where artemisia prevails ; the ptarmigans 
 frequent the more arctic portions of the country and 
 the snowy mountains; and those placed under the head 
 of Ganace and Bonasa inhabit wooded regions. 
 
 The American species of wood grouse are considered to 
 be generically distinct from the TetraonincB of Europe, 
 taking the capercailzie {T. urogallus) as the type, as the 
 latter has a high, compressed, and light-colored bill, 
 lengthened and stifEened feathers on the head and neck, 
 and metallic colors. The Oanace proper, which is repre- 
 sented by the spruce-grouse, has Its nearest analogue in 
 
THE PINNATED GEOUSE. 57 
 
 the Siberian grouse {T. falcipennis), which differs merely 
 in its longer and more slender primaries. The black 
 cock {T. tetrix) has a representative in the dusky, or pine 
 grouse {Canace obscura), but it differs from the latter 
 materially in its metallic colors and peculiarly-formed 
 tail. The bills of both species are much alike. The 
 nearest kindred of the Bonasa sylvestris of Europe is 
 the ruffed grouse {Bonasa umbellus), which is generally 
 known by the name of pheasant in the West and 
 Southwest. The ptarmigans of both continents are so 
 much alike in plumage and habits that the amateur 
 naturalist or the sportsman will find little difficulty in 
 recognizing those which are allied, although he may 
 hear the American species called white quail in some 
 portions of the Northwest. 
 
 - The grouse are known indiscriminately by the names 
 of partridges and pheasants in various parts of Canada 
 and the United States, although there is not a true part- 
 ridge or pheasant on the continent, and if there were it 
 would be an easy matter to distinguish them from the 
 TetraonincB. The partridges, in the first place, have 
 naked nostrils and tarsi, while these are more or less 
 feathered in the grouse; the latter also have a strip of 
 naked* red or orange skin over the eye, a row of comb- 
 like scales on the sides of the toes, and, usually, a tuft 
 of feathers or a patch of naked, distensible skin, or both, 
 on each side of the neck. The tail feathers also vary 
 from sixteen to twenty in number, and the tail is forked, 
 rounded, or acute. Each species of grouse may be readily 
 distinguished apart by noting the peculiarities of the 
 neck, tail feathers, and tarsi. Those placed in the genus 
 Canace have a rather square tail, which is nearly as long 
 as the wing, and is composed of from sixteen to twenty 
 broad, rounded feathers. The tarsi are feathered to 
 the toes, and the neck is devoid of naked spaces and 
 lengthened plumes of peculiar feathers. The ptarmi- 
 
58 AMEEICAN^ GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 gans, which are classed in the genus Lagopus, resemble 
 the preceding, except that the toes are feathered and 
 that the plumage turns white in winter. The Cupidonia, 
 to which the prairie chicken belongs, has a tail that is 
 shorter than the wing, and is composed of eighteen 
 broad, flat feathers. The sides of the neck have tufts 
 or little wings of long, narrow feathers, beneath which 
 is a strongly marked piece of naked skin that is capa- 
 ble of distension. The tarsi are barely feathered to the 
 toes, and the markings of the under parts run crosswise. 
 In the Bonasa, the ta;il, which is composed of eigh- 
 teen broad, rounded feathers, is as long as the wing; the 
 tarsi are naked below; there is no evident naked space on 
 the neck, but on each side are numerous broad, soft 
 feathers, which form tufts. The Pediocetes, or sharp- 
 tailed grouse, have a wedge-shaped tail of eighteen 
 narrow feathers, of which the two in the middle are 
 an inch or more longer than the others. The more 
 northern birds have the tarsi and toes feathered, but 
 in the southern variety the feathering does not extend 
 further than the roots of the toes. The neck is devoid 
 of peculiar feathers, and the markings of the under parts 
 run lengthwise, instead of crosswise — as in the prairie 
 chicken — so that both species can be readily distinguished 
 apart. The Gentrocercus, which is represented by the 
 sage-cock, has a tail that equals or exceeds the wing in 
 length. This is wedge-shaped, and composed of twenty 
 narrow, stiff feathers, about a foot long. The tarsi are 
 feathered; the toes are naked; the neck has a large 
 naked space, a patch of scale-like feathers, and many 
 bristly filaments. This species can be readily identified 
 anywhere by its size and plumage and its peculiar mark- 
 ings. 
 
 The following diagram will give an idea of the distinc- 
 tions between each genus: 
 
THE PINNATED GEOUSB. 
 
 59 
 
 IS 
 
 
 rtfn 
 
 
 ^ n 
 
 
 
 v. 
 
 
 
 a 
 
 
 
 etj 
 
 §§- 
 
 -1^ 
 
 *j 0*3 
 
 
 ^2^ 'I. 
 
 Sfl >.s >,3 
 
 5.9 g -■g- 
 
 Quo g 01(0 
 
 ••-(St. 
 03 u O 
 
 
 ^ S a bo 
 £5.S 
 
 ,a 9 
 
 S S BJ 
 tC O 01 
 
 ■3 « "« 
 
 -OH 
 
 §1 . 
 
 ■S2 2 0. 
 
 >— ' OS P . 
 
 
 SSPS 
 
 ^ fl o 
 
 V U 01 
 
 
 5 II 
 
 o) em 
 
 OJ CI 
 
 01 ,£3 
 
 
 
 J o Q) 5 
 ^" S 
 
 "* p a ai 
 
 
 
 o « .2 ^ 
 
 Q+j oj a; M 
 O cotj * • 
 
 u m 0) P<u 
 
 I- 
 
 OS 
 
 a bo 
 13 a 
 ■^S. . 
 
 a t- § 
 
 aj o w 
 S boa 
 
 ■ggS 
 
 S„a 
 
 6=a 
 
 a^ 
 
 ■So 
 fl a 
 
 
 
 p;i<S 
 
 
 I p." 
 
 u a 
 
 a)-4-» 
 
 
 •13 O CO 
 O to H 
 
 g bC 
 
 n P V 
 
 lu 0) CD 
 
 o ftp? 
 
 a o 
 
 ■£§„. 
 
 P S an 
 
 
60 AMBKICAK GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 The prairie fowl (Gupidonia Cupido) is probably the 
 best known member of its family, and is, by many per- 
 sons, considered to excel all the others in delicacy of 
 flesh and game qualities. Its general color is blackish- 
 brown, varied with tawny; the throat is buff, and the 
 vent and under tail-coverts are white. It carries the 
 well-known distensible sacs on each side of the neck, 
 and the little wings or tufts which have given it the spe- 
 cific name it bears. 
 
 When the males are soliciting the company of the 
 opposite sex in the spring, they inflate these sacs to 
 the size of a small orange, expand the winglets, spread 
 and erect the tail, and commence booming, or tooting, 
 long before daybreak, and continue it until sunset in 
 places where they are numerous; but where they are 
 hunted much, they are seldom heard after sunrise. They 
 are always pugnacious, but unusually so at this period; 
 hence, if two meet, they indulge in fierce battles, which 
 terminate only by the flight or death of one of them. 
 When they are " calling," the air reservoirs, which are 
 alternately filled and emptied, produce sounds not unlike 
 the roll of a muffled drum. This roll can be heard a 
 mile away in calm weather; but if the skin is punctured 
 it ceases to be resonant. As soon as the love season is 
 over, the hens leave the males and build their nests 
 of grass and leaves in the open prairie or under the shel- 
 ter of a bush. The number of eggs laid by each varies 
 from ten to sixteen; these are a light-brownish color, ir- 
 regularly spotted with black. If the first eggs are de- 
 stroyed, another set is laid, but if not, only one brood 
 is raised in a season. 
 
 When the young appear, the mother displays the 
 greatest solicitude for their welfare, and keeps steadily 
 calling to them whenever they manifest a disposition to 
 stray from her side. If a man approaches them she ruf- 
 fles up her feathers and assumes a combative attitude. 
 
THE PINKATED GROUSE. 63 
 
 but she seldom flies at liim, preferring to lead him away 
 from them by various artifices. She warns the brood of 
 danger by a single loud cluck, and the moment they hear 
 it they disperse in every direction, and squat so close to 
 the ground, in the tall grass or grain, that it is almost 
 impossible to detect them without the aid of a dog. 
 They remain in cover until the mother announces that 
 the danger is over and calls them to her side. 
 
 They are so fully developed by the fifteenth of Au- 
 gust, although only hatched in June, that they afford 
 excellent sport, as they are strong on the wing, and their 
 flight, though regular, is rather swift. Being fast run- 
 ners, they generally try to escape on foot before attempt- 
 ing to use their pinions. The young males are so 
 exceedingly combative, that members of the same brood 
 indulge in contests in the autumn, but these are generally 
 suppressed by the mother before they lead to bloodshed. 
 
 Audubon says that the males which he had domesti- 
 cated were conspicuous for their courage, and would even 
 fight the turkeys and dunghill cocks rather than yield 
 their ground. They were more pugnacious in spring, 
 than at any other time, and strutted, tooted, and fought 
 each other as they do in the wild state. He found the 
 birds of both sexes readily amenable to . domestication, 
 for he had sixty in his garden at one time, and they be- 
 came so tame during the winter that they would feed 
 from his hand. These bred in confinement, but the 
 broods were so destructive to vegetation that he was 
 compelled to kill them. 
 
 Pinnated grouse are so abundant in portions of the 
 West that it is nothing unusual for a person armed with 
 a breech-loading gun to bag from twenty to thirty brace in 
 a day, bub as they increase in numbers wherever civilized 
 man settles, there is no danger that they will become 
 scarce for many years to come, as they find an abundance 
 of food in the numerous insects that live on the prairie. 
 
64 AHERICAK GAM35 BIKD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 and the grain left in the stubble fields. They are said 
 to follow man wherever he goes, the proof of this being 
 furnished by their presence in several cultivated regions 
 beyond the Eocky Mountains where they were unknown 
 a few years ago. They have now been traced as far west- 
 ward as Nevada, and will, no doubt, soon be found 
 beyond the Sierra Nevadas, in California. The western 
 sportsmen have a saying that the pinnated grouse fol- 
 lows the railroad, whereas the sharp-tail flees before it, 
 and they infer from this that the former can thrive in 
 the vicinity of man, but that the latter cannot. 
 
 Several experiments which have been made, prove that 
 it is readily susceptible to domestication, and that, in 
 contradistinction to the usual habits of its family, it will 
 not only pair but breed in confinement. Another great 
 advantage it possesses over its kindred is, that it is not 
 very migratory, and manifests no desire to leave the vicin- 
 ity of the barn-yard if it obtains plenty of its favorite 
 food, and an opportunity of taking an occasional run in 
 the grass. Its domestication would evidently prove 
 profitable, as it is very prolific, weighs from two to 
 nearly three pounds, and has white and succulent flesh. 
 One curious fact about the flesh is, that it often turns 
 dark after a few frosty nights, and loses much of its 
 pleasant flavor. Those who are epicurian in taste do not 
 like it so well then as in the earlier portion of the 
 season, so it may be said to be in prime condition only 
 between the fifteenth of August and the first or middle 
 of October. The shooting season really closes about 
 the first of November, for after that time the birds 
 become so wild that they will not lie well to the dogs ; 
 but persons who wish to try their skill at long ranges 
 will find this and the following month the best for their 
 purpose, provided they do not care for long tramping and 
 a small bag. When the shooting is about over the trap- 
 ping commences, for as sooa as the snow causes the birds 
 
THE PIIfiTATED GEOUSE. 65 
 
 to seek the woods for shelter and the cornfields for food, 
 Yast numbers are trapped by means of every known 
 device, and forwarded to the Atlantic States and Europe. 
 This method of capture is made easy by the habit the 
 creatures have of uniting in large packs as soon as the 
 weather becomes frosty, and of travelling together, even 
 into the snares set for them. 
 
 The general habits of the prairie chickens are now so 
 well known that experienced sportsmen know where to 
 seek for them at any time of the day or year. They 
 are found in stubble fields and patches of flax and beans 
 during the morning in the early part of the season, or on 
 ridges and hillocks where the grass is short; but about 
 ten o'clock, when the sun begins to get hot, they retire 
 to the long grass and lie there until four or five o'clock 
 P. M., when they resort to the fields again for food. 
 They are sure to be found on the lee of a ridge if the 
 wind blows strongly, and near the margins of sloughs in 
 the evening. The cornfields are favorite retreats during 
 the middle of the day, as the long stalks protect them 
 from the glare of the sun, and the ground is loose enough 
 to enable them to enjoy their dust bath, which is their 
 panacea for parasites. Dogs find it very difiicult to work 
 them up in such localities, owing to their habit of skulk- 
 ing and the dryness of the earth. The sportsman also 
 learns in a short time that he cannot make a large bag in 
 tall corn, as he must depend entirely on snap shots, and 
 he cannot mark them down when they alight after being 
 flushed. 
 
 The most experienced sportsmen rest during the heat 
 of the day, and depend on morning and evening shooting 
 for making their big bags, as the birds lie better to dogs 
 then than at any other time. They are also found more 
 promptly, as their scent is strong, and is borne some dis- 
 tance away by the gentle breezes that generally blow for 
 a few hours after sunrise and before sunset. They re- 
 
66 AMEEICAK GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 main m the stubble fields all day in damp or cloudy 
 weather, unless driven out by beating, and as they are 
 then Tery tame, a person may approach them to within a 
 few feet before they flush. The result is, that his bag is 
 generally heavy, for the cool air and exercise brace up his 
 nerves to such a pitch that he may score with his right and 
 left barrels, in the majority of cases, without much trouble* 
 Later in the season, that is, from about the last of Oc- 
 tober to the latter end of December, the middle of the 
 day is an excellent time for pursuing them, as they like 
 to bask in the sun in open places; but as they are very 
 wild, strong on the wing, and fly rapidly, it requires 
 good shooting and hard hitting to kill them. When 
 flushed, if the day is cold and the wind blustry, they 
 may fly ten miles or more before they alight. It takes 
 No. 6 shot and a good choke-bore to bring them down at 
 that time, whereas. No. 8 or 9 is fully large enough in 
 the early part of the season. 
 
 They seem to be wilder in cloudy or rainy than in fine 
 weather, late in the autumn, for they take wing almost 
 as soon as they hear the human voice or detect the pres- 
 ence of a dog, but on sunny days they will often 
 permit the animal to approach them to within fifteen 
 or twenty yards, as if they were too lazy to fly, or 
 revelled so much in the sunshine that they disliked leav- 
 ing the spots where its warm rays fell. When they do 
 rise, however, it is with a startling whirr, and as soon as 
 they fairly get on the wing they scud away at such a rate 
 of speed that it requires a close, hard-hitting gun to stop 
 them. Most of the birds spring from their shelter on 
 hearing the voice, or the report of a gun, but several may 
 stay behind, and as these often rise singly before a dog, a 
 man can grass the majority of them. When the ground 
 is covered with snow, they may be readily found in the 
 timber, as they keep cackling, crooning, and chattering 
 to one another, like the domestic fowls when roosting.. 
 
THE PINNATED GEOUSE. 67 
 
 When the packs are flushed on the prairie, they should 
 be marked down by some landmark, shrub, or clump of 
 weeds, if any are yisible, for if the eyes are once lifted 
 from the spot in which they alight, it is diflScult to find 
 it again, as the sea of grass looks so much alike that it is 
 liable to deceive the most experienced prairie traveller. 
 When they lie well to the dogs, it is better to allow them 
 some grace, when they are flushed, as a man is liable to 
 tear them badly with the shot if he fires at too close a 
 range. Dogs that are not acquainted with their habits 
 frequently flush them unintentionally, and when they do 
 this the alarmed packs cluck loudly, arouse all their con- 
 geners within hearing, and cause them to take wing, so 
 that a person may not be able to get half a dozen shots 
 during the morning. This readiness to flush is most 
 marked during the late autumn and winter, when they 
 are very wild, for the tone of the voice will rout them 
 then, even at a distance of a hundred yards or more. To 
 avoid making any noise, it is therefore necessary that the 
 dogs should be trained to hunt by the motion of the 
 hand, and to answer the whistle. Pointers are considered 
 better than setters for work on the prairie, especially in 
 warm weather, as their color is more conspicuous, and 
 they can go longer without water. A variety of the 
 pinnated grouse which bears the varietal name of 
 calUdicindus, is found in Texas. This differs from 
 the typical species only in being barred above with 
 pale ochraceous and dusky or blackish-brown, being 
 whitish beneath, having narrow bars of pale grayish 
 brown, and being somewhat smaller. Both have the 
 same habits, and are shot in the same manner. In order 
 to thoroughly enjoy the pursuit of prairie chickens, 
 experienced sportsmen use an open carriage or a wagon, 
 as this is necessary to transport the dogs, guns, and a keg 
 of water to the shooting grounds, if they are any way 
 distant; it also saves much needless walking, for while 
 
68 AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 the dogs are ranging widely, the men can follow them 
 in the carriage, and alight when the animals come to a 
 point. It also enables them to travel rapidly alter flushed 
 packs, so that little time is wasted in searching for them. 
 
 The best regions for pinnated grouse are the tier of 
 States running north from Texas to Manitoba, and west 
 from Illinois to the Kocky Mountains. Of these the pref- 
 erence might, perhaps, be given to Wisconsin, Iowa, 
 Minnesota, Dakota, and portions of Colorado and the 
 Indian Territory. It is nothing unusual for a farmer to 
 bag two or three thousand birds in a season in some of 
 these places, with an old muzzle-loader, but the number 
 shot by market hunters cannot even be estimated. I 
 heard a very well-informsd sportsman say that from half 
 a million to a million birds were killed annually in Iowa 
 alone, and allowing that the same destruction, in propor- 
 tion to their numbers, takes place in other States, one 
 can readily imagine the havoc committed among them. 
 This statement is probably in no way exaggerated, as it is 
 well known that many persons who supply the market 
 often trap from one to two thousand birds in a week, 
 especially in snowy weather, and sell them so cheaply 
 that the poorest class of laborers can indulge in game 
 dinners. 
 
 One of the most interesting scenes of its character 
 to be met with anywhere, is that visible on the prairies 
 as soon as the shooting season opens, on the fifteenth of 
 August; for on that day sulkies, phaetons, wagons, and 
 traps of various kinds may be seen travelling over the 
 emerald sea of grass; eager men and dogs range in all 
 directions; the sky is peppered with flying packs; many 
 miniature clouds of powder smoke hang in the air or 
 lazily float along; while the detonations of the guns come 
 ringing from every quarter, and the rapid flashes are fol- 
 lowed by showers of feathers. These incidents may not 
 be such as to appeal to the highest moral law, yet few 
 
THE PlSTKATED GROUSE. 69 
 
 men of a Tirile nature, and in Tigorous health, can look 
 upon them with indifference. Sir Thomas More had an 
 apology for his love of sport which those who like it for 
 its own sake might quote in their favor, for he says: 
 
 " Manbood I am ; therefore I me delight 
 
 To hunt and hawk ; to nourish up and feed 
 The greyhounds to the course, the hawk to flight, 
 And to bestride a good and lusty steed." 
 
 One of the most interesting days that I spent in pur- 
 suit of the pinnated grouse passed in Kansas. I was 
 stopping at the time in the house of a man who was a 
 fine type of the old Kentucky gentleman. He owned a 
 large tract of land and lived in almost baronial style, 
 surrounded by his herds and flocks, and respected by his 
 neighbors. His family consisted of three daughters, the 
 eldest of whom was a tall, graceful, andT accomplished 
 brunette, who combined in her person the daring of a 
 Di Vernon and the artlessness of a child. She knew 
 almost as much about hounds and horses and birds and 
 guns as her father, and could handle a revolver better 
 than many men. She was a Diana in her love of field 
 sports, but combined with that was a feeling of delicacy 
 . and refinement, and a warm, true heart which soon 
 caused persons to forget the idea of masculinity which 
 would come into the mind on first becoming ac- 
 quainted with her tastes and fearlessness. Having no 
 son, the father doted on her, as she frequently drove the 
 carriage while he was out after game, and she was sure to 
 be among the first in at the death of wolf or fox when 
 mounted battues were held, and she took part in them. 
 While I was at her home I had a good opportunity of 
 learning how clever she was with gun or pencil; hence, I 
 was not surprised to hear the old General say to me one 
 morning: 
 
 " By-the-bye, to-morrow is St. Prairie Chicken day, 
 and I've been thinking how to spend it to the best advan- 
 
70 AMEEICAN GAME BIBD SHOOTIIira. 
 
 tage, as you leave in a day or two. I thought at first we 
 might try our luck with the birds together, but, on con- 
 sidering the matter, I find that one ol us will be deprived 
 of a portion of the pleasure, for both cannot work at the 
 same time, as somebody must hold the team while the 
 other shoots. Now this would be demanding too much 
 from our patience, so I have decided to send over for my 
 old friend Captain Blank, and ask him to join us for the 
 day. If he comes — and I know he will if he is not too 
 busy — I will take him as a partner, and we will try our 
 skill against you and Lucy for a pair of gloves all round. 
 We will have a team each, and as the dogs will follow 
 Lucy and obey her, you are to have two and we'll take 
 the other two. You may have your choice of the point- 
 ers or setters." 
 
 The plan being most pleasing to me, I accepted it in 
 the promptest manner. Lucy's assent having also been 
 received, an invitation to join us was dispatqhed by a 
 mounted vaquero, or herder, to the Captain, and he re- 
 turned, in the course of an hour, bearing an affirmative 
 response. The preliminaries were then arranged, and it 
 was decided that I should have the basket phaeton and 
 pony belonging to Lucy, and the use of the pointers, 
 while they were to have the double team and the setters. 
 The parties were to separate after the first shot, each 
 work its own ground, and reunite about noon at a certain 
 point, to compare notes and partake of lunch. We were 
 a^ake at an early hour the next morning, but we had 
 scarcely descended to the breakfast-room before the Cap- 
 tain arrived on horseback, and being ushered in to the 
 rendezvous, I was introduced. When that brief cere- 
 mony was over, we settled down to a discussion of ham 
 and eggs, fragrant coffee, French rolls, and the sweetest 
 of butter. While the matutinal meal was being disposed 
 of, the event of the day became a matter of earnest dis- 
 cussion, and small wagers were joyously laid on the sue- 
 
THE PINNATED GROUSE. 71 
 
 cess of each gun, the promptest bookmaker and most 
 confident person being the sanguine young lady who was 
 to act as my cicerone. 
 
 When breakfast was finished we entered the vehicles 
 waiting for us at the door, and on taking our seats the 
 dogs jumped to their places at our feet. We drove about 
 five miles from the house, and on reaching a rolling 
 stretch of prairie, which was one mass of grass, grain, 
 and flowers as far as the eye could see, we set the dogs to 
 work, to see if we had chosen a good locality for a com- 
 mencement. As soon as they had stretched their legs and 
 yawned once or twice, they began ranging, but they had 
 not gone twenty yards away before one of the setters 
 came to a point, and he had no sooner done so than the 
 other three dogs backed him in the most beautiful man- 
 ner. Their attitude was so statuesque and full of mo- 
 bile gracefulness, that we stood looking at them for some 
 seconds in admiration, for they presented as charming a 
 canine picture as it was possible to conceive. It was 
 only when the General asked who was to have the first 
 shot, that we were recalled to the more practical work of 
 the day. The query was answered by his fair daughter 
 stating that, as the first bird brought luck, we should 
 draw lots for the privilege of grassing it. This ceremony 
 was very brief, as it consisted merely in giving the fin- 
 gers the name of each person present — the names being 
 known to two, to avoid any favoritism — and then having 
 a third person touch one of the fingers and say, " This 
 shoots." I was fortunate enough to be the party selected 
 for opening the ball, and, marching up to the dogs, 
 which held to their point as rigidly as if they were made 
 of cast-iron, 1 flushed the bird, and brought it down 
 within ten paces of the muzzle of the gun. 
 
 " First feather for us ! " shouted a feminine voice be- 
 hind me; "we are sure to beat you now." 
 
 I advanced to pick up the slain, but had not taken 
 
73 AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 three steps before an old cock rose out of the grass with 
 a whirr that startled me, and rushed straight ahead; 
 but he had not gone far before he came down with a 
 loud thud, Lucy having bagged him. 
 
 " There is no doubt now that you will be shamefully 
 beaten," said the enthusiastic young lady, as she glee- 
 fully clapped her hands for several seconds. 
 
 Having placed the dead birds in the phaeton, I was 
 about to enter, when four shots in rapid succession 
 caused me to wheel about just in time to see three birds 
 come tumbling down amid a shower of feathers, and 
 another swoop over the crest of a hillock as if it were 
 badly hit. 
 
 " Oh, they are beating us!" exclaimed Miss Lucy in a 
 tone of girlish disappointment, but the next moment 
 she gave a scream of fear, for the double team, having 
 become alarmed at the firing, and being under no con- 
 trol, dashed for the hillside at their best pace. Throw- 
 ing down our weapons, the Captain and myself started 
 in hot pursuit, and overtook them in less than two min- 
 utes, as one of the horses had been thrown by stepping 
 into a prairie-dog hole. Before he could arise, owing to 
 the kicking and splurging of the other, we had both of 
 them by the reins, and the fallen one was soon on his 
 legs. The only damage caused by this catastrophe was 
 the breaking of the shaft, and giving the unlucky steed 
 a good shaking, which made him tremble with excite- 
 ment when he stood erect. The shaft was speedily 
 mended with a stout piece of cord, and, everything 
 being all right again, we resumed the sport which had 
 been so inauspiciously interrupted. To prevent further 
 accidents of that character, it was decided that one per- 
 son should hold the team while the other shot, each to 
 be driver in turn, and, to equalize the contest of the 
 day, they wished Miss Lucy to agree that only one 
 gun in each team should be engaged at a time, but 
 
THE PINNATED GROUSE. 73 
 
 Bhe refused to accept any such terms, and laughingly 
 told them they were more concerned about giving the 
 gloves than being beaten — a statement which elicited a 
 smiling glance of feigned reproof from her father, and 
 an astonished exclamation of "Oh, you awful! "while 
 the Captain slyly intimated that she was so much afraid 
 of anything like an equal contest that, woman-like, she 
 held on to all the advantages she possessed. 
 
 " And quite right, too," was the response; " else how 
 could woman keep the world in order? But I shan't 
 argue the matter with you any further now, as I want 
 some chickens for the surprise party to-night, and as 
 you don't seem inclined to get them, we must; so, au re- 
 voir. " 
 
 Calling the pointers into the carriage, she turned the 
 pony's head to the right, and giving him a light touch 
 of the whip, put him into a fast trot. The last cry I 
 heard as we were moving off was that of the General, 
 who suggested to us not to run away with the lunch. 
 
 "Oh, won't it be delightful if we can beat them?" 
 said my fair companion, with childish enthusiasm, when 
 wo were a short distance away, " as I do very much want 
 to win those gloves from the Captain, and boast of hav- 
 ing beaten papa and himself, for they consider them- 
 selves great shots. Our chances of beating them are 
 good, as one of them must hold the team while the other 
 shoots, whereas my pony will stand fire, and thus enable 
 us to work untrammelled. I can therefore help you in 
 securing any birds you wound, but would escape without 
 a httle more salting." 
 
 As she was kind enough not to intimate that I would 
 miss a bird, I began a weak sort of examination relative 
 to the Captain's prowess with the gun, and soon learned 
 that he was not only formidable with that weapon, but 
 also with Cupid's bow, for he had evidently deeply 
 4 
 
74 AMEEICAISr GAME BIED SHOOTIKG. 
 
 pierced the heart of my merry companion, judging from 
 her words and manner. 
 
 Having inferentially learned his position as a wooer in 
 the course of ten or fifteen minutes, further information 
 in that line was stopped by Miss Lucy's abrupt "Here 
 we are! This is a splendid place for chickens. They 
 rest here in the morning, and, when flushed, go for those 
 cornfields on the ridge, where we will find them by-and- 
 by, as soon as the sun gets hot." I alighted on hearing 
 this, and the dogs being ordered out, the moment they 
 touched the ground they commenced working in the 
 most yigorous manner. They ranged wide, but lifted 
 their heads every few moments and looked towards us, 
 as if they were desirous of knowing what we thought of 
 their movements, or whether we wished to give them 
 fresh instructions. 
 
 A simple wave of the hand from their fair mistress 
 sent them in whatever direction she wished, but, as they 
 seemed to be working a blank, they were recalled by the 
 whistle in about fifteen minutes, and sent to beat up a 
 long, low, rolling ridge, or hillock, where the grass was 
 rather short, owing to the profusion of creeping bushes. 
 They had scarcely entered that quarter before they be- 
 came wildly excited, and running rapidly onward, with 
 noses well in the air, they came to such a sudden halt 
 that they were almost bent into a semicircle, while their 
 tails became as rigid as pokers, and their heads as mo- 
 tionless as lifeless skulls. I approached them to look for 
 the birds, but, not seeing any, I advanced a pace or two 
 further, when a whole brood rose within four or five 
 yards of me, and so abruptly, that I took no aim hardly; 
 yet I brought down two. The reports of my gun had 
 hardly ceased when two more were heard, and on glanc- 
 ing round I saw that Miss Lucy had used the light 
 weapon she carried in front of her in the phaeton, and 
 bagged a bird, while she wounded another that escaped. 
 
THE PINKATED GROUSE. 'J'5 
 
 " What a pity you lost that one," I said, in a consola- 
 tory tone. 
 
 "It is not lost," was the answer. "It has gone to- 
 wards the ridge, where we may find it, as I gave it a 
 dose of No. 10, and it must be badly hit. 
 
 I had been using No. 8 shot, and thought it light enough 
 for prairie chickens even at that season, so I suggested 
 that she ought to try it, but she quietly said that No. 
 9 or 10 was heavy enough, as the birds were young, 
 tardy in flushing, and laid well to the dogs; and as she 
 seemed to know more about the matter than I did, I de- 
 cided that I had been somewhat hasty in giving advice. 
 
 After the dogs had found the dead birds, she said she 
 had marked down the flushed brood near the top of the 
 ridge, but that it would be better to beat in the direction 
 they had taken than to drive there rapidly, as the inter- 
 vening space was, no doubt, well stocked with game. 
 Acting on her suggestion, I followed the dogs in the car- 
 riage, and whenever they came to a point I stepped out, 
 flushed the bird, and, owing to its tameness, generally 
 bagged it, as its flight was rather slow and straight ahead, 
 and it seldom rose until I was within a few feet of it. 
 The veriest tyro could, of course, grass his chickens un- 
 der such circumstances, for very few of them required 
 the second barrel. The few birds that did not fall at the 
 first shot were those which flew quartering, and received 
 the iron hail in the posterior instead of the anterior 
 part of the body, but only a small number of these es- 
 caped, owing to the closeness to which they allowed us 
 to appi'oach er8 they took to flight. We worked the 
 ground as far as the crest of a high ridge which was 
 crowned by a cornfield, a distance of three or four miles, 
 and shot nearly all the way, as the birds rose singly or 
 m small packs, and flew only a few hundred yards before 
 alighting again. It took us about two hours to go that 
 distance, and when we halted near the maize field, about 
 
1*6 AMEMCAlS' 6AME BIED SfiOdMlja, 
 
 eleven o'clock, we had bagged fifteen brace of birds. We 
 had shot but few old males or matrons, so that nearly 
 every one was fit for the table. 
 
 As it was time to look after our rivals, in order to com- 
 pare notes and partake of lunch. Miss Lucy decided to 
 drive round the cornfield while I went through it to the 
 opposite side. As the dogs would not follow me, I was 
 compelled to act as my own pointer, but this was an easy 
 matter, for by stooping down amid the stalks and sur- 
 veying my surroundings, I could see any birds within 
 close range. I espied two or three small packs in this 
 manner, but they were off before I could get near enough 
 to use the gun, as my brushing against the stalks alarmed 
 them. I was able to get two snap shots however, one of 
 which I scored, but the second bird got ofE without a 
 touch, I fancy, as I saw it flying high and strong as soon 
 as the smoke cleared away. I did not get another chance 
 to fire until I was near the edge of the field, when an old 
 cock rose up almost from under my feet, but ere he 
 could get fairly on the wing I shot at him, and caused 
 him to tower high, and before he could resume his horiz- 
 ontal position somebody outside the field gave him a 
 second barrel, which knocked small clouds of feathers 
 out of him. He did not come down, however, until he 
 received another round. On hastening out of the corn 
 to see who had trenched on my rights, I saw my fair 
 companion handling the dead bird, and on approaching 
 her, she told me in a rather enthusiastic manner, that 
 she had never seen a chicken tower so nicely. An ex- 
 amination of its wounds proved that it had been hit in 
 the breast, neck, and lower mandible, by several pellets, 
 and this was probably the reason it had soared so well, 
 for I have noticed that birds shot near the head tower 
 much more than those hit in the posterior parts. 
 
 Having bagged sixteen brace, we were rather anxious 
 to meet the General and the Captain, to see how the 
 
THE PINNATED GEOUSB. 77 
 
 scores stood, as we anticipated being the victors; but as 
 they were nowhere in sight, we concluded to go in search 
 of them. After driving a couple of miles we emerged on 
 a long rolling ridge, from whose crest we saw several car- 
 riages on the prairie below, and their occupants banging 
 away at the birds whenever they had an opportunity. 
 Several of the flushed coveys flew towards us and came 
 so near that we bagged three of their number in less than 
 ten minutes, and wounded a fourth, which escaped. Not 
 being able to see the team of the gentlemen we sought, 
 we decided to drive toward a white farm-house that 
 gleamed amid a dense orchard, about a mile distant, to 
 see if they had passed by there. On approaching it we 
 saw the horses tied to the fence, and our rivals cosily 
 seated under the shelter of the trees, and indulging in 
 iced cider. We soon joined them, and, on comparing 
 notes, learned that the keg of water which they had car- 
 ried in the wagon had leaped out somewhere, presuma- 
 bly while they were trotting over rough ground, and that 
 they had to give up shooting for the lack of that fluid 
 which was so necessary to themselves and their dogs. 
 They had only bagged nine brace of birds, and two of 
 these they had given to the farmer for some water for the 
 setters, so that they had only seven left. Miss Lucy, on 
 hearing this, did not forget to boast of our good fortune, 
 and to taunt them with their want of success; a condition 
 of affairs which she attributed to their execrable shoot- 
 ing and ignorance of the haunts and habits of Prairie 
 Chickens. The Captain was made a special target for 
 her good-natured ^ersi^a^e, and he was given to under- 
 stand that one reason why women utilized every advan- 
 tage they could was their ability to command advantages; 
 an assertion to which he gave his assent in a modified 
 form. 
 
 As luncheon was becoming a matter of importance, 
 the edibles were brought forth, and a table, covered with 
 
78 AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 a snowy cloth, being laid in the orchard, we sat down to 
 our al fresco repast with a keen sense of pleasure, and 
 partook of it with that feeling of delight which comes 
 from sharp appetites, pleasant company, and charming 
 surroundings. When the heavier portion was disposed 
 of, we plucked our dessert from the fruit trees that sur- 
 rounded us, and capped the dinner climax by an indul- 
 gence in peaches, cream, and honey. After the dogs and 
 horses had been fed and watered, we retired into the 
 house and remained there until four P. M., then sal- 
 lied forth to wage war anew on the innocent birds. We 
 found them quite abundant, and managed to score so 
 well that by the time we reached home, our opponents 
 had twenty brace, while we had exactly twenty-six and a 
 half. Although the shooting in the CTcning was not 
 near so good as it had been in the morning, yet it was 
 much pleasanter, for, the birds being scarcer, the dogs 
 had to work harder, and it was then delightful to see 
 how freely they ranged, how steadily tliey pointed, and 
 how promptly they backed each other, and acted with 
 the precision of machines. Few sights in the field are 
 pleasanter than to see good Prairie Chicken dogs working 
 together, as every point and back is made with auto- 
 matic regularity, and the most high-mettled nervous- 
 ness is toned down by training and experience into action, 
 which, while spirited, is as steady as that of a veteran 
 under fire. 
 
 After supper I was surprised to see half a dozen coun- 
 try wagons, which were filled with matrons, maids, and 
 gallants, drive up to the door. As soon as the occupants 
 alighted they were ushered into the parlor, but they had 
 not had time to get seated ere Miss Lucy rushed in, and, 
 before greeting one of them, burst into an exclamation of — 
 
 "Oh! girls, Mr. and myself beat papa and the 
 
 Captain to-day by just thirteen chickens, and I've won a 
 pair of gloves and some other presents from them." 
 
THE PINNATED GBOUSE. 79 
 
 This was followed by a series of explosions strongly 
 suggestive of osculatory exercise, and afterwards by sev- 
 eral an " How-d'-ye-do," which were evidently addressed 
 to the masculine members of the company. 
 
 I was introduced to the strangers "all in a lump," soon 
 after their arrival, and I then learned that they were the 
 surprise party for whom the prairie fowl were so mucli 
 wanted. They remained rather late, and spent the 
 greater portion of the evening in dancing and singing, 
 the instrumentalist in every instance being the fair Diana, 
 who played as well as she shot and drove, while the 
 automatic turner of the leaves of music was the 
 Captain, who was as patient as he was assiduous, but 
 whose only reward was severe criticisms of his awkward- 
 ness as a leaf -turner and a fowler. He received these with 
 good-natured smiles, for their harmless purpose was evi- 
 dently well understood. When the terpsichorean work of 
 the evening was over, about midnight, the entire party 
 sat down to a bounteous feast, in which prairie fowl 
 formed the leading dish, and the manner in which they 
 were shot and the ignominious defeat of our rivals the 
 leading topic of conversation. When supper was finished 
 the visitors wended their way homeward, and so ended 
 St. !Prairie Chicken Day in one of the most hospitable 
 mansions in the State of Kansas. Miss Lucy, of course, 
 received her wagers in due time, and, if events followed 
 their natural order, she is now, in all probability, the 
 honored spouse of Captain Blank, the State Senator for 
 Blank County. 
 
 I have been out after pinnated grouse late in the sea^ 
 son, when I could not bag more than two or three brace 
 a day with heavy charges of No. 6 shot, and on more 
 than one occasion I was glad to score a brace, for from 
 November to January they are as wild as woodcock, and 
 far more wary, as the least sound frequently routs them 
 from covert, and sends them ten or twelve miles away be- 
 
80 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 fore they stop. Persons who wish to try their skill and 
 stamina would find this sort of shooting very interesting, 
 but those who object to long marches and small bags 
 would soon get tired of it. I recall several pleasant days 
 spent in quest of the birds in company with some joUy 
 fellows, but, with the exception of the incident men- 
 tioned, I do not remember one which had any special 
 attractions, except the big bags secured occasionally, and 
 hearty laughter at "dry" stories. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE SHAEP-TAILED GROUSE. 
 
 Varieties of the Sharp-tailed Grouse — ^Appearance and color — Associates 
 with prairie fowl — Great dancers— Ball-rooms — Opening of the 
 dancing season — Grotesque evolutions — The nest and eggs — 
 Faithful mothers— The young — How the mother protects them — 
 Packing in winter — They lie well to dogs— Their habits when 
 flushed — Roost in trees — Winter shooting — Where to seek for 
 them — Their numbers and enemies — Unsuspicious early in the 
 season— A day among the Sharp- taUs in Idaho— The stubble-fields 
 — The first volley — I am made a Jehu — ^An Indian hunting party — 
 Good shots — Difference between war and hunting arrows— Dusky 
 anglers— Spearing trout — How to cook fish— Dogs with " strong 
 medicine " — An extraordinary shot with an arrow — Result of a 
 day's sporting — Two thousand birds killed by six men in six weeks 
 — Twelve brace in two hours — Difficulty of finding Sharp-tails 
 without dogs — ^Best time for shooting them. 
 
 There are two varieties of the Sharp-tailed Grouse in 
 the Northwest, but the difference between them is not 
 very strongly marked. The more northern of the two 
 {Pedioceies var. phasianellus) ranges from Lake Superior 
 to the Arctic regions, and west as far as Alaska. This 
 is blackish above, variegated with brownish-yellow; the 
 scapulars have broad streaks of white; the markings be- 
 neath are dusky; the head and neck and the ground 
 color are white; the throat has dusky spots; and the 
 toes are as completely feathered as those of the ptarmi- 
 gans. Pediocetes var. columbianus, whose habitat extends 
 from Illinois on the east to the Cascade Range on the 
 west, is paler than the preceding, and its legs and toes 
 are less densely feathered, owing to the milder climate of 
 the region in which it dwells. This variety is known as 
 the spotted chicken, the white-belly, pin-tail, sprig-tail, 
 and sharp-tail grouse in different localities. Its prevail- 
 ing colors are a clear dusky-black above, and a pure white 
 81 
 
83 AMEKICAIf GAME BIED SHOOTIlirG. 
 
 beneath, variegated transversely above with zigzag spots 
 of yellowish-brown; the head and neck are a deep buff; 
 the throat is thickly spotted with dusk; and a V of the 
 same hue is prominent on the breast. The tarsi are 
 densely feathered, and the two long tail-feathers, which 
 have given it the general name of sharp-tail, are very con- 
 spicuous. It derives its local name of spotted chicken 
 from its numerous markings. It is about the size of the 
 pinnated grouse, and its flesh is tender and well-flavored. 
 The more southern variety associates freely with its 
 prairie congener, and both seem to get along well to- 
 gether. During the winter the two species keep apart, 
 however, for the sharp-tails burrow in the loose snow, 
 if necessary, and work their way rapidly through it, 
 and this the prairie-fowls cannot, or will not do, so far 
 as my experience goes. 
 
 One of the most striking characteristics of the sharp- 
 tails is their love of dancing, and the enthusiasm they 
 display while engaged in it. None of the feathered crea- 
 tion can at all compete with them in the saltatorial art; 
 they may therefore be acknowledged the champion terp- 
 sichoreans of the avi-fauna. They have also a decided 
 advantage over all other lovers of the light, fantastic toe, 
 and that is, that they can dance to their own music, and 
 that it makes little difference to them whether the weather 
 is wet or fine. Dancing is as much a ceremony of love 
 with them as it is a religious rite with the Indians, and no 
 true sharp-tail cock would think of choosing a mate with- 
 out first showing her how gracefully he can glide through 
 a grouse waltz, or with what a stately mien he can bear 
 himself before his companions. No gallant would, in 
 fact, think himself fit to wed unless he proved to his 
 spouse that he was in every way capable of setting up as 
 a dancing master, and a model to his prospective family. 
 The terpsichorean evolutions of the sharp-tails com- 
 mence in spring, when the males are ready to become 
 
THE SHARP-TAILED GEOUSE. 83 
 
 benedicts, and are prosecuted with the utmost enthusi- 
 asm while they last. Their first movement is to prepare 
 an al fresco ball-room, and this they do by retiring to a 
 spot where shrubbery grows, and trampling down the 
 grass over an area of about twenty or thirty square feet. 
 
 When this is ready, the males frequent it every morn- 
 ing and evening for a fortnight or more, and indulge in 
 the most grotesque dancing ever seen by human eyes. 
 As soon as all are assembled, tbe females retire to one 
 side to act as wall-flowers, and the males step into the 
 ball-room with the easy assurance of ballet-dancers. 
 They then rufQe up their neck feathers, elevate their 
 tails, drop their ligid wings close to the ground, and, 
 while keeping up a rapid vibrating or drumming sound 
 with them, circle round and round each other in slow 
 waltzing time, and though they look as if they were 
 about to attack one another, yet they seldom, if ever, do 
 so. They pass and repass each other, now to the right, 
 then to the left; they stop to bow, then squat on tbe 
 ground in the most ludicrous postures, and gaze intently 
 at one another for a few moments. On arising, they as- 
 sume the most stilted attitudes, as if they were over- 
 powered with their own importance, and strut about 
 with the self-conscious air of a drum-major. They move 
 in couples and in fours, and when they wheel they fre- 
 quently indulge in gentle clucking, as if they were com- 
 plimenting each other on their graceful posmg and 
 knowledge of ball-room etiquette. 
 
 The figures of their dances are not unlike those of a 
 minuet, or an old-fashioned Spanish suelta, but they are 
 far more interesting, and, perhaps, a little more com- 
 plex, for, though all go through the same motions, yet 
 each couple goes through with them as it wishes, and 
 acts independently of the others. The pace of the feath- 
 ered terpsichoreans varies considerably, being sometimes 
 fast and sometimes slow, but no matter what it may be. 
 
84 AMEBICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 they look and act as if the proper execution of the dance 
 was the most serious work of their lives. As soon as a 
 bird gets tired it jumps out, and gives a gentle cluck, 
 which seems to signify that it has had enough and is de- 
 lighted with the party. It acts as a spectator afterwards 
 until it feels like renewing the amusement; but its time 
 is not wasted, for it may be playing the gallant to the 
 wall-flowers while resting. After the males have shown 
 the hens their accomplishments, they select partners for 
 the season, and devote the remainder of the year to rear- 
 ing young waltzers. Their ball-rooms, which are called 
 "chicken stamping grounds " by ranchers and hunters, 
 may be readily recognized by the manner in which the 
 grass is trampled down, and the numerous runways in 
 the adjoining bushes. Some old hunters say that each 
 flock returns to its favorite stamping ground year after 
 year, if it has not been disturbed much by cattle, but this 
 statement seems somewhat exaggerated, or at least only 
 partially true. 
 
 The pinnated grouse have, it seems, the same predi> 
 lection for the saltatorial art as their congeners, but tKere 
 is this difEerence between their styles, according to a 
 story told me by a very observant old granger, that the 
 prairie fowl select an open ridge or knoll covered with 
 short grass for their ball-room, and run over a large area, 
 and, instead of pretending to fight, do so in reality. Ac- 
 cording to his tale they indulge in dancing both morning 
 and evening, and desist only when hunger calls them 
 away. 
 
 "I tell you what it is," he exclaimed, while relating 
 their peculiarities, " they can leg the lancers better than 
 you can, and better than some dancing masters, but per- 
 haps they ain't so stylish about it. " 
 
 The sharp-tail species builds its nest in a hollow in the 
 ground, in the midst of a bunch of weeds, or in a tussock 
 
THE SHAEP-TAILBD GBOUSB. 85 
 
 of grass, and frequently unde? a bush. It is of very 
 simple construction, being made of a few blades of coarse 
 grass. The eggs, which vary in number from ten to fif- 
 teen, are greenish-white in color, with occasional dots of 
 dark olive. The hen is one of the most faithful of moth- 
 ers, for she will frequently stay on the eggs until she is 
 nearly trodden upon, and sometimes until she is killed. 
 When she hears footsteps approaching she lies very close, 
 hoping to escape observation, and this she generally does, 
 as she resembles the landscape in hue, and hugs the 
 ground so closely that it requires a sharp pair of eyes to 
 notice her form amid the grass. The young are able to 
 run about and provide their own food soon after being 
 hatched, but the hen seldom lets them go far away from 
 her, as she keeps steadily calling to them with motherly 
 clucks. If a person approaches the brood while they are 
 roaming abroad, she sounds an immediate alarm, and 
 when they rush for concealment she exposes herself freely 
 to attract attention from them, until she thinks they are 
 safe, when she darts away with a loud whirr, and remains 
 away until the threatened or supposed danger is past, 
 then rejoins them, and pours out endearments in numer- 
 ous gentle clucks. 
 
 "When the chickens are old enough to fly they resort to 
 the undergrowth, and the shrubbery that fringe fields 
 and streams, to feed on the snowberry and other fruits 
 of which they are very fond. The chickens are exceed- 
 ingly tame, and lie well to a dog; in fact they lie too well 
 sometimes, as persons must give them headway before 
 shooting, for fear of tearing them into shreds. When 
 they alight after being flushed, they stand as motionless 
 as statues, but on seeing their foe approach they squat so 
 close to the ground that it is extremely diflBcult to see 
 them, even though one should be within a few feet of 
 them. A good dog is therefore requisite for finding 
 them, and with such a staunch assistant they afEord as 
 
86 AMEKICAN GAME BIBD SHOOTING. 
 
 good sport as almost any of their family, for they fly 
 rapidly and strongly, in a direct line. 
 
 When insects and berries are abundant in autumn, the 
 birds are so fat that they are too lazy to rise before the 
 dog, but in winter, when they have to live on willow and 
 spruce buds, cedar berries, and other meagre pabulum, 
 they are wild and flush at long distances, and with an 
 alarmed cry of kuk-kuk, dart to the shelter of coppices 
 or shrubbery, if any are in sight. They roost in trees, 
 when they have the opportunity, during the winter, and 
 often keep to their perches all day in very cold weather. 
 On such occasions they take but little notice of the 
 sportsman even when he brings some of them tumbling 
 down; but this is not always the ease, for as soon as they 
 hear the report of a gun they will frequently dart away, 
 only to alight again a few hundred yards further on. 
 There is no more sport in shooting them in the trees at 
 such times than there would be in bagging a lot of barn- 
 yard fowl, but when they get on the wing the matter is 
 different, and a person then feels a keen sense of pleasure 
 on seeing them strike the ground with a resonant thud. 
 Sharp-tails keep in families until the commencement of 
 cold weather, then form into large packs, and remain to- 
 gether throughout the winter. 
 
 When this, species takes wing, it rises with a loud and 
 startling whirr until it reaches a certain altitude, and 
 then flies straight ahead at a rapid rate. It can sail a 
 long distance by merely expanding its wings, and when a 
 large covey is in motion at the same time, this method 
 of flight seems very graceful. When the birds settle, 
 they commence cackling sociably to each other as soon as 
 they are over their alarm, and sometimes continue it 
 vintil long after dusk. In searching for them at any 
 season of the year, a person may be almost sure of meet- 
 ing them on broken ground, on the skirts of woods, and 
 among the bushes that margin fields or streams. They 
 
THE SHAEP-TAILED fiKOUSB. 87 
 
 resort to the stubble-fields for food in the autumn and 
 winter, and remain there all day, in cloudy weather, but 
 they only visit them each morning and evening when the 
 sun is bright and warm, the remainder of the day being 
 passed in the shade. 
 
 They are so numerous in some of the regions beyond 
 the Eocky Mountains that a person may easily bag twenty 
 or thirty brace a day, if he is armed with a breech-loader 
 and accompanied by a steady dog. They are trapped, 
 like the prairie-chickens, by pot and market hunters, 
 and are shipped to the Eastern cities in such extensive 
 quantities as to lead a person to infer that they will be 
 extinct in a few years. If it is true that they will not 
 live in close vicinity to man, their extinction is only a 
 matter of time, unless some efforts are made to preserve 
 them in places where they may be comparatively safe 
 from his intrusion. They will be abundant enough dur- 
 ing the present generation, however, as they have a vast 
 empire, well-stocked with food, in which to roam, and 
 ~Eii^^aS^^ut little from the severity of the weather. 
 I have seen'^ocks, which competent judges estimated to 
 number a thousand at least, as early as November and as 
 late as February, but after the latter month they break 
 up, preparatory to mating. They do not separate in the 
 more northern regions before April, so that the broods 
 are not fit to be shot before the middle or the last of 
 September. 
 
 Old and young are so unsuspicious in the early part of 
 autumn that they will allow the sportsman to approach 
 exceedingly close before they attempt to flee; even when 
 shot at several times they seem loth to take to the wing, 
 and depend on skulking and running as the principal 
 means of escape. They are not unlike the prairie-fowl in 
 their habit of roosting, for they seek shelter at night in 
 the tallest grass, and leave it early in the morning for 
 more open spaces, except when the hens are accompanied 
 
88 AMEKICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 by their broods, as these always keep under cover as 
 much as possible, to avoid the prying eyes of their ene- 
 mies. They are readily found, however, with the aid of 
 a good dog, as they exhale a strong scent, lie well to a 
 point, and do not scatter so easily as other members of 
 the family. They, therefore, afEord capital sport, and 
 their flesh being white, tender, and palatable, they are 
 entitled to the respect of the naturalist, the sportsman, 
 and the epicure. 
 
 Oae of the best day's sport I ever had with them was 
 in Eastern Idaho, where they are very abundant. I was 
 in the company of three gentlemen, who were true lovers 
 of the gun, for the excitement of camping out, the com- 
 munion with nature, and the health-giving tramping 
 over mountain and moor, was more pleasant to them 
 than the mere killing of birds. Leaving town in a 
 wagon drawn by two sturdy and high-spirited mus- 
 tangs, we drove until we came to some stubble-fields. 
 Alighting there, we tied the team to the fence, called 
 out the dogs, and sent them into the fields, for my 
 companions believed it would be no use beating up the 
 ground outside, as they said that the birds always flew 
 into wheat-fields, so that they could not be trailed by 
 a dog, whereas the prairie-chicken travelled to such 
 places on foot. I was the only one in the party who 
 carried a breech-loader, the others preferring their 
 reliable friends, the muzzle-loaders, on the ground that 
 they could fire any kind of shot they pleased from them 
 during the day, according as it was wanted, without 
 being compelled to carry a heavy load of different kinds 
 of cartridges. The man who supplied me with shells 
 filled them with three and a half drachms of coarse pow- 
 der, and one and one-fourth ounces of No. 8 shot, as he 
 said that I might meet some hard-killing birds, and the 
 extra eighth of an ounce of shot, would be suflacient to 
 bag them clean at any distance inside seventy-five yards. 
 
THE SHARP-TAILED GEOUSE. 89 
 
 Our experienced dogs dashed for the light thickets that 
 fringed the stubble-field as soon as they got oTer the 
 fence, and they had scarcely entered them before a brood 
 was pointed in admirable style. One of the company 
 then advanced and flushed the birds, and when they rose, 
 with a loud and startling whirr, eight barrels belched 
 shot among them, and brought several to the ground 
 with such force that some of them made a ricochet, while 
 the clouds of feathers which floated in the air proved 
 what havoc had been committed among them. After 
 picking up the dead and wounded we found that the 
 volley had brought us four brace, and that we had 
 bagged about two-thirds of the covey. This result was 
 due to the close manner in which they rose, and the 
 fact that all flew in the same direction. When these 
 were placed in the wagon, we resumed operations, but, 
 instead of moving in a body, we divided into couples 
 and took opposite routes, with the understanding that 
 we were to meet for lunch at a stream about four 
 miles distant. After leaving the others, my companion 
 and myself flushed a brood which were following the 
 mother, bagged flve of them, and subsequently found 
 two more, which were badly wounded. As it was evi- 
 dent that the birds were unusually numerous, we de- 
 cided to rejoin our comrades and see if they would draw 
 lots as to who should drive the wagon, for it was appar- 
 ent that, if we killed as rapidly as we had done, we 
 should either have to leave our trophies behind us, owing 
 to their weight, with a possibility of not finding them 
 again, or put them in the vehicle when they were shot. 
 A loud halloo was therefore given, and this caused our 
 companions to halt, to learn its import. On rejoining 
 them our idea was explained, and was acted upon imme- 
 diately. Lots were drawn as to who should drive the 
 team, and the result was that I was relegated to the po- 
 sition of Jehu, much to my disappointment, as I was 
 
90 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 more anxious to note the habits ol the birds than to bag 
 them. On seizing the reins, I followed the gunners very 
 slowly, and received their birds from time to time. They 
 ofEered to "spell" me after a while, but as I did not wish 
 to spoil their sport, I decided to occupy my exalted position 
 until we reached the stream, and then relinquish it to an- 
 other. While crawling tediously along, I kept my eyes on 
 the ground a good deal, as it was generously covered with 
 bunch-grass, amid which glided an occasional snake or 
 lizard, whose movements were very interesting to me. I 
 fell into such a dull, listless mood after a while that I 
 scarcely saw anything except the mere earth, but on 
 reaching a small piece of shrubbery, I was roused into 
 attention by the gaze of a liquid pair of brown eyes. Not 
 being able, at first, to make out what they belonged to, 
 I halted, and stared steadily at them for a few moments, 
 and then noticed that they were attached to a grayish 
 body, which resembled the ground so much that it was 
 hard to distinguish them apart. After a little further 
 peering, I noticed several more pairs of the same kind of 
 eyes, and as they were scarcely twenty feet away, I de- 
 cided to try my pocket-revolver on them. Drawing that 
 carefully and slowly, for fear of making any movement 
 that would disturb the gazers, I fired at a glistening pair 
 of eyes, and the report had no sooner rung out than a 
 large 'flock of sharp-tails rose up and fled at their highest 
 speed, and with many an alarmed cry of knk-kuk-kuk, 
 to safer quarters. 
 
 I shot at them with my gun when they were fairly on 
 the wing, and brought down two. This simple feat gave 
 me much pleasure, for I would rather have bagged that 
 brace under the circumstances I did than several at 
 another time. After picking them up, I went searching 
 for the one I had shot at with the revolver, but I could 
 not find it. Eesuming the reins, I drove slowly, in order 
 to keep behind the gunners and receive their victims. 
 
THE SHAEP-TAILED GBOUSB. 91 
 
 which were brought in fast enough to suit the most 
 insatiable destroyer. I was so much interested in watch- 
 ing, when I was not otherwise engaged, a party of Indians 
 who were shooting field mice, ground squirrels, and sage 
 hares, with arrows, that time fled heedlessly by. These 
 red hunters brought the squirrels to the months of their 
 burrows by chirping, and the moment they appeared the 
 keen-headed arrow was sent twanging through their 
 skulls or bodies, so that they could not rebreat, eyen if 
 they were only wounded, owing to the length of the 
 shaft. Some of the braves were so expert with their rude 
 weapons that they transfixed a terrified little field mouse 
 on an arrow almost as readily as if it were a buffalo; and I 
 saw a youth bring down a curlew with as much ease as if 
 he had used a shot-gun. These hunting arrows differ from 
 the war arrows in being naiTower at the base and quite 
 round, in order to enable persons to pull them out of the 
 flesh quite easily; but the others are broad and square at the 
 same point, so as to render it impossible to withdraw them 
 without causing much pain, or making the wound larger. 
 I reached the river about noon, and there halted, as I 
 wished to watch the actions of some dusky anglers, who 
 were pulling salmon trout out of the water. These splen- 
 did specimens of the streams were caught in baskets which 
 had large mouths and narrow ends, so that any fish en- 
 tering them could not escape unless it backed out, and 
 this it could not do, owing to the force of the current. 
 As fast as a trout was caught it was knocked on the head 
 with a short club, and thrown in a pile with others, un- 
 less a squaw or a child took it away. While some were 
 capturing fish in this manner, others were angling for 
 them with the hook and line and the worms found on the 
 wild sage, and catching them freely, too, as they seemed 
 ready to rise to anything, from a "gentle" to a bit 
 of red cloth. The boys were as busily engaged as the 
 adults, but their favorite mode of fishing was with a 
 
93 AMBKICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 spear, which they used in the most dexterous manner. 
 While I was absorbed in watching these unique systems 
 of angling, I heard a voice behind cry out: 
 
 "Hallo! have you joined the Smashes (Indians) with- 
 out telling us a word about it?" 
 
 On turning round I saw my companions, who were 
 laden with birds, smiling at my apparent interest in the 
 work of the red men, and when I replied that I had be- 
 come "a good Injun," one said they would take the team 
 away, as they did not want the horses subjected to the 
 influences of the camp, nor to Siwash character. 
 
 When I asked what the matter was, they said that if I 
 would desert my adopted people and rejoin them they 
 would tell me. I assented to this, so they threw their 
 loads of feathers into the wagon and drove to a charming 
 spot amidst a coppice, on the bank of the river, where 
 we rested for lunch. A fire was soon lighted, and half a 
 dozen of the birds having been drawn and plucked, they 
 were hung before the blaze on improvised spits made of 
 willow wands. It was then suggested that we should 
 catch some trout, and this idea being favorably received, 
 one of the party said he would go and borrow a spear 
 from the Indians. I asked why we could not buy two or 
 three trout, instead of waiting to spear them, and was 
 told that the whole band of savages was troubled with a 
 malignant form of the "Scotch fiddle," and that it 
 would be dangerous to touch anything they handled, as 
 white persons were susceptible to the disease, and found 
 it exceedingly difficult to cure. That explanation was 
 sufficient, for I almost felt as if I had it myself, as I 
 had shaken hands with a venerable old relic who had 
 extended his fingers on seeing me, although I had never 
 before gazed on his features. 
 
 The gentleman who had gone for the spear returned in 
 a short time and set to work with such determination 
 that he captured half a dozen splendid trout, weighing 
 
THE SHAEP-TAILED GEOUSE. 93 
 
 from one to three pounds, in about forty minutes. These 
 were wrapped up in nearly two inches of moistened clay 
 and thrown into the middle of the fire, and as the clay 
 hardened almost immediately, the fish began to bake 
 through and through in this improvised oven. They were 
 left in the fire until the birds were ready, and then poked 
 out with a stick. The clay was next moistened with 
 water, and on being stuck with a ramrod it separated and 
 took the fish skins with it, leaving the trout whole, and 
 with all their juices retained, so that they made a most 
 delicious dish. They were then cleaned and sprinkled with 
 salt, and being placed on dishes made of poplar leaves, 
 they divided the honors of the feast with the young 
 grouse. 
 
 Having partaken of our lunch, we resumed operations 
 by beating a thin fringe of shrubbery which margined 
 the river. We found this an excellent place, for the 
 birds were abundant there, and nearly every shot of ours 
 counted. The reports of our guns brought some of the 
 Indians to see us after awhile, and the surprise they ex- 
 pressed at the way in which the dogs worked was most 
 pleasing to their owners. One warrior said they must 
 have "very strong medicine" to be able to find birds so 
 readily, and he looked as though he would like to have 
 them to eat, in hopes of getting their "good medicine" 
 transplanted to himself. The dogs ranged and backed 
 eadi other so well that it would have afforded pleasure to 
 any one to see them at work, let alone untutored sav- 
 
 When they came to a point one time, I advanced 
 and flushed a grouse, and as it rose I gave it the right 
 barrel, but I only succeeded in knocking a cloud of 
 feathers out of it. I then tried the left, and found it 
 was empty. Not caring to lose the bird, I shouted im- 
 pulsively to an Indian who stood near me to shoot at it, 
 as he bad a bow and arrow in his hand. He complied. 
 
94 AMEBIC AN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 aad, quick as thought, sent his arrow twanging through 
 the air. I watched to see how near it would come to 
 the object aimed a't, and was surprised to see it strike the 
 bird and bring it down headlong. I looked sharply at 
 the warrior to note if he displayed any exultation at 
 making such a shot, but I could detect none, as his face 
 ■was as stolid as a piece of stone. Being desirous of 
 knowing the distance at which such an extraordinary 
 shot was made, I asked the savage to go for his arrow 
 and stand there, and when he announced that he had 
 found it, I walked towards it, and concluded, as near as 
 I could measure by paces, that he had hit a fast-flying 
 bird at a distance of fifty yards. 
 
 This seemed so remarkable to me that I subsequently 
 made inquiries to learn if Indians were, as a rule, so pro- 
 ficient with the bow, and from all I heard I should de- 
 cide that they were not, and that the shot was purely 
 accidental. I should fancy this was the case on another 
 ground also, and that was the disinclination of the war- 
 rior to sell the arrow, on account of, as I afterwards 
 learned, its " medicine " power, as he supposed it was 
 unusually fortunate. I gave him the bird he had killed 
 as a souvenir of the occasion, and he took it with as much 
 eagerness as I ever saw an Indian display. "When he left 
 us we resumed work and trudged all day through stubble- 
 fields, along the margins of wooded streams and ravines, 
 and over broken ground, where we knew the birds were 
 to be found, and when we returned homeward in the 
 evening we found we had killed one hundred sharp-tails, 
 or an average of ten brace to each gun. 
 
 This was by no means an unusually large bag, however, 
 for I heard of instances where it was more than doubled; 
 and a man was pointed out to me who was known to 
 have killed two thousand birds in a few weeks — if I re- 
 member rightly it was six weeks — but then he traversed 
 a moderate section of country in search of them. I have 
 
THE SHAEP-TAILED GEO USB. 95 
 
 bagged twelve brace in about three hours in Montana, 
 ■without the aid of a dog, and I could have done much 
 better if I wished. The number that can be killed when 
 the birds "pack " can only be estimated; and during cold 
 weather, when they are loth^o leave their perches, the 
 veriest tyro can shoot them down with as little trouble as 
 he would so many domestic fowl. 
 
 Bagging them in this manner does not, of course, 
 come under the head of sport, no matter how pleasant 
 it may be to the market or pot hunter. I have been out 
 after sharp-tails, late in the autumn or early in winter, 
 when my bag for the day did not amount to more than a 
 brace or two; and I have known others, who knew their 
 haunts very well, and who therefore ought to be more suc- 
 cessful, tell the same story, so that they cannot always be 
 slaughtered in large numbers. They are, on the whole, 
 comparatively easy to kill in the early part of the sea- 
 son; but, later on, they are wild and shy, and flush at 
 such long distances that it requires a good ten-bore gun 
 and a heavy charge of 'No. 6 shot to bring them down. 
 
 Dogs are almost a necessity for pursuing them with any 
 degree of success, owing to their color, and the habit they 
 have of lying close. A person may be in the midst of a 
 brood, and yet not detect them, although he may be 
 looking directly at them. Their liquid brown eyes 
 chiefly betray them, for they stare at the intruder with 
 an expression of fear, caution, and suspicion. They seem 
 to say, as well as looks can express it, "I wonder if he 
 sees me; I'll keep still for fear he might, as I know that 
 is my only safety. " They appear to have an intuitive feel- 
 ing that their hue is their best protection against 
 enemies, and that humility is safer than daring and de- 
 fiance. I have wandered about among families without 
 flushing them, by moving slowly, and have been amused 
 at the way in which they would squat on seeing me, and 
 turn one of their bright brown eyes cunningly upwards, 
 
96 AMERICAK GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 as if trying to look out of the corners. When they are 
 engaged in their dances they stop suddenly the moment 
 they detect a man, and squat close to the ground, but if 
 he does not disturb them they resume their amusement 
 as soon as they recover frogoi their fear, and continue it 
 until they are tired. The usual charge of powder and 
 shot employed for bagging them is three and a half 
 drachms of powder and one and one-eighth ounces of No. 
 8 shot; but, later in the season, some persons increase the 
 powder half a drachm, and the shot one-eighth of an ounce. 
 No. 6 is preferable to No. 8 at that time. The latter 
 end of September is about the best time for shooting 
 them for pleasure, as they are strong on the wing, not 
 too shy, and the weather is cool enough to brace both 
 men and dogs for their work. 
 
CHAPTEK IV. 
 
 THE CANADA GROUSE. 
 
 The Canadian grouse, or spruce partridge— Size, weight and color— Its 
 northern range — The Franklin variety — ^Large numbers killed with 
 sticke — Caught with nooses placed on the end of a pole — Their 
 food in winter — Flavor of the flesh — Tameness of the Franklin 
 variety — Dust baths — Lie well to a point— Their fearlessness- 
 Look like knobs on a tree — A grouse dog — No sport — Nests — 
 Chicks— Habit of skulking and mnning— Breeding in confinement 
 — Haunts of the grouse — Bachelor parties — System of wooing — 
 Noise produced by wings — Theory of Maret — A misleading voice 
 — Temptation — An early start — A red terrier — A country hotel — 
 A game of billiards and a group of critics — An Indian encamp- 
 ment — Securing a guide — Our camp — Among the grouse — Ma- 
 jestic scenery— Death of a forest giant — ^An Indian graveyard — 
 Killing a fawn — How to "tote" deer — Heavy loads— Forest 
 cookery — How Indians look upon graveyards — Sadden disappear- 
 ance of our red guide— Electing a camp cook — Bears, wolves, and 
 beavers — A mysterious thief — A storm in the forest — Destruction 
 of our camp — Homeward bound — A piece of news — Abundance 
 of grouse. 
 
 The Canada grouse, or spruce partridge ( Canace Cana- 
 densis) has a tail of sixteen broad rounded feathers, 
 and a reddish-yellow strip of naked skin over the eye. It 
 has no inflatable air sacs nor tufts of peculiar feathers on 
 the neck. The prevailing hue of the plumage is blackish, 
 marked below with streaks and bars of white, and undu- 
 lated above with dark gray. The throat has a whitish 
 border; and a broad band of orange-brown extends across 
 the extremities of the tail feathers. The female is barred 
 with black, brown and buff, and some gray above. The 
 male has a length of sixteen inches, and frequently at- 
 tains a weight of two pounds. This species ranges as 
 far north as 70°, but it is supplanted in the regions 
 adjoining the Pacific Ocean by the Franklin variety, 
 97 5 
 
98 AMEEIOAN GAME BIKD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 which differs from it only in having the tail feathers 
 entirely black, being devoid of the broad terminal bar 
 of orange on the tail, and having the upper tail coverts, 
 which are all black in Canadensis, tipped with white. 
 
 With the exception of this slight difference, both varie- 
 ties are alike in habits and make the vast and silent forests 
 their homes. The Franklin variety is so highly prized 
 by the Indians of Oregon and "Washington Territory that 
 they call it the Tyee Kulla-Kulla, or chief bird, for they 
 consider it to have no peer, judged from a gastronomical 
 point of view. Being exceedingly tame and unsuspicious, 
 large numbers of this bird are destroyed by the red men 
 by simply knocking them down with a stick, or shooting 
 them from their perches; and if they wish to capture 
 them alive they merely put a noose on the end of a long 
 pole and slip it over their heads. Their flesh is not 
 very palatable in winter, owing to the character of their 
 food, which is mainly composed of fir and spruce buds, 
 as these give it an acrid taste. This flavor, is much appre- 
 ciated by some persons, however, as they consider it 
 rather "gamey" — the very thing most desired in wild 
 birds. The Franklin variety is the commonest member of 
 its sub-family in the spruce forests along the shores of the 
 Northern Pacific Ocean, and so abundant is it in August 
 and September that a person may easily bag fifteen or 
 twenty brace in a day. I do not know of any wild bird 
 that has so little fear of man, except one, for the mothers, 
 even when their chicks are with them, will run ahead &f 
 him for some distance, and, when alarmed, merely jump 
 into the first bushes they meet. I have occasionally shot 
 them in September and October with a revolver, and 
 also killed one with a stick or a stone. Their tame- 
 ness is, in fact, almost stupid, for even when shot 
 at they will not always rise; and when they do, they 
 may merely fly to the flrst convenient tree, where all can 
 be bagged, if the lower are brought down first. 
 
CANADA GBOUSE. 
 
THE CANADA GROUSE. 101 
 
 They may be met with on all the paths and roads lead- 
 ing through the forests, as they are fond of frequenting 
 such places for the purpose of picking up any grain left 
 by horses, and revelling in dust-baths. When a pack is 
 engaged in this latter amusement, it is surrounded by 
 clouds of dust, for each works away with a will, and 
 clucks its sense of enjoyment as it forces its body 
 through the light, loose soil, and scatters it in showers 
 over the back. If they are disturbed while taking a 
 bath, they, like all the gallinaceous tribe, rise with a 
 loud whirr that is not unlike the sound of a whirlwind, 
 but at other times they merely walk into the shrubbery, 
 and return to their bath as soon as the cause of their 
 alarm has passed on. I^hey lie well to a dog, and, when 
 treed, may stand a dozen shots before they attempt to 
 seek safer quarters. They do not squat on the branches, 
 but stand erect, and peer vigilantly from side to side; 
 yet, so closely do they resemble the foliage, that one 
 might mistake them for knots on the boughs, even when 
 they are not very high up. 
 
 Their bravery, so far as standing fire is concerned, is 
 proverbial, for they pay no attention to the leaden hail, 
 unless it should bring some of the uppermost tumbling 
 down, and then all fly away with a startling whirr, and 
 give the sportsman an opportunity of bagging a few on 
 the wing. The great diflSculty, however, is to rout 
 them, for they will often stand firing until every one in 
 the tree is killed. I have frequently tried to scare them 
 into flight by shouting, and pelting them with stones, 
 but without avail, so I had to pick them off or do with- 
 out them. 
 
 A very good dog for working them up on the ground 
 is a rough-coated red terrier, trained to their pursuit, for 
 as soon as it sees them it gives tongue, and following 
 them to their place of refuge, keeps barking about it 
 until the hunter arrives, when be may easily bag them, 
 
102 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIUG. 
 
 for they pay little or no attention to him, all their inter- 
 est being centered in the yelping creature below, even 
 when some of their companions come crashing and 
 tumbling to the ground. Their tameness, or stupidity, 
 may be inferred from the fact that I have known an In- 
 dian to kill fifteen brace in a day with his bow and ar- 
 row, and another to bag twelve brace in an hour with an 
 old Hudson Bay musket. To shoot them on their 
 perches is really no sport, in the higher sense of the 
 word, and were it not for the delicacy of their flesh, 
 few persons would care to pursue them as a pastime. 
 
 This species, like all its family, builds its nest on the 
 ground, the materials of which it is made being dry 
 twigs, leaves, and mosses. The eggs, which number from 
 ten to eighteen, are a deep fawn color, sprinkled with 
 various shades of brown. During the incubating period, 
 the hens carefully avoid the males, and cling so tena- 
 ciously to their nests that they sometimes permit them- 
 selves to be made prisoners rather than desert them. 
 The young are able to follow the mother as soon as they 
 leave the nest, and are large enough to be shot about the 
 middle of August or the first of September. They lie so 
 well then that they will permit a dog to approach them 
 to within a distance of six or seven feet, and when he 
 points they generally crouch on the ground; yet, they 
 sometimes attempt to escape by running and skulking. 
 
 When flushed, they dart away in a straight line, and, 
 though they fly rapidly, yet it is rather an easy matter to 
 hag them, even in the dense forests. This species, it 
 seems to me, would thrive in any country where coppices 
 or forests are sufficiently numerous or extensive to afford 
 it the shelter and privacy it requires; and it could evi- 
 dently be made as domestic, if not more so, than the 
 pheasant, as it has been known to breed and thrive 
 in confinement. Everything connected with it would 
 lead a person to infer that none of its family is better 
 
THE CAKADA GEOTJSB. 103 
 
 adapted foi- prospering in a wooded country; and as its 
 flesli, though dark, is as tender and succulent as that of 
 ..any of its genus, it would apparently pay sportsmen to 
 stock forests with it. 
 
 The Indians of the Far West say that this species may 
 always be found in lowlands and along the courses of 
 .^streams and rarines, while the ruffed grouse is a. denizen 
 of the uplands and the lower ranges of hills. The west- 
 ern is not so much attached to swampy places as its east- 
 ern congener, its favorite resorts being dry and sloping 
 land; sand "barrens" which produce the fir, spruce, 
 and pine; and those openings where second-growth tim- 
 ber prevails. It is a great skulker in cover, but if it is 
 detected on open ground by a dog, it will attempt to 
 escape by running, and only take to the wing as a last 
 resource. The males are quite fleet of foot after the 
 wooing season is over, as they are thin and active, and so 
 wary that it is difficult to approach them. "When flushed, 
 they utter a few loud clucks and dart away suddenly, but 
 they do not fly far before settling on a tree or in low shrub- 
 bery. They moult in July, and during the entire period 
 that they are shedding their feathers, they remain as close- 
 ly concealed as possible, to avoid their numerous enemies. 
 They keep in parties by themselves from the time the 
 hens commence laying until they are joined by the young 
 broods, late in the autumn. They win their mates as 
 the other members of their family do, by displaying their 
 forms, fighting, and calling or drumming. They rise 
 spirally in the air at intervals, and produce a drumming 
 sound, not unlike that of the snipe in the same situation, 
 but it is more metallic in tone. This is louder when 
 they are descending than at any other time, as the wings, 
 which are then placed at an acute angle with the body, vi- 
 brate slightly and with a tremulous motion, and the tail is 
 spread out to its fullest extent and turned over the back. 
 If the theory of Maret is correct, it is an easy matter 
 
104 AMBKIOAN^ GAME BIBD SHOOTING. 
 
 to account for this peculiar sound, for, according to liis 
 idea, in this form of flight the webs of each stifEened 
 feathers of the pinions are set obliquely, and the fila- 
 ments acting like taut harp strings, the air current pro- 
 duced in falling plays upon them so efEectively as to pro- 
 duce a metallic resonance. These birds do not jerk their 
 tails like their congeners, the ruffed grouse, and do not 
 burrow in the snow, but keep in trees throughout the 
 winter, except in those regions where snow is rarely seen, 
 and there they never change their habits, owing to the 
 comparative abundance of food, and the mildness of the 
 climate. 
 
 I have spent many an hour in quest of the dusky 
 grouse in the dense forests of the Far West, but the best 
 bag that I ever made in a day was sixteen brace, and the 
 majority of these were shot from the tops of towering 
 firs and spruces. How I came to be so unusually suc- 
 cessful might as well be related in full, as it had features 
 which were quite pleasant and the reverse. The first in- 
 timation that I had of my good fortune was an invitation 
 from a party of four gentlemen to join them on a 
 " shoot " for a week or more in the woods, it being their 
 intention to camp out all the time, in order to be both 
 able to commune with Nature and to kill game. I did 
 not feel at the time as if I could accept the invitation, 
 owing to the fact that more pressing matters required my 
 attention; but after arguing the case with myself for two 
 hours or more, I finally decided to accompany them, 
 though somewhat against my better judgment. Had I 
 had a friend to tie me in my room, as Ulysses of old was 
 tied to the mast by his followers, in order that he might 
 not be lured away by the songs of the sirens when he 
 was passing the enchanted island, I might have resisted 
 the temptation presented to me, but not having one, and 
 the flesh being weak, I concluded to follow my weakness. 
 
 Haying sent a note tg that eSect, the party called at 
 
THE CANADA GROUSE. 105 
 
 an unearthly hour the next morning, and hy dint of 
 shaking, howling, and asking me if I were dead, man- 
 aged to rouse me, and finally succeeded in getting 
 me into a large wagon, having room enough to hold six 
 persons, besides tents, dogs, guns, and ammunition. Our 
 kennel consisted of a single terrier, but what use he 
 could be was beyond my ken, as I understood we were to 
 slaughter everything in the form of game that we should 
 meet in our rambles. Not being in a mood to be inquisi- 
 tive, however, I made no inquiries, and devoted most of 
 my attention to watching the reddish-yellow dog and to 
 nodding at him occasionally with closed eyes. This 
 habit of mine became so chronic after awhile that the 
 companion who sat beside me said I was the politest man 
 he ever knew, as I had bowed most humbly to every man, 
 bird, beast, and tree we had met on the road. When the 
 sun became hot, however, I was roused into an active 
 condition, and after breakfasting at a wayside hotel, I 
 felt as lively as a cricket. 
 
 Leaving the inn, we travelled until two P. M., and 
 then halted in the outskirts of a ramshackle hamlet to 
 make inquiries about the best shooting quarters in the 
 vicinity, and the probability of securing an Indian guide 
 who knew the country well, and could make himself 
 useful as a general utility man in camp. Having left one 
 of our party in charge of the team, we started for the 
 village, and on learning that it boasted a hotel, we 
 marched towards it, and plied the landlord with all sorts 
 of questions bearing on our mission. He answered them 
 readily, and gave us to understand that if we would wait 
 until evening he would procure us the best guide in the 
 country at a dollar a day and his " grub." 
 
 Having decided to postpone our journey on condition 
 that he had his man ready by seven o'clock, the team was 
 driven into town, and after the horses were put in a 
 stable, we cast about for something to do to kill time. 
 
106 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 We might have read the newspapers if there had been any 
 in the house, but there were none, except an old copy of 
 the "Blank City Screamer," which was almost solely de- 
 voted to abusing the opposition paper and the party it 
 advocated, or to giving local scraps of news which had 
 no interest for anybody on earth, or out of it, except the 
 local Smiths and Browns. 
 
 While we were discussing what to do, the landlord said 
 we might, perhaps, like to play a game of billiards. 
 
 " The very thing," said one of our party; "where is 
 your table?" 
 
 "In the back room." 
 
 "Is it fit to play on?" 
 
 "Well, it ought to be; I paid forty dollars for it." 
 
 "Bravo! This is fortunate; we won't die of ennui 
 while that's in the house, anyway." 
 
 "I'll show it to you, gentlemen, and you can judge for 
 yourselves if it ain't first-class." 
 
 "All right; go ahead." We then followed him in a 
 bunch into a dingy back room, whose windows were 
 almost opaque with dirt. The table was certainly a first- 
 class one, so far as size was concerned, for it occupied 
 nearly the whole of the room, and boasted six pockets, 
 whose orifices were as capacious as the mouth of a stump 
 orator, while it looked as if it had been built in the red 
 sandstone period, and had experienced many a rough 
 knock in its long life. 
 
 As grumbling at its appearance could not mend mat- 
 ters, we were content to smile at it, and guess at its age, 
 but we could not apparently come within a million years 
 of that, for while one said it belonged to the Mesozoic 
 Age, others insisted that it could not be more than three 
 or four million years old, or that it was a pre- Adamite 
 production. Not being able to agree on this point, we 
 decided to play a four-handed game, the fifth member 
 being placed near the middle to keep count, so that he 
 
THE CAITADA GROUSE. 107 
 
 would not tire out too soon in travelling. We played 
 away, hour after hour, but could not tell which side won, 
 as the balls were so accustomed to move at eccentric 
 angles, that no amount of science could make them 
 go in another, and they generally finished their course 
 by going into the^ pockets, so that if we, by chance, 
 made a count, it was taken off the next moment. This 
 was rather humiliating, as we were desirous of show- 
 ing the loungers of Blanktown, who crowded into 
 the room to gaze on us, what excellent billiardists 
 we were, but we did not seem to succeed very well, 
 for one old fellow, whose attire chiefly consisted of a 
 ragged straw hat, hinted aloud that we ought to pocket 
 ourselves. We played until five o'clock, and then ceased 
 through irritated exhaustion. On entering the outer 
 room the auditors followed us en masse, and began plying 
 lis with all sorts of questions about our business, where 
 we were going, what we were doing, and how long we 
 intended to stay in the neighborhood. The answers they 
 received were more witty than truthful, but instead of 
 showing anger at them, they caught their spirit immedi- 
 ately, and all were soon "yarning" away, the landlord 
 leading. The battle of Hungry Hill, where the Indians 
 were defeated by the pioneers, was the great theme of 
 conversation, and as some of those present " fit into it," 
 they grew eloquent as they described the gory scene. One 
 of our party said he would keep tally and see how many 
 times the story was told, and when he summed up, he 
 found it had been repeated fifteen times, the only addi- 
 tion made to it from time to time, being an account of a 
 war dance, scalping, and how they "swamped the In- 
 juns with a bagnet charge." 
 
 The landlord had more to tell about this than any 
 man present, although he knew nothing concerning it 
 personally. This irritated a native of the Green Isle to 
 such an extent, that he told the Boniface that it was a 
 
108 AMBEICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 pity that he had not adopted novel writing as a profes- 
 sion, as he was evidently a better novelist than a hotel- 
 keeper. This sally evoked so much laughter that we 
 were surprised at it, until we subsequently heard that the 
 man was famous for his penuriousness, and the dirty 
 character of his house. We wandered about the town 
 until seven o'clock, then returned to the hotel and 
 asked for our guide, and were told that he could not 
 come until the next morning. Not caring to lose 
 any more time, we hitched up our horses, as we in- 
 tended to reach a camping ground in the forest by ten 
 o'clock. The Boniface urged us to remain all night, 
 and finding that we would not, he charged us a nice 
 round sum for the honor of knowing him. The bill 
 was paid without protest, but one of the party took the 
 opportunity of telling him what he thought of his char- 
 acter; but he might as well have bayed the moon as 
 talk to him, so far as wounding his feelings was con- 
 cerned, for he had none except those which referred to 
 money. We drove away from the hamlet at a rapid trot, 
 and were soon speeding towards a farm-house about five 
 or six miles distant, where we were told we might find a 
 guide. We missed the road, however, and by ten o'clock 
 found ourselves following a regular cow-path through the 
 forest. , 
 
 Knowing that we had lost our way, we halted, took 
 out our blankets, picketed the horses, and having lit a 
 fire, were about sitting down when we were startled by 
 the barking of some curs. Thinking there might be a 
 pioneer's shanty near us, we seized our guns, and started 
 in the direction of the barking, but the dogs receded as 
 fast as we advanced, until we suddenly found ourselves 
 in a small Indian encampment, which seemed to swarm 
 with snarling curs, and terrified babies. Some of the 
 braves advanced to meet us, and greeted us with a cheery 
 " Ola-how-ya," a salutation which we cordially returned. 
 
THE CANADA GEOUSE. lTt& 
 
 It was eTident by their dress and looks that we had dis- 
 turbed their repose, for they appeared as if they had 
 jumped hurriedly out of bed, and were delighted to find 
 that their visitors were nothing more dangerous than a 
 small party of wandering whites. We gave them to un- 
 derstand that we were out after game, and asked if any 
 was to be found in that region, and one, who seemed to 
 be the spokesman, replied: "heap, heap." Having said 
 this, which he thought was enough, all returned to their 
 wickiups, like so many dusky spectres, and we wended 
 our way back to the fire. After a quiet smoke, we rolled 
 ourselves up in our blankets, pointed our feet towards 
 the fire, and gave ourselves over to the god of sleep. We 
 were awake before dawn, and had breakfast stowed away 
 before the first glimmering of light appeared in the east- 
 ern horizon. We had scarcely partaken of it before some 
 of the red men called on us to beg for tobacco, but as we 
 did not like to give to one without giving to all, we re- 
 fused them point blank, though we promised to give half 
 a pound of "plug " and a dollar a day to any one of them 
 who would act as a guide. 
 
 A strapping young fellow stepped forward on hearing 
 this, and as he spoke some English, and understood 
 more, we accepted his services. At his suggestion we 
 hitched up the team and drove five miles further on, un- 
 til we were within hearing of the hoarse roar of the sea, 
 and there halted under the lee of a high bank, and in 
 the midst of a forest of gigantic firs and spruces, whose 
 tops seemed to kiss the clouds, while they were so dense 
 that we could not see forty yards ahead in some places. 
 It did not take us long to put up our tent, though there 
 was much discussion as to which side the door ought to 
 face; and one man was taunted for being so dead in love 
 with the poles that he would not move away from them. 
 The same individual afterwards displayed as much fear 
 of going near the water as a dog suffering from hydrophg^ 
 
110 AMEEICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 bia, especially if it were any distance away; but he had 
 no objection to it when it was in camp. Having cut 
 some branchlets of cedar, spruce, fir, and other trees, we 
 made a thick, soft, and fragrant bed for ourselves in the 
 further part of the tent, and then sat down to revel in 
 the majestic sylvan scenery which environed us. Few men 
 who are at all impressible could gaze on the landscape that 
 surrounded us without being elevated by it, and having 
 their thoughts raised above the more sordid feelings of 
 life. 
 
 It makes man better, it seems to me, to be alone some- 
 times with wild, primeval nature, for it softens the heart, 
 ennobles the mind, and causes him to look more kindly 
 upon the errors of his fellow-creatures. There is some- 
 thing so exalting and majestic in grand scenery, es- 
 pecially if it is softened by sylvan beauty, that a person 
 sympathizes keenly with the poet who wrote 
 
 " There is a pleasure in the pathless wood, 
 There is a rapture on the lonely shore ; 
 
 There is society where none intrude, 
 By the deep sea, and music of its roar." 
 
 I was so buoyant at the time that I felt like repeating 
 the lines aloud, but as it was evident that all were con- 
 templating the scene with a profound enjoyment, I re- 
 strained my impulses, and gave myself up to a placid and 
 pleasurable meditation, which was not disturbed by any 
 sound for fifteen or twenty minutes. Having filled my 
 mind with the delights of the scene, I proposed that we 
 should go to work at once, as it was nearly ten o'clock, 
 and the suggestion proving acceptable, each person be- 
 gan giving his opinion about the kind of game we ought 
 to pursue. After all had been heard, it was decided that 
 we should travel in pairs, and that some should go after 
 birds, and others after deer, in order to make our repasts 
 as varied as possible. I accompanied the owner of the 
 terrier, as it was our duty to supply the feathered game 
 
THE CANADA GKOUSB, 111 
 
 that day. The red man accompanied the Nimrod of the 
 expedition, whose idea was to attack nothing of less im- 
 portance than a bear, and as the animal was abundant 
 enough in the country, we surmised that he would not 
 come home without one, unless bruin took him home. 
 
 When we left camp we took our bearings in the most 
 careful manner, for fear of getting lost, for a trackless 
 forest looks so much aUke that even the most experienced 
 backwoodsman would not recognize one part from an- 
 other, except by some special marks which he impresses 
 on his mind, and from which he shapes his course. 
 
 I learned the use of the terrier soon after starting, for 
 we had hardly entered the depths of the forest before he 
 dashed away, and a minute later we heard his sharp and 
 vehement barking. "Grouse," exclaimed my compan- 
 ion, as he ran ahead, and I after him. We had little dif- 
 ficulty in finding the dog, as he kept up a steady series 
 of yelps, which expressed as plainly as yelps could: 
 "Here they are; Tve got them." When we espied him 
 he was wildly waltzing around a tree, looking upwards, 
 and giving tongue in the most- excited manner. We 
 peered among the branches for a minute or more, but 
 beheld nothing except what seemed to be knots on the 
 branches. Knowing that the birds were m the tree, 
 nevertheless, I fired at what seemed to be a knot on a 
 branch about sixty feet above me, for the purpose 
 of making the fugitives reveal themselves, but my sur- 
 prise may be imagined when a splendid male of the 
 Franklin variety of the Canada grouse came tumbling 
 down as dead as a door nail. As soon as he touched the 
 ground the terrier began to mouth him, and to bark vio- 
 lently, as if he were delighted with the capture. My 
 companion fired at another supposed knot, and bagged 
 a hen, evidently a mother. This induced us to fire at 
 any prominent protuberance we saw, and we were re- 
 warded for our labor by bagging four brace before the 
 
113 AMEKICAK GAME BIKD SHOOTIN^G. 
 
 remainder of the pack sought safer quarters. They had 
 no sooner started, however, than the terrier pursued 
 them, and kept barking all the way until he got beyond 
 our hearing. 
 
 Picking up the dead birds, we went after the dog, as 
 we knew he would not stop until he flushed another 
 brood or saw those started alight, but we had not pro- 
 ceeded fifty yards before we came upon a mother and her 
 nearly full-grown brood. We tried to make them rise by 
 firing sticks and stones at them, but our efforts proved 
 unavailing, for they kept running ahead of us and cluck- 
 ing occasionally, or trying to hide in the undergrowth. 
 We finally dashed in among them, and, flushing them, 
 fired a volley, which gave us two brace and a half. Hav- 
 ing shouldered the birds, we trudged onward through 
 masses of matted briers, broken branches, and fallen 
 leaves, which seemed to be far more numerous than ever 
 they were at Vallambrosa, until we came to a beautiful 
 meadow, which was covered with a most luxuriant 
 growth of grass and wild flowers, and surrounded by gigan- 
 tic firs and spruces, so that it resembled an artificial park. 
 In looking over this, we obtained a vista of the Pacific 
 Ocean through a magnificent avenue of trees, and could 
 hear its rumbling and hissing as the huge billows surged 
 shoreward, and its dirge-like cadence as they slowly re- 
 ceded. The air was as still as that of a picture, and the 
 only sounds that disturbed the awful silence of the forest 
 were the scolding, croaking chatter of the blue jay, which 
 resented our intrusion on its sacred ground, and the soft 
 notes of that little woodland rambler, the peewee, which 
 seems attached to the humid depths of the woods, where 
 its only feathered companions are the grouse and an oc- 
 casional hawk. 
 
 The scene was so fair and yet so majestic, that we for- 
 got all about our mission, and gazed in silent rapture 
 upon the beauty spread before us, While we were lost 
 
THE CANADA GBOUSB. 113 
 
 in contemplation, we were suddenly and violently aroused 
 from our revery by a tremendous crashing of branches 
 behind us, and on looking round we saw a venerable 
 giant of the forest come tumbling down from its exalted 
 position, and fall prone to the earth with a loud thud, 
 amidst a shower of leaves and boughs. 
 
 " That giant has run his race, and must now moulder 
 like common mortals," exclaimed my companion, medi- 
 tatively. " I wonder what causes these trees to fall 
 when there is no wind blowing! " 
 
 I explained to him that trees were governed by the 
 same law as everything else in nature, and fell and died 
 from old age as much as man did. 
 
 " But they don't die suddenly of apoplexy, as that one 
 apparently did," he naively replied. 
 
 I remarked that if old trees were deprived of rain for 
 any length of time the roots become dry and brittle, 
 and furnish no sustenance to the trunk and branches; 
 but that the foliage absorbed moisture from the air, often 
 to the amount of hundreds of pounds, and, as none of 
 this went to the roots, the extra strain was too much 
 for them to bear, and they gave away suddenly, and 
 hurled the proud monarch of the forest to the ground in 
 a moment, just as the snapping of the cords of the heart 
 would kill a human being. 
 
 "Well," said he, "I never could before understand 
 why trees fell on fine days, but now I can, and I wonder 
 I never thought of it." 
 
 "We had better move after that terrier," said I, "or 
 we shall not bag enough birds to make half a dinner." 
 
 "All right!" was the answer; "but I think we ought 
 to take all game as it comes along. Suppose we try still 
 hunting?" 
 
 As this idea suited me very well, we crossed the 
 meadow, towards the ocean, and on entering the woods 
 9, fawn, about a year old, jumped up not ten feet away 
 
114 AMEKICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 from US. I gave it both barrels, which were laden with 
 No. 6 shot, in the head and neck, while my comrade 
 raked it along the ribs so effectively that it did not go 
 twenty yards ere it fell dead. Having gralloched it, we 
 placed it high up against the side of a tree by means of a 
 long pole, in order to put it beyond the reach of prowl- 
 ing bears, cougars, and wild cats, and then resumed our 
 trudging, in quest of more game. Being anxious to see 
 the grand old ocean before we left the region, we worked 
 towards it, but without meeting anything worth shooting. 
 On emerging from the forest, we obtained a magnifi- 
 cent view of the ocean, which extended as far as the eye 
 could see, like a vast plate of glass; but not an object 
 was visible on its tranquil bosom, except a steamer, which 
 was so far away that her smoke seemed to come out of 
 the clouds, and a white-winged schooner which groped 
 along the horizon, and whose spars seemed to touch the 
 blue vault above them. After gazing at this placid 
 scene for a few minutes, we turned back into the forest 
 depths, and travelled parallel with the beach, but though 
 we peered intently about us, and scanned the trees close- 
 ly, we saw no game. Hawks there were in abundance — 
 in fact, the place seemed to swarm with them, for every 
 tree contained their rude nests, while the birds themselves 
 circled high in the air, and screamed so loudly that they 
 drowned the roar of the ocean to such an extent as to 
 make it seem far away. We tried to kill some that were 
 perched on the summits of the trees, but our shot 
 did not, apparently, reach them, for they paid no at- 
 tention to it. We then moved on, and soon came to 
 an Indian graveyard, in the midst of a dense coppice of 
 low firs which were so dwarfed and bent by the ocean 
 breezes that they were devoid of foliage on one side, so 
 that they had the form of half an expanded umbrella. 
 All the corpses were wrapped in old clothing and placed 
 in canoes, and each had a set of household utensils or 
 
THE CANADA GKOUSE. 115 
 
 hunting implements beside it. Each boat was tilted 
 against a tree, and faced the ocean, as if its occupants 
 wished to have that grand old chorister chanting an ever- 
 lasting requiem to their souls. 
 
 The canoes had holes bored through them, to prevent 
 sacrilegious hands from ever using them again, and even 
 the household articles were rendered useless by the same 
 means. We peered into several canoes in which the 
 bones were loose, and found colored glp,ss beads, anklets, 
 bracelets, and ear-rings made of brass-or abelone shells, 
 in some of them. My friend took a few of these as 
 souvenirs, and I borrowed a fine bow and a quiver full 
 of arrows, as I did not think they would be of any earthly 
 use to the sleeping braves. After we had taken whatever 
 pleased our fancy, we strolled about to see what the place 
 looked like, and soon came to the conclusion that it had 
 formerly been the site of an Indian village, as heaps of 
 bones and clam-shells were strewn about, and the ashes 
 of long-extinguished fires were visible in various direc- 
 tions. 
 
 This silent retreat had such a decayed and melancholy 
 aspect that it recalled Kramsin's description of a church- 
 yard: 
 
 " How frishtful the grave ! how deserted and drear ! 
 With the howls of the storm-wind — the creaks of the bier ! 
 Aud the white bones all clattering together." 
 
 When we had carefully inspected everything we crossed 
 the glade, entered the forest, and after beating about for 
 half an hour perhaps, came across a small pack of grouse 
 and bagged the greater number. From that time forth 
 -we had such good luck that I had twelve brace by five 
 o'clock, and as these were as many as I cared to carry, I 
 suggested to my companion that we should cease work 
 for the day. The proposition being agreeable, we cached 
 our trophies, went for the fawn, and by tying . its hind 
 legs together and placing a pole between them, we were 
 
116 AMEEICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 able to travel witli it at a fast walk. When we returned 
 to the grouse we found that we would have to leave the 
 greater portion of them behind if both of us carried the 
 deer, and as we did not like to do that, it was decided 
 that I should take the fawn and my companion the 
 birds. In order to make my load as light as possible, I 
 cut off the head and shin-bones, tied the skin of each 
 fore leg to that of the hind leg on the opposite side, and 
 putting my arm through, I slung the carcass on my 
 shoulders, and ''toted" it in knapsack fashion. My 
 companion tied his birds in two parcels on a string, leav- 
 ing space enough between them to allow the cord to rest 
 on his shoulders, and thus equipped we set out for camp. 
 Every step that we took made our loads appear heavier, 
 and before we had travelled two miles I felt as if the 
 fawn weighed a ton, while my associate was ready to aver 
 that his birds had been increasing in weight at the rate 
 of ten pounds per second, and that the cord had become 
 so sharp that it could cut through an iron bar. 
 
 I must say that the camp seemed a long way off to us, 
 for when we reached it we were fagged out and bathed in 
 perspiration. The other members of the party had re- 
 turned before us, and were enjoying a cup of cofEee when 
 we crawled in. Our appearance must have been some- 
 what ludicrous, for we were greeted with hearty laughter, 
 and, finally, with a cheer, for our good luck and our in- 
 defatigable exertions to increase the larder. The others 
 had killed two deer and several grouse, but the Nimrod 
 who was to bag the bear returned without one, his excuse 
 being that he had only met two, and neither of them 
 gave him an opportunity of firing his rifle, as they were 
 off in a jifly the moment they saw him. While we were 
 relating the adventures of the day, the red man was pre- 
 paring dinner in such a methodical manner that we con- 
 cluded he had received his culinary education in some 
 place besides an Indian encampment. He cooked the 
 
IHE CANADA asousB. 117' 
 
 birds by thoroughly wetting the feathers, placing them 
 in a hole in the Are, and covering them so carefully with 
 coals and hot ashes that all air was excluded from them. 
 When they were ready, the skin was pulled off in the 
 cleanest manner, leaving the meat unbroken and done 
 to a turn. 
 
 He made a venison stew by cutting the flesh of the 
 deer and the birds into rather large pieces, and placing 
 sliced potatoes, pieces of biscuits, onions, and salt pork 
 in alternate layers in a pot, and seasoning each layer with 
 pepper and salt. The pot was then filled with water, and 
 the mess boiled until the potatoes were well done, 
 when it was served in deep plates, which we carried in a 
 box. Our dinner was such a fragrant and enjoyable one, 
 and so keenly relished by all, that we complimented the 
 cook on his proficiency in the most emphatic manner, 
 but we might as well have complimented a stone for all 
 the traces of feeling he exhibited. We heard subse- 
 quently that he had once been used as a guide and as- 
 sistant cook by a certain magnate who generally carried a 
 trained chef de cuisine with him whenever he went on a 
 fishing or hunting expedition, and that it was from this 
 artist that our man had learned his business. 
 
 When the repast was over we stretched ourselves beside 
 the fire and related adventures until ten o'clock, and 
 then retired to rest on our lowly couch of fragrant 
 boughs. This life in the wilderness seems to me to be 
 the source whence Gray drew his inspiration for one of 
 the verses in the " Ode on the Pleasures arising from 
 Vicissitude," for to the hunter above all other men 
 could these lines be applied: 
 
 " From toil he wins his spirits light, 
 From busy day the peaceful night, 
 Kich, from the very want of wealth. 
 In heaven's best treasures — peace and health." 
 
 Wo certainly found peace and rest, for we had scarcely 
 
118 AMBEICAN GAME BIBD SHOOTING. 
 
 touclied the rude pillows, which were made of our cloth- 
 ing, ere we were fast asleep. We were awake before day- 
 light, and as soon as breakfast was oyer we decided to 
 move in a body during the day, and devote our attention 
 to bears and cougars if we could find any, and if not, to 
 whatever animals came in our way. While waiting for 
 the dawn to appear, my companion of the previous day 
 told the others what we had done in the graveyard, and 
 all expressed a desire to visit it, to see if they could find 
 anything worth taking away as souvenirs. 
 
 I happened to be looking at the guide when they said 
 this, and as his face was turned towards the fire, he being 
 then engaged in taking a deer's head out of the ground 
 oven, I saw every motion of his features in the most 
 distinct manner, and I must say I was not at all pleased 
 with his expression, for his eyes seemed to fairly flash fire, 
 while a sardonic smile gleamed for a moment on his 
 dusky countenance. I was surprised at this, and ex- 
 pressed it so plainly that when he lifted his head and 
 saw me staring at him, he lowered it again ia a moment, 
 and walked behind the tent as if he were going after 
 something. Not knowing what to make of his humor, 
 I said nothing at the time, and joined in the conversation 
 of the others until it was time to start on our bunt. We 
 then called for the guide, whose name was Ilkwiss, but 
 he did not appear. We waited an hour longer for him, 
 thinking he had gone into the forest, but as he was still 
 absent we concluded he had left us for good, but on what 
 grounds we could not determine. 
 
 I then told my comrades what feelings I had seen him 
 display, and they deduced from this that we had offended 
 him by taking, or presuming to take, anything out of 
 the graveyard, which, to all Indians, is a most sacred 
 place, as they consider it the eternal home of the spirits 
 of the departed. Any desecration of such a spot is there- 
 fore a great, sacrilege in their eyes, and one which, in 
 
THE CANADA GROUSE. 119 
 
 olden times, when tlie whites were scarce in the country, 
 would haye cost the pilferer his life, for they think that 
 a person who touches the dead or steals anything belonging 
 to them ought to be killed, to appease their manes, or that 
 the tribe will suffer from some great calamity. We were 
 very sorry for what we had done, but as we could not 
 undo it, we concluded to make the best of our position, 
 and go without the guide unbil we could get another. 
 Our first act was to inquire who would act as cook, but 
 as nobody seemed willing to volunteer for that situation, 
 it was voted that whoever missed the first shot during 
 the day should be unanimously elected chief of the 
 kitchen. When we moved out of camp every one was 
 fully determined not to be elected if he could help it, 
 but as the "best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft 
 a glee," we found it the same, for the gentleman who had 
 the most objection to that situation — he who loved the 
 tent pole so much that he would not move away from it 
 while we were erecting our quarters — fired at a grouse 
 that rose almost at his feet, and missed it in the cleanest 
 manner. 
 
 This feat was greeted with a hearty cheer, and the per- 
 former was promptly ordered back to prepare dinner, dire 
 threats being hurled at him in case he proved derelict in 
 his duties. He looked very much crest-fallen at his ill 
 fortune, but he obeyed the fiat for all that, and solemnly 
 returned to camp to apostrophize salt pork, and rue the 
 moment he so far forgot himself as to fire at that grouse. 
 When he left us, we walked slowly in an extended line, and 
 carefully scanned every shrub and tree in search of game. 
 I saw a large black bear at one time, but having nothing 
 larger than No. 5 shot in my case, I allowed it to escape 
 without a salute, as it did not seem to want to know me, 
 or else it had such urgent business in another direction 
 that it could not stop to make my acquaintance. 
 
 A wolf also passed close by and halted to gaze on me, 
 
130 AMEKICAN GAME BIED SHOOTI]S"G. 
 
 and being apparently well satisfied with its scrutiny, it 
 trotted away, much to my disappointment, for though I 
 wished it a "speedy taking off," it was not by running 
 off, but by leaving me its hide. While I was trudging 
 through the tangled shrubbery I heard shots quite fre- 
 quently to my right — I was on the extreme left — ^but I 
 did not fire once in the space of an hour, although 
 I knew Tery well that grouse were as abundant as they 
 could well be, and that deer were numerous enough to 
 satisfy the most insatiable hunter. I floundered along, 
 howeTer, until I came to a smq,ll lake which was dammed 
 up in seyeral places by the domiciles of beayers. Being 
 very anxious to capture one of these creatures, I watched 
 their dams for the space of fifteen or twenty minutes, 
 and finally caught a glimpse of two as they thrust their 
 noses above the water, quite close to the wall, and not 
 forty feet away from me. When they got their heads 
 close together I gave them both barrels *in rapid succes- 
 sion, and killed them, as the shot penetrated to the 
 brain through the eyes. I then secured them before 
 they could sink out of sight. 
 
 Slinging them on a pole, by tying their hind legs to- 
 gether, I started back for camp, in order to hand them 
 to the cook, so that he might give us roast beaver tail 
 for dinner. I arrived there in due time — ^though I feared 
 once or twice I had lost my way, as I crossed and re- 
 crossed my own tracks — and I had no sooner entered 
 than the chief of the pots began questioning me about 
 my movements in such a peculiar manner that I asked 
 him what ailed him, and intimated that the dignity of 
 his new duties had turned his head. 
 
 "Somebody has been fooling around the camp since 
 I've been here, and trying to scare me, and I thought 
 probably it was you," he said. 
 
 "Did you see any person?" 
 
 "I did once, behind that tree" — pointing to a huge 
 
tHE CANADA GBOUSE. 121 
 
 spme& — "but when I got there I couldn't see any- 
 body." 
 
 "Did you look for any signs? " 
 
 "No." 
 
 " Perhaps it was that guide," I replied. I'll go and 
 see if he has been standing there, and if he has, we 
 know that he is up to some mischief." 
 
 I started off accordingly, and on reaching the tree I 
 found the fresh imprints of moccasins on the moss that 
 grew at its base. CouTinced of the correctness of my 
 suspicions, I returned and asked the cook if he had lost 
 anything, and he replied that he had not. 
 
 " You had better see," said I. 
 
 Both of us then commenced examining the food, pots, 
 pans, and knives and forks, and found them all right. 
 The idea then suddenly dawned upon me to look for the 
 bow and arrow I had left in the tent, and the moment I 
 entered I saw that it was gone, and also the ornaments 
 which my companion had taken from the cemetery. 
 
 " That guide has been here," I exclaimed. 
 
 " Not to my knowledge," was the response. 
 
 " He has," said I, "because the trinkets and weapons 
 brought from the graveyard have been stolen." 
 
 "Well," he replif^d, after being convinced that they 
 had been taken, " I've read about the cunning of Indians, 
 but I would not believe they could steal like that and get 
 away without my knowledge." 
 
 As nothing could be done just then, we set about pre- 
 paring dinner, and by the time the others returned, at 
 the unfashionable hour of two o'clock, we had roasted 
 beaver tail, roast deer's head, venison stew, and other 
 palatable dishes ready for them. While we were doing 
 justice to the repast, the loss of the trinkets was men- 
 tioned, and after an animated discussion about the mat- 
 ter it was resolved to give the guide five dollars as a pres- 
 ent for being such a good thief. 
 
 6 
 
las AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOOTIIfa. 
 
 The midday meal was hardly over before the forest, 
 which had been as still during the morning as if it were 
 a painted one, began to get its Toice, so to speak, and to 
 bow and sough before a stiff breeze which blew from the 
 ocean. Some said this indicated rain, and suggested 
 that it would be best to remain in camp during the after- 
 noon, but others thought we ought to make the most of 
 the time at our command and get as much game as pos- 
 sible. The latter having carried the point, we started 
 off again, leaving the cook behind to keep camp and 
 drive away any animals that might take a fancy to our 
 food. We had not proceeded more than a mile before it 
 became evident that a storm was brewing, but, not caring 
 to turn back, we continued on our course, though we 
 met no game except grouse, and these we tumbled out 
 of the trees, where they had sought refuge from the 
 threatened violence of the elements. 
 
 While we were wandering about, the forest giants 
 changed their notes from subdued murmuring to a hiss- 
 ing moan, and, finally, swayed violently back and forth 
 and fairly roared. The rain also came down in such 
 heavy torrents that the whole heavens seemed to have 
 been let loose, while the wind screamed, and whirled 
 leaves and branches through the air in the wildest con- 
 fusion. Finding it impossible to face the fury of the 
 tempest, we sought shelter under the protecting arms of 
 a huge fir, which must have seen many centuries of life, 
 but it proved anything but a refuge to us, for we were 
 drenched to the skin in a short time. Our situation 
 finally became so uncomfortable that we decided to get 
 back to camp as soon as possible, for it was evident that 
 we could not be in a worse plight than we were. We 
 therefore sallied forth, and bending low our heads, in 
 order to overcome the resistance of the wind and protect 
 ourselves from the clouds of sticks that were flying about, 
 we ran for our quarters as fast as our clinging garments 
 
THE CAKADA CSKOUSE. 133 
 
 would permit us. When we got there we found every- 
 thing in confusion, for the fire was extinguished, the 
 tent rent in several places, torn from its fastenings, 
 and flapping violently in the breeze; our flour and crack- 
 ers were soaked through with rain; and our bedding 
 was floating in a miniature lake. This condition of af- 
 fairs was most unexpected, but as dwellers in and lovers 
 of the wilderness are imbued with hope and self-reliance 
 above all things, our calamities did not worry us much. 
 Seeing that it would be useless to camp out in such a 
 storm, we hitched up the horses, packed our sadly torn 
 tent and the cooking utensils, and drove away, in hopes 
 of being able to find shelter in some farm-house for the 
 night. 
 
 After driving for a couple of hours through the track- 
 less forest, we struck a cow path, and followed this up 
 until we came to the spot where the Indian camp had 
 stood, but we found that place deserted by all living 
 things except an owl that hooted at us from the top of 
 a moaning fir. Knowing where we were, we drove rap- 
 idly onward and soon reached the hotel at Blanktown, 
 where we were furnished with lodgings, and a comforta- 
 ble supper, the main ingredients of which we supplied 
 ourselves. Our clothes were dried by the fire while we 
 were in bed, and when we arose the next morning they 
 were fit to wear. 
 
 "We learned a piece of news the next morning from a 
 farmer who had just come in with a load of hay, that 
 startled us. The first item was, that the landlord, in 
 order to lure people to the hotel, had spread abroad that 
 we were ofiicials looking about for the best route for a pro- 
 posed railway; and the second, that the Indians had 
 gone to the graveyard we had visited, in order to protect 
 it from further desecration, even at 'the cost of their lives 
 if necessary. He even intimated that they would have at- 
 tacked us had we gone there, and that we were fortunate 
 
124 AMEEICAlf GlMB BiSD SfidOTIlfA. 
 
 to get away with the horses, as the savages would con- 
 sider no punishment too severe for us. As he knew the 
 Indians very well he was asked to explain the matter 
 about the graveyard to them, but he said it would be a 
 useless waste of words, as no one could make any ex- 
 planation that would satisfy them in such a case. He 
 also intimated that we would do well to keep away from 
 the vicinity of the tribe for some time. Not caring to 
 have any trouble with the savages, we started homeward 
 after breakfast and reached there in due time, and so 
 ended one trip after the Franklin variety of the Canada 
 grouse. I learned afterwards that the Indians were so 
 angry at what we had done that they would have caused 
 us no little trouble had they caught us, but as they had 
 not, they reported us to the Superintendent of Indian 
 Affairs, and there the matter stopped, so far as we 
 were concerned. 
 
 I have wandered for hours through the forest in search 
 of this grouse, and was often fortunate enough to secure 
 several brace, besides other game, but I never saw the 
 bird display any other traits except those I have men- 
 tioned. I have known the birds to be so numerous 
 around the camp when parties which I accompanied 
 were out deer or bear hunting in the woods, that I think 
 it would be safe to say that a man could kill a hundi-ed 
 in a day, provided he shot them as he found them, that 
 is, on the ground or on trees. I know we found them 
 so plentiful at certain seasons that we did not condescend 
 to kill them except as we wanted them for immediate use. 
 
CHAPTEE V. 
 
 THE DUSKY GROUSE. 
 
 The Dusky Grouse— Its various names— Size, weight, and eolor— Char- 
 acter of flesh — A handsome bird — The courting song— A feath- 
 ered ventriloquist— How to find its retreat — Nesting— Unsuspicious 
 mothers— Tame chicliens— Food— Restless disposition of the birds 
 — Favorite haunts — Do not paclc- Are wild in winter— Their habit 
 of squatting— Abundant beyond the Rocky Mountains— Indian 
 superstition concerning them— Different varieties— A visit to Lake 
 Coeur d'Alene— Magnificent scenei^- An aerial drama— Flying 
 contest between an osprey and an eagle — Philosophizing on human 
 nature and bird nature— A night scene— Cries of wild animals— In 
 the forest— Death of a stag and a doe — Maternal feeling of the 
 latter— Superstitions about bears- How to cook deer heads and 
 bear meat— Indian visitors— Hunting the grouse— Their method of 
 concealment — A confidant bird — A large bag — Abundance of troul 
 — How to cook them — Searching for a lost punster — A wolf sere- 
 nade—A varied gamebag— Spearing trout— A feast in the wilder- 
 ness — A mountain storm — A delightful reminiscence. 
 
 The Dusky Grouse ( Ganace dbscura), which is placed 
 in the sub-genus Dendragapus, is known by various 
 names in different parts of the country — such as the 
 blue, gray, mountain, and pine grouse, hill cock and 
 cock of the woods, and, in a few places, as the fool-hen, 
 from its peculiarly unsuspicious nature — ranks high as a 
 table-bird, its white flesh being tender, succulent, and of 
 a delicate flavor. It is larger than any of the grouse, ex- 
 cept the sage cock, an adult male weighing about three 
 pounds and a half when in prime condition. It is dark- 
 ish in color; the tail is brownish-black, but is more or 
 less marked with gray, and has a broad, slate-gray, ter- 
 minal bar — a characteristic not seen in the other species. 
 The back and wings are dark-brown, finely undulated 
 with irregular, slate-gray feathers, mixed with ochreous 
 125 
 
136 AMERICAN GAME BIBD SHOOTING. 
 
 brown, and some white on the scapularies. The long 
 feathers of the sides are similar to those of the back, and 
 the under parts are a bluish-gray, variegated with white, 
 especially on the lower part of the abdomen. The cheeks 
 are black, the throat is speckled with black and white, 
 the legs are feathered to the toes, and the usual warty 
 skin is found over the eye. The female is lighter in color 
 than the male, and also smaller — the latter having a 
 length varying from eighteen to twenty-four inches, the 
 former from sixteen to twenty inches. 
 
 The male is probably the handsomest of the grouse 
 family, when he is in full plumage, in spring or winter, 
 as he has a proud and stately appearance, which makes 
 him seem exceedingly self-conscious. He looks more im- 
 posing during the mating season than at any other period, 
 especially when he is indulging in erotic calls, as he then 
 swells with pride, and struts around with the air of a 
 conquering gallant. He commences calling as early as 
 February in some parts of the Pacific Coast, but he does 
 not, as a rule, develop into a professional troubadour 
 until March. He is then most persistent in attracting 
 attention to his lonely condition, as he frequently in- 
 dulges in erotic lays both night and day, with only slight 
 intermissions. His courting song is a deep, prolonged, 
 whirring noise, which is repeated rapidly several times, 
 then stopped for a while. This is supposed to be pro- 
 duced by the alternate inflation and contraction of the 
 air sacs on the sides of the throat. 
 
 No species of the family has so much control over its 
 voice as this one, for so misleading are its calls that a 
 person might imagine they came from a long distance, 
 whereas the bird uttering them may not be ten feet away. 
 Experience does not always prevent a person from being 
 deceived by them, for I have sometimes gone to the foot of 
 a tree in which I knew a cock had taken refuge, and been 
 led to seek for him elsewhere on hearing his cry. The 
 
THE DUSKY GBOUSE. 137 
 
 best way of finding the retreat of this feathered ventrilo- 
 quist is to listen to his calling long enough to enable one 
 to locate the spot from which it issues. This frequently 
 requires time and patience, and a diligent scanning of 
 the trees. Owing to his darkish hue and his habit of re- 
 maining immovable on a branch, a man may search for 
 a long time before recognizing him, as he looks like a 
 large knot at a distance. The mates readily find one 
 another, however, and never, so far as my experience 
 goes, fail in immediately detecting each other's retreat. 
 I have seen the female fly to the tree in which her gal- 
 lant was established, as soon as he commenced piping his 
 lay; yet I could not tell from what direction his calls 
 came, and I%ould never have known, in all probability, 
 were it not for the flight of the hen. 
 
 This species, like the others, nests on the ground, the 
 eggs being of a creamy hue, speckled with chocolate 
 brown. The mother is dutiful and painstaking, and as 
 good a provider of food as she can well be, but she does 
 not manifest such alarm about her brood as the ruffed 
 grouse, nor does she employ any of the stratagems of the 
 latter in leading the enemy away from them. She takes 
 very little notice of man at any time, and should he 
 catch one of her chicks, she would merely walk about 
 anxiously, and cluck her fears, much as a domestic hen 
 does. • When the young are about three months old they 
 are delicious eating, but they do not afford much sport, 
 owing to their tameness, for they will allow a dog to ap- 
 proach them to within a few feet before they fly away. 
 Even when treed, a brood will stand firing until all are 
 killed, especially if the lower ones are shot first. I have 
 known fifteen of them to be bagged on a public road be- 
 fore the remainder became wise enough to retreat out of 
 range. Both old and young live on berries, nuts, seeds, 
 insects, and grain during the summer and autumn, and on 
 the buds of fir, pine, and spruce trees in winter and early 
 
128 AMEEICAlfr GAME BIKD SHOOTIITG. 
 
 spring. Being solitary in habit, and of a roving, restless 
 disposition, this grouse may be found in many regions, 
 the opposite of each other in character, but its favorite 
 haunts are wooded mountains having an altitude varying 
 from one to six thousand feet. It makes its winter home 
 among the highest trees in districts where snow falls 
 heavily, and there it lives secure from all dangers, except 
 the lightning or the tempest. 
 
 It is found in all the wooded regions from the Eocky 
 Mountains to the Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges. It 
 mingles with the rufEed grouse in some places, for both 
 species are much alike in taste and habits. It does not 
 " pack," as its prairie congeners do; hence, it is a rare 
 occurrence to find more than ten or a dflfeen together 
 after the families break up in the autumn. Single birds 
 are met with in winter oftener than packs, especially if 
 they have been shot at much; yet I have seen a group 
 of twelve in the month of December. They are wilder 
 in winter than at any other time, but they will even then 
 allow a man to come within easy shooting range before 
 they attempt to flee. If they become alarmed when they 
 are on the ground, they squat as closely as they can, 
 stretch out their necks, and peer vigilantly about; and 
 if they are flushed, they rise with a loud whirr, and, with 
 a few rapid, powerful strokes of the wing, find refuge in 
 some towering conifer. 
 
 A person may fire at them in a tree a dozen times 
 without eliciting a note or a movement from them, for 
 they stand the leaden hail that falls about them with 
 greater indifference than the coolest veteran that ever 
 entered a battle field. If one is wounded, however, it 
 will attempt to fly, and this is likely to cause the whole 
 pack to dart away, but they may not go more than two- 
 or three hundred yards before they alight again. It is 
 nothing unusual to meet twenty or thirty families in a 
 day's walk in some of the regions beyond the Rocky 
 
THE DUSKY GEOUSE. 139 
 
 Mountains, and a person fond of slaughter may bag most 
 of them, owing to their tameness and unsuspicious na- 
 ture. Some western sportsmen say that the hen has 
 two broods in a season, if the spring opens early and the 
 weather is fine, but that the second brood rarely numbers 
 more than seven or eight, or about one-half the first. 
 The chicks are able to fly when they are three weeks old, 
 and are strong enough in August to look after them- 
 selves. "When they are with the mother she takes them 
 to the creek bottoms late in the afternoon, and there 
 they may be found during the evening and early morn- 
 ing. If they are scattered, they lie well to a dog, and 
 as they rise only as they are flushed, the majority, if not 
 all, may be brought to bag, for, though swift on the 
 wing, they fly straight ahead. 
 
 The Indians of some portions of the West have such 
 a superstitious reverence for this bird during its mat- 
 ing season that they will not injure it, even when 
 they are suffering from hunger, for fear it might bring 
 them " bad medicine; " but these scruples disappear later 
 on, when the young are in prime condition, for they then 
 capture them in every possible way, from snaring to 
 shooting. They often follow single birds or small coveys 
 by ti-acking them in snow, and when the footsteps end 
 they look for the fugitives in the trees, though often 
 without success, owing to the harmony of hue existing 
 between them and the foliage amid which they seek 
 shelter. Two varieties of this species are supposed to 
 exist in the West, yet the difference between them is 
 slight, though perhaps sufficient to give them a varietal 
 name. The variety distinguished as fuUginosus, which 
 IS the one indigenous to Oregon, Washington Territory, 
 British Columbia, and Alaska, is darker than the others, 
 and is plumbaceous beneath, without any white borders to 
 the feathers, except about the flanks and vent. The 
 head is a dusky black, the tarsi are lead-colored, the 
 
130 AMERICAS' GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 irides are brown or hazel, and the tail, which has an 
 extreme length of seven and a half inches, has a band of 
 deep-blue or lead color, about three-fifths of an inch in 
 width. The male is sooty black above, the mottlings 
 being scarcely visible, and the scapularies are devoid of 
 white markings. The black of the female is broken 
 above by transverse rufous mottlings; the abdomen is 
 dusky or leaden in hue; and the plumbaceous color of 
 the throat and flanks is marked by triangular and arrow- 
 shaped dots of rusty white. 
 
 The variety known as Eichardson's grouse is devoid of 
 the broad terminal band of gray on the tail which the 
 typical species displays; the tail is also more square 
 at the tip, uniformly black, and the feathers composing 
 it are broader and nearly truncate. It is not unlike the 
 European black cock, yet they may be readily distin- 
 guished apart. This variety and the true dusky grouse 
 merge into each other so closely in the central Kocky 
 Mountains that few persons can distinguish them apart 
 until they have been carefully compared, and even then 
 it is sometimes rather difficult to decide which is which. 
 Men who are more interested in sport than in technical 
 details pay little attention to these differences, however, 
 and are willing to let naturalists contend over them 
 while they devour the birds. Although it may be said 
 that the whole of the lower mountains, extending from 
 the Eocky Mountains to the Cascade and Sierra Nevada 
 Eanges, swarm with the dusky grouse during the sum- 
 mer and autumn, yet I have not seen them so abundant 
 in any part of the continent as on the Blue Mountains, 
 which run through Oregon and Washington Territory; 
 the Bitter Eoot Mountains, which divide Idaho and 
 Montana; and the series of elevated wooden ridges that 
 stretch northward towards the British line, in Idaho. 
 
 The latter Territory is one of the finest game regions 
 on the Continent, as it boasts of nearly every animal 
 
THE DUSKY GROUSE. 131 
 
 known beyond the Rocky Mountains, south of the sixty- 
 fifth parallel. It is also replete with majestic scenery — 
 its snow-clad peaks, magnificent lakes, stupendous falls, 
 and mighty rirers comparing fayorably with those of 
 Switzerland — while few regions can compete with it in 
 the density and extent of its sub-alpine forests, or in its 
 strange volcanic scenes, which are as unique as they are 
 awe-inspiring. During , one of my rambles through 
 Idaho I was invited by a resident to accompany him to 
 an Indian reservation in the northern part of the Terri- 
 tory, where he was going on business. He promised 
 that, if I went with him, he would show me some of the 
 grandest scenery on the Continent, and give me an op- 
 portunity of enjoying such sport with rod and gun as I 
 had never dreamed of in my wildest flights of fancy. 
 
 I accepted the invitation with the promptest alacrity, 
 and managed to secure one for a companion named — 
 Smith will do — whose acquaintance I had made in a stage 
 coach while travelling through the country. Smith — what 
 a convenient name for those who do not want to invent 
 one — was a capital fellow in many ways, but he had one 
 besetting sin of which no amount of lecturing would break 
 him, and that was punning. And such puns ! I often 
 wondered how he escaped with his life after torturing 
 people with them, for they were often vile enough to cause 
 an archbishop to think of murder. 
 
 Smith was so delighted with the idea of rambling 
 through the region in the society of an experienced cice- 
 rone, and dipping his lines in pleasant waters— for he 
 was more of a Walton than a Nimrod, though nothing in 
 the shape of sport came amiss to him— that he indulged 
 in a dozen death-dealing puns m less than an hour after 
 the invitation was received. The morning appointed for 
 starting on our expedition found us awake with the sun, 
 and after dressing, and getting our implements of war in 
 good condition, we walked to my friend's house and 
 
132 AMEBICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 were there introduced to Dr. Pillbox, a young physician 
 who was to form one of our party. When breakfast was 
 oyer, we took our seats in a large wagon drawn by two 
 sturdy cayuses and started on our journey. We arrived 
 at our destination in due time, and after our host had 
 transacted his business, he turned the heads of the horses 
 for Coeur d'Alene Lake. This was before it was occu- 
 pied as a military post. Lake Coeur d'Alene, which is 
 one of the most charming bodies of water on the Conti- 
 nent, has a length of about twenty-five miles and a width 
 that varies from two to ten miles. It is surrounded by 
 a dense forest which grows to its verge, and is reflected 
 in the water with mirror-like fidelity. It has one outlet 
 called the Spokane Eiver, which passes through some 
 very romantic scenery, and produces in its course several 
 beautiful cascades, the most important of which are the 
 Spokane Falls. This stream has a width of one hundred 
 and sixty yards at the outlet, and a depth of several feet, 
 so that it springs into life full grown. The water in both 
 the lake and the river is so clear that the bottom, which 
 is several fathoms down in the former, can be plainly 
 seen, while the movements of the tiny fishes may be 
 readily noted at night with the aid of a hunting or fish- 
 ing lamp. 
 
 We pitched our tent on one of the promontories, as this 
 gave us a magnificent view of the lake and the fir and 
 pine-clad mountains which stretched back of it in roll 
 after roll until they vanished in the dim distance. 
 These mountains rise abruptly from the water, there be- 
 ing scarcely any break between them, except the debns 
 washed down by rains and floods, and that is of so little 
 consequence, comparatively speaking, that the lake may 
 be said to be buried in the summit of the mountains. It 
 looks as if it occupied the bed of an old crater, for the 
 region surrounding it shows violent igneous action, and 
 the ground is so hard that no water can be found ten feet 
 
THE DUSKY GEOUSB. 133 
 
 from the banks eyen by sinking wells to a depth of sev- 
 eral feet. The shore ends so abruptly m some places 
 that a man of war can iioat alongside it, but it recedes 
 gradually in others, until it finally breaks off at a height 
 of twenty or thirt y feet above the bottom. The magnif- 
 icenee 'WFt&p^orama visible from this lake cannot be 
 described, and must be seen to be appreciated. 
 
 Our tent was pitched m an alcove of towering pines, 
 which seemed to have been arranged as a temple for the 
 nymphs of the forest, so regularly were they grouped. 
 This idea was strengthened by the hymn-like murmuring 
 of the branches which bent to and fro in the evening 
 breeze, and the gentle soughing of the waves on the peb- 
 bly beach. When the tent was erected and all prepara- 
 tions made for a regular week's work, by gathering and 
 chopping wood, digging holes in which to cook bear 
 and deer heads, and cleaning away the deep bed of leaves 
 that surrounded the camp, it was so late in the evening 
 that we deemed it best to postpone an assault on the 
 game of the region until the next morning. I was much 
 pleased with this decision, as it gave me an opportunity 
 of enjoying the magnificent landscape spread out before 
 me, and to drink in its varied beauties. 
 
 While Smith and myself were seated on the shore, ab- 
 sorbed in our own thoughts, and heedless alike of the 
 moaning of the pines or the screaming of the loons, 
 which rode on the wavelets in the middle of the lake, 
 our attention was attracted by a drama which was taking 
 place in the air. We had noticed, as soon as we came 
 near the lake, the abundance of hawks, ospreys, and 
 white-headed, or fishing eagles, that were either sailing 
 and circling in the firmament or demurely perched on 
 some towering tree from which they commanded a view of 
 the lake and the surrounding country. We inferred from 
 this that the region was well stocked with food, but we 
 ^d not know until afterwards what a favorite ground it 
 
134 AMEKIOAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 was with several species of predaceous animals. The 
 first thing that aroused us from our revery was the 
 alarmed cry of a duck, and on looking up we saw a mal- 
 lard, which was high in the air, rushing downward with 
 the speed of a hurricane, while a hawk, which looked like 
 a speck in the clouds, pursued it. The duck tried eyery 
 stratagem it knew to escape its pursuer; it darted hither 
 and thither in the most abrupt manner, its aim being, 
 evidently, to get to the water as soon as possible, and 
 this the cheetah of the air tried to prevent by dashing 
 under it, and causing it to rise again, or to sheer ofE from 
 its course. The chase lasted for some time, owing to the 
 habit the hawk had of rising above the duck in order to 
 make a downward dart at it. Whenever it did this, the 
 latter would rush for the lake, only to bring its relent- 
 less enemy swooping down again like a meteor. The 
 hawk finally made a lunge at the terrified fugitive, not a 
 hundred yards from us, and this caused it to rush for the 
 shelter of the woods, but its fate was evidently sealed, for 
 its deadly foe was just about to strike it when the report 
 of a gun rang through the forest, and the hawk fell dead, 
 while the mallard, with cries of terror, went sailing in 
 safety through the trees. 
 
 On looking in the direction of the detonation to see 
 who had so promptly come to the rescue of the fugitive, 
 we saw the doctor standing on the edge of the lake with 
 a gun in his hand, and recognized in him the chivalric 
 hero who had defended the weak from the murderous 
 oppressor. Smith was so impressed with this noble deed 
 that he indulged in a fit of poetry concerning it, and 
 this he finally jotted down in my note book, but as it is 
 not of the very highest order of rhythm, I will only 
 quote the first verse, merely as a sample : 
 
 " That pirate of the air— the savage hawk, 
 Pursued a duck till he mad^ it squawk ; 
 But Dr. Pillbox, with his gun so goty, 
 Shot him, and crowned himself with glory." 
 
THE DUSKY GROUSE. 135 
 
 This beautiful piece of composition was afterwards 
 shown to the doctor, but he did not seem to be very 
 much impressed with it, as he called it bosh. His cyni- 
 cal comments at length nettled the one-horse poet so 
 much that he solemnly vowed he would never again write 
 any verses extolling Pillbox or his gun. 
 
 In less than fifteen minutes after this incident occurred 
 we had an opportunity of seeing a struggle between an 
 eagle and an osprey for the possession of a fish. We had 
 noticed the latter bird circling high in the air directly 
 above us, but it seemed to us that we had hardly taken 
 our eyes off it ere a light cloud darted past us with light- 
 ning speed, and in a moment more we heard a whisst, and 
 saw the osprey rise from the water with a huge trout 
 struggling in its talons. Beating the air heavily with its 
 wings, it rose slowly upwards, and gave vent to its feel- 
 ings of satisfaction in sharp screams. It had not pro- 
 ceeded far on its skyward course, however, ere a speck 
 was seen to shoot from the clouds, and a few moments 
 later a bald-headed eagle was plainly visible, as it darted 
 at the feathered angler. The latter evaded the blow, and 
 began circling upwards, but the other, which was unen- 
 cumbered by any weight, rose above it, and both then 
 began rising spirally and in broad circles. Finding that 
 it was fish or Hfe, the osprey plunged downward with 
 lightning speed, in hopes of being able to reach the 
 woods, but the monarch of the air was too quick for it, 
 and giving it a violent blow on the back, knocked the 
 fish out of its talons and a small cloud of feathers out of 
 its plumage. The osprey, recognizing that it was dis- 
 comfited, fled to a tree and there indulged in loud plaints 
 at its treatment, while the eagle darted after the trout, 
 and catching it before it touched the water, bore it sky- 
 ward in triumph. 
 
 "There is human nature in a nut-shell for you!" ex- 
 claimed Smith. 
 
136 AMEEICAH' GAME BIED SHOOTINa 
 
 "How is that?" I asked. 
 
 " It's plain enough, I'm sure. You know the big fish 
 eat the little fish; the osprey preys on all, if it gets the 
 chance; while that bully, the eagle, which has no merit 
 except strength, takes them away from the bird which 
 catches them. Talk of justice in this world! In my 
 opinion the longest pole gets the persimmons — ^in other 
 words that might makes right with the majority of men, 
 and with every animal. People talk about fair play, but 
 they never show it if it is to their advantage not to do 
 so." 
 
 "There are some exceptions," I replied. 
 
 "Yes, but such men are sure to be beaten by others 
 who are more unscrupulous. Those two aerial dramas 
 which we have just witnessed fairly represent human na- 
 ture, while the doctor is the hero of one of the pieces, 
 for he could have shot both duck and hawk if he wished, 
 and I believe he would, too, if he had wanted the duck 
 for dinner." 
 
 Not being in a mood for argument just then, I allowed 
 him to philosophize to his heart's content until night 
 came on, and then returned to the tent, where our plans 
 were laid for the work of the coming day. We were to 
 shoot and fish, taking everything edible that we came 
 across, but only in suflBcient quantities to liberally supply 
 our wants, as we did not wish to wantonly destroy any- 
 thing having the semblance of life. When everything 
 was understood, I went out to take a last look at the 
 lake, and found it so enchantingly attractive that I gazed 
 long and earnestly at it. The moon being at the full, her 
 soft rays illuminated every object quite distinctly, and 
 rippled and played in the water in such a manner as to 
 recall visions of fairy-land. The silence was so great as 
 to seem droning, but the inmates of the forest and moun- 
 tains obtained their voices after awhile, and rent the 
 night air with their cries. The weird calls of the loons 
 
THE DUSKY GKOUSB. 137 
 
 on the lake, the deep hooting of owls, the screams of the 
 cougars and lynxes, and the melancholy howling of the 
 wolves united in one volume, and made the region seem 
 a perfect pandemonium of animals let loose. The din 
 they created was so great that it was long past midnight 
 ere I became habituated enough to it to fall into a rest- 
 less slumber, in which I dreamed of deer and wolves and 
 bears, which I was constantly trying to shoot, but never 
 could, for I was always sure to miss or lose sight of every 
 one I aimed at. 
 
 We were up so long before daylight that we were 
 almost tired of waiting for it to appear; but when it did 
 finally come, we were well repaid for our patience by 
 the splendid illumination we witnessed, and the fine 
 effects of light and shade that were visible on the water 
 and the forest. When the red ball of fire first crept 
 above the eastern hills, the woods and lake were wrapped 
 in gloom, but as it rose higher and higher the long clouds 
 of black vanished gradually until, in the course of an 
 hour, the tarn gleamed like molten silver, while rays of 
 many hues gilded the tree-tops. Everything seemed so 
 gentle, and was wrapped in such solemn silence, that 
 it recalled visions of the islands of bliss; it certainly 
 appeared to me to be one of the most soothing and tran- 
 quil scenes I had ever beheld. As soon as it was light 
 enough to enable us to travel, we moved ofE in a body, 
 and on entering the forest depths the half-breed was ap- 
 pointed huntsman, and sent with three hounds into a 
 thicket, about two hundred yards away, with instruc- 
 tions to work towards a position we were to take on a 
 promontory, half a mile beyond. He had scarcely en- 
 tered the appointed place ere we were brought to an 
 abrupt halt by the clamorous cry of the three hounds 
 and the cur, which composed the pack, and a moment 
 later a splendid buck came bounding towards us. When 
 he was about forty yards away the doctor fired at him, 
 
138 AMEEICAlir GAME BIBD SHOOTING. 
 
 and brought him to the ground, but he was up again in 
 a moment, and would have been off, had not Smith lodged 
 a dose of buckshot in his body. On receiving this, he 
 wheeled about once or twice, as if he were dazed, then 
 swayed and staggered, and finally fell in a lump. 
 
 When we approached him we found he was full grown, 
 and the doctor said he was one of the finest stags he had 
 ever seen. 
 
 "Yes," exclaimed Smith, " and you and I made him 
 stag around nicely, didn't we? " 
 
 " Pillbox looked at him in a melancholy manner, as if 
 he were sorry that a man should be troubled with such a 
 mania, but he said nothing, and turning to me he pointed 
 out where the bullet had entered the heart. 
 
 " ' This hart's bowed down with weight of woe ' just 
 now," said Smith, pointing to the same hole, and assum- 
 ing the air of an undertaker. 
 
 " That shot of mine would have killed him, had you 
 not fired," answered the doctor; "so I'll claim first 
 blood, for luck, for nothing can stand a dose of lead in 
 the heart. The shock to the system alone would have 
 scared him to death, for it was severe enough to kill a 
 cow, let alone a deer." 
 
 "I know that," responded Smith; "you may claim 
 him, for I know that nothing can cow that hart like a 
 dose of lead in the right ventricle." 
 
 " Go to blazes with your old puns!" shouted Pillbox; 
 " one might think you had just come out of a lunatic 
 asylum for punsters." 
 
 This display of assumed choler caused us to laugh 
 heartily, and actually silenced Smith, for he did not at- 
 tempt to make a pun for fifteen or twenty minutes; but 
 when I bagged a badger, it was too much for him, and, 
 on saying that I would not have killed it did I not want 
 it for a specimen, he, in a slow and solemn tone, said : 
 
 " I can understand how bad-ger must have felt when 
 
THE DUSKY GKOUSE. 139 
 
 you found it necessary to shoot him, and I can sympa- 
 thize with your feelings. It is very painful to be bad- 
 ger-eide." 
 
 As no notice was taken of this, he relapsed into silence 
 until we reached the promontory. He was placed on a 
 stand there, with instructions to shoot anything that at- 
 tempted to bite him, eren if it were a field mouse, and 
 he promised to obey orders. We had not been long in 
 position before the chorus of the dogs again resounded 
 throughout the forest, and in less than twenty minutes 
 we saw a deer swimming rapidly through the lake, and 
 heading directly for us. I was on a runway below 
 Smith, and as he seemed to have a good chance of killing 
 the animal, I ran towards him to see if I could get a 
 shot, in case he missed, but I soon found I had had my 
 race for nothing, for on reaching his stand he had the 
 creature lying on the sand before him, haying shot it in 
 the head with a charge of buckshot. 
 
 " What made you shoot that doe?" I exclaimed; "you 
 know she is running with her young." 
 
 "Doe you not like it?" he asked, with an unsophisti- 
 cated air, as if he wanted to pretend he did not know he 
 was trying to perpetrate a vile pun. 
 
 " 'No," said I, " you should never shoot a doe when 
 she has her fawns with her; it is really cruel! " 
 
 "I'm very sorry," was the answer, "but I will not 
 doe it again. " 
 
 The huntsman and the other members of the company 
 soon joined us, and we learned from the former that the 
 doe and her two fawns had started ofE together before 
 the dogs, but that she concealed the latter in some shrub- 
 bery, and then led the hounds a merry race until she 
 plunged into the lake. He thought that few animals 
 could exceed a " squaw deer " in sagacity when she had 
 her fawns by her side, as she had the habit of hiding 
 them in thickets, and then circling about them, in order 
 
140 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 to throw the dogs off their line and cause them to follow 
 herself. The victorious punster, on hearing this, con- 
 gratulated himself highly for having overthrown such a 
 sagacious creature with a little lead, and became so reck- 
 lessly industrious that he offered to help carry her to 
 camp; but his offer was not accepted, as he and I were 
 detailed to bring in some birds, while the others were to 
 skin the deer and catch some fish in the lake. 
 
 The entire party then started to go back into the for- 
 est, but we had not proceeded a quarter of a mile before 
 we espied a bear to the windward, not seventy yards 
 away. On seeing us, it raised on its hind legs and stared 
 at us with an inquisitive expression, that proved it knew 
 nothing of man. I lifted my gun to fire at it, but the 
 half-breed asked me not to shoot. 
 
 " Why not?" said I, in a whisper. 
 
 " Because he is showing his cross, and it would be very 
 unlucky to kill him now." 
 
 " We wiU bear his cross for him," exclaimed Smith, 
 and, raising his gun, he muttered: "Look out, Mr. 
 Bruin, I'm brewin' some trouble for you" — then fired 
 both barrels, which were loaded with buckshot, at its 
 head. 
 
 The doctor and myself followed his lead, and when 
 the smoke cleared away we saw the animal lying dead. 
 The half-breed did not seem to like this, and when I 
 asked him on what ground he objected to my firing, he 
 said that all old hunters considered it very "bad medicine " 
 to shoot at a bear if it first showed the white cross on its 
 breast. This was a new and a pleasant idea to me, as it 
 indicated a deep reverential feeling in the minds of men 
 who are generally supposed to be dead to all religious 
 sentiments; so I must say I was glad to hear the man 
 state it in all seriousness, although I considered it only a 
 superstition scarcely worthy of the Indians. This un- 
 expected addition to our stock of provisions was 
 
Tst Dusky geocse. 141 
 
 gladly welcomed, and as we had all the heavy game 
 we wanted for that day, we decided to take what we had 
 killed into camp. This was no easy work, as the bear 
 weighed about three hundred pounds, and the stag did 
 not weigh much less. We did manage to get them in, 
 however, and deposited them in our store-room, which 
 was simply a wickiup made of boughs. When they were 
 skinned, the cook built fires in the two holes in the 
 ground, and another near them, in which he placed 
 several stones. 
 
 When the wood was burned down, the coals were taken 
 out of the holes with improvised tongs, made of two green 
 sticks, and the red-hot stones were put in their places. 
 The heads of the stag and doe, with the necks downward, 
 were then laid in one hole, and a piece of the bear, 
 wrapped in a deer skin, was put in the other, and all 
 were covered with layers of hot stones and some grass, 
 and, finally, with a coating of clay, which was packed so 
 closely that no air could pass through it. This is the 
 ordinary method of cooking the heads of animals in the 
 Far West, and an excellent method it is, especially if 
 they are not wanted for ten or twelve hours. While we 
 were resting from the fatigue incident upon bringing the 
 game into camp, we were visited by a band of Stehitswee 
 Indians, who were going to another part of the lake for 
 the purpose of hunting and fishing, and collecting some 
 of the wild roots that grew along the Spokane River. 
 The men seemed to be sturdy fellows, with rather agree- 
 able features — for savages — but the women were anything 
 but attractive, for they seemed a thoroughly degraded 
 lot. We were much interested in a young squaw — who was 
 rather obese — an unusual thing at her age — as she seemed 
 to be proud of her proportions. The doctor was so amused 
 with her that he said she reminded him of a fat heifer. 
 
 " Would you like to heifer for a wife?" asked Smith, 
 in the most unsophisticated manner. 
 
143 AMERICAN- GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 "I should think not," was the answer; "why, her 
 features are about as pretty as those of an ape." 
 
 " Then you think her ape pretty woman." 
 
 " I think you are ape bore." 
 
 " Which proves that I sometimes talk to hogs. Ta-ta, 
 doctor; I'm off." 
 
 " I know you are. You must have been ofE your nut 
 since you were born, or you wouldn't torture innocent 
 people with such vile puns." 
 
 " Well, I'll give you a rest for a while," said Smith, 
 smilingly. He then locked his arm in mine, and call- 
 ing the cur, which readily followed us, we started into 
 the forest in search of feathered game. We travelled 
 about half a mile before seeing anything worth firing at, 
 and them came suddenly upon a brood of dusky grouse, 
 which were feeding on the berries that grew profusely in 
 every direction. We set the dog at them, and when they 
 rose on the wing we scored a couple of brace with both 
 guns. 
 
 "Mark! mark!" yelled Smith, although they did not 
 fly twenty yards before they settled in a tree whose 
 branches were so far apart we could plainly see every one 
 of them. 
 
 Having picked up the slain, we advanced to the re- 
 treat of the fugitives, and Smith opened fire on them, in 
 order to make them fly, but they refused to move. By 
 bringing one of the upper birds tumbling down, he man- 
 aged to induce the others to fly, and to give us both a 
 wing shot, which netted us a brace and a half. The 
 next group we met was a regular bachelor party whose 
 members were so tame that they walked ahead of us for 
 some time, for I was so interested in watching their 
 movements and stately attitudes that I would not per- 
 mit my companion to fire at them. They finally took to 
 flight, and were beyond range before I even thought of 
 shooting, for it seemed a pity to kill them. Smith did not 
 
THE DUSKY fiEOUSE. 143 
 
 appreciate my sentimentalism at the time, so he rallied 
 me good naturedly on my sudden fit of goody-goodiness, 
 and hinted that I ought to join an infant class and help 
 them in singing that highly novel composition: — 
 
 " Hark, to the woods, the sound of a gun, 
 The wounded bird flutters and dies, — 
 I'm sure it is wicked for nothing but fun, 
 To shoot the poor bird as it flies." 
 
 "That is Tery good so far as it goes," I exclaimed, 
 "and I would be willing to subscribe to it to a certain 
 extent." 
 
 "I don't belicTe in shooting for fun, either," he said, 
 "but I do believe in killing birds for food, else what use 
 on earth are they?" 
 
 Whirr! whirr! whirr! Three flights of grouse rose up 
 not thirty feet away from us. " Jewhittaker" ! ex- 
 claimed Smith, " but they startled me. I must have the 
 grouse ague to be scared in this manner. 
 
 "They are all in the same tree," I replied, "so you 
 need not have the ague long. Come on. " 
 
 We started off on a run and were soon at the base of the 
 tree in which they had sought shelter, but on looking up 
 among the foliage we could see no signs of them. We 
 peered and peered until we strained our eyes, and still 
 failed to detect anything animate, but as I was acquaint- 
 ed with the peculiar habit the birds have of standing mo- 
 tionless on a branch, I suggested that we should fire 
 simultaneously at any excrescences on the boughs, in 
 order to rout them, and the idea being acceptable, we 
 blazed away at a large limb, which seemed to be full of 
 knobs. Our fire was answered by an alarmed cluck, and 
 the startling whirr of rushing wings, and though the 
 greater portion of the birds flew away, yet three came 
 tumbling down with such rapidity that Smith said it was 
 raining grouse. Having marked down the fugitives, we 
 
144 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 started after them as soon as we picked up the dead, and 
 were among them again in less than fiye minutes. 
 
 While peering about for them, I saw a magnificent 
 male drop on the ground, not forty feet away and stare 
 at us with such an expression of mingled inquisitiveness 
 and confidence that 1 was loth to shoot him, for his mien 
 was stately, and his eyes glowed with a liquid brilliancy. 
 The dog having espied him, rushed at him, and before I 
 knew what I was about I fired at him when he began to 
 ply his pinions, and brought him down with force enough, 
 apparently, to knock a hole in the earth. I then directed 
 my attention to the birds in the trees, and managed to 
 rout them gradually, and get a shot on the wing as they 
 flew away at a high altitude, but my success was not 
 very great, owing to the density of the forest, which soon 
 concealed them from view. 
 
 Smith was in his glory when he got wing shots, for he 
 poured out bad puns so rapidly that I fancied he killed 
 more birds with them than he did with his gun. We 
 had fine sport all the afternoon, but the only species of 
 the Tetrao family we met was the dusky grouse, and we 
 saw a hundred or more of these along the low lands 
 that skirted the base of the higher hills. Their profu- 
 sion was readily accounted for by the absence of all pop- 
 ulation in the country, except a few wandering Indians, 
 and they cannot lessen them much in such an extensive 
 and pathless region. They commie more havoc among 
 the eggs than among the birds, for they can readily find 
 these on the ground during the nesting period; and as 
 they eat them even when they are addled, and prefer 
 them when the chicks are developed, a person may im- 
 agine how many they can destroy in a season. When I 
 had secured ten brace of grouse, which I did by four 
 o'clock, I returned to camp alone, as Smith wished to 
 make his bag as large as possible, in order, as he said, 
 " to just blow about it " when he returned to his Eastern 
 
THE DUSKY GEOUSE. 145 
 
 home, and show them what grouse shooting in Idaho 
 really was. The cook took the birds I had bagged, 
 dipped them in a pail of water, and placed them, feathers 
 and all, in the middle of a hot fire of coals and covered 
 them with ashes. The doctor and Jones, who had been 
 out after trout in the lake, returned with two splendid 
 strings of fish soon after I did, and throwing them on 
 the ground, they indulged in the most glowing descrip- 
 tions about the abundance of fin in the lake, and the 
 wonderful transparency of the water, which enabled them 
 to see the slightest movements of the fish thirty feet be- 
 low. While they were pouring out superlative adjec- 
 tives, the cook was busily engaged in preparing some of 
 their catch for dinner, and as his method was novel, I 
 may as well describe it. He first split thick boughs into 
 two or three parts, according to their thickness, and 
 fastened a trout — after it was cleaned — to each part, by 
 means of a vine which was passed around the head and 
 tied behind the stick. The sticks, or boughs, were then 
 placed before a hot fire, on a bed of leaves, and when 
 the fish were cooked on one side the other was turned 
 until they were done to a turn. This is a simple and ef- 
 fective mode of cooking fish in the open air, and is very 
 popular with those who pride themselves on their knowl- 
 edge of the culinary art. 
 
 When dinner was ready we attacked it without waiting 
 for Smith, as we did not know what time he would re- 
 turn, and as soon as it was over we fell to recounting the 
 adventures and incidents of the day. This is one of the 
 great delights of camp life, and an excellent means of 
 enlivening the dinner and making it cheerful and social, 
 instead of a mere mechanical habit, which, however 
 necessary it may be, is not always the most interesting part 
 of a holiday in the forest. We were so absorbed in our tales 
 that we forgot all about our absent comrade, and it was 
 only when the shadows of night began to approach that 
 
 7 
 
146 AMEBICAK GAME BIKD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 we became alarmed about him. A hasty consultation was 
 then held, and it was decided to go in search of him, as 
 it was evident that he was lost. We were exceedingly 
 anxious about him, as we feared he had met with some 
 mishap, for we well knew how numerous the wolves, 
 cougars, and bears were, and how little the cougars 
 thought of attacking a man if they were hungry. Light- 
 ing a jack-lamp, we seized our rifles, started into the 
 inky forest, and commenced shouting as we went along. 
 In the course of half an hour, perhaps, we received an 
 answering call, and a few minutes later we were shaking 
 hands with the vagrant punster. 
 
 "Were you lost?" asked the doctor. 
 
 "Lost! I was lost a million times. Why I couldn't 
 tell where on earth I was, and I could not get out of a 
 narrow circle in which I was travelling. I came back to 
 an old worm-eaten log every time I started away from it, 
 although I tried to change my course each time, but it 
 was no use, so I thought my doom would be to inspect 
 that log for the remainder of my days." 
 
 "This is no doubt a judgment on you for punning," 
 exclaimed the doctor, solemnly; " so you had better take 
 it to heart and turn over a new leaf." 
 
 " I would rather have died in making a perpetual tour 
 of inspection of that old stump than relinquish such a 
 habit," said Smith, dramatically. " Now, away, and to 
 camp, that I may feast my eyes on the pots, for I'm 
 awfully hungry." 
 
 To camp we accordingly returned, and foui^d that we 
 had not come back too soon, as the wolves were prowling 
 about it, in hopes of being able to steal something. A 
 few shots dispersed them in a hurry, but they retaliated by 
 serenading us from a distance, and making our lives mis- 
 erable. They even returned at a later hour, and tried to 
 impose on our confidence, but the dogs soon scared them 
 away, and a huge fire kept them at bay for the remainder 
 
TttE Dusky groose. 147 
 
 of the night. When Smith had dined, he threw himself 
 on the bed with his boots on, and this elicited the remark 
 from the doctor that nothing but a bear would go to bed 
 with its boots on, 
 
 " I never knew a bear wore boots," said Smith calmly, 
 as he turned over on his side and commenced snonng so 
 remarkably well that he caused everyone to laugh heartily. 
 We rolled ourselves up in our blankets in a short time 
 after, and managed to sleep fairly well, despite the howl- 
 ing and screaming of the nocturnal animals, until the 
 cook awoke us long before daylight next morning. After 
 a bath in the lake we returned to camp and feasted on 
 the delicacies placed in the ground oven the previous 
 day, and thoroughly enjoyed them, for the roast bear was 
 excellent, though a little coarse; and as for the deer 
 heads, all I can say is that a person must eat them in the 
 wilderness to appreciate their gastronomic qualities. 
 When breakfast was over we plunged into the forest, and 
 after marching about a mile the dogs routed a stag, but 
 he escaped by heading for the hills and seeking refuge in 
 the lake. Knowing that the hounds would not return 
 for some time, we commenced still hunting, and succeed- 
 ed in killing two deer and a bay lynx in the course of an 
 hour. The latter animal was found on the lower limb of 
 a huge pine, and from the mass of feathers on the ground 
 we inferred that it had been feeding on grouse during the 
 night or early morning. It was the feathers, in fact, that 
 had revealed its position and brought it to an untimely 
 end, and caused Smith to indulge in one of the most 
 atrocious puns he was capable of uttering, for he said 
 that the grouse and the lynx formed a concatenation. 
 The doctor and Mr. Jones having decided to take the 
 deer to camp, Smith and myself continued on our way, 
 as we Intended to devote our attention to the birds. We 
 took the precaution to blaze the trees with our hunting 
 knives as we went along, for fear of losing the trail, and 
 
148 AMEHiCAN GAME BIED SHOOTlKfi. 
 
 also of taking our bearings by the sun, as Smith said he 
 would not have the feelings of being lost again for any 
 amount of money. 
 
 We remained out until five o'clock, and when we re- 
 turned we had twelve brace of dusky grouse, two brace 
 of ruffed grouse, a couple of mallards, a Canada goose, and 
 a young swan. The half-breed told us that we could bag 
 hundreds of these latter species of birds on the lake late 
 in October, as it was actually thronged with them, while 
 snipes, plovers, tattlers, cranes, and herons were found 
 in immense flocks along the shore. Besides its excellence 
 as shooting quarters, the lake is also one of the finest 
 fishing grounds on the Continent, as it teems with several 
 varieties of trout, besides chubs, catfish, whitefish, and 
 other species. Some of the salmon trout found there 
 have a length of four or more feet, and a weight ex- 
 ceeding fifteen pounds, while specimens weighing one and 
 two pounds are so common that their name is legion. 
 I do not know of any place on the Pacific Slope that 
 equals it as a trouting ground, except Lake Tahoe, in 
 California, and between the two there is little choice. 
 The fishing is poor, comparatively speaking, from June 
 to October, as the trout seek the cold mountain streams 
 during that period, and remain in them until the ice and 
 the cold weather send them back to the lake again, yet 
 a dozen or more may be caught any fine evening, and I 
 have known two dozen to be hooked in an hour with very 
 coarse tackle, not one of which weighed less than a 
 pound and a half. 
 
 We caught them so rapidly from a rude raft made of 
 logs, that we found very little sport in it, for they seemed 
 to be only too anxious to get hooked. To vary the mo- 
 notony of hooking them we tried spearing them at night, 
 and found there was less of pot-hunting about this than 
 in using a fiy or a worm, as we gave them some chance 
 for their lives, through our own inaccuracy of aim. By 
 
THE DtJSKT GROUSE. 149 
 
 fastening the lamp, with its fishing reflector attached, to 
 the bow of the raft, we could see the movements of the 
 trout thirty feet helow us, owing to the transparency of 
 the water, but the lake was so deep in some parts that 
 the light only revealed a seeming cloud of inky black- 
 ness. In striking at trout, a person is quite liable to 
 miss them, owing to the very deceptive manner in which 
 the light is reflected by the water; hence he has to make 
 a careful allowance for the shadows or he will only cap- 
 ture a fish by mere accident, and that the one not aimed 
 at. The spears we used were purchased from the Indians, 
 who had visited us, for about two dollars each, or that 
 equivalent m tobacco and tea and sugar. The handles 
 were about fifteen feet long, and the iron heads were in- 
 serted in such a manner that they came out of the sock- 
 ets whenever a fish that was struck with them attempted 
 to escape, but as they were attached to the handles by 
 means of cords made of deer sinews, which were passed 
 through a hole, it was impossible to lose them. The 
 great advantage which this weapon possesses over others 
 is, that the fish has no leverage on which to work, so 
 cannot extricate itself, and that the long line attached to 
 the end of the handle enables a man to play with his 
 capture as he pleases, and to tire it out, if it is a large 
 one, by a judicious system of angling, not unlike that 
 used in landing a heavy salmon. Our highest catch with 
 the spears in one night was three dozen, but we could 
 have caught that number in an hour with a hook and 
 line during the day. We preferred the excitement of 
 the more uncertain method, however, to the assured 
 success of the other, as we wanted amusement more than 
 food. 
 
 The whole of the time we spent on the shores of the 
 lake passed in the most delightful manner, for when we 
 were not shooting or angling we were exploring the sur- 
 rounding region or watching the actions of birds or ani- 
 
150 AMEEICAN GAME BIBD SHOOTING. 
 
 mals. Our visit to this charming region was so replete 
 with quiet pleasure that it seemed like a beautiful dream, 
 and one from which we did not care to awaken. Previous 
 to returning homeward, we captured specimens of nearly 
 every edible creature in the country, and having placed 
 some on one side, as presents for friends, we prepared a 
 feast for ourselves of the others, and on a Sunday after- 
 noon sat down to a dinner that would have been a credit 
 to some of the best hotels on the Continent. In order 
 to give those who have never feasted in the wilderness 
 an idea of what can be procured there, I will give our 
 bill of fare for that day. 
 
 BILL OF FARE. 
 
 Soup, Mountain hotch-potch, 
 
 Salmon trout, Dace, 
 
 Venison steak, Baked venison head, 
 
 Stag's head, Venison stew. 
 
 Bear steak, Stewed squirrel, 
 
 Roast grouse, Stewed grouse, 
 
 Eoast duck. Roast cygnet. 
 
 Roast goose. Roast heron. 
 
 Baked beans. Boiled sweet potatoes. 
 
 Mashed potatoes. Greens, 
 
 Hot biscuits. Butter crackers. 
 
 CONDIMENTS. 
 Chow-chow, Worcestershire sauce, Pickled onions. 
 
 DESSERT. 
 Canned peaches, apples, wild berries, tea and coffee. 
 
 Having partaken of this royal repast, we hitched up 
 the horses, which had been feeding generously on the 
 grass found in a glade not far distant, and turned their 
 heads toward the settlements, but we were not out of 
 sight of the lake before a fierce storm arose, and that 
 place which had been a scene of the most enchanting 
 beauty for a week seemed to have given itself completely 
 
THE DUSKY GROUSE. 151 
 
 over to tlie furious gods of the tempest. The storm 
 came on so suddenly that we were not prepared for it, 
 and, as a result, we got a drenching before we thought 
 of unpacking our rubber goods. The first indication we 
 had of its approach was the cessation of all sounds, then 
 the gentle soughing of the lake, and, finally, the deep 
 frowning of the sky, which produced a darkness almost 
 equal to a London fog. 
 
 This gloomy and almost death-like stillness was sud- 
 denly disturbed by a lurid flash in the distance, which 
 was followed by a reverberating peal of thunder that 
 seemed to make the hills and mountains tremble, while 
 the rain poured down in inky torrents, as though the 
 floodgates of the firmanents had been opened. As flash 
 followed flash, until the sky appeared to be a mass of 
 fire, and the peals boomed rapidly, like a park of artil- 
 lery opening a battle, our horses became alarmed and 
 tried to break away, but we held them steadily, and, by 
 shouting at them, managed to make our voices heard 
 above the roar of the tempest, and the rumbling and 
 crashing of the heavenly batteries. This storm only 
 lasted about an hour, but, brief as it was, it was one of 
 the most violent I can recall. When the sky cleared up 
 again the air was delightfully cool, and continued so un- 
 til we reached our destination from one of the most de- 
 lightful excursions a man can make in the wild, free West. 
 
CHAPTEK VI. 
 
 THE RUFFED GBOUSE. 
 
 The rufled grouse — General description— Size and weight — Various 
 names— Difficult of domestication— Favorite haunts — Few Isilled 
 — How the males woo — Their drumming — Deceptive character 
 of the sound— Theories on the drumming— Drumming season — 
 The grouse considered a weather prophet — Severe contests be- 
 tween the males — Feathered Knights and fair Helenas— Nests and 
 eggs — Careful mothers — Pretentious cripples — Males are polyga- 
 mous — Ruffed grouse never pack— Best time for shooting them— 
 Wild in winter — Burrowing in the snow — How they are hunted— 
 Best dogs for working them — Attachment of the males to the 
 drumming logs — Different varieties of grouse — Abundance of the 
 ruffed grouse on the Pacific Coast — Large numbers netted — The 
 conunon form of trap — Lake Tahoe — Its wonders— Heavy trout- 
 Profusion of wild fowl — A Western hunter— A fire hunt — A pug- 
 nacions stag — A young drumme^A squirrel's congress— A 
 startled doe— How a grizzly was killed — Utility of a field-glass iu 
 searching for grouse— Our success with the birds. 
 
 The ruffed grouse {Bonasa umbellus), which is found 
 throughout Canada and the United States, from Hudson 
 Bay to Texas, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean, 
 derives its name of Bonasa, or little bull, from the sup- 
 posed resemblance between its booming and the bellow- 
 ing of a bull. This species may be readily recognized by 
 the large ruffs of long, broad feathers on the neck, it be- 
 ing the only one of the wood grouse that wears them. It 
 has a horn-colored bill, which is black at the tip; the 
 irides are brown; and the tail, which is moderately round- 
 ed, is composed of eighteen broad, truncated feathers, 
 about seven inches long. This grouse is devoid of the 
 gular sacs; and the comb-like processes visible over the 
 eyes of its congeners are replaced by a row of short, stif- 
 fish feathers. The hue of the body varies much in dif- 
 15? 
 
THE RUFFED GROUSE. 153 
 
 ferent seasons and places, ranging from rufous to chest- 
 nut and gray. The ruff feathers are usually dark-brown 
 or black; the adjacent plumage of the neck is tipped with 
 white; the tail feathers are tipped with gray, and have a 
 broad terminal bar of black, anterior to which are nine 
 or ten undulated transverse bars which are gray before 
 and black behind. The female closely resembles the 
 male, but is smaller; the latter attains a length of eighteen 
 inches, and a weight of a pound and a half, while she 
 rarely exceeds fourteen inches in length, and a weight of 
 one pound. The ruffed grouse is known indiscriminate- 
 ly throughout the United States as the partridge and 
 the pheasant, and in some portions of' Canada as the 
 white-flesher, from the hue of its meat. Being exceed- 
 ingly wild and solitary in habit, it is not susceptible to 
 domestication, for it shows greater fear of man than of 
 the fox or hawk. 
 
 Being found only in dense woods or tangled under- 
 growth, and on rugged ground seamed by ravines and 
 chasms, and often strewn with boulders, it is difiBcult of 
 pursuit, and being strong and swift on the wing, and 
 possessed of great vital power, it requires a quick eye 
 and hard hitting to bring many to bag. Few persons 
 can boast of bagging more than ten or fifteen brace a 
 day, even in the forests of the Northwest, where it is 
 most abundant, and those who shoot three or four brace 
 in the same time, in other portions of the country, con- 
 sider themselves fortunate. 
 
 It is the emblem of a bird of the wilderness, and on 
 meeting it amidst the silent woodland depths one feels 
 like apostrophizing it in the language of the poet, Hogg: 
 
 " Bird of the wilderness, 
 Blithesome and cumberless, 
 Gay be thy matin o'er moorland and lea ! 
 Emblem of happiness, 
 Blest be thy dwelling-place — 
 Oh, to abide in the desert with thee ! " 
 
154 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 Its home is not a desert, however, but a sylvan re- 
 treat, where flowers bloom and exhale sweet fragrance, 
 and song birds warble the whole day long, though it 
 may also resound with the whistle of the timid deer, the 
 growl of the bear, or the high, sharp scream of the wild- 
 cat and cougar. 
 
 Where food is plentiful all the year round, an adult 
 male weighs from one and a half to nearly two pounds. 
 During the berry season its flesh is white, succulent, and 
 of a delicate flavor, but to preserve this flavor when 
 cooked it ought to be roasted whole, not split and 
 broiled, as it usually is in hotels and restaurants. Few 
 birds on the continent are more interesting to the natur- 
 alist or lover of field sports than the ruffed grouse when 
 it thunders forth its erotic lay early in the spring, amid 
 the forest depths. It looks, when standing on a bough, 
 like a knot of the tree, on account of the harmonious 
 blending of its rufous or ashy plumage with the hue of 
 the surrounding foliage. During the mating season the 
 male presents a stately appearance, especially when he is 
 parading up and down a log or serenading the fair sex. 
 His ruff is then rigidly erected, the tail is spread into 
 the form of a fan, and the wings, which are stiffened to 
 the utmost hmit, are drooped to the ground. His mien 
 is proud and energetic, yet graceful, and his bearing is 
 that of a gallant which is conscious of his own import- 
 ance. After strutting up and down the log with all the 
 pomposity of his family, and clucking his satisfaction at 
 his own imposing form, he stops suddenly; then, after a 
 brief pause, commences flapping his wings so vigorously 
 that they produce a booming sound, which reverberates 
 throughout the forest for a distance of half a mile or 
 more, according to the state of the weather, and the 
 echoing character of the surrounding region. 
 
 After drumming for several minutes, he stops abrupt- 
 ly, then renews it, with apparently greater force, and 
 
THE BUFFED GEOUSE. 155 
 
 keeps it up until he becomes weary. This booming, 
 which is not unlike the roll of a kettle-drum, is very de- 
 ceiving, for it sometimes seems afar off, and at other 
 times quite near. This peculiarity has led some persons 
 to imagine that he possessed ventriloquial power, but 
 this is evidently a mistake, as he does not use his voice 
 during the exercise. Many sportsmen think the drum- 
 ming IS produced by striking the wings against the log, 
 which is often hollow, and a few naturalists suppose that 
 it is caused by the violent contact of the wings with each 
 other, or with the sides, but neither of these theories 
 seems satisfactory, as the same sound is produced on a 
 stone or amid heavy shrubbery. The wings being par- 
 tially concave on the inner side when they are in motion, 
 it is plausible to suppose that their extremely rapid vi- 
 bration through the atmosphere, and the consequent 
 compression, expansion, and escape of the air under 
 them, would cause the drumming or booming which is 
 the cause of so much speculation among sportsmen and 
 naturalists. It certainly does not seem plausible to sup- 
 pose that such a sound could be produced by beating the 
 pinions together, against the sides, or against a log, for 
 it cannot be heard any distance away until the wings 
 commence vibrating very rapidly, and it increases in 
 volume and intensity in proportion to the velocity of 
 their movement. The drumming commences between 
 February and April, according to the mildness of the 
 climate in the country where the birds have their habi- 
 tat, and is continued until all the fertile birds have 
 paired. Barren hens often drum during the summer, 
 and the young males in autumn, as soon as they separate 
 from the mother. 
 
 The booming is heard more frequently in the morning 
 and evening than at any other time, during the calling 
 season, but it is persistent in cloudy days, and is often 
 continued all night. Some farmers and hunters say that 
 
156 AMEKICAK GAME BIED SHOOTIlfQ. 
 
 it is always heard before rain, and they, as a conse- 
 quence, look upon the grouse as the best of weather 
 prophets. If they see the birds flying to the trees when 
 the day is fine, they expect rain; but if they remain on 
 the ground, though the sky should be threatening, fair 
 weather is expected. When the males are drumming for 
 the hens they often wage exceedingly severe battles, for 
 one looks upon the other as a rival, whose presence 
 should not be tolerated. A love-call is considered a 
 challenge for the affection of some russet dame by these 
 feathered knights, and on hearing it they answer in the 
 most defiant manner, and boldly fly to meet the chal- 
 lenger. Should they encounter each other, the battle is 
 commenced without any preliminaries, and fought with 
 a pluck and energy worthy of game-cocks. The contest 
 is much severer if a hen is a spectator than if she is not, 
 for her presence seems to nerve them to the utmost limit 
 of resistance; the result is that they fight until one is 
 killed, or seeks safety m flight. The victor then marches 
 away with the feathered Helena, and breathes his notes 
 of love into her ear, even before he has recovered from 
 the exhaustion of the fierce struggle he waged for her. 
 
 Bishop Esaias Tegner, the author of " Frithiof's 
 Saga," wrote a poem called " Pogel-Leken," or "The 
 Birds at Play," which graphically describes the wooings 
 and battles of the capercailzie during the pairing period, 
 and as his description applies almost equally well to the 
 ruffed grouse, I give the following selection from it, as 
 translated by Lindholm: 
 
 " Hark ! now their love notes, saluting tlie day, 
 
 Awaken tlie fair ones to innoeent play, 
 How tender those notes, full of longing so sweet. 
 With which the fond singer his bride doth greet 1 
 
 Now courting the coy one, who's pretending to know 
 
 But little, if aught, of his grief and his woe. 
 List I in how sad and how mournful a strain 
 He telleth the heart's oft-told legend again ; 
 
THE RUFPED GEOTTSE. 157 
 
 Of desires immortal, of undying faith, 
 
 And an untiring hope that abideth to death t 
 Oh ! bard of the forest, who can thee disdain, 
 While Nature thou speak'st in thy wild, gushing strain ? 
 
 Love ! oh, thou mystic, unquenchable flame, 
 
 Though constantly changing, yet ever the same I 
 Life's creative word ! Nature's e'erbeating heart I 
 Ah 1 the highest of rapture and pain thou art 
 
 On earth as in heaven Sing happy and free. 
 
 No art in thy measures can Imitate thee ! 
 But — all of a sudden the singer's notes grow 
 Agitating and wild — he's encountered a foe ! 
 
 And this rival he threatens to deadly assail ; 
 
 He must drive him away over hillock and dale. 
 And who can his violent wrath put to rest ? 
 For of war-song and battle now heaveth his breast! 
 
 Same battle's to be fought, as at Troja of old. 
 
 As an Iliad of the forest now here might be told. 
 
 " Menelaus shall fight against Paris— a bride 
 Is the prize to contend for — the crowd draws aside — 
 Fair Helena is seated, though not on the wall. 
 But high from a fir-tree, majestic and tall, 
 Looks down on the fight — for a mate she must seek, 
 Howe'er the battle may turn, between Trojan and Greek. 
 With deafening war-cries ascending the sky. 
 Now, breast against breast, and with fire-flashing eye. 
 The warriors meet, and, with thundering might, 
 Their death-dealing weapons employ in the fight. 
 Fierce rageth the combat, and reeking in blood 
 It spreads consternation and dread through the wood. 
 Tet the contest is short, and the battle doth cease. 
 When, dismayed, overpowered, Paris he fiees. 
 But ah ! a Pandarus bends treacherous bow. 
 And the loud, boasting Achean victor lieth low ! 
 
 " Now victorious shouts through the forest resound ; 
 
 With many accounts of brave deeds they abound ! 
 And the fair and the loved one is hailed with rejoice, 
 Though still there is wrath in the brave singer's voice. 
 
 But it cannot abide In a fond lover's breast. 
 
 And soon, by degrees, it is soothed to rest ; 
 And in softened cadences fioweth the lay 
 Till, in taint uttered sighs, it is melting away." 
 
 Change the word "singer "in this poem to "drum- 
 mer," and it portrays the wooing of the ruffed grouse Ig 
 
158 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTISTG. 
 
 a terse and truthful manner. Should a female answer 
 the roll-call, instead of a fierce rival, how different is the 
 meeting between the pair. On approaching the drum- 
 ming log she moves cautiously, yet steadily, and indulges 
 in tlie most coquettish antics. Looking as demure and 
 indifferent as possible, she pecks listlessly at the leaves, 
 scratches up imaginary worms and seeds, and dawdles on 
 the way; but the booming music still lures her on until 
 she reaches the residence of the drummer, but even there 
 she feigns to be totally unconscious of his presence and 
 to see insects on every leaf or blade of grass. The gal- 
 lant musician, on seeing this russet dame, swells with 
 pride; he raises his ruff, expands his erect tail, droops 
 his wings until they sweep the log, and parades before 
 her in all his pomp and glory. She lifts her mild- 
 brown eyes, in which the forest is reflected, to gaze 
 on his bold mien and gaudy raiment, and when he sees 
 that she admires him he greets her with clucks of wel- 
 come, and, after giving her some more music, descends 
 from his throne, salutes her, and both live happily until 
 the nesting season is over, unless some rival should ar- 
 rive on the scene and kick him away before he has been 
 accepted for better or worse. 
 
 When the birds have paired, the hen builds a nest on 
 the ground with twigs and grass, and lays ten or twelve 
 eggs of a creamy-brown color in it. If these are hatched 
 out she is content, but if they are destroyed she seeks 
 the male and lays another set. This is why so many 
 weak young birds are to be seen in October, when the 
 early broods are as well able to take care of themselves as 
 their parents. The habits of the hen when running with 
 her chicks are most interesting to study. She is cease- 
 less in her activity, sagacious in finding food, bold and 
 ready of stratagem in danger, and daring in her efforts 
 to protect her little brood from all harm. "When her 
 fears are aroused, she clucks a prompt note of alarm 
 
THE EUFFED GEOUSB. 161 
 
 which her family thoroughly understands, and on hearing 
 it they scatter and rush for shelter among the grass and 
 shrubbery, while she exposes herself to the foe, and by a 
 capital piece of strategy leads it away from the covert. 
 
 If a man is the object of her suspicion she pretends to 
 be crippled, flutters helplessly amidst the weeds, and 
 utters lamentable cries, as if she were suffering the 
 greatest pain; but if he makes an effort to seize her she 
 eludes him in the promptest manner, and when she 
 thinks she has drawn him far enough away, she rises 
 suddenly, and with a loud whirr and a chuckling cry, 
 which might be translated as "sold again," she darts 
 away and seeks refuge in the forest depths until she can 
 rejoin her scattered brood in safety. The novice is likely 
 to gaze after her rapidly retreating form in amazement 
 and to wonder at her duplicity; and if he does not repeat 
 her parting salute aloud, he is very liable to think it, and 
 to consider that she was perfectly right in her statement. 
 She may be able to impose on a person's confidence once 
 or twice by this manoeuvre, but not more, as he soon 
 learns to appreciate her distressed condition at its true 
 worth, and to act accordingly. 
 
 The males, like those of the domestic fowl, are polyg- 
 amous, and generally have from four to six hens under 
 their protection; but they soon tire of them, apparently, 
 for they manifest no inclination to help them in looking 
 after the chicks, preferring to spend their time in luxuri- 
 ous ease in company with other clubable bachelors, or 
 rather temporary widowers. These bachelor parties break 
 up about the last of August or first of September, when 
 the chicks are able to fly well, and the males rejoin the 
 mothers and their interesting young families, and remain 
 with them until they are bagged by the sportsman or the 
 broods set up house-keeping for themselves. The hawks 
 are great enemies of the chickens, and minks, weasels, 
 and foxes dance attendance upon the adults, and even 
 
163 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 rifle nests of the eggs if they cannot secure the owners. 
 The ruffed grouse being naturally solitary in habit, com- 
 pared with other members of its family, is neyer found 
 in large packs, but generally in broods or small coveys, 
 and this is one reason why it is so difficult for a sports- 
 man to make a big bag. 
 
 It affords the best sport from September to November, 
 as it becomes very wild after that time; and its flesh, 
 owing to the flr and spruce buds on which the bird lives 
 in winter, acquires a terebinthine taste. It is also a dif- 
 ficult matter to find this grouse in winter, as it burrows 
 a hole for itself in the snow in the more northern re- 
 gions, by hurling itself into it from a certain height and 
 striking it at an acute angle, and this hole it enlarges 
 readily, often carrying it three or four yards into a snow- 
 bank. It is so sharp of hearing that it can detect any 
 unusual noise quite a distance away, for it has been 
 proved that the ordinary tones of the human voice will 
 flush it at a hundred yards, and that footsteps in the 
 snow, which are scarcely audible to the traveller himself, 
 will rouse it long before he is within shooting range. 
 Being exceedingly shy and wary, it is ready to take alarm 
 at any uncommon sight or sound, yet, where it is little 
 hunted, a person may approach it to within a few paces, 
 and instead of flying away in a hurry, it may merely 
 march before him with a stately mien until it is flushed 
 or grassed. 
 
 Misses are frequent in shooting at it, owing to the sud- 
 denness with which it rises, and the rapidity with which 
 its sharp and curved wings beat the air. If it escapes it 
 should be marked down promptly, for after being dis- 
 turbed two or three times it lies quite still on the branch 
 of some gigantic conifer, as if it thought there was no 
 necessity for alarm, or hoped to escape observation in its 
 foliaceous retreat. When the ordinary sportsman detects 
 its robust form amid the foliage he does not pay much 
 
THE EUFFED GKOUSB. 163 
 
 attention to the ethics of gunning, but bangs away at it, 
 and congratulates himself if he places it in his bag. One 
 of the greatest essentials to success in pursuing rufled. 
 grouse is to keep a strict silence, and have a good steady 
 dog that will work slowly and cautiously, and be satisfied 
 to point on catching even a faint odor. No high-met- 
 tled, fast ranger will do, as the birds will not lie to him, 
 except in the early portion of the season, and not very 
 well then; and late in the autumn it is a rery difficult 
 matter for a dog to get near enough to a group to enable 
 the fowler to shoot with any assured degree of success, 
 so that he must be satisfied to take shots at all distances. 
 Spaniels would, eyidently, be well adapted to their pur- 
 suit, and so would setters trained on snipe, as this bird 
 gives steadiness to any dog in a short time. Pointers 
 are not fitted for this rough work, as they are too 
 fast and nervous, and their thin coating cannot stand 
 the briars and tangled shrubbery, and the heavy showers 
 of dew or rain which the undergrowth pours down when 
 disturbed by a shaking. 
 
 This grouse seems to be somewhat indiscriminate in its 
 choice of roosting places, being equally at home on a fallen 
 log, a tree, a fence, and even the ground. It seeks shelter 
 in the highest trees, or the snow, during the winter, being 
 rarely found roosting on logs. Some persons say it can 
 swim well, but this, I should fancy, was a mistake. It 
 is a general beUef that adult males seldom leave the vi- 
 cinity of their favorite drumming logs, unless they have 
 been shot at a great deal, and that they return to them 
 at the earliest opportunity. One reason for this belief 
 is, that the excrementary deposits near the logs are large, 
 and that the bark is well worn away where the birds 
 parade. 
 
 Two varieties of the ruflEed grouse have been found on 
 the Pacific Coast, but they differ from the typical species 
 only in a slight degree, principally in color, and that, no 
 
164 AMEEICAK GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 doubt, is due to climate and habitat. The one known as 
 the Oregon grouse {Bonasa sabinei) is darker than 
 the umhellus, and the upper parts are a dark, orange- 
 chestnut color, mottled with black — not with brown as 
 in the Eastern species. The under tail covets are orange- 
 chestnut, with indistinct bars of black, and an angular 
 terminal blotch of white; and the light-brown blotches 
 and edgings of the umhellus are replaced by very dark 
 brown or black. Some specimens have dark gray tails; 
 and others differ m plumage, being dark-brown in one 
 section of the country, and pale-gray in another. The 
 sabine variety is rather erratic in habit, partially migra- 
 tory, and a generous feeder, its food consisting of berries, 
 buds, fruit, insects, and grain. 
 
 The allied grouse (Bonasa umhellus var. umhelloides) 
 differs only slightly in coloration from the typical spe- 
 cies — not enough perhaps to class it as a variety, as its 
 hue varies so much in different places that even a skillful 
 naturalist would find it diflBcult to distinguish the two 
 apart. The principal distinctions between them are, 
 that the variety umhelloides is somewhat grayer; that the 
 neck tufts are sometimes glossy black; and that the 
 ground color of the tail is cinerous. This variety is 
 found in the Kocky Mountains and in the forest stretch- 
 ing north and westward from it, as it has been shot 
 throughout the region lying between California and 
 Alaska, and in Manitoba and the country west of it, as 
 far as the Pacific Ocean. 
 
 The grouse of the Pacific Coast commence drumming 
 earlier in the season than those of the Atlantic, owing to 
 the mildness of the climate. Their tooting may some- 
 times be heard as early as January, in Oregon and Wash- 
 ington Territory, and they are so persistent at it in Febru- 
 ary that they frequently keep it up all night. They are 
 also more prolific than their Eastern congeners, and much 
 tamer, owing to their immunity from danger, for the popu- 
 
THE BUFFED GROUSE. 165 
 
 lation is very limited, and foxes are scarce in the woods, 
 while they have an immense area of forest in which to 
 dwell securely; an area which will not be intruded upon 
 by man, to any extent, for many, many years to come. 
 
 No part of the world can compete with the regions ad- 
 joining the Pacific Ocean, north of Central California, in 
 the abundance of the ruffed grouse, as everything is fa- 
 vorable to their existence, and they are not slaughtered 
 by market hunters as they are in other parts of the Con- 
 tinent. Many are, however, killed and snared by the 
 Indians, but not enough to make any appreciable dimi- 
 nution in their numbers. They are generally sought for 
 in summer in places where berries are to be found; and 
 in autumn where such mast as acorns and nuts are com- 
 mon; but in winter they must be looked for in trees. 
 When some farmers find a place which they frequent 
 either in search of food or gravel to digest it, or to enjoy 
 a dust bath, they snare them by means of nets or traps. 
 A very common form of trap in some portions of the 
 country is a wooden fence two or more feet in height, 
 and five or six hundred feet in length. This is erected 
 near a hiUside where fruit or mast is abundant, as the 
 birds will travel long distances to feast on these dainties. 
 The interstices of the fence having been filled with 
 brushwood, grass, and leaves, holes having a diameter of 
 three or four inches are made at close intervals, and 
 nooses made of fine brass wire are suspended in these, 
 so that nothing can pass through without being caught. 
 
 When the birds encounter this obstruction they run 
 along its course until they meet the hole, and in attempt- 
 ing to pass through it they are caught so tightly that 
 one seldom escapes. To make the certainty of the cap- 
 ture greater, the trappers construct narrow runways on 
 each side of the fence, as the birds have a peculiar habit 
 of travelling on a path in hopes of being able to get some 
 opening that will allow them to crawl through an ob- 
 
166 AMERICAK GAME BIRD SHOOTIISTG. 
 
 struction, rather than get over it by flying. Hundreds 
 of grouse may be caught in a week by this simple device, 
 especially if the traps are carefully looked after, and reset 
 every time that a haul is made. These fences are the 
 bane of sportsmen, who look upon them with such con- 
 tempt that they seldom fail to hurl them down whenever 
 they are met. Notwithstanding the numerous foes 
 against which the ruffed grouse has to contend, it is as 
 abundant as ever on the Pacific Coast. Looking at 
 the character of the country beyond the Rocky Moun- 
 tains, it would be safe to assert that this bird must be 
 numerous for many years to come, and for this reason, 
 that it can always procure a generous supply of food and 
 ample shelter; that it increases rapidly, is solitary in 
 habit, and very vigilant; that it has a vast and trackless 
 empire to itself; and, finally, that population is scarce in 
 its haunts. 
 
 I have shot the bird frequently in various sections of 
 the Continent west of the Rocky Mountains, but the 
 largest bag I ever made in a day was in Humboldt 
 County, California. Two friends and myself, while pass- 
 ing through the country, stopped one day at the cabin of 
 a man who shot game, principally deer and birds, for the 
 market. His wickiup, as he called it, nestled in a lovely 
 glade near a dense forest, and was five miles from the 
 nearest house. Although this man seldom saw a human 
 being, except when he went to the nearest town to dis- 
 pose of his game, he was sociable and hospitable, and 
 had a grim humor which was more suggestive than as- 
 sertive. He thought no life compared with that of a 
 hunter, as it was free from care and trouble, and inde- 
 pendent in the fullest sense of the word. His idea of 
 existence was that: — 
 
 "If thou would'st read a lesson that will keep 
 
 Thy heart from fainting and thy soul from sleep, 
 Go to the woods and hills." 
 
THE BUFFED GEOUSB. 167 
 
 When we reached his cabin, which was built, according 
 to his own statement, on the principle of an Irishman's 
 church — a yard wide and a mile long — ^he gave us a 
 hearty greeting, and invited us to stay with him as long 
 as we pleased. We gladly accepted the offer for a few 
 days, as we intended to pay him for our board by giving 
 him all the game we should kill. As soon as dinner was 
 over, we commenced questioning him about his life in the 
 wilderness, and learned that he was so infatuated with 
 it that he would not relinquish it for one of ease in any 
 city on earth. He also gave us a sketch of his career, 
 which was very interesting to "as. 
 
 He had been, it seems, a sharpshooter in the Confed- 
 ei-ate army, but when the war was over he went West and 
 devoted his time to hunting, and with such excellent suc- 
 cess that he had a fair balance to his account at the bank, 
 a fact which proved that he was wiser than most of his 
 class. He said that he had never fired a fowling-piece, 
 or "scatter-gnn," as he called it, previous to his arrival 
 in California, as any man who used such a weapon in 
 Kentucky, even for snipe shooting, would be looked upon 
 with contempt by his neighbors, and deemed an un- 
 worthy descendant of those sharpshooters who had de- 
 feated Packenham's army at 'New Orleans, with their 
 squirrel rifles. He had changed his opinion about the 
 " scatter-gun," however, after learning its value, and 
 considered it to have no equal for shooting deer from a 
 stand when they were driven by hounds, but he thought 
 it could not compare with a rifle in still-hunting. 
 
 The conversation about guns, dogs, and wild animals 
 was continued until nightfall, and was then only stopped 
 because we were compelled to make preparations for a fire 
 hunt among the deer; but these did not occupy much 
 time, for all that was necessary to be done was to light a 
 number of pieces of dried pine and carry them in a long- 
 handled pan through the forest until we found a victim. 
 
168 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTINa 
 
 As I had some scruples about destroying animals in this 
 manner, I was appointed torch-bearer, and so well did I 
 perform my task that my companions killed two deer be- 
 fore nine o'clock. We then returned to camp, and were 
 rolled up in our blankets half an hour later. If "early 
 to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, 
 wealthy, and wise," those who go on shooting expeditions 
 in the Par West ought to be the healthiest, wealthiest, 
 and wisest men in the world, for they, as a rule, are up 
 long before the dawn. Most of them hare an idea that 
 
 . if the first sunbeams catch them asleep they will have no 
 luck during the day, and, as a consequence, they often 
 commence work so early that it undermines the constitu- 
 tion in a few years, especially if they go out without 
 food. 
 
 Thanks to the " lightning member " of our party, who 
 threatened to drench those who did not "turn out" 
 promptly, we were up and stirring long before the sun 
 appeared, and by the time its rays began to gild the sur- 
 rounding forests, we were armed cap-a-pie and ready for 
 work. 
 
 We were in the forest by daylight, and after walking 
 about a mile, the Kentuckian espied a stag, fired at him, 
 and brought him to the ground. He then advanced to 
 cut his throat, but he had scarcely drawn his knife before 
 the wounded and infuriated animal bounded to its feet 
 and charged him. Striking him in the breast, it hurled 
 him to the ground, stamped on him two or three times, 
 and was apparently determined to kill him, but before it 
 could accomplish its purpose it was shot in the heart by 
 one of my companions. The fallen man then picked 
 himself up in the promptest manner and commenced ex- 
 amining his wounds, but they were neither numerous nor 
 severe, being confined to a contusion or two, and a rent 
 in his nether garments that almost disrobed him, and 
 
 - made him the butt of many a joke during the remainder 
 
tHE ETJITEio GROUSE. 169 
 
 of the day. One of my companions asked him why the 
 buck assailed him. 
 
 " Because I didn't sing," was the grave reply. 
 
 " What has singing to do with the attack? " 
 
 "Everything; for I notice that whenever I forget to 
 sing ' I'm a Pilgrim ' the bucks try to kill me." 
 
 " They must be very musical deer in this place." 
 
 "Yes; they're about as musical as people who ask 
 silly questions are sensible. Now, how on earth could I 
 tell you what made that buck pitch into me, unless it 
 was that he was too mean to live?" 
 
 " Grot your mad up, eh?" 
 
 " Well, maybe you'd be good-natured if you had to go 
 through these woods and briars like a half-dressed High- 
 lander. You may think it very funny, but I don't. Cold 
 winds and sharp brambles don't agree with my legs." 
 
 The serious tone in which this was uttered produced 
 several fits of eachination, and when they were over, we 
 cached the deer, and started off in quest of pore adven- 
 tures. The first thing in the form of game I saw was a 
 young ruffed male grouse, which was parading up and 
 down a log and drumming at intervals. While earnestly 
 watching him I made a movement which caused the 
 leaves to rustle, and this attracted his attention in a mo- 
 ment. Standing as still as a statue, he looked directly 
 at me for several seconds, and when he had satisfied his 
 curiosity he gave a loud cluck, and with a startling 
 whirr, which seemed all the louder on account of the 
 solemn silence of the forest, he darted away; but his joy 
 was brief, " for he felt the fiery wound, fluttered in blood 
 and panting beat the ground," and was in my bag a mo- 
 ment later. I had hardly picked him up before an old male 
 sprung from the ground with a loud whirr, and went 
 sailing through the trees at a rate of speed that made 
 me think he was bound for China and wanted to get 
 there in two minutes. I looked disappointed at missing 
 8 
 
170 AMEEICASr GAME BIED SHOOTTKG. 
 
 an opportunity for grassing him, and the Kentuckian 
 seeing it, tried to console me by saying that it would take 
 a rifle ball and two bottles of whiskey to bag him. 
 
 " How could whiskey help to bag him? " I asked. 
 
 " By making a fellow feel as if he could follow him. 
 It gives a man courage to dare anything." 
 
 " Does it give you great courage?" 
 
 " Well, yes. It gave me courage enough one time to 
 tackle a grizzly, and but for it I think the grizzly would 
 have placed me under the daisies." 
 
 "How was that?" 
 
 "I'll tell you. I was returning one evening from 
 Blankville, pretty well stewed in tarantula juice, and 
 while passing through the woods I saw half a deer lying 
 on a brush -heap. Knowing it had been left there by a 
 grizzly, I went to the cabin, got my gun, and went back 
 to the carcass to wait for Ephraim, for I knew he'd come 
 back for it at night. I waited near it until ten o'clock, 
 but I didn't feel lonesome a bit, as I had a bottle of the 
 juice to keep me company. I was getting pretty well 
 slewed, when I heard a thundering crashing among the 
 dead leaves. That brought me to my senses a little, so 
 I jumped up and got behind a tree to the windwaid. Al- 
 though the night was very dark, I could see what ap- 
 peared to be two bears pitching into the bait. I lifted 
 my gun to fire, but the moment I put the machine to my 
 shoulder I found I had brought my shot-gun instead of 
 my rifle. I knew it would be certain death to shoot at 
 the animals with that, as the shot would only sting 'em a 
 little, enough to make 'em mad, but I was too full of 
 whiskey courage to care for all the grizzlies in the coun- 
 try just then, so I up and let 'em have one barrel. That 
 made 'em yell, and both of 'em charged me. I then gave 
 'em the second barrel when they were within a couple of 
 yards of me. As they were still coming on to me like 
 fury, I didn't know what to do, as my legs were too weak 
 
THE RUFi'BD OROtJSB. Itl 
 
 to run a race with 'em. Not knowing what else to do, 
 I gave a yell that was loud enough to knock down some 
 trees. That fetched "em, for they ran past me as fast 
 as a yaller dog with a tin pan tied to his tail. They 
 were awfully skeered, I tell you, for they didn't even 
 stop to say good-night. I was mighty glad when they got 
 out of sight, for my courage was beginning to leave me. 
 As soon as the noise of their footfalls died away, I went 
 to my cabin and was soon fast asleep. I was up before 
 daylight next morning, and being anxious to see if I had 
 hit the grizzlies, I seized my rifle, put a bottle in my 
 pocket, and went back to the carcass. On lookmg at the 
 ground I saw signs of blood, so I concluded that I had 
 done their hides some damage. I also noticed that the 
 footprints of one grizzly only were to be seen, though I 
 could almost swear I saw two gigantic fellows the night 
 before. After thinking over the matter I decided that 
 the juice had made me see double, and that made me 
 mad at myself, for I hate to be fooled that way. I was 
 so mad that I said to myself, ' Now, you old fool, you 
 must get that bear or you don't amount to shucks.' It 
 was very foolish to think that way, but I did, so I started 
 off on Ephraim's trail. It was very easy to follow that, 
 as blood was sprinkled over the leaves. In about half an 
 hour I entered a canyon, and the first thing I saw there 
 was old Ephraim, who was lying in some bushes. His 
 face was covered with blood, and his head must have 
 been mighty sore, for he shook it every tew moments. I 
 was very glad to meet him, but my feelings soon changed, 
 for on lifting his head he saw me and charged me like a 
 mad bull. Not caring to become any better acquainted, 
 as I don't like the way a grizzly hugs, I turned tail and 
 ran for the top of the canyon as fast as I could. The 
 bear was more than a match for me in a race, however, 
 and he was soon so near that I thought I could feel his 
 burning breath. I was so pumped m a short time that I 
 
172 AMEKlCAlf GAME Blfii) SHOOTIITG. 
 
 felt like giving up, when Ephraim stopped all of a sud- 
 den as if he were shot. I ran a little further and then 
 looked round, and what should I see but the old fellow 
 drinking from the bottle of whiskey which had fallen out 
 of my pocket while I was skedaddling. ' That whiskey will 
 be your ruin, old fellow,' said I, as I lifted my rifle and 
 fired. The next thing I saw was the grizzly falling stone 
 dead, with the bottle in his paws. I went up to him and 
 found I had put the bullet through his eye into the brain. 
 I took off his skin, but left the carcass behind, as grizzly 
 steak is rather tough eating. But for that whiskey, old 
 Ephraim would have killed me sure, for I couldn't have 
 got away from him. I sold his skin afterwards for 
 fifty dollars to a fellow who wanted it in order to boast 
 that he had killed the bear himself ; so you see that 
 whiskey brings a man good luck sometimes, and even 
 saves his life." 
 
 " That's the toughest bear story I ever heard," whis- 
 pered a companion to me. " [ might believe it, were it 
 not for the grizzly stopping to drink the whiskey. It 
 will do for a yam, anyhow." 
 
 We were tramping through the forest while he was 
 relating this tale, and though we were listening to him 
 with deep interest, our eyes were peering in every direc- 
 tion for signs of game of any kind. We met nothing 
 worthy of our attention until we reached a part where 
 several trees had been burned down by recent fires, 
 and there we saw a brood of ruffed grouse which were 
 taking a dust-bath in the ashes of a burned stump. 
 They allowed us to approach them within a distance of 
 thirty yards before they took to the wmg, and this 
 gave a companion and myself, who carried shot-guns, an 
 opportunity to score with both our barrels. The one 
 that I hit with the right barrel fell dead, but the other 
 flew into a tree and remained there until I brought it down 
 with another shot. The remainder of the brood flew 
 
THE RUFFED GBOUSE. 173 
 
 several hundred yards and alighted on the top of a 
 magnificent fir, which was, apparently, two or three 
 hundred feet high. We followed them and found 
 their retreat without much trouble, as we knew they 
 would not deviate from a straight course in flight, and 
 would seek refuge in the highest tree on their line. 
 
 The Kentuckian wanted the " scatter-gun men" to 
 open fire on them, but the first shot they fired proved that 
 they could not reach the fugitives, owing to the altitude 
 of the tree. The riflemen next essayed it, and the hunt- 
 er was successful in winging one and bringing it tumb- 
 hng down. Its descent caused the others to fly away 
 with a loud cluck of alarm, and though all fired at them, 
 they escaped scatheless. We started after them, and 
 soon descried them perched on a dogwood tree, and there 
 they remained until all were picked ofE with the rifles, 
 for there was no sport in shooting them with a shot gun. 
 That brood yielded us seven tender birds, which were 
 almost as fat as butter. The Kentuckian told me that 
 a family of ruffed grouse could be kept in a tree until 
 they were killed if a person talked or whistled, as the 
 sound of the human voice either terrified or enchanted 
 them so much that it seemed to stupefy them. We met 
 another small pack which were feeding on blueberries, an 
 hour later. These fled on seeing us, but they did not go far 
 before they alighted on a tree, and there they remained 
 until they were picked off one by one, as those on the 
 lower perches were bagged first. 1 descried several others 
 in a tall fir, half an hour after this, and managed to flush 
 them by yelling and hurling stones at them. As they 
 flew away in a body, and rather slowly, I was able to 
 empty both barrels into them. 1 killed a leash; and my 
 companions were proportionately successful. I was in- 
 debted to my field-glass for this score, as I could not have 
 seen the birds without it. A field-glass is, in fact, actu- 
 ally necessary iu wood-grouse shooting, as the plumage 
 
174 AMEEICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 of the birds resembles the foliage of the trees so much in 
 hue that it is an exceedingly difficult matter to distin- 
 guish them apart, especially if the grouse roost high. 
 By using my glass freely I was enabled to bag seven brace 
 of grouse that day, most of which were shot on the wing 
 while they were flying from tree to tree. That was the 
 largest number 1 ever shot in a day, as I never killed for 
 the sake of making a big bag. One reason for my success 
 on this occasion was, that my companions gave me shots 
 which properly belonged to themselves, and acted the 
 part of beaters rather than that of friendly rivals. The 
 birds were also remarkably abundant, and being young 
 and inexperienced, they allowed us to approach them 
 to within a few yards before they attempted to fly. We 
 averaged twenty brace each during the week that we 
 spent in that neighborhood, although we did not go ten 
 miles from the house in any one direction. We experi- 
 enced very little difiiculty in killing the birds when we 
 found them; but I must say that the majority of them 
 were shot on their perches by my comrades. 
 
 I devoted most of the time I was in the district to 
 studying bird life in the forest, and but for this, I would, 
 I think, have made a better score. I was satisfied, how- 
 ever, as it presented a strong contrast to one I had made 
 on a previous occasion in Pennsylvania, where three day's 
 trudging brought me only one grouse, and that a poor 
 creature which was almost eaten alive by wood ticks. 
 When 1 left that section of California, 1 took away many 
 pleasant memories, not the least of which were con- 
 nected with ruffed grouse, and that fine type of a Western 
 hunter, the hospitable Kentuckiau. 
 
CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 THE SAGE COCK. 
 
 The sage cock — Its range, weight, and color— A peculiar gizzard— Bit- 
 ter taste of the flesh, and how to remedy it — Can go a long time 
 without water — Never flies to trees— Tries to escape by skulking— 
 Strong on the wing— Very tame — The pairing season — The wooing 
 song— Pompous lowers— The nest and young— Brave mothers — Ene- 
 mies — Large packs. 
 
 The Sage Cock {Centrocercus urophasianus), which is 
 a denizen of the region lying between Western Kansas 
 and the Sierra JTevada and Cascade Kanges, is the larg- 
 est of the American grouse, an adult male frequently at- 
 taining a length of thirty inches, and a weight varying 
 from three to seven pounds. The female is much smaller, 
 her average length being about two feet, and her weight 
 three or four pounds. The tail is composed of twenty 
 acuminate feathers, and equals or exceeds the wing in 
 length; on each side of the neck are very large, dilatable 
 air-sacs of naked yellow skin, which are bordered by a 
 patch of curiously-stiffened corneous feathers, that re- 
 semble fish scales somewhat, and frequently end in long, 
 bristly filaments. 
 
 The color of the upper parts of the body is a mixture 
 of black, brown, and yellowish-gray; the sides of the 
 lower part of the neck are whitish; and the lower por- 
 tions of the breast and abdomen are black. The female 
 and chickens differ slightiy from this hue, and are de- 
 ficient in the rigid neck-feathers of the males. The 
 sexes can be readily distinguished apart at a glance by 
 their size and markings, and their attitude when walk- 
 ing or staring. Old hunters say that this species has no 
 175 
 
176 AMEKICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIWG. 
 
 gizzard — a statement which is true in a particular sense, 
 for this organ is as soft as that of hirds of prey, and is 
 almost totally unlike the hard, dense apparatus of ordi- 
 nary gallinaceous birds. 
 
 Living principally on the leaves of the so-called wild 
 sage {Artemisia tridentata), its flesh has a peculiarly bit- 
 ter taste, which makes it anything but pleasant, even to 
 the palate of a hungry man; but if the bird is " drawn " 
 immediately after being shot, and some onions and a slice 
 or two of lemon are placed in the abdominal cavity ere it 
 is roasted, the acrid flavor is modified to such an extent 
 that even a fastidious person might partake of it without 
 much grumbling. The flesh of both old and young is 
 dry and black, so that it is not much sought after, even 
 by hunters. Their opinion of its merits may be readily 
 inferred from the names they apply to it, which vary 
 from " Injun killer " to " walking quinine " and " feath- 
 ered sage-tea." The birds are said to prefer the leaves 
 of the artemisia to grain, and to be able to remain 
 without water a long time. The latter statement may 
 be readily believed, for I have seen them in sterile re- 
 gions where no water was to be found for miles, yet they 
 were as lively and cheerful as they could well be. They 
 may, like the prairie chickens, be content to quench 
 their thirst with sips of the morning or evening dew, 
 where streams or tarns are scarce. 
 
 This species never takes to trees, and when alarmed 
 it tries to escape by skulking in the sage, rather than by 
 flight. When it does take to the wing, however, it rises 
 with a loud and heavy whirr, after uttering its notes of 
 fear, and frequently flies quite a long distance before 
 alighting. It is, as a rule, so tame that it will allow a 
 person to approach to within a few feet before it thinks 
 of running away. It is almost as familiar as a barn-yard 
 fowl, and as easily killed. 
 
 The pairing seasou commences iu March or April, ac- 
 
THE SAGE COCK. 177 
 
 cording to the character of the climate of the country it 
 inhabits. The males win their brides by a deep, guttural 
 song, which sounds like whirr-whirr-whirr-hoo-hoo, and 
 by parading their forms before them, much as gobblers 
 do before the turkey hens. They spread the tail into a 
 fan-like shape, inflate the neck and air sacs to the fullest 
 possible Hmit, lower the wings and sweep the ground 
 with them, and wheel and strut and sing until they have 
 been accepted. They are the most assiduous of gallants, 
 and to persons of a certain temperament they seem lu- 
 dicrously "spooney," for their many attitudes, pompous 
 airs, and indefatigable calling and parading, are more 
 suggestive of ridiculous " softness " than dignified woo- 
 ing. When mates have been chosen, the female builds a 
 rude nest on the ground, generally under the shelter of a 
 sage-bush, and lays from ten to twenty eggs in it, and 
 when the young are hatched she devotes all her atten- 
 tion to them, and fights bravely in their defence, if ne- 
 cessary. Their greatest enemies are foxes, coyotes, 
 badgers, weasels, and other predaceous quadrupeds, for 
 these do not hesitate to gobble them up whenever they 
 get the chance, their taste not being refined enough to 
 object to the flavor of sage. As food and shelter are 
 abundant, most of the chickens must live to adult age, 
 notwithstanding the number of their foes, if one were to 
 judge from their profusion on the Western plains and 
 plateaus. The mothers and their broods keep together 
 until the approach of cold weather, then Join the males, 
 and form into large packs, which often number several 
 hundred. They become wild at this time, and are easily 
 flushed, but, after alighting, they prefer trying to escape 
 by running and skulking, rather than by flying. Not 
 being deemed fit for the table, few persons kill them, 
 except Indians. These frequently snare them in large 
 numbers, especially in severe winters, when food is scarce, 
 for anything edible, from a polecat to a rat, is welcome 
 
178 AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 at that time. I haye eaten their flesh without season- 
 ing, when hard pressed by hunger, but I must say that I 
 found it a yery difiicult matter to reconcile my palate to 
 its flayor, and that I was glad when the repast was 
 over. I did not know at that time how to prepare it, but 
 after learning the modus operandi, as preyiously de- 
 scribed, I found I could partake of it with a relish, which 
 yaried in degree according to the sharpness of my appetite. 
 The Indians eat the eggs of this species eyen when 
 they contain chicks, and consider them quite palatable. 
 The eggs are rather large, and their ground-color yaries 
 from greenish-drab to drab and bufE. The sage cock is 
 so abundant on the artemisian plains of the West and 
 Southwest that its numbers cannot eyen be estimated, 
 and it will be so for many years to come, in all proba- 
 bility, as few men care to take up their abode in its 
 haunts. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 PTARMIGANS. 
 
 FtarmigaDS — Different species— The white-tailed ptarmigan — The willow 
 grouse, and the rock, or mountain, ptarmigan— General sketch of 
 the white-tailed ptarmigan — Pairing season — The nest and eggs— 
 Both parents look after the young — Brave protectors — Very tame 
 in summer and wild in winter— Burrow in the snow— Moulting 
 season — Are in best condition from September to November — Will 
 not lie to a dog in winter--The willow grouse — ^Its haunts and 
 habits — ^Resembles the Scotch moor-cock — Hue of the plumage in 
 winter and summer — Weight o£ both sexes — The mating season — 
 Nests and eggs — The male assists the female in hatching — A duti- 
 ful guardian — The number of eggs a hen can lay in a season — Dif- 
 ficulty of detecting the young on the ground — Migratory lours — 
 Marital manosuvres — Food — How the birds are trapped — The 
 rock, or mountain ptarmigan — Its haunts, weight, size, and color — 
 Is partially migratory — Its food— Pack in autumn- General char- 
 acter of ptarmigans — The charge used for shooting them — ^A cam- 
 paign among the ptarmigans — Two queer dogs — How to prevent 
 snow-blindness — Majestic mountain scenery — A brood of ptarmi- 
 gans — Our first bag— Snow baths— Croaking voices — A volley and 
 its unexpected result — A terrified Indian — A savory dinner — Why 
 Indians can eat so much— Strange music— Success of our excur- 
 sion. 
 
 There are three recognized species of the genus Lago- 
 pus in the northern part of the Continent, namely, the 
 white-tailed ptarmigan {Lagopus leucurus), the willow 
 grouse {L. albus), and the rock, or mountain ptarmigan 
 (Z. mutv.s, var. rupestris),yih.\c\i differs only slightly from 
 the L. mutus of Europe. The former, which is known 
 as the white, and the mountain, quail in portions of the 
 West, is the species most common in the United States, 
 being found on all the elevated chains between the Atlan- 
 tic and the Pacific Oceans. It is the smallest of its genus, 
 and the only one whose tail remains white the year 
 179 
 
180 AMEKICAM" GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 round; hence, it may be readily distinguished from its 
 congeners at all times. Its plumage is pure white in win- 
 ter, but in summer it is mottled with brown and tawny, 
 except the wings, tail, abdomen, legs, and crissum. The 
 toes are feathered about half their length in summer and 
 autumn, and wholly in winter, the feathers being ex- 
 ceedingly fine and hair-like. It is most abundant in the 
 Eocky, Cascade, and Sierra Nevada Mountains, as por- 
 tions of these are wrapped in shrouds of perpetual snow. 
 
 The pairing season commences later with this species 
 than with those which have a less arctic habitat. The nest 
 is generally constructed in the rudest manner, of grass, 
 leaves, or moss, and is placed in a hollow near some bush 
 or rock. The hen lays from eight to twelve eggs, and 
 when she is hatching she wUl permit herself to be cap- 
 tured rather than abandon them. When the young ap- 
 pear, both paients are most assiduous in providing food 
 and protecting them from enemies, and so undaunted is 
 their courage that they will even face man in their de- 
 fence. 
 
 These "haunters of the herbless peak" are so tame in 
 summer that they will allow a person to get within a few 
 feet of them before they make an efPort to escape; and 
 when they are flushed they may fly only a few yards be- 
 fore they alight. They then look at the object of their 
 suspicion, and if he does not attempt to molest them, 
 they commence feeding as placidly as if they did not 
 have a foe on earth; but if he makes any hostile demon- 
 stration they quickly conceal themselves la thickets or 
 seek refuge among the rocks. They are very wild 
 in winter, however, and ready to flush before a man can 
 get within shooting distance, particularly if the weather 
 is blustry and cold and the ground open. A cough, a 
 sneeze, a word, or a footstep is suflBcient to rouse them 
 and cause them to seek safety in the long burrows which 
 they excavate in the snow where it is anyway deep. This 
 
PTAKMIGANS. 181 
 
 habit of theirs is fatal to shooting over dogSj as it would 
 spoil the staunchest pointers or setters in the world, for 
 when the latter see that they will not stand a point, they 
 become so angry that they rush into the burrows and 
 drag out the birds more dead than alive. All the threats 
 and shouts and whippings that a man can hurl at or give 
 the animals for their irregular conduct will not deter 
 them from repeating it, as they become so exasperated 
 at being unable to wind the birds or to make them lie 
 to a point, that they forget prudence and education in 
 their eagerness to be successful in their work. The cold 
 dry air of the mountains also impairs their scenting 
 power, and makes them nervous and irritable; hence, 
 high-mettled animals should never be employed for pur- 
 suing the birds in winter. 
 
 Ptarmigans are in a continual moult throughout the 
 summer, and this gives them anything but a pleasing 
 appearance, as no two seem to be of the same color; 
 but they are in such full plumage in September that 
 they look larger than they actually are, owing to the 
 density of the feathers. They lie fairly well to a dog 
 up to the first of November, and, when flushed, fly 
 straight ahead for a few yards, then alight, and com- 
 mence feeding or watching until they are bagged or 
 routed again. They are easily flushed in windy weather, 
 and as they rise at long distances, they afford good 
 sport to those who like strong wing shooting. They 
 are not worth seeking in winter, unless a man is fond 
 of the terebinthine taste which their flesh acquires 
 after they have lived some time on the buds of conifer- 
 ous trees. The best months for shooting them are 
 from August to November, as their meat is then fat, 
 sweet, and succulent, their food being mainly com- 
 posed of insects and berries. Dogs are necessary for 
 flndmg them during this time, as they hug the ground 
 so closely that it is very difficult to see them, an^ 
 
183 AMEEICAN GAME BIED SHOOTIlfG. 
 
 they are so tame that they will not fly sometimes even 
 when a person is in their midst. When the land is 
 open they may, however, be readily detected, as their 
 color presents a strong contrast to the surrounding rocks. 
 
 The willow grouse, or ptarmigan {L. dlbus), is only- 
 found in a few places in the eastern part of the United 
 States, but it is very abundant in British America and 
 Alaska, for large numbers are snared annually by the 
 Aleutians and other tribes of the latter country. It is dis- 
 tinctly a northern bird, being scarce south of the forty- 
 ninth parallel, and met with only in a few places. It is 
 so common . throughout Canada, except in the barren 
 grounds, where it can tind neither food nor shelter, that 
 it is barrelled and shipped to London, where it is fre- 
 quently sold as the Scotch moor-cock, which it resembles 
 so much that few ordinary persons can distinguish them 
 apart. The flesh of both looks and tastes alike in the 
 early part of the season, but, at a later period, the bird 
 of Scotia is deemed to be the better of the two, on ac- 
 count of the character of its food, which does not give it 
 the bitter taste of the other. 
 
 The willow ptarmigan turns to a snowy whiteness in 
 winter, the only parts which show any coloration being 
 the tail, which is composed of fourteen glossy black feath- 
 ers, with white tips; the shafts of the primaries, which 
 are dusky-brown; and the tips over the eyes, which are 
 scarlet-red; but as soon as the snow disappears the plu- 
 mage undergoes a most rapid and decided change in hue. 
 Isolated patches of yellowish-brown first appear among 
 the white on the sides, and these gradually increase in 
 size until they blend together and form a deep fulvous- 
 brown, the head, throat, and neck assuming a cinnamon 
 rufous, and all being barred with black. The hens do 
 not differ much in hue from the males, but they fre- 
 quently don their spring attire a fortnight earlier, so 
 that it is not unusual to see a gallant, arrayed in his 
 
PTARMIGANS. 183 
 
 winter robes, standing guard on some rocky elevation, 
 while his spouse, attired in a sober dress of brown, is 
 building her nest and making preparations for the ex- 
 pected family. She is somewhat smaller than the male, 
 her weight seldom exceeding two pounds, while the latter 
 tips the beam at two and a half pounds. The pairing 
 season generally commences in June, but the exact 
 time is largely dependent on the weather. The nest, 
 which is rudely constructed of leaves, mosses, grasses, 
 and a few feathers, occupies a natural depression 
 in the ground, usually near some mossy tussock or shel- 
 tering crag that is capable of breaking the force of the 
 breezes which frequently Wow over the land. The eggs 
 are deposited in this day by day, one at a time, until the 
 full complement is laid, and then the hen devotes all her 
 attention to hatching them. They number from ten to 
 twenty, are of a creamy ground color, and beautifully 
 variegated with confluent blotches of dark-claret. 
 
 This species, like the preceding, being monogamous, 
 the male aids the female in the incubatory duties, taking 
 her place when she goes for food, and even feeding her, 
 it is said, if necessary. He seldom wanders far from her, 
 and never- beyond call; and when he is not otherwise en- 
 gaged he mounts guard on some bush, crag, or hillock, 
 to watch for foes. If he detects the approach of any 
 suspicious looking object he sounds an alarm in a few 
 loud, rough notes; and if his nest is robbed by a foe, he 
 watches the operation from some convenient eminence, 
 and manifests his displeasure in the most vociferous man- 
 ner. The spoliation of his home does not discourage him, 
 however, for he begins anew, and in ten days his spouse is 
 able to resume her motherly cares, and has her young 
 family around her after sitting for twenty-one days. 
 Ten is about the usual number of eggs dropped if the first 
 are destroyed, so that the most a hen can lay m a season 
 is from twenty to thirty, the average being fifteen or six- 
 
184 iMERICAlT SAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 teen. The young, like those of all gallinaceous birds, 
 are able to run about soon after being hatched, and from 
 the moment they appear until the family circle is broken 
 up, the parents pay them the most deToted attention, 
 often sacrificing their own lives to protect them from the 
 attacks of hawks, foxes, and even man. The best 
 protection the little creatures have is not, however, the 
 courage of their guardians, but that given them by nature, 
 for so closely do they resemble the landscape that it is 
 extremely difficult to discover them amid the grass, 
 leaves, and moss-covered crags to which they flee for 
 shelter when alarmed. A man may be in the midst of 
 large packs, yet not detect them unless they begin to 
 move about, and even then their mild, prying eyes are 
 the first objects to attract his attention, for they may be 
 seen when the body to which they belong is supposed to 
 be a tuft of grass, moss, or lichen. 
 
 The birds begin their southern migration in the far 
 north about the end of October, when the heavy snow 
 makes its appearance, and as they travel principally on 
 foot, their numbers are constantly increased by fresh ac- 
 cessions until they reach their winter home. Arrived 
 there, they break up into groups, varying in number 
 from six to sixty, and scatter over the country in search 
 of food and shelter. When the indications of spring appear 
 in March, they reassemble in large packs and march north- 
 ward again, and on reaching their breeding grounds they 
 pair off, the male, like other species of the family, winning 
 his partner for the season by strutting before her in vari- 
 ous attitudes, displaying his new spring dress, and call- 
 ing her attention to his airs and graces by loud, rough 
 notes. He repeats his croaking cry as often as possible 
 every morning and evening, as if he were enamored of it, 
 but stops it as soon as he has found a mate. 
 
 The food of this species consists of insects, berries, 
 mosses, lichens, and the buds of willows and other trees, 
 
PTAEMIGANS. 185 
 
 the lichens being procured in winter by digging away the 
 snow. The grouse of Alaska seem to live entirely on 
 willow-buds in winter, judging from the fact that two 
 handfuls of them were found in the crop of a dead bird. 
 This makes their flesh so bitter that it can hardly be 
 eaten by whites, and even the Indians do not care for it. 
 To macerate such indigestible material, the birds have to 
 use large quantities of gravel, and trappers, knowing this, 
 they manage to capture them in large numbers during 
 the winter with the aid of a small quantity of this precious 
 material. The nets used by trappers in some portions of 
 British America are about twelve feet square, and 
 stretched on wooden frames. These are placed upon the 
 ice of a river or a lake, about two or three hundred yards 
 from a line of willows, and a mound of snow, which is 
 generously strewn with gravel, is erected near the center 
 of each. One side of the net is propped up by a stick 
 about four feet in length, to which a very long cord is 
 attached; this cord is next carried into the thicket, and 
 a party of men commence beating the willows in a me- 
 thodical manner, and driving out the grouse as if they 
 were so many barn-yard fowls, for they are as tame as 
 they can be, considering their mode of life. When they 
 reach the opening and see the gravel heap, they rush for 
 it in the most eager manner, and when a large number is 
 grouped around it, one of the men pulls the string con- 
 cealed in the shrubbery. This causes the wooden prop 
 to give way, the net falls, and captures all within its 
 limits. A party of four or five men may secure from 
 two hundred to seven hundred ptarmigans in a day with 
 this simple contrivance/ as they catch from twenty to 
 fifty every time it falls. 
 
 The birds are exceedingly abundant m Alaska, accord- 
 ing to Mr. Dall; February and March being known as the 
 "grouse months," on account of the numbers found 
 scattered all over the country. They begin to change 
 
186 AMERICAN' GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 their plumage in April, brown feathers then making their 
 appearance on the neck and the edges of the wings. The 
 Aleutian Indians capture them by hundreds at certain 
 seasons, by using snares made of twisted sinews of 
 deer. These are made into running loops and fastened 
 to poles, each pole being balanced between two branches 
 of a tree, and caught over another pole placed horizon- 
 tally, by means of a small pin which is tied to the snare. 
 Rushes are then piled on each side of the tracks in which 
 the birds run, in order to induce them to pass through 
 the spot in which the snare is set. Should they touch 
 the snare, the pin is loosened, the heavy end of the pole 
 falls, and they are swung into the air, where they hang 
 until the Indians take them away. The number of 
 grouse destroyed in a year by the red men cannot even 
 be estimated, but, judging from the constant warfare 
 waged against them, it must be very large. The 
 birds of Alaska are not so finely flavored as the more 
 eastern species, owing to the exclusive character of 
 their food, which is mainly composed of willow buds. 
 They are fond of frequenting sandy spots during the 
 day, if the wind is not too high and biting, and at 
 night they seek refuge ia the thickets, or under the snow, 
 into which they work their way for a distance of three or 
 four yards,- in order to secure shelter and avoid the at- 
 tacks of foes. This species is partially migratory in por- 
 tions of the extreme northern countries, but in New- 
 foundland and sections of Canada it is not so to any 
 appreciable extent; hence, it is within easy distance 
 of some of the smaller villages, and is quite abundant 
 in districts remote from settlements. 
 
 The rock, or mountain ptarmigan {Lagopus rupestris) 
 is much more boreal in habitat than the preceding, its 
 favorite haunts being the region north of the fifty-first 
 parallel. It is a regular denizen of Alaska and the 
 north-western division of British America, and descends 
 
PTAKMIGABTS. 187 
 
 as far south as Newfoundland on the eastern coast. 
 It has been traced as far north as man has yet pene- 
 trated, in Alaska, and the probabihty is that its range 
 extends far within the Arctic Circle. It bears such a 
 close resemblance to the L. mutus of Europe, that it 
 would be exceedingly difficult to tell them apart in win- 
 ter, there being no specific difference between them; but 
 in summer and autumn the latter is the more grayish of 
 of the two. The rock ptarmigan is smaller than the 
 willow grouse, and has a more slender and elongated 
 bill. An adult male attains a length of about fourteen 
 and a half inches, and a weight of two pounds, but 
 the female seldom weighs more than a pound and a half. 
 The summer plumage is blackisli, striped with narrow 
 transverse bars of yellowish-brown, tipped with white; 
 the chin is whitish, spotted with black; the wings, ex- 
 cept the middle coverts and tertials, are white; and the 
 middle of the abdomen and the outer web of the external 
 tail feathers are of the same hue. The Alaskan species 
 differs from this in being of a more chestnut hue, mot- 
 tled with black, and having little or no white edging. A 
 black stripe runs through and behind the eye of the male 
 at all seasons, but it is absent in the female. The plum- 
 age in winter is pure white, escept the fourteen tail 
 feathers, which are black, tipped with white. In this 
 season the female differs but little in color from the male, 
 but in summer her legs and wings, except the upper 
 coverts, are white. The tail, excluding the four middle 
 feathers, is black, tipped with white, the remainder of 
 the plumage being ochreous, tipped in parts with white. 
 All are marked with broad, transverse bars of black, 
 especially the back, but the buff bars beneath are wider 
 than the black. This species, like the willow grouse, is 
 partially migratory. It retires into the thickets of the 
 interior late in the autumn, and remains there until the 
 following spring, when it moves north again until it 
 
188 AMBEICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 reaches its favorite summer grounds, about the middle of 
 May or the first of June. The young broods appear 
 about the last of June or the first of July, their birth- 
 place being the open barrens, or the vicinity of some 
 stream or tarn. Having comparatively few foes in their 
 boreal home, the greater number live to adult age. 
 
 Their food consists of buds, insects, berries, mosses, 
 and lichens, the latter two being procured by digging for 
 them in the snow. "When they are confined to a lichen 
 diet their flesh is anything but palatable, but it makes a 
 dainty morsel in summer, when they live on berries and 
 insects. They are so tame at this season that they per- 
 mit persons to come within a few feet of them before 
 getting alarmed, and even when flushed, they only 
 fly a few yards before settling down again. The 
 parents are brave defenders of the chicks, and resort to 
 various stratagems to protect them from foes. As soon 
 as the broods are able to take care of themselves in the 
 autumn, several families unite in one pack, and travel 
 southward together, but when they return in spring they 
 generally move in small coveys or in pairs, and resort to 
 the same ground year after year. The inaccessible 
 haunts of this species, like those of the white-tailed 
 ptarmigan, are their best protection against foes, es- 
 pecially man, for it requires an amount of patience and 
 hard work to capture them that few would care to mani- 
 fest or endure; hence, they rarely find their way into the 
 ordinary sportsman's bag. It is said that the true 
 Lagopus mutus of Europe has been found near Eepulse 
 Bay and WoUaston Land, but the species seen there is evi- 
 dently the variety rupestris, which resembles it so closely 
 that few inexperienced persons can distinguish them 
 apart. The affection displayed for their young by the 
 ptarmigans, the excellence of their flesh in autumn, the 
 undaunted courage of the males, which freely endanger 
 their liyes to protect those under their care, and the 
 
MAaniGAKS. 189 
 
 manner in which they lie to dogs, make them interesting 
 alike to the sportsman and the lover of Natural Hititory. 
 
 The usual charge of a gun used for shooting ptarmi- 
 gans, and other members of the Tetraonidm, is three and 
 a half drachms of powder and one and one-eighth or one 
 and one-fourth ounces of No. 8 shot, but the quantity of 
 powder may be increased half a drachm in winter, when 
 the birds are wild. No. 6 shot may, however, be found 
 more efEective than No. 8, on account of its greater size 
 and momentum. The coarse grain powder is better than 
 the fine, as it has more penetration and less recoil; but 
 good wood powder is the best of all, as it has three times 
 the strength of the ordinary black variety, causes no re- 
 coil, makes no smoke, keeps the shot well together, and 
 does not heat the barrels. 
 
 The most interesting campaign that I ever made 
 against the ptarmigans was in the Rocky Mountains. 
 The party which I accompanied consisted of a squint- 
 eyed individual, whose face was as red as his hair, and 
 who earned his bread by ranching, or stock-raising; an 
 energetic young man, who loved the rifle and a life in 
 the forest more than he did gold; and a half-breed and 
 an Indian, who were to act as guides and compagnons de 
 chasse. We were also accompanied by two mongrels, be- 
 longing to the Venus-haired man, which he called a gun- 
 dog and a hound-dog, but which was which was a hard 
 matter to decide from appearances. As soon as we 
 reached the line of mosses and lichens on the mountains, 
 I put on a pair of green spectacles, to prevent snow- 
 blindness, but as the others had no such conveniences, 
 they were content with smearing the parts around the 
 eyes with wet powder, and that was equally effective. 
 
 The scene which we beheld from the snow-fields was 
 grand in the extreme, for, stretching away as far as we 
 could see, were towering peaks, shrouded in eternal robes 
 of glowing white, while the vast and silent forests which 
 
190 AMEKICAK GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 were spread out below us extended in another direction 
 like an endless emerald ocean. 
 
 I gazed upon this landscape with a mingled feeling of 
 oppressive awe and serene rapture, and I do not know 
 how long I would have continued it, had not one of my 
 companions given a whistle, to attract my attention. On 
 looking around, I saw him pointing to some white-tailed 
 ptarmigans that were walking along the edge of the 
 alpine shrubbery beneath us. This pleasant sight made 
 me forget the scenery in a moment, so I descended to 
 where the birds were feeding and attempted to flush a 
 small pack which were trying to hide in a low thicket, 
 but my efforts proved futile, for the more I tried to rout 
 them the harder they ran and skulked. Seeing that they 
 would not rise, my red-headed friend shouted to the 
 " hound dog: " "Hi at 'em! " and that animal dashed at 
 them, loudly barking. He flushed the greater number, 
 but they had scarcely begun to ply their pinions before 
 five of them fell before the barrels of our guns. 
 
 The Venus-haired man, who was known as Jabe, sug- 
 gested the routing of the others. I agreed, so we com- 
 menced beating the shrubbery in a methodical manner 
 and "shooing," but the mort we " shood" the more the 
 birds skulked and tried to conceal themselves, some of 
 them running around the clumps of miniature shrubbery 
 much as a wood-pecker would go round a tree. Being 
 unable to follow them through the thicket, I fired at the 
 head of one which I saw dodging about the center of a 
 bush and bagged it, as I wished to secure it as a speci- 
 men. My feelings reprimanded me severely for this bit 
 of vandalism, but I learned that my companion had no 
 compunctions of conscience about shooting birds on the 
 ground, his excuse being that if they would not rise 
 when he wisned, he was content to kill them in the posi- 
 tion they liked best. He bagged two of the skulkers, 
 and his comrade three. These birds, except my speci- 
 
PTAEMiaANS. 191 
 
 men, were handed to the half-breed with instructions to 
 take them to camp and cook them for dinner, while we 
 continued our tramp in search of more game. We trav- 
 elled about half a mile along the line of the forest until 
 we came to a deep ravine, and there espied quite a large 
 pack which, with wings extended, were fluttering and 
 working away, and enjoying a snow-bath just as their 
 wood and praine congeners would enjoy a dust-bath. 
 This action proved to us that tliey were very hot-blooded, 
 and that they were full-blooded we had cause to know, 
 for they bled most copiously when shot, and made the 
 ground look as if a terrible slaughter had taken place 
 there. While they were "snowing" themselves, some 
 were calling to each other or clucking their sense of en- 
 joyment. Their voice was not very pleasant, however, as 
 it consisted of a grating or croaking sound which was 
 extremely harsh and unmusical. This croaking reveals 
 their position very often when they would otherwise re- 
 main undetected, especially in foggy weather, and if a 
 person is then accompanied by a good dog he may kill 
 them easily, as they are loth to take wing. After watch- 
 ing the pack for some time, we flushed them — or at least 
 as many as we could, for some ran off on foot — and 
 bagged three brace with six barrels. Following up those 
 which depended on their fleetness to escape, we managed 
 to knock over a few more and to force the remainder to 
 fly to the forest for safety. 
 
 Picking up the slain, we started after the fugitives, but 
 we had not proceeded more than a few yards before we 
 were startled by a thundering report behind us, and on 
 looking round we saw a mass of snow rushing down the 
 mountain side to our right rear. As we were safe where 
 we stood, I watched it with much interest, though with 
 bated breath, until it disappeared in the canyon, some 
 distance below us; but its rumbling roar, as it went crash- 
 ing down the precipice, greeted our ears for some time 
 
192 AMEEICAIS' GAME BIRD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 afterwards, for every tree, shrub, rock, and peak seemed 
 to echo it in thunderous tones for several minutes. The 
 Indian who remained with us was evidently frightened at 
 this unusual phenomenon, though his fear was not the 
 result of any apprehensions about death, for Indians are 
 indifferent to that, too often, but it was rather a sense of 
 alarm that nature — or what is the same thing to him, the 
 bad spirits of the other world — was angry at us, and in- 
 tended to do us some mischief. The ice-bound billows 
 of the mountains, the towering pinnacles and rolling 
 plains of snow, the crash and rumble of the thunder and 
 the play of the lightning, the loud blast that sweeps the 
 rugged hills or gives the forest a deeply agitated voice, 
 even the goats that flit like white spectres among rocks 
 and chasms, are, to the savage, the handiwork or expres- 
 sion of good or bad spirits, and when he sees or hears 
 them in any unusual form he becomes frightened, 
 although he may silently adore them. 
 
 While returning to the forest, we saw a flock of moun- 
 tain sheep some distance to our right, but as we were sep- 
 arated from them by a deep chasm, we made no effort to 
 shoot them, much as we might have liked to do so. The 
 Indian looked upon their presence as a good omen, and 
 expected that we should be fortunate in our enterprise, 
 but this, like other superstitions, turned out to be wrong, 
 for bagging ptarmigans was not the aim of our expedi- 
 tion. Soon after entering the woods we flushed another 
 pack of white-tails, and bagged seven, and from that time 
 until we returned to dinner we picked them up in ones 
 and twos until we had secured twenty-one brace. The 
 Indian did not consider this good work, however, for he 
 said that some of their boys had frequently killed nearly 
 twice that number in a day when the birds left the 
 higher latitudes, in winter, and sought refuge m the 
 regions below, where the snow was not so deep and 
 food was more abundant. Ptarmigans remain at a 
 
PTAEMIGAKS. 193 
 
 Tery high altitude in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade 
 Kanges the year round, owing to the vastness of the 
 forests, the ease with which plenty of pabulum, in the 
 form of spruce and fir buds, can be procured, and the 
 many opportunies afforded for securing shelter and avoid- 
 ing foes. The first birds we had shot were made into a 
 savory stew by the half-breed, by boiling them with salt 
 pork, flour, potatoes, onions, and biscuits. This was so 
 appetizing that we did it full justice, for, owing to our 
 tramping and the bracing air of the mountains, we ate 
 to an extent that would have been repletion under other 
 circumstances. 
 
 Peeling satisfied with our inner consciousness after this 
 repast, we threw ourselves on the ground near the fire and 
 devoted an hour to the postprandial pipe and to watching 
 the Sons of the Forest as they gulped down their food, 
 much as a hungry dog would swallow a piece of fresh 
 beef. They worked long and earnestly at the filling pro- 
 cess, and ceased only when there was no more to be de- 
 voured. Indians are, perhaps, the gi-eatest gormandizers 
 on earth, and can eat an amount of food that would kill 
 white men. One cause of their capacity is due, no 
 doubt, to the fact that they live largely on wild roots and 
 vegetables, and as great quantities of these must be eaten 
 in order to give the body nutrition enough to support it 
 for any length of time, the abdomen becomes distended 
 to an unusual extent, and will carry a cargo which that 
 of a pale-face cannot even approach. Notwithstand- 
 ing his capacious maw and readiness to eat at all 
 hours, an Indian can go without food a long time, and 
 bear hunger, thirst, cold, heat, and other privations 
 which would kill a pale-face. He can march rapidly 
 and fight well on a little pemmican, fish, or bread made 
 of cowse or camas roots; and a hearty dinner seems to 
 last him two or three days. After we had enjoyed our 
 hour of repose, Jabe gave the signal for another start, so 
 
 9 
 
1^4 AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOdTllJ'O. 
 
 we moTcd off in a body and commenced examining the 
 country and carefully noting its crags and soil. Much 
 as ve were interested in this work, we did not forget to 
 pay particular attention to any game worth shooting, but 
 the only kind we met at that altitude were ptarmigans, 
 and they were quite numerous, comparatively speaking. 
 
 We encountered them in small packs in the forest, on 
 bare, rocky patches of ground, and on the snowfields, 
 and experienced little dif&culty in detecting them, owing 
 to the contrast m hue they presented to their surround- 
 ings; but when they were scattered in places where rocks 
 and shrubbery abounded, we were less successful, es- 
 pecially if they remained quiet, which they generally did 
 until the dogs were almost upon them; and even then 
 they seemed, in many cases, to consider their canine foes 
 as mere harmless visitors whose actions they could not 
 understand. The greatest trouble we had with them was 
 to make them take to the wing, for when the hound was 
 sent to ilush them only a few would rise, the remainder 
 preferring to skulk among the rocks or in the under- 
 growth, and keep skulking until they were shot out of 
 mere irritation. We were so weary from our arduous 
 climbing, tumbling, and prospecting during the day, that 
 we retired to bed soon after supper, but we were not long 
 asleep before we were aroused by a cold breeze, that swept 
 through the forest with a force that made every tree and 
 shrub moan weirdly, as if it were inhabited by wailing 
 sprites. As the gale increased in violence we were startled 
 into a most active condition of mind by a deep, reverbera- 
 ting sound, not unlike that produced by a grand organ, 
 which rolled towards us in swelling volumes from the di- 
 rection of the precipice. We listened attentively to this 
 for some time without being able to detect the cause, for 
 it was sometimes low and soft, then loud, vehement, 
 and resonant. 
 
 The peals were so emphatic and stentorian that it 
 
ptaemigans. 195 
 
 seemed to us as if Boreas were practising on a gigantic 
 cornet, and after a little investigation we found we were 
 right in our surmises, the cornet being nothing less than 
 the chasm in our yicinity. These trumpeting precipices 
 are quite familiar to those who hare frequented high 
 mountains in the West, but the best known is a ravine 
 in the Cascade Kange, which is said to be a natural ^o- 
 lian harp, and superior to the one in the Hartz Moun- 
 tains, in Germany. The gale subsided about midnight, 
 and we fell asleep. The energetic member of the party 
 was up before daylight, and after , building a fire he com- 
 menced routing the others, tumbling Jabe on the floor. 
 
 Seeing that resistance would be useless, Jabe dressed 
 himself, by merely putting on his boots and hat, and 
 then calmly said that some men were meaner than " yal- 
 ler dogs." Without waiting for an answer to this, he 
 started for the mountain with the camp-kettle, filled it 
 with hard-pressed snow, and having hung it over the ex- 
 temporized crane, made of cross-sticks, he commenced 
 rubbing the guns, which had been freely washed with 
 vaseline the previous evening. By the time he had fin- 
 ished this work, breakfast was announced, and we were 
 soon doing justice to roast ptarmigan and fried pork, 
 and some excellent coffee, which had never known adul- 
 teration. When the repast was over we started for the 
 chasm, but we had not proceeded far before a heavy fog 
 arose and covered everything with such an iinpenetrable 
 pall that we could not see ten paces ahead of us. It was 
 therefore decided to return to camp for the day, or until 
 the mist cleared away, but we found it no easy matter to 
 do this, for the fog was deepening so rapidly that we had 
 to stoop close to the ground to track our own footsteps. 
 
 We remained in camp all day, but were out early the 
 next morning, and at work in a chasm by seven o'clock. 
 We shot birds and examined the country in that region 
 for four days,, and then started homeward, disappointed 
 
196 AMEBIOAlf GAME BIRD gfldOKUGi. 
 
 in one way, but highly pleased in another, for we had 
 bagged oyer fifty brace of ptarmigans, and a black bear. 
 The only fault we found with the birds from a sports- 
 man's standpoint was, that they would not flush well, 
 were too tame, and preferred skulking in thickets to 
 running in the open. We shot two brace with our re- 
 volvers one slightly foggy morning, as they seemed so 
 loth to flee from us that it would have been mere butch- 
 ery to have ased our guns. The number of ptarmigans 
 on the snow-clad chains of the West is nothing compared 
 to what it is in Alaska and some portions of British 
 Columbia, for any ordinary shot can bag from twenty 
 to thirty brace in a day during the months of August 
 and September in these countries. Alaska is specially 
 famous for its white-tails, and as the willow and rock 
 ptarmigans are almost equally common, the birds may 
 be found from the coast valleys to the hoary-headed 
 mountains. I have heard that the birds are unusually 
 abundant in the northern parts of Idaho and Montana, 
 and denizens of the haunts of the mountain goat in the 
 Snowy Eange. I travelled through this Eange in 1874, 
 but I met only a few of them, although dusky grouse 
 were quite common. While I was wandering about 
 one day in Montana, I saw a pack of ptarmigans on 
 the edge of a pine forest, which was so densely strewn 
 with fallen trees and leaves that I found it rather 
 difiicult to pick my way through it in places. Wishing 
 to flush the birds and get a shot at the same time, I de- 
 cided to startle them by jumping suddenly in their midst 
 from a large prostrate tree, behind which they were try- 
 ing to conceal themselves. I therefore cocked both bar- 
 rels of the gun noiselessly, crawled up to the huge log, 
 and bounding on it, shouted at them. The next thing I 
 knew was that I was buried m the tree, that both barrels 
 of my gun had been fired accidentally, that millions of 
 ants seemed to be running up inside my trousers and 
 
PTAKMIGAN8. 
 
 197 
 
 burning me with red-hot irons, and that showers of rot- 
 ten wood filled my eyes, hair, and mouth. I struggled 
 wildly to extricate myself from this improvised coffin, 
 but the harder I struggled the more difficult I found it 
 to clear myself from the debris, as every bit of the wood 
 I touched gave way beneath my weight. I did, how- 
 ever, succeed in getting out finally, but not until I had 
 kicked the rotten wood about and under me into some- 
 thing like a solid body by my floundering. When I got 
 on my feet, I waltzed around in lively style, as I had to 
 disrobe as rapidly as possible to shake off the debris and 
 the innumerable ants with which it was filled, and which 
 seemed to take delight in scalding me, until certain parts 
 of my body looked as if I had the measles or the septems 
 psoriasis. On finding myself clear of the insects, I re- 
 turned campwards, cold in mind but fiery in feelings, 
 especially in the legs, and did not go out again until the 
 smartings of the cuticle had vanished. 
 
CHAPTER iX, 
 
 QUAILS. 
 
 Quails— The California quail — General sketch — ^Its haunts and habits — 
 Best time for shooting it — Quail dogs— Uninjured birds attack the 
 cripples — The Valley, or meadow quail — Its haunts, habits, and 
 color — Is very prolific — Vast numbers poisoned in California — 
 Very destrcutive to green crops — Pack in September — Its faults 
 as a game bird— The best method of bagging it — Quail traps — 
 Average weight of quail — Gambel's partridge, or Arizona quail- 
 Its haunts and habits — Moults twice a year — The blue colin, or 
 scaly partridge — Its haunts and habits— The Massina quail — Gen- 
 eral sketch — The migratory quail— The best way of releasing 
 bevies — The Virginia quail, or Bob White — Its range and colors — 
 The Florida and Texas varieties — Nests and eggs — Cautious chicks 
 — Tricks of the mother to guard her young — Quail associate with 
 barn-yard fowl and breed in confinement — Aflfectionate males — 
 Food — Favorite feeding grounds — Their resorts in fine, rainy, and 
 snowy weather — They double like a hare- The " running " sea- 
 son — Their mode of sleeping — Their enemies— The best season for 
 quail shooting — Do quails withhold tbeir scent — Abundance in the 
 West— Large bags — Easily killed in the early portion of the sea- 
 son — Charge lor a gun— Best guns for shooting them — A trip alter 
 quail in Nebraska — The penalty for missing a bird — A martyr to 
 duty— The best side of a hedge in quail shooting— A pot shot — 
 Why prairie wolves howl — A poetic efiusion — Success of our trip 
 — How to feed dogs on a shooting expedition. 
 
 The sub-family Odontophorinm, to which quails belong, 
 has a large number of representatives on the American 
 Continent, about forty species in all, but the majority of 
 these are confined to Mexico and Central and South 
 America, there being only six species and two varieties in 
 the United States. All are pretty, and some are very 
 handsome, especially those found in the regions adjoin- 
 ing the Pacific Ocean. 
 
 The California quail ( Oreortyx pidus), which is also 
 known as the plumed and the mountain quail, is the hand- 
 198 
 
QUAILS. 199 
 
 somest representative of the Perdicidoe found on the Con- 
 tinent, and also the largest, an adult male having a length 
 of twelve inches. The wings and tail and the posterior 
 half of the body are a rich olive-brown above; below a 
 purplish-chestnut, barred with tawny, black and white, 
 the forepart being a rich slate-blue, and the throat a pur- 
 plish-chestnut. The crown is ornamented with two slen- 
 der, keeled feathers, which attain a length of four inches 
 in the male. This beautiful creature has a soft, musical 
 voice — at least the male has — and its crowing note of 
 coo-ee-coo-ee ! sounds pleasant among the shrubbery of the 
 silent hills. It is found throughout the hilly districts of 
 California and Western Oregon., and a few are scattered 
 in parts of the western division of Washington Territory, 
 its eastern limit being checked by the Cascade Eaiige. 
 It is found at an altitude of six thousand feet on some of 
 the mountains, which is about the line of perpetual snow 
 in portions of the Cascade Eange. It is a very shy bird, 
 and one of the hardest on the Pacific Coast to bag, on 
 account of its skulking habits, the difiB.culty of flushing 
 it, the manner in which it runs before a dog, and its cus- 
 tom of rushing for cover when started. It requires a large 
 experience to kill many plumed quails in a day, as they 
 fly so strongly and rapidly that a good deal of the shoot- 
 ing must be snap shots. They nearly always run up hill 
 when fleeing from any object that alarms them, and as they 
 are fleet of foot, a man must make haste if he would get 
 a shot at them. The best time for bagging them is when 
 the snow is on the ground, as their tracks are then plainly 
 discernible, and the cold induces them to run or fly 
 rather than skulk. The flrst requisite for shooting them 
 successfully on the wing is a steady setter that will re- 
 trieve, and keep close to the gun, as a wide ranging dog 
 flushes them too soon. A bevy will not lie before the 
 steadiest veteran until they have been broken up two or 
 three times, and even then they cannot always be relied 
 
200 AMERICAIS' GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 on, owing to their timid disposition. They must there- 
 fore be scattered before a person can bag many. One of the 
 surest ways of getting a shot at them is to go aboye the 
 place where they are seen and send a well-trained dog to 
 flush them. On seeing him they rush out singly, in 
 pairs, or in small bevies, and run up the hill as fast as 
 they can, and if the sportsman is carefully concealed he 
 may then flush them and count with both his barrels. 
 I have kUled seven out of a bevy of thirteen by this 
 stratagem, and an acquaintance of mine bagged nineteen 
 out of twenty-seven. The dog employed for working 
 them up should be very slow, and taught to beat the 
 shrubbery in the most careful manner. 
 
 One of the strangest characteristics of this bird is 
 the fierceness with which a bevy will attack any of its 
 members which may have been wounded. The unin- 
 jured seem to forget their danger in their animosity 
 against the unfortunate, for they will continue an 
 assault upon a crippled comrade until several are laid 
 low by the fowler. I have heard two or three men 
 who are well acquainted with the habits of the birds 
 say that they do not assail the wounded unless the 
 sportsman is out of sight, and that they desist the 
 moment they see him. I have never met a person 
 who could satisfactorily explain this peculiar trait 
 in their character, if I except a philosophic individual, 
 who said it clearly proved that they were closely re- 
 lated to some types of humanity, "because they only 
 attacked the helpless or those who could not retaliate." 
 
 The Valley, or meadow quail {Lophortyx calif ornicus), 
 is a resident of California, Oregon, and Washington Ter- 
 ritory, but is not found east of the Eocky Mountains, 
 unless it has been transported into the region recently. 
 It is smaller than its mountain congener, but its plumage 
 is equally as handsome, and its flesh as tender. It fre- 
 quents hillsides, wooded gulches, chaparral, and the low 
 
QUAILS. 303 
 
 vales adjacent to cultirated ground; and, unlike its East- 
 ern cousin, the Bob White, or Virginia quail, roosts in 
 the thick cover of scrub oaks and other shrubbery, in- 
 stead of squatting on the ground. This bird has a fine 
 crest of from six to ten keeled, black feathers, about an 
 inch in length, which curve forward at such an angle as 
 to give it a jaunty appearance. The male has a small 
 white line from the bill to the eye; the forehead is whit- 
 ish, with black lines; the occiput is brownish; the gen- 
 eral hue of the upper part is ashy, with a strong olive- 
 brown gloss; the forebreast is slaty-blue; the under parts 
 aro tawny, deepening centrally into an orange-chestnut; 
 and the vent, flanks, and crissum are tawny. This quail 
 is rarely found in deep forests, in low swampy ground, 
 or where water and vegetation are scarce. It congre- 
 gates in large flocks in autumn, and, when flushed, takes 
 to trees, and as it flies rapidly, a person must handle his 
 gun promptly to kill it ere it can reach cover. Being 
 very prolific, it has, thus far, defied all the efforts of 
 poisoners, pot-hunters, and trappers to exterminate it. 
 Some persons say that it raises two broods in a season, 
 the second appearing in August or September. This 
 seems probable, as very young birds are frequently seen 
 in the latter month. It is so abundant in Southern Cali- 
 fornia that large numbers are poisoned annually with 
 strychnine, which is scattered over the fields they fre- 
 quent. The cause of this wholesale destruction is said 
 to be on account of the injury they inflict on vineyards, 
 and on such green crops as peas and beans, as they eat 
 the sprouts with avidity as soon as they appear above 
 ground. Some persons think that the grapes the birds 
 eat are a mere nothing compared to the numbers of insects 
 they devour, and which, but for them, would destroy the 
 vines. 
 
 Quail were so numerous in California a few years 
 ago that it was no uncommon thing for a sportsman to 
 
204 AMERICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 start from San Francisco in the morning, and return the 
 same evening with a bag of fifty, sixty, or seventy-five 
 birds, but over the same ground at the present time it is 
 sometimes difficult to bag a dozen in a day's shooting. 
 In the southern counties, however, where no restriction 
 is placed on quail shooting, splendid sport can be en- 
 joyed, as the birds exist in thousands and are as tame 
 as chickens in a farm-yard. The fault with most inex- 
 perienced sportsmen in shooting valley quails is that of 
 firing too quickly and before they have fairly covered 
 them. In shooting over a dog, the gun should be carried 
 at a " ready," and when the birds are flushed, a prompt 
 and decided aim should be taken, and the trigger pulled 
 gently while the gun is in motion — or in "swing," as 
 the hunters say. This "swing" is absolutely necessary 
 for bagging them, being far preferable to snap-shooting 
 — that is, pulling the trigger as soon as the gun touches 
 the shoulder. The most effective method of destroying 
 the birds in California is by trapping. The trap gener- 
 ally used is that known as the figure four, which is sure 
 and noiseless, and does its work so thoroughly that half 
 a dozen similar machines, well attended, would not leave 
 a quail in a large extent of country in a week. One of 
 them is more destructive than twelve guns, as escape from 
 it is impossible. Some of the quails weigh nine ounces, 
 and I have known a few to go as high as ten, but the 
 average weight is between five and eight ounces. 
 
 Gambel's partridge, or Arizona quail {Lophortyx gam- 
 beli), is found in the south-western portion of the United 
 States, its range extending from the thirty-fifth parallel 
 to Mexico, and from Texas to the Colorado Eiver. It is 
 very abundant in Arizona and Kew Mexico, and seems to 
 be equally at home on the parched deserts and the rocky 
 hills. It is, according to Archer, larger than the Virginia 
 bird, approaching more closely in size to the California, 
 or valley colin, but from which it is easily distinguished 
 
QUAILS. 205 
 
 by the lack of the white basal line. Its extreme length 
 is about nine and a half inches for the adult male, with 
 an alar extent of from thirteen and a half to fifteen 
 inches. The tail is four and a fourth inches long, and 
 the tarsus one and one-fourth. The bill is black, the 
 eyes are brown, and the feet gray. The general color 
 of the body is a grayish-ash, with plain white abdomen, 
 and a broad white edging on the upper webs of the 
 tertials, the elongated feathers on the sides being of a 
 bright chestnut. 
 
 The male presents more of a leaden or bluish hue than 
 his spouse; the white beneath is strongly tinged with 
 reddish or orange-yellowish; and a black patch is observ- 
 able upon the abdomen. The throat and anterior half 
 of the head are black, deep and glossy, bordered be- 
 hind by two broad, well-defined stripes of white, the 
 upper of which crosses the middle of the vertex, and 
 then follows backward above the auriculars to the occi- 
 put, while the lower begins at the posterior angles of the 
 eyes joining upon or near the vertex. The top and back 
 of the head is of a bright reddish hue, bordered anterior- 
 ly with black. The female may easily be distinguished 
 from the male by her smaller size, being nearly an inch 
 less in length, and lacking the pure white, black, or red 
 about the head, and the black spot upon the abdomen. 
 Her colors, too, are much more cinerous, with little or 
 no bluish cast. Both sexes have the crest, or plume, 
 which adds materially to their elegance and beauty, 
 though that of the female rarely exceeds an inch in 
 length, and the feathers composing it are of a sober 
 brown, and less recurved. This appendage in the male 
 is half an inch, sometimes a full inch, longer than that 
 of the female, of a glossy, jet-black hue, and tends to 
 give him a very jaunty appearance. The crest is freely 
 movable and subject to voluntary control, and though 
 usually carried erect or with a slight backward inclinar 
 
206 AMBEICASr GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 tion, it may sometimes be seen falling forward over the 
 biU, and again resting quietly upon the neck. 
 
 The number of feathers composing it are Tariable — 
 generally from four to six, more rarely ten^ and all 
 club-shaped, and curved slightly anteriorly; the webs are 
 loose and bend backward from the shaft, each feather 
 being imbricated, or overlapping, the whole being packed 
 into a single fascicle in this manner. This ornamental 
 appendage appears at an early age, evidences of it being 
 easily detected when the chicks are but a few days old, 
 and sometimes before the first true feathers of the tail 
 and wing can be noticed. It springs from a single point 
 on the vertex immediately behind the transverse line that 
 crosses the head from eye to eye, and, at first, consists of 
 a mere tuft of three short brown feathers, without being 
 curved or club-shaped in appearance, or having the inti- 
 mate association with one another which they possess later. 
 
 In their downy state the chicks are very pretty little 
 objects, and, as far as markings are concerned, do not 
 bear the slightest resemblance to their parents. The bill 
 is of a bright reddish hue, the upper mandible being the 
 lighter and having more of a pinkish tinge; the feet are 
 flesh-colored; the head is yellowish-brown, with a pure 
 white spot upon the nape, and a few black feathers on 
 the crown, each streaked with white; the upper parts are 
 tawny or brownish-gray, mottled and clouded with black, 
 and conspicuously streaked with long, narrow, penciled, 
 whited- white lines; the primaries are dusky, marbled 
 with lighter and darker colors on the outer webs; 
 the throat is whitish, and all other under parts are marked 
 with narrow, blended, transverse bars of black and yel- 
 lowish-white. The little things in this condition are 
 about three and a half inches long, and may be found up 
 to the last of August, though by this time most of the 
 summer's brood are partly grown. 
 
 The nest of this species is a simple afEair, being merely 
 
QUAILS. 307 
 
 a slight excavation, lined with grass. The hen lays in 
 this every day a yellowish-white egg, marked with brown 
 spots, until the usual number, which varies from ten 
 to twenty, is deposited. She sits on these for three 
 weeks, seldom leaving them, even to go in search of 
 food, and while she is absent her place is taken by the 
 male. Both parents look after the chicks when they ap- 
 pear, and carefully guard them against foes. When they 
 become suspicious of any object, they utter a clucking 
 sound, which causes the little creatures to seek shelter 
 immediately. The male resorts to various stratagems to 
 lead the foe away from them, but the mother usually 
 conceals herself until the danger is passed, and then calls 
 them to her side with endearing clucks. Although the 
 young can fly well when two months old, they, like most 
 gallinaceous birds, prefer to use their feet until they are 
 hard pressed, and then they take to the wing, though re- 
 luctantly. They moult twice a year, but they never lose 
 feathers enough to prevent them from flying quite rapid- 
 ly. When they are in full plumage, and their crests are 
 waving, they present a handsome appearance, especially 
 when walking, as their carriage is firm, erect, and grace- 
 ful. 
 
 The blue colin {CalUpepla Squamata), which is also 
 known as the scaly partridge, sand partridge, and sand 
 quail, is more southern in its range than any of the 
 Perdicidm found in the United States, being a resident 
 of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. It has a short, full 
 crest; is grayish-blue above, and paler below; the sides 
 are striped with white, and the whole plumage is marked 
 with semicircular black edgings of the feathers, which 
 give it a scaled appearance. The inner edges of the in- 
 ner quills and the end of the crest are white, and the 
 under tail coverts reddish-brown, with dark streaks. 
 This quail, like all the western and south-western 
 species, prefers to trust for safety to its powers of 
 
208 AMEEICASr GAME BIRD SHOOTISTG. 
 
 running, rather than to those of flight. No diflBeulty 
 is experienced in getting shots at it, the great trouhle 
 being to start it from the ground. The blue colin 
 is the only species of the genus Gallipepla, or the 
 beautifully-robed, found in the United States. It has 
 many of the characteristics of the Lophortyx, or valley 
 quail, but the crest is difEerent, being tufted, fuller, 'and 
 softer, and composed of short, broad, depressed feathers 
 that spring from the crown. The wing coverts are nor- 
 mal, the tail is stiffened, and averages about three and 
 three-fourths inches in length, and the claws are small 
 and acute. 
 
 The colin is rather small, seldom exceeding nine and 
 a half or ten inches in length, and weighing about ten 
 ounces, so that it is nearer the Virginia quail in size 
 than any other species. A writer whose name I do not 
 know, but who seems to be acquainted with the general 
 habits of this bird, says, that though it inhabits the 
 same region as Gambel's, or the helmeted colin, the two 
 never mingle or even come close to each other. " It has 
 been observed commingling with the south-western vari- 
 ety of the Ortyx virginianus ( Ortyx texana) in Texas, 
 where it is said to resemble the latter bird somewhat in 
 habits, and, further, to breed with it, though we have 
 failed to obtain any description of the hybrids, or posi- 
 tive information as to their existence. At all events, the 
 manners of blue coHns do not seem to differ very ma- 
 terially from those of other American PerdicidcB, though 
 their cunning and instinct seem vastly superior to some 
 of the species. Among their enemies, besides the usual 
 birds of prey, may be rated wolves, opossums, and rac- 
 coons, which destroy their eggs; tarantulas, which kill 
 and devour the chicks; ocelots, yaguarundi-cats, pumas, 
 jaguars, peccaries, foxes and snakes. The so-called "cot- 
 ton-mouth" snake, the rattlesnake, and the burrowing owl 
 also destroy and devour the cheepers and eggs when they 
 
QUAILS. 209 
 
 can be obtained. If unmolested, the birds are said by 
 the Mexicans to attain to an age of from fifteen to 
 eighteen years, as proved by individuals brought up in 
 confinement from their downy stage, although fifteen 
 years is supposed to represent the average life of the Per- 
 dicidcB, according to the computation of Pallas. Their 
 movements are very rapid in captivity, and they ex- 
 hibit unusual suspicion, alertness, and timidity. The 
 Mexican naturalist, Don Pablo de la Llave, says he re- 
 peatedly attempted to rear the blue colin in cages, but 
 that, though he fed them himself, and constantly minis- 
 tered to their wants, he could not accustom them to his 
 presence, and that they appeared to become more wild, 
 intractable, and suspicious day by day, and when the 
 experiment was persisted in, that they finally pined 
 away and died of a disorder closely simulating nostalgia. 
 
 While colins may be met with occasionally on rocky 
 ground, it is probable that they frequent such regions 
 only when they afford sustenance to mesquite bushes, as 
 they seem especially partial to the presence of this form 
 of vegetation. The plains and grassy mesas are preferred 
 to rocks and hills. They are found on all plains 
 where parpalum and mesquite grasses grow, and amongst 
 the groves of acacia, prosopis, nispalos, and mesquite. 
 They are, it is said, very partial, in the more northern 
 regions of their habitat, to the so-called prairie dog towns, 
 though these usually embrace large tracts destitute of 
 vegetation. For lack of a better cause to which to as- 
 sign this strange preference, the birds are supposed to be 
 drawn thither by the abundance of favorite insect food. 
 
 They are also at times, and particularly toward the 
 close of summer or early autumn, found to cover large 
 tracts destitute of all forms of vegetable life, especially 
 open, sandy plains, though these, usually, are not far 
 removed from either grass or water. They are probably 
 capable of existing for considerable periods of time 
 
210 AMERICAN- GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 without water, as Doctor Heermann remarks tliat the 
 few he met were found on the most sterile and arid por- 
 tions of his route. 
 
 In Southern Arizona they are likely to be met with in 
 chaparral, and among the mesquite bushes and larrea; 
 but in Northern Sonora, though exhibiting a preference 
 for the same vegetation, their haunts are the more eleya- 
 ted tablelands. 
 
 The Massena quail ( Oyrtonyx massena), which is the 
 gentlest and most unsuspicious member of its family, is 
 about the size of the Bob White. The male has a beauti- 
 ful crest; his head is curiously striped with black and 
 white; the upper parts of the body are touched with 
 tawny, black, and white; and black spots are scattered 
 oTer the wings. The under parts are black, purplish- 
 chestnut along the middle line, and dotted with numer- 
 ous circular spots. The tail is short, and the claws are 
 exceedingly large. This species has the same habits as 
 its kindred, except that it is so unsophisticated as to 
 show no fear of man, and to allow him to approach to 
 within a few feet ere it thinks of moving away. 
 
 The migratory quail {Coturnix vulgaris) having been 
 introduced into the country recently, is now found in 
 various sections far apart. The best way for letting col- 
 onies of these birds loose, after their arrival from Eu- 
 rope, is to release them near water and where the fields 
 are open. The box in which they are confined should 
 have a door cut in one end of it, so arranged that it can 
 be pulled open by a long string attached to it. The box 
 containing the birds ought to be carefully carried to the 
 place of release, put upon the gi'ound, and some seed scat- 
 tered in front of the door. The man should then re- 
 tire, unwinding his string as he goes, to a distance of 
 at least fifty yards, and get out of sight behind shrub- 
 bery, or by lying flat on the ground. The birds should 
 be given a few minutes to recover from their fright. 
 
QUAILS. 211 
 
 Then, if the door is quietly pulled open by the long 
 string, they will generally step out, one at a time, pick 
 up the seed, flap their wings, bask in the sun, caress 
 each other, and finally run off into the shrubbery. 
 The box should not be appi'oached until the next day, 
 and care ought to be taken that grain enough to support 
 the birds for a day or two is scattered in its vicinity. 
 
 The quail of the Atlantic States (Ortyx virginianus), 
 which is also known as the Bob White, and in the 
 Southern States as the partridge, is abundant as far 
 west as the Rocky Mountains, and even beyond that 
 chain now, as it has been introduced into Utah, 
 Oregon, and other places. This species has length- 
 ened feathers on the crown which can be erected into 
 a crest; a line over the eye; the throat is whitish, 
 bordered with black; the vertex, neck, and breast are 
 brownish-red, the remaining under parts being white 
 and marked with black crescentic bars; and the 
 sides are streaked with brownish-red, the upper parts 
 being varied with tawny, black, gray, and chestnut. 
 The color of the female is paler than that of the male, 
 and the forehead, throat, and the line over the eye are 
 buff instead of white. There are two varieties of this 
 species in the South, one being confined to Florida, and 
 the other to Texas. The difference between them and the 
 .northern bird is not very great, and consists principally 
 in the smaller size and darker plumage of the variety 
 flondanus, and the paler and grayer hue of the variety 
 texanus, which is the common bird of Texas. 
 
 The nest of the quail is a common affair, being merely 
 a slight excavation or a natural depression in the 
 ground which is lined with dry grass and a few feathers. 
 The hen lays from fifteen to twenty-four white eggs, 
 and sits on them three weeks, generally hatching all of 
 them. When the young appear they are able to leave the 
 nest, and though they are veritable mites of down, they 
 
312 AMEKICAK GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 are able to follow their motlier. They are exceedingly 
 cautious little creatures, for the moment the old bird 
 sounds an alarm they scatter in every direction and 
 hide in the grass until the reassuring voice of their 
 guardian summons them to her side. If a dog or a cat 
 approaches the brood, the mother pretends to be wounded, 
 and flutters far enough ahead of it to keep out of harm's 
 reach, and when she has led it some distance away from 
 them, she rises in the air with a cluck of joy and tri- 
 umph, and returns to her family, which she soon gathers 
 about her by endearing calls. Although the quail is 
 a timid bird, yet it has been known to associate with 
 the barn-yard fowl, especially in winter, and to remain 
 around the outhouses of a farm for weeks at a time. Its 
 eggs have also been hatched by a hen, and the chicks fol- 
 lowed their foster mother until the ensuing spring, when, 
 through some overpowering instinct of nature, theyleft 
 her and sought their free companions. Instances are 
 known, however, in which the birds were not only con- 
 tent to remain in confinement, but also to lay eggs which 
 proved fertile when hatched under a bantam hen or either 
 of the parent quails. It is often rather diflBcult for a 
 captive female to hatch her own eggs, as the male dallies 
 with her so much, and uses all his powers of fascination 
 to such an extent, that he frequently induces her to de- 
 sert her nest, in order to prolong the love season. The 
 Virginia quail has two broods in a year if the weather 
 is fine and the summer long, but in the more northern 
 regions it raises only one, unless the first eggs laid should 
 be destroyed, and then it may try to raise another. 
 While the female is hatching, her mate sits on. a shrub 
 or a fence close by, and whistles his soft notes of "Bob 
 White" by the hour, as if he were encouraging or com- 
 forting her with words of endearment. Although the 
 bird derives its ordinary name from these two notes, yet 
 it has a variety of others which it uses when a bevy 
 
QUAILS. 213 
 
 assembles or when it meets its kindred out for a prome- 
 nade. 
 
 The quail eats grain, insects, and sometimes grapes, 
 but it is content with a very small quantity of the latter 
 food, hence the statements made against the valley quail 
 in California, that it destroys \'ineyards, are partially 
 founded on a misapprehension. To poison it by the 
 thousands on this ground would therefore seem to be 
 wrong, for it often more than atones for any harm it 
 may do by the quantity of chinch bugs and other insects 
 it destroys, and which, but for it, would lay waste 
 the grain fields. The favorite feeding resorts of the 
 Bob Whites in fine weather are the stubble-fields 
 which are close to water. They frequent these each 
 morning and evening, but seek cover in the bushes, 
 hedges, and fences during the day. They lie in con- 
 cealment nearly all day in rainy weather, and if 
 tracked by dogs they try to escape by running, so that a 
 man may have to follow them for several hundred yards 
 before he can get near enough to flush them. They hie 
 to the timber for shelter in snowy weather, but return to 
 the fields in a day or two after the storm has ceased. If 
 they are flushed then they will fly for the first convenient 
 cover, and try to hide, or to escape by running through 
 the bushes as fast as they can. They often double like a 
 hare on such occasions, and give a dog — unless he is ex- 
 ceedingly staunch and keen-nosed — a great deal of 
 trouble to trail them. 
 
 If one of the bevy calls soon after seeking shelter, a 
 person may expect all to flush again in a short time, as it 
 is a proof that they do not like tlieir refuge. Should the 
 sportsman desire to know their place of retreat, in case 
 they keep silent, he can learn it by uttering their call, as 
 he is almost sure to receive an answer, especially in the 
 early part of the season. The call must be correct, how- 
 ever, or it will only make them scamper off. When the 
 
214 AMEEICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 cold weather approaches, and the ground becomes frozen, 
 quails frequent the more open stubble-fields in search of 
 food. If they are flushed then they rush for the tall 
 grass or bushes, and lie so well that a whole bevy may 
 be killed one by one, if a person has a good dog. Old 
 birds are so cunning, howeyer, that they may not await 
 the approach of even the steadiest setter, but fly to the 
 thickets or woods, if any are near, on catching sight of 
 him. 
 
 The bevies leave the high grounds in October and 
 march or fly to the banks of streams or lakes,' but they 
 return in November, which is called the "running sea- 
 son," on account of their wildness, and the fact that they 
 will not lie before a dog, but run ahead of him as fast as 
 they can, and seek shelter in bushes and thickets where 
 it is impossible for him to follow them. They may be 
 found in grain-fields up to eleven o'clock in clear, frosty 
 weather, but after that hour they resort to the banks of 
 streams and sloughs, and lie on the sunny side of fallen logs 
 and preen themselves. They go to the stubble again in 
 the evening, and when they have dined they rise suddenly 
 in the air and drop in a neighboring field, taking excel- 
 lent care not to run about much, for fear of leaving a 
 trail for their foes to follow. They generally sleep in a 
 circle, with their heads turned outwards, so as to better 
 guard against a surprise; and if they are not disturbed 
 they frequent the same roosting-place for several nights . 
 in succession. Although they have many enemies, the 
 worst is the hawk, which skims noiselessly over the grass 
 or darts down upon them suddenly, from a high altitude. 
 If they espy this deadly foe in the winter, when the 
 ground is covered with snow, they dash into the fleecy 
 shelter and soon make a hole large enough to protect them- 
 selves from all danger. The best time for quail shooting 
 is November and December, when the frosts have wilted 
 the corn-stalks and deprived the bushes of their thick cov- 
 
QUAILS, 215 
 
 eringof leaves. The sportsman should be early afield, for 
 as soon as the sun appears the birds leave their roosting 
 places and commence running abou t. Their scent is then 
 easily found by a dog, especially if they are plentiful, and 
 they generally are at that season, as they congregate in 
 large bevies. When they are flushed they fly for the first 
 cover, then scatter, and lie so close, in many instances, 
 that a person may kill the majority of them, as they rise 
 singly or in pairs. The best dogs frequently fail to detect 
 birds which are actually under their noses. The cause of 
 this is attributed by some persons to the power quails have 
 of withholding their scent, while others assume that it is 
 the result of " too much scent .being scattered about," 
 as the birds run in various directions when they alight, 
 and thus make it impossible to locate them. Some think 
 that the creatures are so terror-stricken on reaching cover 
 that they press the feathers close to the body, and thus 
 prevent their scent from escaping. Either of the latter 
 two theories seems more plausible than the first, as it 
 does not seem possible for a bird to have the power of 
 voluntarily withholding the odor of its body. The only 
 way to rout the quails, when they baffle the dogs, is to 
 thoroughly beat the ground or bushes, as they often wait 
 until they are almost kicked out before they take to the 
 wing. 
 
 The Virginia quail is the only species of its genus that 
 really affords good sport, as it is the only one which will 
 lie any way well to a dog. It is also scattered over the 
 greater part of the country, from Massachusetts to the 
 Kocky Mountains, but it is far more numerous in the 
 "Western than in the Eastern States. Its abundance in 
 the West may be inferred from the fact that it is nothing 
 unusual for a man to bag from twenty to thirty brace in 
 a day, with a muzzle-loader. A pot-hunter has boasted 
 of killing two thousand in a little over five months, and 
 a person who considered himself dexterous with the gun 
 
216 AMERICAK GAME BIRD SSOOTIKG. 
 
 was known to kill two hundred and ninety in three hun- 
 dred shots. The birds are easily bagged in the open 
 ground early in the season, as they fly straight away — if 
 a person does not become nervous from the rapidity of 
 their flight. Excitable people should try to give them a 
 start of twenty or thirty yards before firing, as that dis- 
 tance will enable the shot to scatter, and increase the 
 possibilities of a hit. They ought also to take deliberate 
 aim, as snap shots are not so likely to be successful as 
 those delivered with a prompt but steady swing. If the 
 birds are not too wild, a charge of three drachms of pow- 
 der and an ounce or an ounce and an eighth of No. 10 shot 
 will be found sufficiently powerful to bring down the 
 toughest old cock, going straight away at full speed, but 
 No. 8 is better at a later period in the season, when the 
 birds are exceedingly wild, as it has a velocity of seventy- 
 one feet a second greater than No. 10 shot. It may also 
 be stated that a ten-gauge gun will send its charge one 
 hundred feet per second faster than a twelve-gauge can, 
 so that one of the former size may be the best to use 
 throughout the year, everything considered, if it is not 
 too heavy. A convenient weight would be seven and a 
 half or eight pounds. 
 
 I have bagged Bob Whites m several of the Western 
 States, but I found them more numerous In the regions 
 adjoining the Missouri Kiver, and in Florida and Texas, 
 than in any other part of the Continent. While 1 was 
 travelling through Southern Nebraska, I joined a party 
 of five, who were bound on a campaign against the birds. 
 We secured lodging in a farm-house, which was in the 
 center of a good game region, and remained there until 
 we had exhausted our ammunition. 
 
 The day after our arrival we commenced work, after 
 breakfast, along the banks of the river. The birds 
 seemed to be quite numerous, but as they ran before the 
 dogs, we were unable to get a shot at them. Thinking 
 
QUAILS. 21'}' 
 
 I could do better by separating from the main party, I 
 moved to the right, where blackberry and other bushes 
 were quite thick, and acted as my own beater and point- 
 er. Not being able to rouse any game by that method, I 
 became rather hstless, and walked heedlessly along, but 
 was soon brought to an abrupt halt by the whirring of a 
 brace of quails, which rose almost at my feet. I fired 
 recklessly at one, but missed it, and, before I could turn 
 round, the second had sunk into cover on the left. 
 Knowing what my fate would be if my comrades learned 
 of my scoring a "'goose-egg," I hurriedly put another 
 shell in the gun, and marched on as nonchalantly as pos- 
 sible. I was joined by one of the party a few seconds 
 later, and he asked me if I had missed. Seeing the 
 twinkle in his eye, I answered evasively that the gun had 
 gone off while I was handling the trigger to see if it was 
 all right. 
 
 " Oh, that was it, was it?" said he, with a look of 
 disappointment. 
 
 Before he could indulge in any more exclamations, a 
 bird sprung up out of the grass, not ten yards from him. 
 He aimed at it wildly, fired, and missed. 
 
 " I'm in for it," said he, with the doleful air of a mar- 
 tyr, when he saw the fugitive disappearing over the 
 ridge, and two of his companions rapidly approaching. 
 When they drew near, he hung down his head, dropped 
 mechanically into line between them, and, without a 
 word being said on either side, they marched him to a 
 Cottonwood tree and placed his back against it. One 
 man then pressed his hand against the culprit's chest, 
 while the other and myself seized him by both shoulders. 
 
 " You'll kind o' handle me tenderly, won't you, 
 boys? " said he, with an expression intended to be both 
 bland and captivating; " 'cause I aint got any other coat 
 but this." 
 
 " Take it ofE, then," was the severe reply. 
 10 
 
218 AMBEICAK GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 Off it came, as a matter of course, so that he had no 
 covering on his shoulders but a flannel shirt. 
 
 " All together, and with a will! " said one of the party. 
 "No mercy!" 
 
 The culprit's hack was then pressed and rubbed against 
 the tree as hard as we could do it, and though he bore 
 the punishment with the fortitude of a martyr, I was 
 scarcely able to breathe, with laughter, and was so weak 
 that I fear I did not afford much assistance in punishing 
 him. They kept at him until they must have rubbed 
 the skin nearly off, and then let him go, after giving him 
 a sound lecture on the misfortune he had brought upon 
 the party by missing the first bird. He received the 
 reprimand in silence, and, having seized his gun, re- 
 sumed work as calmly as if nothing had happened. I 
 was so delighted at having escaped the punishment I de- 
 served that I laughed until I was weary. This seemed 
 to arouse his suspicion, for he eyed me mistrustfully sev- 
 eral times, and finally blurted out: 
 
 " Gol durn me if I don't think you fired at a bird 
 and missed it. If I thought you did, I'd help to give 
 you such a scratching that you'd think you were ten 
 thousand Scotchmen rolled into one. I'd teach you what 
 it is to have the feeling of being branded with a red hot 
 iron." I pooh-poohed the idea of missing, but I did not, 
 evidently, dispel his doubts, as he reiterated his suspicion, 
 and also complained of a burning sensation in his back, 
 as if the skin had been rubbed off. When we had walked 
 about half a mile, one of the party suggested that we 
 form into two groups and beat the ground carefully, one 
 keeping to the leeward of the bottoms and the other to 
 the windward. We accordingly-separated, the scratched 
 individual and myself going together. We chose the 
 windward side, as we knew that the two pointers which 
 formed our kennel would work up wind and drive all the 
 birds out on our side, and therefore give us the best 
 
QUAILS. aid 
 
 chance for making a bag. The dogs were sent to heat 
 up some bushes, and they were not there long before they 
 flushed a bevy which flew in our direction. I was on the 
 right, so I selected the outer bird on that side, and 
 after grassing it, I fired at the bird next to it and brought 
 that down also. My companion was equally successful, 
 he having bagged both outer birds on the left. When 
 we had picked them up he exclaimed: 
 
 " That's the way to shoot in company; you take the 
 birds on the right, I, those on the left. If you take my 
 advice you'll never shoot wildly into the middle of a bevy, 
 because you are more likely to wound than to kill." 
 
 I promised to remember his advice. We then resumed 
 our trudging, but we had not gone far ere another bevy 
 rose before us. We again counted with both barrels, 
 and this made my companion so enthusiastic that he 
 shouted, " Hurrah, for our side. We're in luck, though 
 it must hurt the feelings of quail awfully to be pelted 
 with shot in this way. It can't be nice for them." I 
 nodded assent, as I was too busily engaged in watching 
 the dogs at work to enter into conversation. The ani- 
 mals found the birds so disinclined to flush that they 
 became excited, and rushing into the thicket, they routed 
 a bevy, which flew to the leeward. The remainder of 
 the party scored on these, as the birds flew low and di- 
 rectly over their heads. The dogs were rated for their 
 conduct, but this did not have much effect on them, for 
 they again worked excitedly, owing to the habit the birds 
 had of running before them or doubling on their tracks 
 like hares. While we were watching this coursing match, 
 the son of the farmer at whose house we were stopping, 
 arrived on the scene with an old muzzle-loader, and 
 taking aim at a bevy which were huddling on the ground 
 near some bushes, bagged eight of them. He seemed to 
 be highly delighted with his pot shot, but my companion 
 was not, for he rated him roundly for firing at birds on 
 
220 AMEKICAN 6AME BIRD SHOOTIKe. 
 
 the ground, and told him he had better seek some other 
 quarters for his shooting. He complied, by joining our 
 comrades, but as they also refused to shoot in his com- 
 pany, he was compelled to go home. We shot up to eleven 
 o'clock, and- scored twenty brace, and knowing it would 
 be a comparative waste of time to work during the mid- 
 dle of the day, we returned to the house and remained 
 there until four o'clock. This time was not idly spent, 
 however, for the party utilized it in discussing the hab- 
 its of quails, the proper charges for guns, and the various 
 methods of shooting. When these subjects were exhausted 
 they related yarns about dogs, wonderful shots, and ad- 
 ventures in the field. Some of these were exceedingly 
 " tall," but as they were intended to be tall, and were full 
 of grim humor, they were greeted with hearty laughter. 
 We sallied out again iu the evening, and though the sky 
 was somewhat murky, we managed to flush several bev- 
 ies, despite their efforts to baffle the dogs and keep under 
 cover, and made a fair score. We had shots of all kinds 
 at them, straight away, quartering, towering, and 
 " skew ways," as my associate expressed it, and bagged 
 eleven brace in an hour and a half. 
 
 As it was getting too late to shoot any more, we started 
 homewai-d, but we had not gone far ere the sky became 
 so dark that we could not see ten paces. We were there- 
 fore compelled to flounder along the best way we could, 
 and this resulted in several tumbles head foremost into 
 bushes or tall grass. We were cheered on our way by the 
 load and melancholy howling of prairie wolves, whose 
 lugubrious tones reminded me of wailing squaws at an 
 Indian wake, but the humorist of the party explained 
 that they were "fatherless orphans crying for their 
 mothers." On reaching the house we found a hot 
 dinner awaiting us. When that was finished, the inci- 
 dents of the day were fully discussed, and all concluded 
 that quail shooting over dogs was splendid sport. The 
 
QUAILS. 331 
 
 poet expressed his opinion of it' in the following beauti- 
 ful stanza: 
 
 " Where can you find a nicer thing, 
 Than shooting quail upon the wing ; 
 That's the way to pass your life, 
 Free from care and worldly strife." 
 
 Comment upon this poetic effusion was interrupted by 
 the entrance of the host with a tray of steaming glasses, 
 filled with a generous quantity of applejack and hot 
 water, in his hands. These received prompt attention, 
 until it was time to retire. We were up early the nest 
 morning and at work in the field soon after sunrise. 
 The birds laid better to the dogs than on the previous 
 day, and the consequence was that we had much more 
 amusement and a larger bag. We staid in tbat place 
 four days, and though we bagged specimens of nearly every 
 species of bird indigenous to the prairie at that season, 
 our greatest haul was among the quails. We averaged 
 about twelve brace a day, and we should have done bet- 
 ter if we had cared to work from sunrise to sunset. 
 
 I havfe been out with men who killed from thirty 
 to sixty brace of quails in a day, but such shooting 
 soon satiated them, for it was more like work than 
 amusement, and slaughter than sport. A manly, gen- 
 erous soul may feel somewhat like a hungry man at 
 a feast, when he first gets into a good game resort, 
 and try to get all he can, but if he has the instinct 
 of a true sportsman his better nature soon rebels 
 against the slaughter and forces him to give it up 
 in disgust. If he makes only moderate bags, he is 
 satisfied with his work and himself, and ready to take 
 the field at any time; but if he kills for the sake of mak- 
 ing a big score, the labor becomes disagreeable. I once 
 spent a week on the prairie with a party of four, and 
 though we shot every day, we always had an appetite for 
 our work the next morning, simply because we were not 
 
222 AMEKICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 too greedy. "We carried our own tent, food, and cooking 
 utensils, so thab we were entirely independent of farmers, 
 and ready to camp wherever night overtook us. While 
 we were shooting, one man drove the team and received 
 the birds, and the one who first became tired took his 
 place and allowed him to join in the sport. All were 
 able to rest in turns by this plan, and as we drove 
 slowly, neither dogs nor horses were fatigued, and were 
 therefore able to resume operations the next morning in 
 as fresh a condition as if they had not left camp. The 
 dogs were fed each evening, no limit being placed on 
 the quantity of their food, but they received nothing 
 the next day until they returned to camp. Mr. Horace 
 Smith, the veteran sportsman and writer, gave me the 
 following recipe for feeding dogs on a shooting expedi- 
 tion: "Take the hearts, kidneys, livers, and gizzards 
 of birds, and a hare or squirrel when it can be pro- 
 cured, and boil them into shreds. Then add com meal 
 until the mixture is as thick as it can be made; stir 
 constantly, and boil thoroughly. When cooked, lay the 
 food on a board or plate to cool, and when it is cool 
 enough let the dogs have all they want to eat. Do 
 not feed them the next day until they get home." 
 
 This is certainly a simple, good, and cheap way of 
 feeding the animals, and the food is better than any 
 dog biscuits. A deep bed of prairie grass should be 
 prepared for them under the wagon at night, so 
 that they may be protected from the cold arid the 
 night dew, which are liable to cripple them with rheu- 
 matism. The horses ought also to be blanketed in 
 cool weather, and receive a liberal supply of oats, beside 
 the prairie grass or the hay which is sometimes carried 
 along for their use. If the animals are cared for in 
 this manner, and not worked too hard, they will always 
 be ready for duty, and return home in finer condition, in 
 all probability, than when they started on the expedition. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 WILD SWANS. 
 
 Very abnadant on the Pacific Coast — Classification of Linnasus — Differ- 
 ence between swans and duclis — Food of the swan — How to dis- 
 tinguish cygnets from young snow-geese — The wooing season — 
 ow brides are won — Cygnets— Breeding grounds — Indians think 
 the swan attains a great age — Opinions of Aristotle, Pliny, Virgil, 
 Sonini, Ovid, and Plato on its mythical qualities — The American 
 species — The trumpeting swan — General sketch — The whistling 
 swan — Difference between the species — Haunts and habits — 
 Swans-down— Swans rarely killed for their flesh— Cause of their 
 toughness — Indians slaughter them in large numbers on the Pacific 
 Coast— Very abundant along the Columbia River- Swans cannot 
 rise suddenly from the water — How the sportsman should ap- 
 proach them— Ply low during heavy winds — The difficulty in mak- 
 ing large bags— Prices of swans in full plumage — A day among 
 swans — Change of quarters— Cranes and herons as sentinels — A 
 bag of swans — Lose our boat— A welcome arrival — An Indian wild- 
 fowler — A destructive shot — An unwelcome bath and frozen 
 clothes — A cure for a cold— A kicking gun — Windy days the best 
 for shooting swans — The moulting season — " Fire-hunting " swans. 
 
 These birds, which have so often aroused the poetic 
 fire of bards, are more numerous west of the Eocky 
 Mountains than in any other part of the world, so far as 
 I can learn. They are, in fact, so abundant at the mouth 
 of the Columbia River, in Oregon, which is six or seven 
 miles wide, that the water seems, at a distance, to be 
 covered with cumulus clouds or a snow-bank, late in 
 the autumn. Their trumpeting and whistling sounds 
 are familiar to those persons who have encamped on the 
 wooded borders of a well-watered prairie in October, for 
 they come in stich vast flocks from their home in the 
 Arctic regions, that they cover an immense tract of coun- 
 try in a short time, and seek every available stream and 
 tarn in search of food and shelter. They form a most 
 223 
 
224 AMEKICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 pleasing adjunct to a landscape at any time, but when 
 they move in dense throngs, only those who have seen 
 them can imagine what a spirited picture they present. 
 
 Linnaeus classed the swans among the duck family, 
 notwithstanding the marked difference between them, 
 and that, one which is apparent at a glance. The legs of 
 the swan are, in the first place, behind the centre of 
 equilibrium, and the bill is high and long, whereas the 
 legs of the ducks are, proportionately, much shorter, and 
 placed near the center of the body, and the bill is short, 
 flat, and broad. 
 
 The position of the legs makes the swan a slow and 
 awkward traveller on land, but in its native element it 
 can swim as fast as an ordinary man can walk. Its food 
 consists of frogs, leeches, small fish, grass, grain, and 
 aquatic plants, and as they are abundant in the West, it 
 suffers very little from hunger. In plucking the aquatic 
 plants, the little tooth plaits of the bill enable the water 
 to pass out, so that it does not drink any more than is 
 necessary. It crops the grass direct from the tip of the 
 bill, as ducks and hens do, not from the sides, like geese. 
 Swans being monogamous, the male lives with a single 
 female, and to win her, he, like nearly all feral creatures, 
 is often forced to fight the most desperate battles against 
 all rivals. These contests are waged with such fury that 
 the combatants are sometimes placed hors de combat for 
 the season, and, perhaps, fatally injured, for they use 
 both beaks and wings, and peck and slash at each other 
 in the most frantic manner. When the victor has driven 
 his rival from the field, he advances boldly to the female 
 and leads her away without any ceremony, but when he 
 recovers from the exhaustion of the struggle he becomes 
 very affectionate, and quietly watches her while she 
 builds a rude nest on the ground. He is unusually ten- 
 der while she is laying her eggs, and when she com- 
 mences hatching he guards her closely, and with such 
 
WILD SWAKS. 235 
 
 courage that the small predaceous animals, from fox to 
 fisher, carefully avoid her nursery. He will not even 
 hesitate to attack man sometimes, and as he can deliver 
 very powerful blows with his heavy pinions, most persons 
 do not care to encounter him, unless they are armed with 
 a club or a gun. The cygnets, which are of a grayish 
 color when they are three months old, are able to take 
 care of themselves as soon as they leave the shell, and 
 being expert swimmers, they can travel several miles, 
 if necessary, in search of food. They remain with their 
 parents until the approach of cold weather, and perhaps 
 longer, as they may form a portion of the same herd 
 when several families unite, preparatory to starting for 
 their winter homes, late in the autumn. Cygnets, on 
 account of their grayish hue, are often mistaken for the 
 young of the snow-goose, yet it is an easy matter to dis- 
 tinguish them apart, as all geese have a strip of feathered 
 skin between the eye and the bill, and swans have not. 
 Swans breed throughout British America and the north- 
 ern regions of the United States, being most abundant 
 in the Hudson Bay Territory, Alaska, and portions of 
 Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The Indians have cap- 
 tured cygnets too young to be able to fly, as far south as 
 Snake Eiver, so it is safe to infer that the birds breed as 
 low down as the forty-ninth parallel. The red men en- 
 tertain the greatest respect for swans, principally, I should 
 judge, on account of their great longevity, for they say 
 that a " good bird lives longer than a well-fed squaw," 
 and is far more valuable when the latter becomes de- 
 crepit. 
 
 They have no more faith in the melodious qualities of 
 these birds than scientists have in the music of the 
 spheres, though they say it is pleasant to hear the sonor- 
 ous resonance produced by flocks of whistling swans 
 when they fly high over the land at night. It was to 
 this European species of the whistling swan that the an- 
 
236 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 cients attributed the enchanting notes which have be- 
 come proverbial, but which are now known to be apocry- 
 phal. Neither Aristotle nor Pliny believed the bird 
 possessed the power of song, but Virgil, using it figura- 
 tively, causes it to indulge in rapturous strains, for he 
 says, in his Jineid: 
 
 " Cam seae e pastu rtferunl, et longa eanoros 
 J)ant per coUa modos. ' ' 
 
 Further on, however, he gives a very just description 
 of its note: 
 
 " flscosove amne Paduace, 
 Dant sanitum rauei per stagna loquacia Oygni." 
 
 Sonini thought that the whistling noise produced by 
 the wings, and which can be heard quite a distance, was 
 the original cause for supposing that the swan had the 
 power of song, and the reason why it was made sacred to 
 Apollo and the Muses. 
 
 It was from this belief in the musical qualities of the 
 bird that poets were supposed to assume its form after 
 death. The beautiful myth, that swans foresaw their 
 own death and sang their own elegy, is referred to by 
 Ovid, where he says: 
 
 " Carmiiia jam moriens, canxl exxqukHia Oijgnus." 
 
 Plato also touches upon this charming fiction, for he, 
 in Phoedo, attributes their melodious dirge to the same 
 sort of prescience which enables good men to look for- 
 ward with delight to the time when their mortal forms 
 will assume immortality. 
 
 There are two species of swans on the American Con- 
 tinent, but, thus far, no persons have heard their enchant- 
 ing strains, unless their imagination has transformed the 
 frightful noise of the trumpeting swan (Oygnus hucci- 
 nator), or the resonant flight of the whistling, or Ameri- 
 can, swan {Cygmis Americanus), into the exquisite 
 melody so graphically described by the ancient poets. 
 
"WILD SWANS. 327 
 
 The trumpeting swan is quite rare east of the Mississippi 
 River, but very common beyond the Rocky Mountains, 
 being found from British America to the Mexican bor- 
 der. It is pure white in color; the bill and feet are 
 black; the tail is composed of twenty-four feathers, in- 
 stead of twenty, as in the whistling swan; the bill is 
 longer than the head; the feathers on the forehead end 
 in a semi-elliptical, instead of a crescent-like outline; 
 and the extremity of the nostril is only half as far for- 
 ward as the commissure. This species derives its name 
 from its peculiar voice, it being an exception to the gen- 
 eral silence of the family — ^at least to specimens in a 
 domestic state. Its notes are rough, loud, and shrill, 
 and not unlike those produced on a trumpet or clarionet 
 by a man who does not understand playmg. These 
 notes are often uttered when it is disturbed, annoyed, or 
 angry, or when the mates are calling to each other. 
 
 It is not only a very fast swimmer, but it can remain 
 long on the wing, and is so wary, where it has been 
 pursued much, that it is a difficult matter for persons to 
 approach it withm gunshot. An adult male is between 
 four and iive feet in length, weighs from twenty to thir- 
 ty-five pounds, and has a spread of wings varying from 
 six to ten feet. 
 
 The whistling swan diflEers from the preceding in sev- 
 eral points. It IS, primarily, smaller and more widely 
 distributed; the bill, which is broad and high at the 
 base, is as long as the head; the feathers on the forehead 
 end in a semicircular outline; and the anterior extremity 
 of the nostrils is forward of the commissure. An adult 
 has a length of about fifty-five inches, the wings are 
 twenty-two inches long, and the tarsus is about four and' 
 a quarter inches, or a little more. The bill is also 
 marked with a yellow spot on the base, so that it has 
 distmguishing traits enough to enable persons to readily 
 recognize it. Although it is distributed throughout the 
 
228 AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 Continent, yet its favorite haunts are the regions beyond 
 the Eoeky Mountains, where it may be seen in herds 
 numbering from ten to a thousand. These herds are so 
 tame that they frequently ily close enough to the land to 
 enable persons to shoot at them, and even on the water 
 they are rather unsuspicious, comparatively speaking, 
 and are much more easily approached in a sneak-boat 
 than either ducks or geese. The market hunters of 
 the Pacific Coast shoot them for their plumage alone, as 
 this brings a good price, swans-down being largely used 
 for trimming the garments of fashionable ladies; it is 
 also exported in considerable quantities by the Hudson 
 Bay Company, as it meets a ready sale in France and 
 Russia. Pew sportsmen kill adult swans for the sake of 
 their flesh, as it is rather dry and tough, but that of the 
 cygnets is quite palatable, though inferior to the meat of 
 young ducks and geese. 
 
 One cause of the toughness of the adult is, that the oil 
 contained in the skin dries into the flesh, unless the bird 
 is plucked immediately after being shot; but if that is 
 done, and the carcass is hung up until it gets a little 
 high, a hungry man would have slight cause for criticis- 
 ing the daintiness of roast swan. The carcass should be 
 allowed to hang as long as possible, especially in winter, 
 as the frost seems to take away much of the fishy taste 
 which it has in the autumn and early winter. The 
 greatest enemies of the swans on the Pacific Coast are 
 the Indians, for they slaughter them at all times, and 
 even devour the eggs, if they can find them. One sav- 
 age is more destructive to these birds than a dozen white 
 pot-hunters, for the latter have some scruples, but the 
 former has none. Some of the littoral Indians of the 
 Pacific kill large numbers, of all ages and sexes, in July 
 and August, when the young broods are unable to pro- 
 tect themselves, and the adults are so defenceless from 
 moulting that they can neither run 'nor fly. The red 
 
WILD SWANS. 222 
 
 men use only clubs and spears in their work of slaughter; 
 persons may therefore imagine how easy it is to capture 
 them. After the birds are killed, the sayages commence 
 feasting, and keep it up until they have gorged them- 
 selyes. They used, formerly, to make beds, pillows, and 
 head-dresses for themselves out of the feathers, but of late 
 years they have become accustomed to selling them to 
 white traders for a mere song. 
 
 The Aleutian Indians of Alaska, who are as pro- 
 ficient with the gun and the spear as they are with the 
 hook and trident, kill more swans during the moulting 
 season than any tribe on the Continent; as the birds are 
 not only numerous, but so incapable of flight that they 
 are knocked down with clubs on the shore, or captured 
 on the water by chasing them in canoes. They are very 
 abundant in autumn and winter along the Columbia 
 Kiver and its numerous tributaries, and it is then a 
 pleasant sight to see them violently beating the water as 
 they splash and scramble to the windward in their efforts 
 to rise, or sailing gracefully over the dark-green forests, 
 which make their whiteness more apparent by the con- 
 trast in hue. 
 
 Swans cannot rise suddenly from the water, so they 
 have to flap along for several yards before they can get 
 on the wing, especially in calm weather. This beating 
 or flapping produces a crackling noise which can be heard 
 quite a long distance off. The sportsman who is ac- 
 quainted with this characteristic never approaches the 
 birds from the leeward; the result is, that he may ob- 
 tain several shots ere they gain headway enough to get 
 out of range. Even when they see their foe approaching 
 they do not attempt to escape immediately, but keep 
 staring at him and wheeling round and round in the 
 most perplexed manner, as if they were loth to leave or 
 stupefied at the threatened danger; and should they rise, 
 they are likely to fly towards him, if he is to the wind-. 
 
330 AMERICAN' GAME BIRD SHOOTING^ 
 
 ward, and thus give him the best possible chance for knock- 
 ing them over with a rifle, or with a breech-loader charged 
 with buckshot or No. 1 shot. It is of little use to shoot 
 at them when the breast is presented, except with a rifle, 
 as the mass of feathers in front is sufiiciently dense to 
 turn shot unless it is fired at close range, and even then 
 a person is not always sure of securing them. 
 
 During heavy head or side winds they fly close to the 
 land, and this gives a person ashore an opportunity 
 of bagging a few; but they fly high in fine weather, and 
 when resting on the water they keep as far away from the 
 land as they can, as all their apprehensions of danger 
 are founded on its proximity. I have sometimes tried to 
 steal upon them from the bullrushes or shrubbery 
 growing along the shore, but I was generally unsuccessful, 
 for the moment my form appeared they swam rapidly 
 away or took to flight. They are certainly keen of vis- 
 ion, and seem to know by intuition that man is their 
 greatest enemy, for they will flee from him at once, 
 whereas a bear, a wolf, or a fox, causes them no annoy- 
 ance, and may romp about in their sight without causing 
 any action on their part except a stare of curiosity. The 
 difiBculty of making a good bag of swans can easily be 
 appreciated by those who have tried it in regions where 
 they are hunted much; hence, a man who brings down 
 his two or three brace in a day feels rather proud of his 
 achievement. This difficulty is all the greater from the 
 fact that they do not, so far as my experience goes, an- 
 swer to calls, either on the wing or the water, so that 
 a person has no resource left except to shoot them as they 
 pass his place of concealment, or to steal upon them 
 while they are paddling about in some narrow stream or 
 tarn, and tumble them over before they can rise for 
 flight. A man who is fonder of watching their actions 
 than of making a large bag, would prefer creeping upon 
 them in the water to bringing them down on the land, 
 
WILD SWANS. 231 
 
 for then he may note with pleasure their graceful 
 moTements and stately mien as, with oary feet, they 
 proudly row themselves over the mirror-like water or the 
 soughing wavelets of bluish hue. Their attitudes are 
 always majestic on the water, for their high, arched necks 
 give them an air of mingled grace and statelmess; yet their 
 beauty is wasted on the pot hunter, as he looks upon 
 them merely from a monetary point of view, and does 
 not hesitate to kill the female while she is hatching, for 
 the sake of the dollar she may bring in the market. A 
 swan in full plumage sometimes sells as high as a dollar 
 and a half, but this price is paid only when there is a 
 good demand for the down, or the bird is plump and 
 tender. Swans are so common along the Columbia Eiver 
 that I doubt if one would there bring more that fifty 
 or seventy-five cents, and only limited numbers can real- 
 ize that sum. 
 
 If a man wants swan shooting to his heart's content, 
 he has only to visit any of the States and Territories from 
 Alaska to California, and from Montana to Arizona, and 
 if he does not succeed m that region he cannot m any 
 part of the world. I have shot a swan from the deck of 
 a steamer on the Snake River, and many from canoes on 
 the Upper Columbia and Missouri Elvers, and found that 
 it required no great exertion to bag them, provided I 
 fired at the head and neck with a shot gun, and at the 
 body with a rifle. 
 
 The best bag I ever made was on a sand bar, or island, 
 in the Upper Columbia. This was occupied largely by 
 swans, although geese and ducks were also quite common, 
 and so numerous in the surrounding waters that the 
 stream was literally covered with them. I went to this 
 place with a rancher, who was a keen sportsman, and a 
 man whose ideal of life was a lod e m the wilderness where 
 he could commune with nature and hunt and fish whenever 
 the spirit seized him. We took up our position on the island 
 
232 AMERICAK GAME BIRD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 at the romantic hour of half past four o'clock on a cold No- 
 vember morning, and waited anxiously for daylight, as we 
 could hear the occasional creeaunk of some sturdy gander, 
 or the trumpet blast of a swan — sounds which caused our 
 blood to tingle and our hands to involuntarily grasp the 
 guns. After waiting an hour or more without getting a 
 shot we commenced running up and down in order to 
 warm our blood, and imprecating the natatores that would 
 not oblige us by coming near enough to be killed. While 
 we were anxiously waiting for the birds to approach us, 
 we heard the shrill whistle of a steamer, which was loudly 
 echoed by the woods and mountains, and on turning round 
 we saw the white form of the craft some distance down the 
 river. We were anything but pleased at its appearance, 
 as we thought it would send the birds bedded on the 
 river inland, but, instead of that, its scream caused them 
 to rise en masse, and to come towards us with a rush 
 that augured well for sport. On they came towards 
 the island with as much confidence as if they had 
 no foe on earth. The swans being arranged in a queue, I 
 aimed at the head of the first when it was about twenty 
 yards away, and brought it down with a heavy charge of 
 No. 1 shot, and before the others could turn about, I 
 bagged the second, and scared the remainder so badly 
 that they began to blow their trumpets as they hastened 
 away. I picked up the dead birds with the aid of a boat, 
 and having placed them at the foot of a miniature cot- 
 ton-wood tree, I gave my companion a look of mingled 
 triumph and contempt that would have withered another 
 man, but he seemed to be indifferent to it, and merely 
 said : — 
 
 "Sho; I wouldn't have fired at the swans with a shot- 
 gun at that distance. Now, if you had hit them in the 
 eye with a rifle, you might call it passable shooting." 
 " How could I see their eyes at that distance? " 
 " I could; 1 saw one wink back at the other when you 
 
WILD SWANS. 333 
 
 lifted your gun, as much as to say, 'here's a joke; he's 
 going to fire at us.' " 
 
 " They ^idn't find it a joke, though. Why didn't you 
 fire at them." 
 
 "Well, the fact is my gun was not loaded." 
 
 " I'm going to make up for it, however, the next time, 
 so you needn't make a fuss about it. I suppose you will 
 put it in the papers one of these days. " 
 
 "It is very likely, unless you do better. But now we 
 must stop our nonsense, for the first principle in shoot- 
 ing wild fowl is, ' No talking in the blind.' " 
 
 "All right; I'm as silent as a love-lorn oyster. Come 
 on, ducks and geese, and beauteous swans." 
 
 They did not come on as rapidly as they ought, how- 
 ever, and we waited at least twenty minutes before a 
 large number of ducks came near enough to enable us to 
 use our guns; but we made up for lost time on them, for 
 we brought down three, and filled the air with small 
 clouds of feathers. As we had no dog with us, we had 
 to do our own retrieving. This was rather cold work, 
 for the water was exceedingly chilly; so chilly, in fact, 
 that we found it a difiQcult matter to handle our wea- 
 pons when we desired to finish the cripples. Having 
 secured the dead birds, we seated ourselves on a fallen 
 log, while waiting to welcome the feathered creatures to 
 hospitable graves, and devoted our time to discussing the 
 effect of the presence of the steamer on our day's sport, 
 but before we could come to any decision about the mat- 
 ter, she rounded a turn in the river, and gave vent to 
 such a piercing scream that she aroused thousands of the 
 natatores and sent them scurrying towards us. Seeing 
 that the swans were mingled up with the geese and 
 ducks, we reserved our fire until the former just passed 
 us, and then opened on the cygnets, which occupied the 
 rear, and bagged two of them. Having gathered our 
 trophies, we took to our boat, and, paddling round the 
 
334 AMEKICAK GAME BIED SHOOTIlfG. 
 
 lower part of the island, entered a cove which was shel- 
 tered on one side by high terraces, and on the other by a 
 small coppice of deciduous trees. When we had pro- 
 ceeded about half a mile up this ribbon of water, we saw 
 immense flocks of ducks bedded in the middle, and be- 
 yond them, near the copse, swans, snow and Canada 
 geese, and other species, while cranes and herons lined 
 the shore, and made the woods resound with their boom- 
 ing whoops. "When the latter descried us, they croaked 
 an alarm and fled precipitately. They were followed in 
 regular order by the geese, ducks, and shore birds, the 
 swans being the last to show any signs of fear. I hare 
 always noticed that the grallatores are among the most 
 vigilant and cautious of the feathered creation. They 
 seem to occupy the same position to the swimming and 
 wading birds that blue-jays do to grouse and other deni- 
 zens of the woodland, and the kill-deer plover to bay- 
 birds, for these feathered detectives are the keenest and 
 readiest of sentinels in descrying and loudly announcing 
 the presence of an enemy. As soon as the cranes and 
 herons announced our presence we paddled rapidly to- 
 wards the swans. Knowing that they would be the last 
 to rise, we succeeded in reaching their grounds in less 
 than five minutes, but the moment they saw us they 
 commenced wheeling and staring and glancing per- 
 plexedly, sideways, as if they did not know what 
 was best to do. Our rapid approach soon decided 
 their course, for they raised themselves partially out of 
 the water and came flapping and splashing towards 
 us, as they could not take wing without coming in 
 our direction. Before they could obtain momentum 
 enough to rise, we blazed away at them and killed 
 three and wounded two more so severely that they 
 could not escape. Thinking we had done remarkably 
 well so far, we went ashore, and anchored our boat by 
 means of a large stone, which was tied to the painter, 
 
WILD SWAITS. 335 
 
 while we prepared a cygnet for dinner. When that was 
 cooked, an operation which took an hour, as we had to 
 bury it in the ashes, we set to work on it with a 
 will and soon finished it, for the raw air had given 
 us a keen appetite. Having satisfied the cravings of 
 nature, we went towards the boat, but on reaching 
 the spot where it had been anchored we were thunder- 
 struck to find it gone. We supposed, at first, that some 
 prowlers had stolen it, but on glancing at the 'creek we 
 saw it drifting slowly downwards, at least half a mile 
 away. This was a predicament we had not anticipated, 
 and we were at our wit's ends to know how to escape 
 from it. The only feasible plan that presented itself was 
 to swim after the craft; but that was more easily thought 
 of than done, as the water was too cold to be borne for 
 any length of time. While we were helplessly debating 
 our situation, and considering the possibility of remain- 
 ing on the island until some passing steamer took us off, 
 we saw a small shovel-nose canoe, containing a solitary 
 Indian, running down the cove. When he came abreast 
 of us we hailed him in such stentorian tones that their 
 echo may be hanging around there yet. He responded, 
 and on coming near the shore we told him we would pay 
 him well if he would recover the runaway boat. He said 
 he would do it for half a dollar. The offer was accepted, 
 and when he brought the craft back he was cheerfully 
 paid. When the " Son of the Forest " landed to warm 
 his hands at our fire, we learned from him that he had 
 been shooting ducks on the upper arm of the cove, and 
 .that they were so abundant that he was able to kill 
 niueteen brace in less than three hours with an old Hud- 
 son Bay musket, that had a muzzle as large as a blunder- 
 buss. When I saw it I came to the conclusion that it 
 could outkick an army mule, and subsequent events 
 proved that I was not far wrong. As the noble red man 
 had nothing to do for the remainder of the day, we con- 
 
236 AMERICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 eluded to hire him as an assistant, and the sum of one 
 dollar being offered for his services, he accepted it in the 
 promptest manner. We then paddled up stream until 
 we arrived in sight of the flocks of wild fowl which were 
 riding the wavelets under the shelter of a huge crag, and 
 chattering pleasantly to one another. Seeing that the 
 chances of bagging them on the land were better than 
 on the water, my companion decided to bear down on 
 them from the leeward in a canoe, while the Indian and 
 myself were to conceal ourselves in the bushes on shore, 
 and shoot them as they flew past us to the windward. 
 
 Being anxious to secure all the swans I could, I asked 
 the Indian to load his musket heavily with buckshot, so 
 as to be able to make long shots, and he promised to 
 comply, if I would pay for the ammunition. I readily 
 assented to this proposition. Having taken our position 
 in a thicket close to the water, we were not there long 
 before the swans were sprung, and as the wind was blow- 
 ing heavily, they flew very low and partially sideways, 
 and when they came within range of our guns, w^e blazed 
 away at them. The red man was the first to open fire, 
 but the thundering report of his gun had hardly startled 
 the echoing hills before his scream accompanied it. On 
 looking at the birds he shot at, I saw pieces of legs, 
 feathers, and flesh flying about in the air. One glance 
 at these proved to me that he had been extraordinarily 
 liberal in the use of powder and shot, and had paid 
 dearly for it. I forgot all about his condition for a mo- 
 ment, as I was too much absorbed in my work to have 
 much consideration for anybody or anything just then, 
 and when the swans came within ten or fifteen yards of 
 me, I banged away at their heads, and succeeded in kill- 
 ing one, and wounding another so severely that it fell 
 into the water, not forty feet from the shore. 
 
 Being under the impression that it was only winged, 
 and wishing to secure it alive, if possible, I made a rush 
 
WILD SWAKS. 237 
 
 for it, but before I could reach it I tumbled headlong 
 into the water. I arose in a hurry, puffing and blowing, 
 and as my garments were all wet, I became somewhat 
 desperate, and dashing further out, I seized the bird by 
 the negk and dragged it ashore, though not without re- 
 ceiying several severe blows from its uninjured wing. 
 
 Shivering as I was, I could not help laughing at the 
 Indian, who was making very wry faces, and rubbing his 
 shoulder vigorously. To my query of what ailed him, 
 he responded with a disgusted wach, and said: " Him 
 kick heap dam;" and taking the offending weapon in his 
 hand he dashed it to the ground, with an emphatic im- 
 precation that sounded very much like swearing. 
 
 When my pale-faced companion arrived on the scene 
 he decided that we shoiild hasten homeward immediately, 
 for fear I might catch a cold from my drenching, and as 
 the proposition was agreeable, I acceded to it. Having 
 placed our trophies in the boat, we jumped in, and were 
 joined by the red man, as his arm was too sore to enable 
 him to paddle his own canoe. Tying his craft behind 
 ours, we hoisted sail, and in the course of half an hour 
 reached my friend's ranch, but when I attempted to walk 
 to the house I found it a matter of difficulty, as my 
 clothes had frozen stiff. 
 
 As soon as I entered, I threw off my garments, bath- 
 ed the body with cold water, and after a vigorous ap- 
 plication of a rough towel, wrapped myself in a heavy 
 blanket and retired to bed. I then took a generous 
 quantity of punch, after which I closed my eyes, and 
 slept soundly until daylight. "When I awoke I felt as 
 comfortable, both mentally and physically, as if I had 
 met with no mishap. The Indian had departed before I 
 arose, so that I could not tell how much he was injured, 
 but, judging from what the host told me, he must have 
 paid dearly for his desire to acquit himself creditably. 
 His arm was, it seems, vei'y much swollen and discolored. 
 
338 AMEEIOAIT GAME BIRD SHOOTIlirG. 
 
 for, according to the humorous statement of the narrator, 
 the musket had kicked so hard that it drove him two or 
 three feet into the ground and knocked the moccasins off 
 his feet. He intimated that he would not hire savages 
 again when out shooting swans, as they did more harm 
 than good, by blowing the birds to pieces and destroying 
 a lot of beautiful feathers. We had cygnets for dinner 
 that day, and though the flesh was somewhat dry, yet it 
 was rather palatable; but it took four day's seasoning in 
 the frost to make the adults fit for the table, and then 
 they were not very dainty. 
 
 According to my host, who was an experienced wild- 
 fowler, the best days for shooting swans are those which 
 are windy, as the birds are then extremely loth to take 
 wing, and if they do rise, they fly so low and close to the 
 land that they may be shot from covert or a sneak-box 
 screened with boughs or reeds. They can be bagged in 
 narrow streams by sculling rapidly down on them from 
 the windward, as it takes them a comparatively long 
 time to rise from the water; hence, one may sometimes 
 touch them with a gun before they can get away. They 
 do not afford much sport before September or October, 
 as they moult in July and August, and look so wretched- 
 ly poor that few sportsmen would care to shoot them. 
 The surest way of making a large bag of swans is to 
 " fire-hunt " them — that is, to use torches in their haunts 
 at night, for as soon as they see the glare they become 
 stupefied, and wait until the hunters knock them over 
 with clubs or guns. This is a favorite method of killing 
 them with Indians, pot-hunters, and some men who 
 would be angry if they were classed with either of these. 
 I knew two white men to kill eighteen in one night, and 
 a party of five Indians to bag forty-one between dusk and 
 midnight. I was spearing flatfish from a canoe by torch- 
 light, in an arm of Puget Sound, one night, when two 
 swans came swimming towards me from the mouth of a 
 
WILD SWANS. 
 
 239 
 
 river. I hurled the spear at the first one that came near, 
 and putting it through its back, captured it without 
 much diflSculty, while two young Indians, who accompa- 
 nied me, killed the other with a salmon club — that is 
 a club used for knocking salmon on the head. 
 
CHAPTEK XL 
 WILD GEESE. 
 
 Wild geeee — Abundant in the West — Very destructive to winter crops 
 — ^Large numbers poisoned annually — How geese are poisoned in 
 China — Number of species of geese in the United States and Can- 
 ada—The system of goose shooting practised in the West — A re- 
 trieving mule— Earnings of market hunters — Blinds — ^Wounded 
 decoys — The proper color of the clothes— Ice blinds — Men on 
 horseback— Haunts of geese — Fire-hunting- Large numbers shot — 
 The "goose season " — Migrations — Seldom alight in woods — Fly 
 low in windy, rainy, and murky weather— Sailing to geese — Punt- 
 guns tabooed by gentlemen— Sneak-boats, sneak-boxes and de- 
 coys — General sketches of the white-fronted or laughing goose, 
 the snow goose, the homed wavy, the emperor, or painted goose, 
 the blue goose, or bald-headed brant, the black brant and its va- 
 rieties, and the Canada goose and its varieties — How to distin- 
 guish geese from swans and ducks — A suggestion for pursuing 
 wild animals — A thousand geese killed in a week — Drunken geese 
 and pot-hunters— Stalking geese under cover of a horse— Geese 
 and guns — Professional wild-fowlers and their "rigs" — Sink- 
 boxes — Staking out decoys — Value of a good " caller" — Bringing 
 down wild birds — A swimmer and his duties — A day in a sneak- 
 hox— A ducking in a lake — The shady side of sport. 
 
 Wild geese are more abundant in the West in autumn, 
 and the South-west in winter, than in any other portion 
 of the Continent, for they move in such vast flocks that 
 they might be appropriately compared to a snow storm. 
 Their presence is not an unmixed blessing, however, es- 
 pecially to farmers, as they often destroy large crops of 
 winter cereals, and are so destructive in other ways that 
 a relentless war is waged against them, every means of 
 destruction, from shooting to poisoning, being employed 
 to lessen their numbers. They have been known to eat 
 up a third of the winter wheat in some of the regions 
 adjoining the Missouri River; and in California they 
 240 
 
Wild geese. S41 
 
 scarcely leave a blade of grain growing in quite a large 
 district. It is estimated that they devoured crops val- 
 ued at two hundred thousand dollars in one county of 
 California in 1878, and that their depredations in other 
 sections were equally as great; it is therefore evident that 
 tliey are not such welcome visitors as they would be if 
 they had smaller appetites. A strong peculiarity about 
 some of the geese is the manner in which they alight to 
 feed, for each species keeps by itself, although the vari- 
 eties of the same species may be mingled indiscriminately 
 together, and gabbling contentedly while they are en- 
 gaged in impoverishing the grangers. Shooting produces 
 such little effect on their numbers that many farmers 
 have .almost given it up in despair, and depend on grain 
 soaked in strychnine for accomplishing their purpose; but 
 this method has its drawbacks, for the geese that do not 
 succumb at once to the poison may fly away and be shot 
 by men who do not know what they have been feeding 
 on, and, as a result, persons who eat their flesh are fre- 
 quently poisoned. They poison wild geese with GolcM- 
 cus indicus in China, but this, it seems, is not baneful 
 to human beings, as one rarely hears of any fatal acci- 
 dents, although the birds are freely eaten by the poor 
 people, while the use of strychnine is often attended 
 by the direst results in parts of the West. There are 
 about a dozen species of wild geese in the United States, 
 by including the Dendrocygna found in the extreme 
 Southwest, and which seem to be the connecting link 
 between the AnserincB and Anatince. These inhabit 
 trees, and have qualities which make them akin to both 
 families, but as they are only found in limited numbers, 
 and are partial to tropicial climates, I have not deemed 
 it necessary to describe them specifically. 
 
 The system of wild-fowl shooting practised in the "West 
 varies very much, and is either elaborate or very simple. 
 If a person could only believe some waggish old farmers, 
 
 11 
 
343 AMERICAIir GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 they merely ■walk beside a trained horse, mule, or ox, and 
 shoot away at the birds until they have killed all they 
 want, and then send the animal to retrieve them. If a west- 
 ern wag is to be relied on, he had a mule that was so expert 
 in this sort of work that it would flush the geese when 
 told to do so, and bring them ashore if they fell into a 
 river or a lake. He offered to show me this wonderful 
 creature, but as I had some doubts about its cleverness I 
 did not care to see it, for I had had a brief experience of 
 his fondness for jokes. 
 
 The easiest method for shooting geese on the plains is 
 to approach them gradually under cover of a horse or an 
 ox, and open fire on them with a huge weapon, known 
 locally, as a "scatter cannon," until they seek safer 
 quarters. Market hunters have been known to earn as 
 much as a hundred dollars a day by this system of wild- 
 fowling and sometimes more, as the birds are valued 
 at from fifty cents to a dollar each, and from ten to forty 
 are bagged at every discharge of the western piece of ord- 
 nance. I have seen flocks which were so indifferent to 
 the noise of firing that they would merely rise or " climb," 
 as the professional hunters have it, a few feet in the air, 
 and, after honking their alarm and their sense of annoy- 
 ance at being disturbed, return to the ground again, and 
 remain there until the shooting made them take to the 
 wing once more. Some persons manage to secure large 
 bags by digging holes in the stubble-fields and covering 
 them with straw, and then blazing away at the geese 
 when they come to feed. These men tie the birds which 
 they have wounded to stakes driven in the ground, and 
 use them as decoys to lure their congeners to destruction, 
 for they are exceedingly clamorous callers. Dead geese, 
 if properly grouped, are also useful decoys, but their at- 
 titudes should be as natural as possible, or they may do 
 more harm than good. 
 
 If the ground is covered with snow, the wild-fowler 
 
WILD GEESE. 245 
 
 either screens his "gopher hole" with a white shetet, 
 makes a blind of the same material, and lies in ambush 
 behind it, or else dons it as a garment and fastens a hand- 
 kerchief around his hat, and then throws himself flat on 
 the earth, until the unsuspicious birds come near enough 
 to be shot. A person whose dress does not harmonize 
 with the landscape in hue, rarely gets an opportunity of 
 bagging them, unless he is concealed in a blind made of 
 straw, in a thicket, or in a sink-box, for the goose, not- 
 withstanding its supposed doltish intellect, is one of .the 
 most vigilant creatures that traverse the air, and is 
 almost sure to notice any unusual color on the ground, 
 and to give it a wide berth. This is why experienced 
 hunters wear white clothing in winter, and drab or buff 
 at other times of the year. Large numbers of geese are 
 killed near air holes in the early part of winter, by 
 making blinds of ice blocks, but this system is so much 
 like pot-hunting that few sportsmen care for it. Where 
 the birds are not molested much, they become so tame 
 that a man may ride to within shooting distance and 
 bang away at them, for they seem to consider that a per- 
 son on horseback or in a wagon is much less dangerous 
 than one afoot. 
 
 Geese are generally found feeding on the plains and 
 stubble-fields during the day, especially in wet or mui'ky 
 weather, but they return to the sand bars of rivers or the 
 sea-shore, and the margins of ponds and lakes, in the 
 evening. Many are slaughtered on their roosting 
 grounds on moonlit nights, as they will often stand a 
 good deal of shooting before they decide upon leaving 
 for safer quarters. This is particularly the case if food 
 is scarce, if they have been shot at much in the fields, or 
 if the weather is cold and boisterous. " Fire-hunting " 
 them is a favorite method with some persons, who prefer 
 large bags to sport. These men build fires on the roost- 
 ing grounds of the birds on dark nights, using the driest 
 
346 AMEEICAIf GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 wx)od they can find, in order to produce as much glare as 
 possible. When the geese see this, they rise in the air in 
 vast clouds and honk their alarm, but, instead of fleeing, 
 they hover over the treacherous beacons until many of 
 them are brought down by the concealed fowlers, or the 
 noise of the prolonged shooting scares them away. I 
 heard of a man in Dakota who filled his wagon with 
 birds in two hours by this method; and of another, in 
 Minnesota, who killed three thousand in ten days; but 
 such work is slaughter, not sport, and I refer to it simply 
 to show how numerous the geese are in some portions of 
 the country. Killing the birds in this manner is heavy 
 labor, and often the cause of disease, as the men are lia- 
 ble to catch severe colds, or be seized with an attack of 
 rheumatism that may cling to them for life. Sink-box 
 shooting is also most disagreeable work, as the weather is 
 often severe enough to almost freeze the wild-fowlers into 
 inanimate statues, and they dare not lift hand or foot for 
 fear of scaring the birds away. The result is, that they 
 are sometimes so benumbed that they cannot handle their 
 weapons, and so stiff from lying in a cramped position 
 on a very hard bed, that they can hardly move for some 
 time after emerging from their coffin. 
 
 Wild geese are exceedingly abundant along the Missouri 
 Eiver from October to December, but about the first or 
 the middle of the latter month they begin to seek a more 
 genial climate. Their honking may then be heard at all 
 hours of the day and night, as they move southward in 
 heavy V and W-shaped lines. They are, as a rule, in their 
 winter quarters by Christmas, and from that time until 
 the following spring the bays, lakes, and rivers of Florida, 
 Texas, California, Arizona, Ifew Mexico, and the con- 
 tiguous regions, fairly teem with them. They seldom 
 alight in woods when they rest during their migrations, 
 unless they are very weary or have lost their way in the 
 fog; but when they do, they produce a tremendous up- 
 
WILD GEESE. 347 
 
 roar, as if they were encouragmg one another or holding 
 an animated debate on their future course of action. 
 "When they seem to have agreed on a certain point, the 
 creeaunk of some sturdy gander may then be heard aboye 
 the gabbling din of the others, as if he were giving a 
 peremptory decision on the subject. They fly rather low 
 in windy, rainy, and murky weather. That is the time 
 for sportsmen to make big bags in flight shooting, espe- 
 cially if they have a good place of concealment. The 
 shot most generally used is No. 1, though B and BB are 
 very popular with some of the most experienced wild- 
 fowlers on the Continent, but others think that nothing 
 will compare with a rifle, especially in fine weather, 
 when the birds keep high in the air, or where they have 
 been shot at so much that they carefully avoid the 
 vicinity of fences and thickets, and even look with sus- 
 picion upon a bundle of straw in the stubble. Some per- 
 sons dwelling along the sea-shore sail to geese in a small 
 yacht or a large boat, and use punt-guns for destroying 
 them. Their first effort is to get to the windward of a 
 gaggle, in order to have the wind and sea in their favor 
 for shooting, and to be able to obtain wing shots when 
 the birds rise from the water. The best bags are gener- 
 ally made before and after a storm, but, if the waves 
 are not too heavy, large numbers may also be killed dur- 
 ing the prevalence of a stifE gale, as the birds seem to be 
 in a bewildered condition at that time, and allow the 
 boat to come quite close before they attempt to fly away. 
 A punt-gun is not considered a legitimate weapon among 
 gentlemen, so it is relegated to the craft of the market- 
 hunter. Many men who look with a species of mild 
 horror on punting, do not hesitate to kill geese and 
 ducks from sneak-boats, and so far did they carry this 
 system of destruction that some of the Western States 
 have had to pass a law prohibiting the killing of wild, 
 fowl by means of any floating device, whether it be a 
 
24S AMBKICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 sail-boat, a steam-cutter, a sneak-box, or a sneak-boat. 
 The sneak-boat used in Western streams and lakes is a 
 narrow, canoe-shaped craft, which has a length of from 
 ten to fourteen feet, and is so light in draught that it 
 would almost float in a basin of water. The wild-fowler 
 lies on his back in this, and by sculling over his left 
 shoulder with his right hand, and with a short oar which 
 is run through a hole in the stern, he is able to bear 
 down on the feeding gaggles, as the boat seems to them 
 to be nothing more dangerous than a floating log. They 
 soon learn their mistake, however, for the man reserves 
 his fire until he is in their midst, and then opens upon 
 them with two heavily-loaded guns, which may bring 
 from ten to thirty out of every gaggle or skein, and as 
 these are worth from six to twelve dollars per dozen, 
 wholesale, it is easy to see that the business of killing 
 them is a paying one. Some persons who try to steal 
 upon the birds in a boat in open water, cover the bow 
 and sides of their craft with reeds or bushes to give them 
 as innocent an appearance as possible, and are thus en- 
 abled to scull upon a gaggle before their character is de- 
 tected. They are more successful at night and in the 
 evening or morning, than at any other time, as the 
 birds are then easily approached; and by moving from 
 gloom to light, the roosts can be seen long before the 
 inmates have any idea of the danger that threatens them. 
 Shooting them over live decoys from a sneak-box or a 
 blind is considered legitimate sport, as it gives them a 
 chance for their lives. The sneak-box is simply a rude 
 wooden coflBn or float, about six feet in length, in which 
 the wild-fowler lies while awaiting the arrival of the 
 birds. It is buried in the ground until it is even with 
 the surface, generally near some spot which the geese fre- 
 quent or pass over in their morning and evening flights, 
 and where they are sure to see and hear the tame decoys 
 employed to lure them to death. These decoys are con- 
 
WILD GEESE. 349 
 
 nected with the sneak-box by cords, and are usually 
 placed in pairs on each side of it, as they call much bet- 
 ter when they are together than when they are isolated, 
 owing to their habit of cackling socially to one another. 
 
 Of the different species of geese found on the Continent, 
 one of the best known and most sought is the white- 
 fronted, or laughing goose {Anser albifrons, Tar. gam- 
 ielli), which has reddish legs and bill; alongside of bill 
 and forehead the color is white, margined behind with 
 blackish-brown; the remainder of the head and neck is 
 grayish-brown, but paler on the jugulum. The back 
 is bluish-gray; the feathers are tipped anteriorly with 
 brown; the bill and breast are grayish- white, blotched 
 with black; the anal region, flanks, under part of the tail 
 and upper coverts are white; and the greater coverts are 
 edged with white. The tail is brownish and has sixteen 
 feathers; and the axillars and under surface of the wings 
 are ashy plumbeous. This species is exceedingly numer- 
 ous during the autumn and spring, and may be found 
 all winter in some of the regions bordering the North 
 Pacific Ocean, but the majority go as far South as 
 Southern California, Mexico, and the adjoining Territo- 
 ries. They return to the North in the spring to build 
 their nests and rear their young, their favorite habitat 
 being the vast area extending from the forty-ninth to the 
 seventieth parallel. Indians say that the females lay 
 from six to a dozen eggs each, in a rude nest, which is 
 nothing more than a depression in the ground, and that 
 the goslings take to the water almost immediately after 
 leaving the shell, and keep near it until they commence 
 their southern migration, but thousands, if not millions 
 of them, never reach their winter home, as they are 
 slaughtered indiscriminately by red and white fowlers as 
 soon as they are in a fit condition for the table. They 
 move in such immense masses that they resemble huge 
 clouds; and when they alight they seem to be most at- 
 
250 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 tached to grassy patches near streams, and tidewater 
 marshes, as they may be found in such places when they 
 are scarce on the plains. 
 
 The snow goose, or white-brant (Anser hyperboreus), 
 coTers the West in such vast flocks that millions may be 
 found there during the autumn and spring. They are 
 not welcome, howeyer, as they are very destructive to 
 crops, and eat up everything in. the form of a cereal they 
 can find. The result is, that farmers wage war on them 
 with batteries, shot guns, and strychnine, and decimate 
 them by the thousands. Market hunters, pot-hunters, 
 and punters also prey upon them night and day, and 
 slaughter them by every device known to man; yet their 
 numbers do not apparently diminish in the West, for 
 they arrive in hordes as regularly as the migratory sea- 
 son comes round. This species may be readily distin- 
 guished from its congeners by its pure-white color; its 
 red legs and bill, and silvery-bluish primary quills. It 
 is readily susceptible to domestication, as several instances 
 are known in which it alighted to the barn-yard geese, 
 and remained with them, notwithstanding the numer- 
 ous calls it had from its wild congeners to rejoin them. 
 A man may ride up to a flock of these geese in re- 
 gions where they have not been pursued much, and 
 shoot them down, or even knock them over with a stout 
 stick. It is no uncommon thing to bag from forty to 
 seventy in a day by stalking them behind docile oxen or 
 horses; and the number that can be killed on the sand 
 bars at night can only be estimated. 
 
 The horned wavy {A. rossii), which is a miniature copy 
 of the preceding species, is very common in parts of 
 British America, and is slaughtered in large numbers on 
 the streams and tarns scattered throughout the Saskatch- 
 awan region. It is not much larger than a canvas-back 
 duck, as it has only a length of twenty-four inches, but 
 what it lacks in size it atones for in quality of flesh. 
 
WILD GEESE. 351 
 
 Another handsome member of the Anserinm is the em- 
 peror, or painted goose {Philcete canagica), which is 
 mainly confined to the northwest coast of the Pacific 
 Ocean, being most abundant in Alaska and the northern 
 parts of British Columbia. The head, back of the neck, 
 and tail of this species are white; the throat is black, 
 speckled with white; the quills are black and white; the 
 remainder of the body is bluish-gray, varied with pale 
 lilac spots, and marked in parts with crescent-like spots 
 of black. 
 
 The blue goose, or bald-headed brant {A. cwrulescens), 
 has an ashy-gray hue, varied with dark-brown; but the 
 under parts, tail coverts, head, and the superior portion 
 of the neck are white. This species is common in the 
 Eocky Mountain region, but scarce east of it, so that it 
 is a true denizen of the Far West. It associates freely 
 with the snow goose and others, and accompanies them 
 on their migrations. 
 
 The brants are exceedingly numerous throughout 
 nearly all parts of Canada and the United States, but 
 they are most abundant in the region beyond the Missouri 
 River. They can be readily distinguished from the pre- 
 ceding genera by their black bills and legs, and black 
 heads and necks, with white spaces. They are the most 
 maritime members of the Anserince, and also the most 
 exclusive, for they seldom associate with other wild fowl. 
 They are^popularly supposed to live on fish, but this is 
 evidently a fallacy, as their excrementary deposits prove 
 that they subsist mainly on vegetable matter, though 
 some of them may occasionally eat the sand worm. An- 
 other proof that they are vegetarians is, they do not dive 
 for their food, and that they are fond of frequenting 
 brackish marshes where eel-grass and other aquatic veg- 
 etation grows. The birds kept as decoys by wild-fowl- 
 ers live on corn, drink fresh water, and manifest no de- 
 sire for fish; so if we were to judge from this evidence. 
 
253 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 it would be safe to say that they are not fish-eaters even 
 to a small extent. 
 
 Brants go very far north to raise their young, proba- 
 bly as far as the climate or land will permit them, for 
 they were seen flying toward the Pole by all explorers 
 who went in search of that locality. Those that are 
 barren do not crave for the Arctic regions so much as 
 those that are fertile, they being content to spend their 
 summer between the parallels of sixty degrees and sev- 
 enty-two degrees, whereas some of their kindred go ten 
 or twelve degrees further at least, judging from reports 
 of Arctic navigators. When migrating, they often move 
 in large skeins, but not in such vast numbers as other 
 species of the family, if I except the Canadian goose and 
 its varieties. Some old wild-fowlers say that the black 
 brant {Branta hernicla), when it starts on a journey dur- 
 ing a gale, fills its crop with sand, or ballast, as they call 
 it, and then darts away at a high rate of speed. This 
 species may be readily identified in the air, as it does not 
 assume the V-shape when flying in flocks, or skeins, and 
 its voice is quite thin, though musical. Its flesh is highly 
 edible, and has little, if any, of the flavor which it would 
 have were it nurtured on marine animals of any 
 kind. The black brant, which is confined almost exclu- 
 sively to the Atlantic Coast, being rarely found west of 
 the Rocky Mountains, is about two feet in length, and the 
 head, neck, anterior portion of the body, , and tail 
 and quills are black. The upper tail coverts, the streaks 
 on the sides of the neck, and the upper eyelids are white; 
 the back and under parts are brownish-gray, except the 
 posterior portion of the body and the under tail coverts. 
 This species is supplanted on the Pacific Coast by the 
 variety nigricans, which is the most duck-like of all the 
 AnserincB in that section of country. Its head and neck 
 are a deep-black, the remainder of the body, except the 
 rump, being a sooty plumbeous. The throat has a white 
 
WILD GEESE. 353 
 
 patch in the center and on the sides, and the collar on 
 the nape is interrupted behind by an isthmus of black. 
 
 This species is so much attached to the sea-coast that 
 it rarely resorts to inland streams or tarns, its favorite 
 habitat being the salt marshes and tidewater lands where 
 it can find eel-grass and kindred vegetation. It travels 
 in small strings when migrating, and generally keeps 
 along the coast, so as to be ready to drop to the land when 
 it is fatigued or it desires to seek shelter from a fierce 
 storm of wind. I have found it over two hundred miles 
 from salt water, however, and from this I should infer 
 that it will feed and thrive on the aquatic plants that 
 grow in lakes and rivers. I have also seen it mingled 
 with gulls, ducks, and other birds occasionally; it can, 
 therefore, change its habits, if forced to do so by circum- 
 stances, for it is naturally so unsociable as to avoid all 
 contact with others of the feathered creation. I have 
 heard cattle-ranchers say that it breeds as far south as 
 the California line, and that its nests may be found in 
 the Klamath Basin, in Oregon, which has an altitude of 
 nearly five thousand feet above the level of the sea. This 
 seems probable, as the climate of that region, owing to 
 its elevation, is very cool in summer, and the surround- 
 ing country abounds with lakes, which produce many 
 species of water-plants in profusion. Nearly every spe- 
 cies of aquatic or wading bird on the North Pacific Coast 
 may be seen in that wild retreat during the breeding 
 season, for the marshes are so thronged with nests that 
 it is almost impossible for a person to pass through them 
 without treading on eggs or young birds. 
 
 The Canada goose {Branta canadensis) is the most 
 widely distributed species of its family, being found, in 
 every part of Canada and the United States, except the 
 extreme southern regions of the latter country. It is 
 also one of the largest and handsomest members of its 
 race, and is not excelled by any of its wild congeners iij 
 
354 AMBKICAK GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 delicacy of flesh. Its legs, head, neck, and bill, are black, 
 a large triangular patch of white decorates the cheeks be- 
 hind the eyes, and there are a few whitish feathers on 
 the eyelids. The upper region is grayish-brown, with 
 paler edges; the anterior is lightish, with a tinge of pur- 
 plish-gray; the tail feathers, which number eighteen, are 
 black, and the upper tail coverts white. It has a length 
 of about three feet and a half; the wing is eighteen inches, 
 and the tarsus nearly four inches long. It breeds in 
 almost all sections of the country north of the thirty-third 
 parallel, but its favorite nesting haunts seem to be the un- 
 trodden regions of the far north, as it is exceedingly com- 
 mon in Labrador, Newfoundland, and portions of Canada 
 proper, British Columbia, Alaska, and the States and 
 Territories of the Pacific Slope. It is found as far south 
 as Texas in winter, and has been shot near the Mexican 
 border in California. I have seen several small flocks of 
 this species parading their goslings along the margins of 
 lakes and streams in Idaho, Montana, and contiguous Ter- 
 ritories, or swimming with them in the water when it was 
 smooth. K they were pursued on such occasions, they 
 fled, and left the young to take care of themselves, and 
 this the piping creatures attempted to do, by diving or 
 by fluttering along the surface at a rate of speed one 
 would not give them credit for. The goslings are half 
 grown by the middle of June, and as they are then highly 
 edible, large numbers are killed by whites and Indians. 
 The adults share their fate to a certain extent, for, owing 
 to their moulting, they cannot fly, and are therefore 
 easily knocked over with a club, an arrow, or a shot-gun. 
 Thousands are shot every day from September to 
 March by the whites, and hundreds of thousands meet 
 their death at the hands of the Indians during the sum- 
 mer months, when they are moulting. Yet they do not 
 seem to decrease in numbers in the Par West, and are as 
 destructive as ever to crops in some portions of the coun- 
 
WILD GEESE. 355 
 
 try. The Canada goose, like the other species, has been 
 ignored as a farm-yard pet, notwithstanding its fine form 
 and the fact that it can be readily domesticated, and will 
 breed in confinement, or pair with its barn-yard con- 
 geners. The cross obtained by this admixture is consid- 
 ered to be superior to either of its progenitors, as it has 
 the plumpness and delicacy of the tame species, the flavor 
 of the wild, and is hardier than either. The young of 
 the Canada goose do not, it is said, lay any eggs in a 
 state of domestication until they are three years old, and 
 then they lay four or five; but after that time the num- 
 ber increases gradually until it reaches the limit allowed 
 by nature. There are two varieties of this brant, whiph 
 differ from the typical species in a few minor details. The 
 Hutching variety is almost a perfect copy of the Can- 
 ada goose, except that it is smaller, being only about 
 thirty inches in length, and that its tail is composed of 
 sixteen feathers. The other variety — B. canadensis var. 
 leucopareta — differs only in having the black hue of the 
 neck banded below by a white collar, and having the 
 under parts darker, so that it is well defined against the 
 white of the tail coverts and the lower portion of the neck. 
 The geese described include eight species and four varie- 
 ties. These may be readily distinguished from the swans 
 by the strip of feathered skin between their eyes and bills, 
 and from the ducks by their tarsi, which are entirely 
 reticulate. 
 
 It is such an easy matter to make a big bag of 
 geese in the "West during the autumn, and in the 
 Southwest in winter, that the veriest tyro may become 
 a great wild-fowler in a short time, if a large bag is 
 to be the criterion of his skill; but where they are scarce 
 and hunted much, it requires all the patience, caution, 
 cunning, and devices of the most experienced sportsman 
 to steal upon them unawares, or to decoy them within 
 range of a gun. They learn to avoid blinds, " gopher- 
 
356 AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOOTINfl. 
 
 holes," sneak-boats, and sneak-boxes in a short time, 
 and to know by intuition where danger lies. The most 
 successful method of shooting them upon streams or 
 lakes is to scull upon them down wind, as they must rise 
 to the windward, and this may bring them within gun 
 range before they can get on the wing. If I were to give 
 a maxim for pursuing wild animals, I should say: Hunt 
 quadrupeds up wind, and wild fowl down wind; keep out 
 of sight as much as possible, and preserve the strictest 
 silence. Study the haunts and habits of all creatures 
 you desire to capture; be patient and persevering, rather 
 than impetuous and eager; and do not destroy anything 
 out of mere wantonness of spirit. 
 
 The abundance of geese in the West and Southwest 
 may be inferred from the fact that a man has been known 
 to kill a thousand in a week with a muzzle-loading gun, 
 and that another had to use a cart to take what he shot 
 in two days to market. This was in Minnesota. A mean 
 way of destroying them is practised in some portions of 
 the Northwest. This is to soak corn in whiskey and 
 scatter it in fields which they frequent. When they eat 
 this they become helplessly intoxicated, and the men 
 then go among them and knock them on the head with 
 clubs. They often load cart after cart with them by this 
 method, and send them to market, where they meet with 
 a ready sale. I have known men to kill two hundred geese 
 in a day with a muzzle-loader, by stalking them in a 
 field under cover of a well-trained horse. These men did 
 not bear directly down on the birds, but approached them 
 obliquely, and very slowly, in order to lead them to sup- 
 pose that no harm was intended, and when they got 
 within shooting range they opened fire with huge wea- 
 pons loaded with BB shot, and frequently bagged from 
 ten to thirty in one round. After the volley, the surviv- 
 ors rose in the air for a few moments and screamed their 
 sense of annoyance at being disturbed, but after hover- 
 
WILD GEESE. 2611 
 
 ing for a few moments they settled down again, if the 
 enemy kept himself well concealed, and commenced 
 feeding. If they descried him, however, they fled in the 
 most precipitate manner, and did not stop until they 
 placed many a mile between him and themselves. They 
 also became suspicious of horses after that, and looked 
 upon them as foes in disguise. It is wonderful what little 
 attention a flock of wild geese sometimes pay to a man 
 without a gun, but let him have one, and the moment 
 the sentinel gander espies him he sounds an alarm imme- 
 diately, and all seek safety in flight, after honking their 
 displeasure at his presence. The adage, "Silly as a 
 goose," can have no reference to the wild species, for 
 if there is a cautious, vigilant, keen-eyed, sharp-hearing 
 bird, it is a wild goose. Awkward and doltish as it may 
 look when waddling around on land, few of its order can 
 compare with it in gracefulness as, with expanded wings, 
 it sails in the air, or floats tranquilly on the body of some 
 placid lake or glistening river. 
 
 The most exciting system of shooting geese practised 
 along the sea-coast is to sail down upon them when they 
 are bedded on the water, or to pepper them from sink- 
 boxes, which are buried to their edges on some point or bar 
 which they cross when flying from one spot to another, or 
 which they visit to preen themselves after their bath and 
 dinner. Where the geese are numerous, some men make a 
 living by shooting them for the market or by letting boats 
 and decoys to sportsmen who wish to have a day's wild- 
 fowling. These men are generally ardent lovers of the 
 pleasures of the gun, and know more about the habits of 
 the Anserinm than all the closet naturalists I ever met. 
 They can tell each species as soon as they hear its cry, 
 and translate into plain English every note of a wily 
 gander or a piping gosling. They usually keep what is 
 called in local parlance a "ng" — that is, a number of 
 wild geese which have been partially domesticated and 
 
858 AMEEICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 trained to act as decoys. Several of these "rigs" are 
 found along the Atlantic Coast, from Long Island to 
 Florida, but they are more numerous at Shinnecock 
 Bay, near New York, than in any other part of the 
 country, that being the great resort for the wild-fowlers of 
 the Metropolis during the shooting season. 
 
 The decoys are generally wing-tipped birds which have 
 been cured; but they are frequently the offspring of 
 captives, which have bred in confinement. These are fed 
 regularly twice a day during the shooting season; but 
 during the summer they have a good deal of freedom in 
 selecting their own food, for as soon as one of their 
 wings is clipped they are allowed to roam wherever they 
 wish. They become so accustomed to their home after 
 awhile that they return to it every night to be fed, no 
 matter how far out on the bay they may have gone. A 
 good "lig" usually consists of from fifteen to forty 
 birds of both sexes. When these are to be used they 
 are placed in coops and taken to the shooting grounds 
 in a boat. These grounds usually consist of bars or 
 spits of land which run into the sea, and on which are 
 placed coffln-like boxes of various lengths, and deep 
 enough to allow a man to lie down in them. They are 
 often trimmed with sedges, so as to give them as natural 
 an appearance as possible, for if the wily geese had the 
 most remote suspicion of their character, they would 
 give them a wide berth. The decoys are staked out 
 on this bar at irregular intervals, being fastened to the 
 posts by means of a hopple, or leather strap which goes 
 round the leg. The best caller, or honker, which is 
 generally an old and "educated" gander, is placed 
 some distance away from the main flock, so that he 
 may give expression to his feelmgs of loneliness. A 
 good honker of either sex is considered invaluable, for 
 on it depends, to a large extent, the success of the day; 
 hence, those who possess such a prize would not sell it 
 
WILD GEESE. 259 
 
 for two hundred dollars. A first-class caller will bring 
 down skeins that might circle around dozens of other 
 decoys without paying them the least attention, for if it 
 is an experienced bird, few of its kindred will pass it by 
 unnoticed. When the honker espies a string of its con- 
 geners OTerhead, it commences to cree-aunk, cree-aunk, 
 in the most vociferous manner. Its companions soon join 
 in the cry, and the air then resounds with their cronking 
 melody. Those in the sky answer them, as a general 
 rule, before they think of descending, but if they are 
 coy, the decoys recommence their calling with redoubled 
 vigor, and seem to say: "Oh! come down here; you'll 
 have lots of fun and plenty to eat. Do pay us a visit; 
 we're dying to see you." 
 
 When the wild-fowlers bring down the visitors with a 
 load of shot, the lures actually appear to enjoy it, for 
 they shake themselves, preen their feathers, and cackle 
 their sense of satisfaction. They become such adepts at 
 deceiving after awhile that nothing seems to give them 
 greater pleasure than to see the leaden hail dealing death 
 among their kindred. Such is the condition to which 
 man will reduce the most innocent creatures when he 
 employs them for his own selfish purposes! Next to the 
 decoys, the most necessary accessory for a good day's 
 sport is a good " swimmer " of geese. The " swimmer " 
 is the man who sails down on birds that are bedded on 
 the water, some distance away, and attempts, by careful 
 manoeuvring, to drive them within call of the honkers. 
 His aim is to make them swim towards the blinds, if 
 possible, as the chance of making a big bag is greater by 
 that means than it would be if they were put on the 
 wing and made to fly over the point, or even to settle 
 among the decoys. An able " swimmer " has an instinc- 
 tive talent for his business, and the manner In which he 
 can handle his craft and geese is an interesting sight to 
 those who care about such matters. 
 
260 AMEKICAK GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 This preliminary explanation having been given, let ns 
 see what a day in a blind brings ns. A party hav- 
 ing taken their positions in the sneak-boxcs, with feet 
 towards the decoys, each man loads his guns and impa- 
 tiently waits for the appearance of the birds. If the day 
 is both cold and windy, he may see them moving about 
 in vast flocks, yet not hear a note from them, as their 
 cries are drowned by the roar of the storm. But if the 
 weather is comparatively mild, the honker, on seeing 
 them, tunes up his vocal organs; he is soon answered by 
 the leaders of the wanderers, and in another minute, 
 perhaps, the latter may wheel about and come directly to 
 the deceiver. 
 
 " Here they come; lie low," is the command of the 
 veteran of the party. 
 
 This is promptly obeyed, and everybody trios to force 
 himself into the smallest compass, while his heart beats 
 with excitement. The skein sees the callers on the beach 
 and descends to them with rushing wings, and both soon 
 commence chattering sociably to one another, and ex- 
 pressing their delight at meeting. An anxious gunner 
 partially lifts himself up at this moment, in order to get 
 a peep and a shot at the new arrivals, but he is soon laid 
 prostrate again by the order of the leader, who hisses to 
 him to keep quiet until they get away from the " stools," 
 to prevent the latter from being shot. The geese leave 
 the decoys in a short time, and then comes the com- 
 mand: 
 
 "Give them both barrels as they rise. Don't shoot 
 them on the ground." 
 
 In another second five men rise in their coffins like so 
 many spectres and cock their guns. As soon as the geese 
 see them they become terribly frightened and attempt to 
 scramble away, but the steel tubes are too quick for 
 them, and before they can get fairly on the wing ten dead 
 and four wing-tipped birds fall to the ground or into the 
 
WllD GEESE. 361 
 
 water. Then commences a scene of excitement, for the 
 "wounded attempt to escape by rushing into the bay, sub- 
 merging their heads and bodies as low as possible, and 
 swimming rapidly outward, where they would subse- 
 quently die, unless captured, as they could, not rise from 
 the water. The wild-fowlers who wear rubber boots ob- 
 ject to parting with them, however, so they dash in after 
 them, and open fire on them or attempt to seize them by 
 the head. They may or may not succeed in killing them, 
 for to shoot a swiftly moving goose, which is almost 
 buried out of sight, is no easy matter. Some may try to 
 capture a bird alive, in order to keep it as a decoy, and 
 then it is a ludicrous sight to see them rushing through 
 the bay, while the cautious goose swims ahead of them, 
 and almost within reach, until it finally lures them into 
 water so deep that they disappear for a moment or two. 
 This mishap is generally greeted with laughter; and if 
 the bird has its beak open, and looks rather pumped, 
 some cautious member of the party shouts: 
 
 "Look out; she has her mouth open as if she were 
 going to bite you. Kick her in the snoot if she attempts 
 it. Don't stand any fooling from her, or we'll never 
 see you again." 
 
 The wild-fowler, who is trembling from the ducking 
 in the icy water, may receive this advice in silence, and 
 allow somebody else to kill the vagrant, or he may blurt 
 out something about going to heaven (?) and shutting 
 up. When he reaches the shore he is likely to be ad- 
 monished about the use of such terrible language, but a 
 charitable individual may come to his aid, and say that 
 he only uses "cuss words on goose days," and is not 
 morally responsible for his actions on such occasions. He 
 is then probably forgiven in a mock serious and doleftil 
 manner, and recommended to go to the nearest house 
 and dry himself, so that he may obtain a faint idea of his 
 future abode — a piece of advice which is generally taken. 
 
263 AMEKICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 When he departs, the remainder take their places in the 
 sink-boxes, and remain concealed until the "swimmer" 
 sends another gaggle towards them, or the callers lure a 
 skein from the sky. As soon as these come within range 
 they receive such a warm welcome that many fall to rise 
 no more. After the rest have fled, the gunners exchange 
 ideas, and discourse eloquently on a "beautiful double 
 shot," the peculiar manner in which one missed a 
 "splendid gander," or the amount of shot it took to 
 bring down a fast-flying goose. As soon as the cripples 
 have been shot, and picked up by the " swimmer," who 
 remains outside in a boat, the party return to their cof- 
 fins, and continue operations until late in the evening. 
 This is exceedingly cold and silent work, for, though the 
 icy air may shrivel them up, they cannot speak, or move 
 hand or foot, through fear of being detected by the 
 sharp-sighted birds; even a sneeze is considered detri- 
 mental to success. Eternal silence in the box is the price 
 of geese; hence, waiting for them is both painful and 
 laborious. When the wild-fowlers return home from a 
 good day's work their sufEerings are soon forgotten, and 
 they remember nothing but the plethoric condition of 
 their bags and the "beautiful shots" they made. 
 
 Shooting geese on an inland lake is totally different from 
 this method, and is, on the whole, the more interesting, as 
 it enables a person to move about and to stamp on the 
 ground when his feet are becoming benumbed with cold. 
 I have heard tales enough, both grave and gay, about 
 goose shooting to fill a volume, but I must be content 
 with relating an adventure of my own which happened 
 in Wisconsin. I was, at the time, stopping at a farm- 
 house, which was situated in one of the most charming 
 sections and best wild-fowl resorts of the State. While 
 sitting near the fire one evening, the son of the farmer, 
 a lad about fourteen years of age, entered, and told me 
 that a pond, a short distance away, was thronged with 
 
WILD GEESE. 263 
 
 wild-fowl. On hearing it I seized the farmer's muzzle- 
 loader, and started for the pond in hot haste, hoping to 
 get a shot at the birds. I reached it in due time, and 
 found the boy's tale to be true, for several species of 
 ducks, from the stately mallard to the pretty blue-winged 
 teal, and a large gaggle of snow geese were feeding in the 
 water, which was quite shallow, or chattering contentedly 
 to one another. These presented a charming spec- 
 tacle, and their activity and noise contrasted strongly 
 with the silence of the forest, which was then arrayed in 
 its most brilliant autumn colors. 
 
 Notwithstanding the beauty of the woods, I was "on 
 murderous thoughts intent," but how to put them into 
 execution was. the next question, for the birds were too 
 far away to enable me to shoot at them with any assured 
 degree of success. While dodging along the shore in 
 my efforts to get near enough to obtain a shot, I espied 
 a small dugout concealed in the bushes, and this I pushed 
 into the water, as its bow and sides were covered with 
 reeds. Taking the scull in my hand, I was soon bearing 
 down on the mass of feathers, and was in its midst in 
 less than five minutes. The ducks seemed to think the 
 craft was a floating bunch of sedge at first, for they only 
 stared at it, but when they detected its true character, 
 they rose " exulting on triumphant wings," and attempt- 
 ed to flee, but before they could get out of range I cut a 
 swath through their ranks, and brought down two 
 killed and two cripples. By the time I had secured these, 
 every bird in the pond seemed to have fled, yet I pad- 
 dled on in hopes of being able to get another shot. I had 
 not proceeded far before I rounded a small cape, and 
 just behind that I came suddenly upon two geese, which 
 were sailing about in the most indifferent manner. On 
 seeing me they attempted to rise, but as I was to the 
 windward they had to come towards me. When they 
 were near enough I blazed away at one, and sent it into 
 
264 AMERICAIir GAME BIRD SH00TIK6. 
 
 the water with a loud thud. Turning round to fire at 
 the other, which had just passed me on the left, I upset 
 the boat and went diving head foremost into an appar- 
 ently unfathomable mass of reeds and mud. As soon as 
 I had hurriedly examined the oozy bottom, I returned to 
 the surface, but on finding that my gun was gone, I 
 dived for it, recovered it, and again rose to the upper 
 world, but on reaching it, I saw that my craft was float- 
 ing away at a leisurely pace. I swam after it as rapidly 
 as one arm could propel me, and when I overtook it I was 
 nearly fagged out, for my clothing seemed an awful drag, 
 and I could hardly use my legs, my boots being full of 
 water. Scrambling into the stern of the boat, I set about 
 picking up the birds that had been lost out of it, and suc- 
 ceeded in securing all. I thin paddled ashore, and hav- 
 ing doffed my dripping garments, I squeezed them as dry 
 as I could, and washed the mud off my hands and face. 
 I then ran a series of go-as-you-please races with imagin- 
 ary contestants, until my blood was warmed up, when I 
 donned my raiment and returned to the house with my 
 trophies. On arriving there, I changed my clothing, 
 and soon felt as comfortable as ever. Such incidents 
 teach one that shooting has its shady as well as its bright 
 side, and that he who would enjoy it must learn to pa- 
 tiently bear cold, hunger, and fatigue, and, sometimes, 
 face danger both on land and water. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 WILD DUCKS. 
 
 Wild ducks— Their abundance— Difference between fresli water and salt 
 water ducks — Their food — The greeuhead, or mallard — General 
 characteristics — Breed with the domestic ducks— Habits of hybrids 
 — Nests and eggs of the wUd species — The flappers — Mode of seek- 
 ing food— Lai-ge numbers of ducks poisoned annually — How to 
 bag tlie birds— Ice blinds —The haunts of the ducks — Various sys- 
 tems for capturing them employed in the West — How to build 
 blinds— Sink-boxes — The proper way to anchor wooden decoys— 
 When to shoot into a flock — Live decoys— How to set out dead 
 birds — ^Diving decoys — Toling ducks within range — The art of call- 
 ing — The best apparatus for calling — The enemies of the wild- 
 fowler— Di3erence between the shooting in the Eastern and the 
 Western States — The best ducking grounds on the Atlantic Coast 
 —Professional wild-fowlers at Havre de Grace— The system of 
 shootingallowed— Planting decoys— Charges used for duck-guns — 
 Price per day demanded for a wild-fowler's boat — The necessity of a 
 written agreement — The best time for shooting — Bushwacking and 
 bushwackers— Sportsmen's clubs and game dinners— A stu-ring 
 spectacle on Chesapeake Bay— Ketrievers— General sketches of the 
 black mallard; gadwaU, or gray duck; pintail, or sprigtail; widgeon; 
 shovellers, or spoonbills ; cmnamon teal ; blue-winged teal ; 
 green-winged teal; wood, or summer duck ; canvas-back ; red- 
 head, or porchard ; (greater scaup duck ; lesser scaup duck ; ring- 
 neck, or tufted duck ; whistler, or golden-eye ; buffle-head ; ruddy 
 duck ; harlequin duck ; long-tailed duck ; Steller's eider duck ; 
 spectacled eider ; eider, or sea duck ; king eider ; white-winged 
 coot; surf duck, or sea coot ; gosander, or fish duck ; sheldrake, 
 or red-breasted merganser ; hooded merganser, or saw-bill diver ; 
 —Eider down and its peculiarity— Breeding grounds of eiders— 
 The young susceptible to domestication— Method of shooting sea 
 ducks— Musical ducks and their song— How to cook sea ducks, 
 and roast wild fowl. 
 
 It is doubtful if the Anatidm are as abundant in any- 
 other part of the world as they are on the North Ameri- 
 can Continent, for myriads is the only word that can give 
 365 13 
 
366 AMEKICAN GAME BIBD SHOOTING. 
 
 an idea of their numbers wlien they are engaged in their 
 annual migratory tours from north to south and back 
 again. Portions of the country are actually thronged 
 with them at such times, so that they present the appear- 
 ance of enormous clouds of feathers. There are also a 
 greater number of species on the Western Continent than 
 in any other quarter of the globe, if I remember rightly, 
 for of the two sub-families into which the Anatidm are 
 divided, twenty-three species belong to the FuliguUncB, 
 or sea ducks, and twelye species and varieties to the An- 
 atincB, or fresh water ducks, or about forty-five in all. 
 Both these sub-families are so distinctly marked that 
 they may be readily distinguished apart, even if their 
 habits were not so different. The legs of the sea ducks 
 are, in the first instance, placed farther back than they 
 are in their fresh water congeners, in order to give them 
 greater swimming power; the hind toe, instead of being 
 simple, has a small piece of skin on its lower side; the 
 body is more densely feathered; and a thick covering of 
 down protects the flesh from the chilling effects of very 
 cold water. These live principally on animal matter, 
 although some species devour both fish and vegetables; 
 they dive for their food, which their fresh water kindred 
 never do; they are largely maritime in their habitat, yet 
 the majority nest near lakes and streams; and they are, 
 as a rule, much inferior in flesh to their congeners, the 
 exceptions being the red-head, broad-bill, canvas-back, 
 and a few others. 
 
 The Anatinm live on insects, slugs, grasses, seeds, wild 
 rice, and other palatable vegetation; but in searching for 
 these they never submerge the whole body, and rarely 
 little more than the head and neck. They are fond of 
 frequenting tide-waters sometimes, yet they seldom re- 
 main any length of time at sea, their favorite haunts 
 being fresh water which produces a generous supply of 
 their favorite kinds of food. They are exceedingly abun- 
 
dant on the streams and lakes of the West, until the cold 
 weather sets in, but after that they hie to Florida, Texas, 
 Louisiana, and other southern regions, and remain there 
 until the following February or March, when they return 
 North to build their nests and rear their broods. Some 
 of the Southern States are so thronged with them in 
 winter that the sky is black in places, whilst its entire 
 extent, as far as the eye can see, is peppered with the 
 heavy teams which are engaged in "trading" between 
 various points. One of the best species of the Anatinm, 
 and one which is much admired by sportsmen, is the 
 greenhead, which is also called the English duck, the 
 wild drake, and the mallard, though the latter name 
 should only be applied to the male. It is known to most 
 persons through its domestic representative, the main 
 difference between them being the greater brilliancy of 
 the hue of the body, and the brighter orange of the legs 
 of the wild species. The male and female of the Anas 
 boschas differ materially in size and color. The former 
 has a length of about two feet, and weighs between two 
 and a half and three and a half pounds, while the latter 
 seldom exceeds two pounds or a little over. This species 
 associates freely with its barn-yard congeners, and even 
 pairs with them, but the cross breed is quite wild, and 
 liable to leave home at any moment the fancy seizes it. 
 Several instances are known, however, in which the hy- 
 brids have resisted all temptation to lead a vagrant life, 
 being content with the comforts of the farm-yard until 
 they had their necks wrung or died a natural death. 
 Adult males of the roving species sometimes become so 
 much attached to the domestic breed that they stop with 
 them year after year; and cases are mentioned in which, 
 when they did leave, they returned again when they were 
 making their pilgrimage to the sunny South, late in the 
 autumn. From what I have heard, I should imagine 
 that the wild species might easily be tamed, and that the 
 
§68 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIlSrG. 
 
 second or third generation would manifest no desire to 
 become roamers. 
 
 The ducks commence building their nests between 
 the middle of March and the first of May, according to 
 the climate of the regions where they dwell. The nests 
 are always near a stream, lake, pond, or slough, and are 
 as secluded as the ground will permit. They differ ma- 
 terially in construction, some being made of coarse grass, 
 while others are lined inside with soft, loose feathers. 
 The eggs number from ten to sixteen, and are like 
 those of the domestic variety in color, being a greenish- 
 blue. The flappers appear in May or June, and from the 
 moment of their birth until their death they seem to be 
 impressed with the idea that they have many foes. Even 
 when they are mere mites, they have the bump of cau- 
 tiousness so strongly developed that they often disappear 
 under water the moment they see a person, and when 
 they come to the surface they only show the bill, if pos- 
 sible; but if they get ashore, they do not care how much 
 of the body is seen, for they run as fast as they can on 
 open ground, and without piping, and plunge into the 
 first hiding-place they find. They are well feathered be- 
 tween the first and middle of October, and strong and 
 large enough to fly at a rapid rate for a long distance, so 
 that they afford good shooting. When the birds congre- 
 gate in the autumn, they spread out in every direction, 
 and cover the country in such vast flocks that their num- 
 bers cannot even be estimated. When moving off to 
 feed, their loud squawking may be heard for an hour 
 or two in the morning, but they do not remain feeding 
 all day during fine weather, for, after partaking of 
 breakfast, they return to their roosting-places until three 
 or four o'clock in the afternoon, when they sally forth 
 again in quest of a dinner. They are not always punc- 
 tual in their movements, for hunger does not compel 
 them to leave the duckery until sundown sometimes, and 
 
WILD DUCKS. 369 
 
 one may then have some good sport with them, if he 
 takes a position in a shelter near their line of flight. 
 Some farmers in the Atlantic States do not allow shoot- 
 ing on their land, for fear their cattle might be injured; 
 but such prohibition is unknown in the West, for the 
 birds are so numerous and destructiye there that they 
 are frequently poisoned, as the geese are, by soaking 
 grain in strychnine and scattering it near their roosting- 
 places. Ducks, being great feeders, remain in the stubble 
 fields all day during murky or rainy weather, and chatter 
 away to one another in a low, crooning tone, as if they 
 were discussing the sbate of the atmosphere or congratu- 
 lating one another on the absence of foes and the abun- 
 dance of food. 
 
 They fly quite low on such days, so that a man who is 
 behind a blind can bag them in large numbers. They 
 prefer fields where the cornstalks are scattered about to 
 those in which they stand in stacks, owing to their fear 
 of concealed enemies. The wild-fowler should lie down 
 on his back in such places, and remain immovable until 
 the flocks come almost directly over him, then rise into 
 a sitting posture, and blaze away at the thickest of the 
 mass. This system of shooting cannot, however, be suc- 
 cessful, unless the clothing of the sportsman is of a 
 neutral tint, such as a brownish or sedge color, as the 
 ducks notice any unusual hue in the landscape and give 
 it a wide berth, even though it be nothing more danger- 
 ous than the burned stump ot a tree. When ducks be- 
 come familiar with standing corn-stalks, these can 
 be used as blinds, for in this, as in other instances in 
 life, familiarity breeds contempt; but care should be 
 taken that the blinds are not too solid in appearance, as 
 that would immediately arouse the suspicion of the wary 
 birds and cause them to avoid their vicinity. When the 
 ducks congregate on the ice in winter, some excellent 
 shooting can be had near air-holes, provided a person is 
 
270 AMEEICASr GAMJE BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 behind an iee-blind, for in coming near such spots they 
 sweep partially around before alighting, and present their 
 sides. A volley poured into them at that time is sure 
 to bring down several, for the wing-tipped strike the 
 ground so heavily that some are killed by the fall, and 
 those that are not may be readily disposed of. Ducks 
 frequently seek the shelter of timber in blustry weather. 
 Large bags can then be made near almost any wood- 
 land stream or tarn; and also in the spring, when 
 the lower lands are inundated by the rise of the rivers, as 
 they resort thither to feed on the vegetation and insects 
 that float on the water. When driven from such places 
 by shooting, they return in a short time, either singly, in 
 pairs, or in trips, and if the sportsman has a good 
 shelter he may tumble them over as they pass him, or 
 when they are preparing to alight. Whatever the season 
 may be, it is necessary for a man to keep as much out of 
 sight as possible, to avoid making a noise, and to have 
 his clothes as near the color of the ground and woods as 
 he can. The clothing should be white in winter, and a 
 sedge, drab, or butternut hue at all other times. 
 
 The ordinary methods employed for capturing ducks 
 in the West are similar to those for bagging geese. These 
 are, shooting from blinds, with or without decoys; shoot- 
 ing from sneak-boxes, sneak-boats, and punts. A blind 
 is generally made of the branches of trees, brushwood, 
 weeds, grass, leaves, and such other vegetation as would 
 give it the appearance of a natural thicket. The boughs 
 are stuck into the ground, close together, and all open- 
 ings, which are likely to allow the gunner to be seen, are 
 closed with the lighter material. A shelter of this kind 
 should not be higher than the shoulders of a man when 
 he stands up, as he needs a clear space to enable him to 
 note the movements of the ducks and to handle his gun 
 promptly. Others are made of boards, screened with 
 brush or trees, in order to present as natural an appear- 
 
WILD DUCKS. 
 
 271 
 
 ance as possible. A blind of white cloth can be used to 
 advantage in winter, if the ground is covered with snow, 
 for it not only afEords shelter, but is so deceiving at a 
 distance that the birds approach it without hesitation. 
 
 The sneak-box, sink-box, or float, is a sort of wooden 
 coflSn, about six feet long, two feet wide, and thirteen or 
 fourteen inches in depth, which has wide flaps to keep it 
 afloat and prevent the water from running into it. It is 
 
 SUOOTIMG rSOM BLINDS. 
 
 generally anchored in shallow water, and in the most 
 advantageous position, and is painted as near the hue of 
 the fluid in which it rests as possible. It is sunk so low, 
 by means of weights, that the entrance is on a level with 
 the surface of the stream or lake, so that it cannot be 
 seen at any distance. It is also occasionally covered with 
 brush or sedges. The decoys are placed around this in 
 the form of a triangle, at a distance varying from fifteen 
 to twenty-five yards, but a few are posted on the plat- 
 
S7a 
 
 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 form or flaps, in order to induce the teams or paddlings 
 to come as near as possible. The greater portion of the 
 decoys ought to be anchored to the leeward, as ducks, in 
 the majority of cases, swing to the wind before alighting, 
 and sail or float for a short distance before they strike 
 the water to rest. This habit brings them into the most 
 favorable position for the wild-fowler, as he can handle 
 his gun with greater readiness to the left than to the 
 
 FLOAT, OB SINK-BOX. 
 
 right, and, as a matter of course, make larger bags.- I 
 have known a man to kill forty-seven with four barrels, 
 before the ducks could fairly get on the wing, and the 
 same individual claimed to have shot two hundred and 
 eighteen in a day, from a blind. When the wooden de- 
 coys are "planted," each ought to be anchored by means 
 of a piece of lead, weighing four or five ounces, and be at- 
 tached to the box by a fine, strong line. Dead and wing- 
 tipped ducks make capital decoys, especially the latter, 
 
•WILD DircKS. 373 
 
 as they keep steadily calling to their passing companions, 
 and these being exceedingly gregarious, answer the 
 summons, only to meet their death. The domestic va- 
 riety are also useful for calling, but if they are to be 
 fastened to stakes, either on land or in the water, they 
 should be accustomed to the use of the tether for some 
 time at home before being taken into the field, otherwise 
 they will strain at the cord, and, by their sprawling and 
 squawking, scare away all the birds that see or hear 
 them. If they have been trained for their business, 
 howcYer, they take matters easy, and seem to actually 
 delight in bringing their wild kindred within range of 
 the leaden hail, if one were to judge from their persist- 
 ent and clamorous calling. Dead ducks, when used on 
 land, ought to hare their heads placed under their wings, 
 in order to give them as natural an appearance of resting 
 as possible, or the heads may be propped up with corn- 
 stalks or sharp branchlets stuck in the ground. The 
 system of decoying, so common in Holland, of throw- 
 ing trained tame ducks into the air when a wild flock 
 passes by, is not practised in the West, for turf huts are 
 not often used as blinds, and few market-hunters know 
 anything of the deyices practised by the Dutch huttiers. 
 Diving decoys, which seem to be unknown in Holland, 
 are occasionally used, however, especially in calm weath- 
 er. These are readily made and very effective. 
 
 The only materials necessary for manufacturing them 
 are a canvas bag, capable of holding a few pounds of 
 sand or stone, a long line, and a pulley-block. The 
 latter is attached to the mouth of tlie bag, and the cord 
 is run through the pulley-block, and fastened under the 
 breast of the decoy by means of a screw-eye. The bag is 
 then filled with sand or stones, and dropped in the water 
 on the shooting ground; the end of the cord is next 
 taken to the blind, and when ducks approach on the 
 wing, or alight out of range in the water, the string is 
 
374 AMBKICAK GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 pulled, and tlie decoy dives almost as naturally as a liie 
 bird. When the ducks see it diying, as if for food, they 
 approach it without hesitation, only to learn what a de- 
 ceptive world this is. It is especially effective on a calm 
 day, as it agitates the water, and its movements can he 
 seen quite a long distance. 
 
 Toling and calling are other methods employed for 
 bringing ducks within range. The former can be done 
 in two ways, but the simplest is to wave a gaudy hand- 
 kerchief slowly over a blind or from the midst of a clump 
 of shrubbery. Inquisitiveness being the leading charac- 
 teristic of the canards, they begin to move shoreward in 
 dense masses to see what the strange object can be, but 
 when they come to within a short distance of the 
 land, the majority depart in a hurry without having 
 satisfied their curiosity, while others remain to in- 
 crease the sportsman's larder. The second method 
 of toling is to get a dog trained to keep silent, to 
 run after chips or pieces of bread thrown along the 
 shore, and to gambol about in as sportive a manner as 
 possible. The ducks, on seeing his antics, advance and 
 wheel, and rise on their wings in the water, then halt and 
 stare with an expression of the liveliest curiosity and the 
 most intense excitement. The leaders seem to communi- 
 cate their fatuous enthusiasm to those behind, and this 
 increases as they press shoreward, until the dense col- 
 umns seem, at length, to become maniacal in their 
 demonstrations of feeling, for they deploy in every direc- 
 tion, advance and retreat, cross and re-cross each other 
 in heavy masses, and wheel to the right or left according 
 as the dog moves. The concealed gunner watches their 
 movements with the keenest interest until he finds them 
 grouped in serried columns a few yards from the shore, 
 then, rising slowly, he pours the contents of his guns 
 into them, and cuts a swath through their ranks as clean 
 as a mower would lay the grass. The spectacle they pre- 
 
WILD DUCKS. 375 
 
 sent is Tery beautiful, but the most interesting partjaf it 
 to the fowler is that which ends in havoc and slaughter. 
 Thousands of ducks are killed in this manner annually, 
 so that toling is an important branch of the wild-fowler's 
 art. Some persons tie a handkerchief around a dog's 
 body, allowing a part of it to stream out behind like a 
 queve, if the animal is not strongly marked enough to 
 attract the attention of the ducks. This device is usu- 
 ally successful, especially with red-heads. The canvas- 
 backs, red-heads, and broad-biUs are more inquisitive than 
 the other species, and are, of course, more easily toled. 
 Some persons are so expert in calling ducks that they can 
 imitate the various tones of the principal species with 
 their mouth, but these, and they are very few, have to prac- 
 tice for a long time before they become perfect in this ac- 
 complishment. Others who are not so highly gifted in im- 
 itative power use squawkers, but, unless they have some 
 experience, they are more likely to scare the birds away 
 than to bring them within range. One of the best 
 callers is made of a tube of bamboo, about seven or eight 
 inches long, which has a short tongue of brass at one 
 end and a grooved plug at the other. This is made to 
 order by dealers in sportsmen's goods, if it is not in stock. 
 The Swiss bird-call is also spoken well of by some persons, 
 but I have never seen it used in wild-fowling. In the Far 
 West, however, where ducks are numbered by the mil- 
 lion, and are comparatively safe from all foes except an 
 occasional red or white sportsman and a wily fox, little 
 precaution is needed to make a large bag, for the veriest 
 tyro can do it if he will only use about four drachms of 
 powder, an ounce of No. 2 or 3 shot, and a solid, well- 
 made, ten-gauge gun. The great enemies of the wild- 
 fowler, and the number is by no means small, are minks, 
 skunks, crows, hogs, and owls, for should these find his 
 trophies while he is temporarily absent, they would make 
 a feast of them, and injure many more than they could 
 
276 AMEEICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 eat. Minks and crows seem to be tlie worst, so the sports- 
 malthas no scruples about killing them if he sees them 
 near the ducking grounds. 
 
 The wild-fowl shooting of the West difEers materially 
 from that of the East, for in the former region the birds 
 are generally shot near ponds and streams, or in the 
 stubble fields, whereas they are shot along the sea-coast 
 or the bays and rivers connecting with it, in the latter. 
 Men use ordinary shoulder-guns in the West, but in the 
 East they prefer small columbiads, known as duck-guns, 
 which are capable of slaughtering a team or a paddling 
 at a time. This difference in the systems of shooting is 
 one reason, in my opinion, why Western sportsmen are su- 
 perior to those of the Atlantic States in wing-shooting, 
 but the latter excel them in bagging birds on water, as 
 they are better judges of distance on that element. Men 
 who may be capital shots on land often make a poor dis- 
 play on water, and vice versa; and those who can put up 
 heavy scores in regions where ducks fly close to the 
 ground or near the shore, may hardly be able to count 
 at all in places where the birds are shy. Some are also 
 better at killing one species than another, as much of 
 their success depends on the birds they have practised on; 
 hence, one cannot judge of a person's dexterity with the 
 gun until he has seen him try it on all kinds of game. 
 It is a truism that every sportsman has his favorite bird, 
 for he who may be good at ducks, snipe, or geese, may 
 not be able to do much with quail, ruffed grouse, or tur- 
 keys. I have even known men who could make a big 
 bag of ducks in flight-shooting, who could scarcely do 
 anything with those bedded in the water, simply because 
 they could not measure distance well, and did not know 
 how to aim so as to produce the best result. The West- 
 ern wild-fowler has one decided advantage over his East- 
 ern co-laborer in duck-shooting, and that is, that he can 
 have good sport with bay-birds during the middle of the 
 
WILD DUCKS, 377 
 
 day, when the ducks have ceased trading, whereas the 
 latter must remain idle during that time or be content 
 with pot-shots at a vagrant goose or canard. 
 
 The principal wild-fowling stations on the Atlantic 
 Coast are Brigantine, Barnegat, Currituck, and Havre de 
 Grace, the latter being the headquarters of those profes- 
 sional wild-fowlers who use sink-boxes on the Chesapeake 
 Bay, which is by far the best duck ground on the eastern 
 part of the Continent. About forty of these men a1 
 Havre de Grace pay a license of twenty dollars a year foi 
 the privilege of using sink-boxes on the river during legal- 
 ized days, which are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 
 after the first of November until the season closes ir 
 March. The outfit of these men generally consists of i 
 small sailing sloop, ranging from thirty to fifty feet ir 
 length, a flat-bottomed rowboat, a sink-box, and fron 
 three hundred to five hundred decoys. It requires al 
 least three men to handle one of these outfits properly 
 hence, each vessel is a little hunting colony in itself, 
 Some of the wild-fowlers live aboard their boats through- 
 out the season, but others do not go aboard until th( 
 night before the shooting is permitted, and then thej 
 cannot go to the grounds before three A. M., nor car 
 they commence work until an hour before sunrise. The] 
 are allowed to fire away, however, until half an hour af tei 
 sunset, provided their sink-boxes are half a mile fron 
 the shore; if they are not, the owners are liable to b( 
 arrested and fined or imprisoned. Several craft ancho: 
 within half a mile of the shore during the night, anc 
 when the clock strikes three, the crews make preparation; 
 for the labors of the day by "planting" the decoys a 
 soon as it is light enough to do so, and sinking thei 
 boxes. It takes three men about an hour to complet 
 this preliminary work, and when that is done it is abou 
 time to commence shooting. 
 
 The boxes are mostly single, that is, only one man cai 
 
278 AMEKICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 shoot from them at a time, yet some are double, but these 
 are not as good as the others, as two persons are more 
 readily seen than one, hence the ducks do not decoy to 
 them as well as they might. Most of the men carry two 
 or three guns, and their general method of using them is 
 to give the birds the first one when they settle in the 
 water, the second when they rise, and the third as they 
 fly away. The charges which they use vary considerably, 
 but some of the most experienced consider five drachms 
 of powder and an ounce and a half of No. 4 chilled shot 
 a good load for a ten-bore gun; and they give the prefer- 
 ence to Ely's wire cartridges for the killing of cripples, 
 as it is considered efEective up to a hundred yards. The 
 sloops are generally anchored about a quarter of a mile 
 from the sink-boxes, and as they always keep a man on 
 the lookout, they are ready to respond to any signals 
 from the shooting parties in a few minutes. The first 
 three hours of the morning are considered equal to the 
 remainder of the day, for making a big bag, as the birds 
 are active and hungry then, and decoy readily to the nu- 
 merous lures in the water. It is a common thing for an 
 ordinary shot to kill from fifty to a hundred birds in this 
 short time, and perhaps double that number in twelve 
 hours, and as these sell at prices varying from forty cents 
 to two dollars a pair, it is evident that the wild-fowlers 
 reap a rich financial harvest during the open season. 
 
 A hundred dollars a day is not an unusual sum to earn, 
 and forty and fifty dollars are quite common, if we judge 
 by the fact that these men will not, as a rule, give their 
 boat and their own services for less than twenty dollars a 
 day to a sportsman, while some charge as high as a hun- 
 dred dollars, the average being forty dollars. In making 
 arrangements with professionals, it is best to have a 
 written agreement drawn up, and evei-ything throughly 
 understood, else they may impose on a man, especially if 
 he has delicacy of feelings, and dislikes huckstering. The 
 
WILD DUCKS. 279 
 
 novice who enters a sink-box for the first time is certain 
 to render a poor account of himself, as he is sure to mis- 
 calculate the distance and to think the birds are quite 
 near when they are far beyond range. If he bags twenty 
 in a morning he may consider himself fortunate, yet his 
 experienced co-laborer may score five times that number. 
 The best shooting, so far as making a big bag is con- 
 cerned, is obtained in the earlier part of the season, as 
 the birds become more shy and wary after the slaughter- 
 ing commences. A person may depend on securing a 
 larger number on Monday than any other day in the week, 
 owing to the fact that they are not molested during the 
 two preceding days, and are, as a result, more con- 
 fiding. After the first of January, however, this ad- 
 vantage ceases, as men are allowed to shoot each Saturday 
 also, untU the season closes. 
 
 Sportsmen find their position in the sink-boxes exceed- 
 ingly disagreeable^ especially if the day is veiy cold, as 
 they have to lie perfectly still on the back or side, and 
 listen and watch until their ears and eyes become painful 
 from the intensity of their efforts. The only opportunity 
 they have of moving is when they lift themselves up to 
 fire at the birds, or when they signal to the sloop to send 
 over the row boat and some men to pick up the dead and 
 kill the cripples. The crew are generally ready to relieve 
 gentlemen whenever they get tired of their cold work and 
 cramped position, yet any contract made with them 
 should contain clauses specifying that they must promptly 
 answer all signals from the sink-boxes; that they must 
 commence work at the proper time in the morning, and 
 continue until after sunset; that they must supply proper 
 provisions aboard the vessel; and that one of the crew 
 must have a gun with which to kill the wounded. 
 
 Those who wish to "bushwack " ducks will find that 
 system much cheaper than to hire a sloop and sink-boxes. 
 Bushwacking simply means sculling towards a paddling 
 
380 AMEEIOAIT GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 of ducks in a boat that has a screen around it high enough 
 to conceal the fowler and the man at the oar; or in a 
 craft which resembles a huge swan, and is accompanied 
 by decoys, which are placed on each side. The latter is 
 only large enough to contain two men, and one of these 
 shoots while the other uses the oar through an aperture 
 in the rear part of the mock swan, to prevent it from 
 being seen by the birds. A novice is more likely to make 
 a big bag of canvas-back ducks from either of these con- 
 trivances than from a sink-box, especially on calm days, 
 as the birds do not seem to fear it, and await its arrival 
 with a feeling of curiosity rather than alarm. The men 
 who shoot in this manner use from fifty to one hundred 
 decoys, and when they have "planted" these they stand 
 off until the flocks alight, then scull down on them, 
 and blaze away until the last bird has got beyond 
 range. The services of the "bushwackers " can generally 
 be secured at sums ranging from ten to fifteen dollars a 
 day, decoys and boats included, and,- perhaps, for less, 
 when the best part of the season is over. 
 
 A gTeat many sportsmen enjoy their shooting from the 
 shore, generally behind blinds, by paying a small license 
 fee to the State; but if any of them dared to violate the 
 game laws they would soon find themselves in trouble, for 
 policemen are stationed in cabins all along the shore, and 
 they are prompt in arresting transgressors. The best 
 " shooting points " along Chesapeake Bay, are occupied 
 by clubs of sportsmen, who rent them year after year, if 
 not for a long series of years, and who have erected com- 
 fortable quarters for themselves. The shares in some of 
 these clubs are so highly appreciated that they sell at a 
 thousand dollars each, and much more if they are the 
 property of "high-toned affairs," to use the vernacular. 
 The game dinners of some of these clubs cannot be ex- 
 celled in any part of the world, and whoever would know 
 how wild-fowl, terrapins, and terrapin eggs should be 
 
WILD DUCKS. 
 
 381 
 
 served, ought to pay them a visit, or sit down to one of 
 their repasts. Mere eating and drinking are not every- 
 thing with the sportsmen, however, for songs and stories, 
 and many a flash of wit enliven the festive board. 
 
 No country, in my opinion, equals the United States in 
 the preparation of game dinners, and Paris cannot even 
 compare with Baltimore in this particular line of cook- 
 ery. Bpicurianism, so far as it relates to game, has been 
 
 SWAN-BOAT. 
 
 brought to the highest standard in the latter city, and 
 few bon vivants are found there who cannot discourse 
 learnedly and eloquently on the delicacy of a canvas- 
 back duck, the fulness of turtle soup, the ripeness of tur- 
 tle eggs, the flavor of celery, and the bouquet of sherry or 
 Bordeaux — which are the usual wines consumed at din- 
 ners. Although all the large hotels throughout the coun- 
 try boast of their tables, I doubt if any of them equal 
 those of Baltimore, when the shooting season opens, in 
 November, for persons may then find on their bills of fare 
 
383 AMERICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 nearly every species of edible bird indigenous to the At- 
 lantic States, and these are prepared in such a manner 
 that an epicure of the old school would almost faint from 
 joy on eating them. 
 
 Few scenes are more interesting than that witnessed on 
 the Chesapeake during the wild-fowling season, for the 
 sky is then dotted with dense clouds of squawking ducks 
 of many species, honking geese, stately swans, and 
 whooping cranes and herons, while vessels, boats, and de- 
 coys ride on the water, numerous whitish puffs of smoke 
 float in the air, and sharp detonations ring throughout 
 the land and river like the sharp volleys of heavy bodies 
 of skirmishers engaged in battle. Activity is visible ev- 
 erywhere, for it is a regular campaign against the masses 
 of wild-fowl that throng the sky and water. I have heard 
 that a man standing near the shore could hear the re- 
 ports of between five hundred and a thousand guns at a 
 time when the season was at its height; that over five 
 thousand persons were engaged in wild-fowling along the 
 Maryland side of the Chesapeake during the winter and 
 early spring, and that if all who fired ofE a gun there were 
 enumerated, the number would exceed ten thousand, even 
 by excluding those who shot from the shores of Virginia. 
 This may give an idea of the abundance of birds in the 
 region, and the terrific havoc committed among them. 
 They are, in fact, shipped by the tens of tons to the 
 northern cities, where they are sold at such low rates 
 that the humblest of the working classes can enjoy game 
 dinners very frequently, and at a cost little beyond what 
 they would pay for beef or mutton. The shipments do 
 not include ducks alone, as wild geese are also numerous, 
 and swans are not uncommon. All species of shore-birds, 
 such as the snipe, plover, curlew, sandpiper, tattler, and 
 many others, help to swell the wild-fowler's bag, for these 
 are often almost as abundant as leaves at Vallambrosa, 
 and, being appreciated by epicures, they bring good prices. 
 
WILD DUCKS. 
 
 283 
 
 If a person would become satiated with wild-fowling, lie 
 has only to yisit Chesapeake or Delaware Bay, or such 
 States as Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oregon, and 
 California, and Florida and Texas in winter, for the birds 
 in these regions may be compared to the sands of the sea, 
 if so bold a simile is permissible. 
 
 Good retricTers are essential to success in duck shoot- 
 ing from the shore, for, without them, many birds would 
 
 f-aF^JHI^ 
 
 be lost. The favorite retrieving dogs along the coast are 
 the Chesapeake Bay breed, which cannot be excelled for 
 work in cold or heavy water, and which, when trained, 
 have no rivals in their special business, as they are 
 strong, courageous, and very intelligent. Poodles are 
 not used, notwithstanding their many excellent qualities, 
 and Irish retrievers are also comparatively scarce. 
 
 Having mentioned the systems of wild-fowling prac- 
 tised throughout the Continent, I may as well resume a 
 short description of the various species of ducks. 
 
384 AMEEIOAM- GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 SO that amateurs may recognize them when they see 
 them. 
 
 The next of kin to the green-head is the black mallard 
 (Anas oiscurus), which is also known as the dusky and 
 the black duck. This resembles the female of the pre- 
 ceding species, but is much darker; the feet have a red- 
 dish orange hue; the mandibles are yellowish-green, and it 
 weighs about three pounds. It is comparatively scarce in 
 the West, but is rather common iu the Southwest, espe- 
 cially in Texas. It is generally shot fi'om concealment, 
 and large bags are rarely made, as it moves in small 
 teams and takes little notice of decoys. 
 
 The gadwall, or gray duck {CJiaulelasmus streperus), 
 is abundant in the AVest. Its bill is bluish-black; the feet 
 are a dull orange; the webs are dusky; the head is alight 
 yellowish-red; the general color of the body is a mixture 
 of black and white, and the middle wing-coverts are 
 chestnut, but the greater coverts are black. The male at- 
 tains a length of about twenty-two inches, and a weight 
 of nearly two pounds; the female is much smaller. It 
 answers readily to the mallard call, and alights to mallard 
 decoys, and, being less shy than others of its family, it 
 may be approached rather easily, if it is not kept in a con- 
 stant state of terror by pot and market hunters. Its 
 flesh is excellent, and is considered by epicures to equal 
 that of the mallard. 
 
 The pintail duck {Dafila acuta), which is locally known 
 as the sprigtail, sharptail, and water pheasant, is exceed- 
 ingly common everywhere west of the Mississippi Eiver, 
 but is scarce on the eastern seaboard. It seems to be 
 fonder of sheltered streams than open lakes or ponds, so 
 that it might be called a river duck. Its bill is black; the 
 iris is brown; the feet are grayish-blue; the head and up- 
 per neck are greenish-brown; an oblique band of white 
 decorates each side of the neck; the lower neck and under 
 parts are white, and the back is grayish. The tail is com- 
 
"WILD DUCKS. 
 
 285 
 
 posed of fourteen tapering feathers, and the two in the 
 middle project far beyond the others. Its call is a low, 
 plaintive whistle of one note, which is repeated two or 
 three times. It is one of the most graceful members of 
 its family, and also one of the best for the table. It asso- 
 ciates freely with the green-heads, especially in streams, 
 and flocks of both species may be frequently found feed- 
 ing and roosting together. It readily answers to the call- 
 note of the mallard, aud seldom passes decoys without 
 
 PINTAIL DTTCK. 
 
 paying them a visit. When this duck moves in teams, or 
 flocks, it is rather unsuspicious, as if numbers gave it 
 confidence, but if shot at much it becomes exceedingly 
 wary. Bunches decoy much better than single birds, but 
 to make a good bag, the stools, or decoys, ought to be 
 planted to the windward, as the birds have a habit of cir- 
 cling to the leeward before settling. They are harder to 
 kill on the wing than the green-heads, as their flight is 
 much more rapid and erratic, and they indulge in wheel- 
 ing motions that are peculiar to themselves. They have 
 
286 AMEElCA]>f GAME BlUD SHOOTlKG. 
 
 not so much vitality as some of their congeners, hence 
 they do not require such heavy shot, No. 5 being suflB- 
 ciently large for shooting them. 
 
 The American widgeon, or bald-pate {Mareca ameri- 
 cana), is not only abundant, but an excellent table bird. 
 It may be readily recognized by its bald, or whitish head, 
 its grayish neck, brownish-red breast, white under parts, 
 and light brownish-red and brownish-black upper parts. 
 It weighs less than two pounds; decoys promptly to mal- 
 lard stools, and answers the mallard call. Having small 
 vital power, and the habit of clustering together when 
 flying, several may be killed with one volley. 
 
 The shoveller, or spoonbill, {Spatula clypeata), seldom 
 congregates in such large flocks as the preceding species. 
 It is fond of the society of the mallards, and decoys to the 
 stools and calls of the latter. When teams are in flight 
 they keep close together; hence it is an easy matter to 
 bag a large number with both barrels, for a slight blow 
 is sufficient to kill one. When rising from the water in 
 a state of alarm, they bound directly upward for a dis- 
 tance of several feet before fleeing. They are not very 
 wary, and being poor divers, they try to escape by hiding 
 in weeds, rather than by getting under water, as others 
 do. They may be readily recognized by the form of the 
 bill, which is twice as wide at the tip as at the base. 
 They have reddish feet; a grayish-black bill, tinged with 
 yellow; the head and the upper part of the neck are of a 
 deep-green hue, with purplish reflections; the forebreast 
 is white; the bill, a purplish-chestnut; the wing coverts 
 are blue; the lower tail-coverts are greenish-black, with 
 green and blue reflections; the axillaries and lower wing- 
 coverts are white; and the tail is composed of fourteen 
 acute feathers, the two in the middle being a little longer 
 than those next to them. The male has a length of 
 about twenty-one inches, and often weighs over a pound 
 and a half. The female, which closely resembles the 
 
WILD DUCKS. 287 
 
 greenhead of tlie same sex, is about seventeen inches 
 long, and weighs from sixteen to eighteen ounces. 
 
 The cinnamon, or red-breasted teal {Querquedula cya- 
 noptera), whose range extends from the northern to the 
 southern end of the Continent, west of the Rocky Moun- 
 tains, is a handsome creature. Its head, neck, and un- 
 der parts are a rich purplish-chestnut, which merges into 
 black on the belly. Its eggs are oval, and much smaller 
 at one end than the other. They are a pale-bufE in color, 
 and devoid of the grayish or drab hue so generally notice- 
 able in the eggs of the duck family. This species min- 
 gles freely with the mallard, the blue-winged, and the 
 green-winged teal, especially during the winter when it 
 seeks a southern home. Thousands of these birds may 
 then be seen paddling about in some tranquil stream or 
 lake, and daintily picking up the seeds that float on the 
 surface, or straining the water through their bills to se- 
 cure the minute insects that thrive in it, while they gab- 
 ble sociably to each other. The cinnamon teal has been 
 found in the most northern Territories of the United 
 States, and as far south as the Straits of Magellan, so it 
 seems to be at home throughout the length of the New 
 World. 
 
 The blue-winged teal {Querquedula discors) has a 
 bluish-black bill, dull-yellowish feet, and dusky webs. 
 The upper part of the head is black; there is a small 
 patch of white on the side of the head before the eyej 
 the back is brownish-black, glossed with green; the wing- 
 coverts are sky-blue with a metallic lustre; the lower parts 
 are a pale-reddish-orange, shaded on the breast with pur- 
 plish-red, and thickly spotted with black; the tail feathers 
 are chocolate-brown, slightly glossed with green; the axillar 
 feathers, a few of the lower wing-coverts, and a patch on 
 the side of the rump are pure white; and the lower tail- 
 coverts are brownish-black. It has a length of sixteen 
 mches, and a weight of twelve ounces or more. This 
 
388 AMERICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 species, which is very abundant in the regions bordering 
 the Mississippi and Missouri Eivers, east of the Eocky 
 Mountains, is considered to rank next to the canvas-back 
 and red-head in delicacy of flesh. It is one of the first 
 of its family to appear from the north, and as it moves in 
 vast teams, it affords splendid sport. Market hunters 
 are its greatest enemies, for they slaughter it by the thou- 
 sands, owing to the constant demand for it. 
 
 When "springs" are startled, they rise suddenly 
 from the water and flee at a high rate of speed, but 
 they may not go far before settling again. As they 
 huddle closely when on the wing, a man may bag 
 twenty or more in one round, but it must be deliv- 
 ered at the proper time, that is, when they have 
 just passed, or when the bulk of the team is in front, as 
 they fly rapidly and scatter in all directions after the 
 first shot, though they may reunite shortly afterwards. 
 Any shot from No. I* to 9 is heavy enough to use, 
 as they are easily killed. They drop to mallard decoys 
 and readily answer the mallard call, which is not 
 unlike their own, though it is not so short, thin, and 
 high. They may be easily approached on the water by 
 employing ordinary precaution, but they are rather shy 
 on the wing, and always ready to flee from the vicinity 
 of any unusual sight or sound. Their favorite haunts 
 are ponds and shallow streams and lakes where insects, 
 wild rice, duck grass, and pond lilies thrive, and the 
 more muddy the bottom and tranquil the water, the bet- 
 ter they like it. They are generally pursued in screened, 
 flat-bottomed skifEs, and fired at the moment they rise in 
 a bunch, as a person cannot afford to give them any 
 chances, owing to their speed. They are also shot from 
 blinds when they are trading, and if they fly close to the 
 ground one is almost certain of making a big haul with 
 both barrels. Being found from Manitoba to Florida, 
 they afford sport in some part of the country throughout 
 
Wild ducSS. 1889 
 
 the open season, and are therefore diligently sought for 
 hy market hunters. 
 
 The green-winged teal ( Querquedula cariolensis), which 
 receires its name from the rich green hue of the specu- 
 lum, has a black bill, light-bluish-gray feet, and a short, 
 rounded tail of sixteen acuminate feathers of a brownish- 
 gray color. The head and the upper part of the neck 
 are chestnut-brown; a broad band of glossy-green, with 
 whitish borders, is found on each side of the head; the un- 
 der paits are whitish; the forebreast has black, circular 
 spots; the upper parts and flanks are beautifully undulat- 
 ed with black and white bars; and the wings are brown- 
 ish-gray. An adult male has a length of about fifteen 
 inches, and weighs from eight to eleven ounces. This 
 species is remarkable for the beauty of its plumage, and 
 its swift, graceful moYements in flight. Its feathers, like 
 those of the mallard, are in active demand for making 
 artificial flies, and large quantities are shipped to Europe 
 for that purpose. The flesh is not considered equal to 
 that of the blue-wing, yet the difference is very slight, for 
 both live on the same class of food, and associate together 
 in every part of the country where they are found. One 
 reason for the epicurean distinction may be attributed to 
 the habitat of the green-wing, for it is more maritime 
 than its congener, and frequents tidewater and salt creeks 
 near the coast, which the other never does. It is also 
 hardier than the blue- wing, for it tarries longer in the 
 north and returns from the south earlier in the spring. 
 It is shot in the same manner as the others, and large 
 bags can generally be made, as it flies in close order, de- 
 coys with the utmost alacrity, and promptly returns to 
 the call of the deceiver who sits with a loaded shotgun 
 behind a blind, ready to assault it in the most cold-blood- 
 ed manner. Its notes are short, sharp, and rapid. 
 
 The wood, or summer duck (Aix sponsa), is found all 
 over the country, but I have not seen it so abundant any- 
 
390 AMEKICAK GAME BIRD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 where as in the dense forests of the Northwest, where it 
 is safe from all foes except boys and birds of prey, for it 
 is rarely pursued by sportsmen. I have come upon its 
 nests in old trees, or in those in which woodpeckers had 
 bored deep holes, and every time I saw one I enjoyed a 
 keen sense of delight, for it was pleasant to note how 
 earnestly the matrons watched my approach, and with 
 what tenacity they held to their quarters. I frequently 
 approached them to within a few feet before the they be- 
 came alarmed enough to take to flight, and then they 
 darted rapidly through the trees, uttering their peculiar 
 whistling note, which differs radically from that of any 
 of their congeners. The young are taken to the water in 
 her bill by the mother, soon after they are hatched, and 
 while they are swimming about she pays them the most 
 devoted attention, and keeps them at her side by steady 
 calling, whenever they manifest an inclination to pursue 
 alluring flies too far. She hastens to cover at the least 
 alarm, for, though she and her brood can dive very well, 
 they never resort to this means of escape unless wounded, 
 and even then they are more liable to seek shelter in 
 weeds and bushes than in the water. When the ducklings 
 are three or four months old they accompany the adults 
 in their flights to distant fields in search of food, and 
 mingle with the other teals. They are not so gregarious 
 as their congeners, however, hence it is rare to see them 
 in large flocks. They do not decoy readily to stools or to 
 calling, and this, combined with their rather solitary 
 habits, prevents persons from pursuing them as they do 
 other ducks, although their flesh is tender and juicy. 
 They are shot principally for the sake of their feathers, 
 these being in active demand for making artificial flies 
 for trout, grayling, and salmon fishing. "Wood ducks are 
 undoubtedly the most beautiful members of their family 
 indigenous to the northern half of the Continent, for they 
 can scarcely be excelled in rich and harmonious hues by 
 
WILD DUOKS. 291 
 
 the most brilliant birds of the tropics. Some of the species 
 of ducks enumerated do not go west of the Eocky Moun- 
 tains in anything like very large teams, the greatest ex- 
 ception being the blue-winged teal, its place beyond that 
 chain being occupied by the cinnamon teal. 
 
 The Fuligulinm are both numerous and widely dis- 
 persed, but only a few species have any attractions for the 
 sportsman, as their flesh, owing to the character of their 
 food, is not fit to be eaten. The best known and most 
 highly appreciated is the canvas-back {Fuligula valis- 
 neria), whose gastronomical reputation is higher than 
 that of any other member of its family. It also occupies 
 the most exalted position in the estimation of the lovers 
 of the gun, for it is wary, active, and a regular die-hard. 
 The male of this species has a blackish-brown head, a 
 dusky bill, which is longer than the head, and high at 
 the base; the iris is red; the nostrils are median; it has 
 more light than dark colors, and the black is broken into 
 very small dots. This species is abundant everywhere in 
 the West and Southwest, and is slaughtered in every con- 
 ceivable manner from toling to "sneak-boxing," "jump- 
 ing," "fire-hunting," and "blind" shooting. Huge 
 swivel guns were formerly used in its destruction, but 
 these have been suppressed by law in some places, and 
 any person using them now is liable to fine or imprison- 
 ment. The birds seem to have become aware of this fact 
 by some system of reasoning, for they frequently keep 
 within range of these demi-cannons, quack their defiance 
 at the pot-hunters, and seem to say, "Fire, if you dare; 
 if you do you'll get ten days; just try your old gun; we 
 don't care for you, anyhow," and duck words of similar 
 import. Where the law is not enforced against the bat- 
 teries, enormous numbers of ducks are killed at long 
 range, and this makes the survivors so wild that it is al- 
 most impossible to get a shot at them with a shoulder 
 gun. Another mean device invented by man for their 
 
2S3 Ameeican gJaMb bIeD sh6ot1K(S. 
 
 destruction is the "night reflector," which consists of a 
 large reflector placed behind a naptha lamp, and mounted 
 on the bow of a boat. The pot-hunters who use this row 
 out into the stream where the ducks are bedded for the 
 night, and the poor creatures, becoming fascinated by its 
 glare, swim towards it from every direction, and strike 
 against the boat in their efforts to come as near it as they 
 can. When they are massed together the pot-hunters 
 open fire upon them, and keep it up until they have flown 
 beyond range. The number slaughtered depends, of 
 course, on the calibre of the weapon used, but from 
 twenty to forty per round is an ordinary bag. These 
 men may succeed in getting into a dozen beds during the 
 night, so the havoc they commit may be readily inferred. 
 I have heard that two of them killed fifteen hundred be- 
 tween the hours of seven P. M. and three A. M. with 
 four guns, while the largest number I ever heard of being 
 killed from sneak-boxes during the day by two men, 
 armed with six guns, was five hundred and sixteen. This 
 wholesale system of assassination is, of course, execrated 
 by sportsmen, and even by those who liberally supply 
 themselves and their neighbors with wild -fowl. Many do 
 not hesitate to express their feelings about it in the most 
 forcible manner, when they have an opportunity, by 
 planting a load of shot in the body of the nefarious "fire- 
 hunter." Shooting from blinds is considered legitimate 
 sport, and when the ducks are abundant a person ought 
 to have all the amusement he wants behind these. The 
 canvas-backs are shot over decoys, which are often placed 
 on their feeding grounds, the sportsmen being under 
 cover; but on streams and lakes they are frequently 
 sculled or sailed upon in flat boats, covered with reeds or 
 bushes, and fired upon as they rise. 
 
 Like the remainder of the family, the canvas-backs are 
 more restless and active in wet or murky than in fine 
 weather, and it is at such times that the largest bags are 
 
WILD DUCKS. 293 
 
 made, as they decoy in fine style, answer the "call " 
 promptly, and are much less cautious than they are on 
 sunny days. They arrive in the Atlantic States from the 
 north between the first and the middle of October, but 
 they are constant summer residents in the Territories be- 
 yond the Rocky Mountains, as they nest in the vast and 
 silent regions extending from Manitoba to Alaska. When 
 they commence migrating, they move in immense masses, 
 and cover all open waters where their favorite food, wild 
 celery and wild rice, grow in abundance. They rarely 
 stop anywhere but in open water; and if they are dis- 
 turbed much on the feeding ground they leave it at once 
 for safer quarters. Even the pot-hunting method of cap- 
 turing them, by means of submerged nets placed on their 
 feeding flats, is sure to drive them away in a short time, 
 and the probability is that they' will give such places 
 a wide berth for the future; whereas, if they are shot 
 only while "trading " from point to point, they will stay 
 until the cold weather sends them south for the winter. 
 When these birds live on wild rice, grain, and wild celery, 
 they become exceedingly fat, juicy, and tender, but if they 
 secure their food in tide-water marshes, their flesh is 
 little better than that of mergansers. I have seen them 
 so fat in some of the Western and Southern States that 
 they could hardly rise from the water, and when they did, 
 it was with much labor, and, evidently, against their will. 
 They are readily approached when in that condition, as 
 they do not take to flight until they are thoroughly 
 alarmed. It is easier to bag them on cold, dark morn- 
 ings, than when the weather is warm and bright, as they 
 cling to their roosting places with greater tenacity, and 
 will stand several rounds before they decide to leave. 
 
 A close ally of the canvas-back, and one which is not 
 readily distinguished from it by a novice, is the red-head, 
 or pochard (Fuhgula fenna, var. americana), yet it may 
 be easily identified by its difference in plumage, the form 
 
394 AMBKICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIITG. 
 
 of the head, the hue of the iris, and the length and color 
 of the bill. The male of the red-head has a puffy head, 
 which slopes abruptly to the base of the bill, its hue be- 
 ing a chestnut-red, with bronzy reflections. The bill, 
 which is a pale, grayish-blue, with a dark tip, is broad, 
 depressed, and shorter than the head; the nostrils are 
 within the basal half, and the iris is orange-yellow, not 
 red, as in the canvas-back. The forepart of the body, the 
 rump, the tail, and the wings, are black; the under parts 
 are white; the scapulars and sides are whitish, undulated 
 with black, and the speculum is bluish-black. It has a 
 length of about twenty inches, and weighs two and a half 
 pounds, whereas the adult canvas-back is about twenty- 
 two inches long, and ranges in weight from three to nearly 
 four pounds. The female is duller in hue than the male, 
 and both sexes may be readily distinguished from the 
 other ducks by the form of the bill. The feet are a dull, 
 grayish-blue; the webs are dusky, and the claws black. 
 
 The red-heads rank next to the canvas-backs in dainti- 
 ness of flesh, and command a high price in the market. 
 Few, except epicures, could distinguish the meat of one 
 from that of the other, however, as both species live on 
 the same class of food. They dive for this in the most 
 dexterous manner, when it is under water; and a pleasant 
 sight they present when thousands of them are bobbing 
 up and down in search of it. The red-heads are easily 
 told, their inquisitiveness being exceeded only by the 
 black-heads, and approached by the canvas-backs. They 
 tole readily to a red or black handkerchief by day, and 
 a white one by night, and become so maniacally excited 
 about the antics of a dog or a fox that they sometimes 
 come within fifteen or twenty feet of the shore, if the 
 water is deep enough to permit them to swim. When 
 they wheel sideways is the proper time to give them a 
 volley, for thirty or forty, if not more, may then be 
 bagged in one round. Some persons tie a handkerchief 
 
WILD DUCKS. 395 
 
 about a dog when he is employed in toling, as that in- 
 creases his eflELciency, by making the birds more inquisi- 
 tive. These ducks assemble in large flocks during the 
 autumn, and mingle freely with all their congeners on the 
 feeding grounds, but, when flying, they generally keep by 
 themselves. They move at a regular rate of speed, and 
 closely grouped, when on the wing, and this, as in the 
 case of the other species having the same habit, enables 
 a man to bring down ten or fifteen at a time with both 
 barrels. They decoy in gallant style, and when fired at 
 they often merely flutter upwards for a few feet, then 
 alight again, as if they were most anxious to renew the ac- 
 quaintance of their wooden images. They even wheel 
 about while hastening away on hearing their own peculiar 
 mewing call, and give the fowler another opportunity of 
 lessening their numbers, especially if the decoys are in 
 sight. They are almost as expert at diviiig and swim- 
 ming as the canvas-backs. "When wounded, they some- 
 times plunge under the water, and taking hold of an 
 aquatic plant, cling to it until they die. 
 
 The greater scaup duck {Fuligula marila), which is 
 known by several aliases, such as the flocking fowl, 
 broad-bill, blue-bill, big black-head, and raft duck, is 
 one of the most abundant species of the sea ducks, being 
 found from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Its bill, 
 which is as long as the head, is a light-grayish-blue in 
 color, the unguis being blackish; the iris is red; the 
 feet are grayish-blue, and the webs and claws black; the 
 head, neck, and forepart of the back and breast are 
 black; the head and neck are glossed with purple and 
 green; the hinder part of the back, the rump, abdomen, 
 and upper and lower tail-coverts are dusky; and the an- 
 terior part of the belly and sides are grayish-white, 
 marked with waved lines of black. The center of the 
 breast is white; the wings are a hght-brownish-gray; and 
 the secondaries brownish-black. It attains a length of 
 
396 AMEKICAW GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 nineteeu or twenty inches, and a weight of twenty-two 
 ounces or more. The female, which is more brownish 
 than black, has a white face, and is nearly as large as the 
 male. This species has less fear of approaching the land 
 than most of its deep-water kindred, and this enables 
 persons to tole it with facility, for its curiosity is oyer- 
 whelming. Though fond of the same food as the can- 
 vas-back and red-head, its flesh is not so good, yet it is 
 fit to grace any table. The black-heads can be seen in 
 vast flocks in some of the regions adjoining the Pacific 
 Ocean; and when they are mingled with other deep-water 
 ducks they may be readily distinguished at a distance by 
 their low and rapid flight and close grouping. When 
 wounded they try to escape by diving and swimming long 
 distances under water. They are prompt in coming to 
 decoys, and as prompt in leaving, if their confidence has 
 been imposed upon. They do not answer their whirring 
 call well, so it is useless to try it except when they are 
 passing by the " stools," but it may then attract their 
 attention even if it is only rudely imitated. 
 
 The lesser scaup duck {F. affinis), is a small edition of 
 the preceding, the habits of both being almost exactly 
 alike, except that the latter goes further south in its win- 
 ter wanderings. It breeds in vast numbers near the 
 streams, lakes, and sloughs of the Northwest, and ac- 
 companies its larger kindred all over the country. 
 
 The ring-neck, or tufted duck {F. collaris), which de- 
 rives its name from the ring of orange-brown on the neck, 
 is common in several of the Western and Southwestern 
 States, but it is not pursued as actively as the preceding 
 species, its flesh not being deemed equal to theirs. It 
 flies rapidly, clusters closely, dives and swims well, and 
 is rather tenacious of life. It does not decoy as well as 
 the majority of its congeners, and its voice is difiScult of 
 imitation. It is rather shy, yet it may be readily shot 
 from covert wMle it is feeding in th^ stubhle fields or iq 
 
WILD DUCKS. 397 
 
 the reeds near lakes and rivers. Its flesh is excellent, 
 yet not more than a dollar a dozen can be obtained for it 
 in the markets of the West, although each weighs con- 
 siderably over a pound. It may be recognized by its 
 blackish bill, which has two bands of pale-blue; its yel- 
 low iris, reddish collar, and greenish-black head. The 
 body is blackish, except the breast and sides, which are 
 grayish -white, waved with grayish-brown; the tail is of 
 the latter hue; the legs are grayish-blue; and the webs 
 are brownish-black. The female closely resembles the 
 female of the blue-bill, but has not her white face. She 
 has a length of sixteen inches, being two inches less than 
 the male. 
 
 The whistler, golden-eye, or garrot {Bucephala clangu- 
 la), which derives its first name from the fact that its 
 wings produce a loud whistling noise when in motion, is 
 common throughout the country, but does not congregate 
 in such large flocks as the majority of the other species. 
 Its flesh is palatable, yet few persons crave after it while 
 better can be obtained with little trouble. The head of 
 the male is puffy and of a rich green hue; there is a white 
 spot in front of the eye; the lower neck, abdomen, sides, 
 and wing-coverts are white; and the remainder of the 
 body is blackish. The bill is black, except the tip, which 
 is paler, it is shorter than the head, and is high at the 
 base. The female has a brown head and gray sides and 
 breast, and is two inches shorter than the male, being 
 about sixteen inches long. This species does not decoy 
 well to calls or stools, but some are often shot from blinds. 
 
 The bufile head (Bucephala alheola), which rejoices in 
 more names than a royal baby, is known as the butter- 
 ball, dipper, salt-water teal, and devil diver. Although 
 quite palatable, it is not pursued much, even when it 
 alights to decoys, owing to its small size and rather 
 coarse flesh. It is very common, and being exempt from 
 the danger which threatens its more edible kindred, is 
 
298 AMERICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 less timid than they are. Its food is mainly composed of 
 animal matter, which is always abundant in its favorite 
 haunts, hence it is rare to find one in poor condition. 
 It swims rapidly, dives well, can stay under water for a 
 comparatively long time, is very quick in flight, and 
 when alighting on the water it comes down with such a 
 rush that it scatters showers of spray in every direction. 
 It does not circle to the windward before settling as 
 other ducks do; and it is very fond of uttering its short, 
 guttural notes, which are so expressive of contentment. 
 It is not so easily decoyed or brought to land as some of 
 its kindred, as it is exceedingly cautious. It is one of 
 the most maritime of its sub-family, and also one of the 
 most beautiful, especially the male. The bill of the lat- 
 ter is as long as the head; is deep rather than broad at the 
 base; and is a light grayish-blue in color, the unguis being 
 blackish. The iris is yellowish; the feet are grayish-blue, 
 and the webs and claws black. The head is puffy; the neck 
 and the forepart of the back and breast are black; and the 
 back of the head displays brilliant iridescence, the result of 
 the harmonious combinations of its green, golden, and 
 purplish feathers. The back, scapulars, anterior part of 
 the abdomen, and sides are grayish-white, waved with 
 black; the middle of the breast is white; and the wings 
 are brownish-gray. The tail is short, rounded, and com- 
 posed of fourteen feathers. It differs from the golden- 
 eye in being without the loral patch of white; and the 
 female is blackish in color. The males vary much in 
 size, but their average length may be placed at sixteen 
 and a half inches, and their weight at twenty-one ounces. 
 The ruddy duck {Erismatura rubida), when in full 
 plumage, is brownish-red about the head and neck, ex- 
 cept the chin and the sides of the head, which are white, 
 and the nape and crown, which are black. The under 
 parts are white and pale-gray. This species, which is very 
 abundant all over the Continent, may be readily recog- 
 
WILD DUCKS. 299 
 
 nized by its hue and bill, the latter being broad and flat, 
 and having an overhanging nail. An adult male has a 
 length of fifteen inches. The female, which is not so 
 large, is of a brownish hue above; the top of the head is 
 brown, and the under tail-coverts are white. 
 
 The harlequin duck {Histrionicus torquatus), is only 
 sparingly found in the Eocky Mountain region, but it is 
 common in Canada, especially about Labrador and New- 
 foundland, where the male is known as "lord," and the 
 female as "lady." This beautiful creature has a small 
 bill that tapers rapidly to the tip. The male is 
 plumbeous in hue; the posterior part of the body is chest- 
 nut; the sides of the head are of the same color; a black 
 stripe on the crown and tail is quite prominent; and the 
 jugular collar is white. The female has a white patch in 
 front of and behind the eye, and she is paler beneath than 
 the male. The length of the latter is about sixteen 
 inches, and the weight from fourteen to twenty ounces. 
 This species is very expert in diving, and teams have the 
 habit of dropping into the water, as if all were dead, 
 after they have been fired at, only to take wing again in 
 a few moments. They certainly deserve their local name, 
 for no harlequins that ever appeared in pantomime are 
 more dexterous at appearing and disappearing suddenly 
 than they are. 
 
 The long-tailed duck {Harelda glacialis), which is also 
 known as the hound, old wife, and south-southerly, is 
 very common on the coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific 
 Oceans. The tail, from which it derives its popular 
 name, is composed of fourteen narrow, pointed feathers, 
 those in the middle being often equal to the wing in 
 length, especially in the male. The latter is grayish 
 about the sides of the head in summer, but in winter the 
 whole head, neck, and anterior parts of the body are 
 white, except a dark patch on the neck. The body-color 
 varies according to the season, but the species may be 
 
300 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 readily recognized by having no white on the wings, and 
 having the nail occupy the whole tip of the short bill. 
 The female is grayish in hue. An adult varies in length 
 from fourteen to nineteen or more inches. The male is 
 known in some places as " old Injun," and the female as 
 "old squaw." Both are clamorous callers, and exceed- 
 ingly noisy, though their tones are rather melodious. 
 Although shot in large numbers from boats, their flesh 
 is almost uneatable, owing to its dry and fishy flavor. 
 Having a a rapid and irregular mode of flight, they^re 
 rather difficult to hit, especially in windy weather. The 
 Indians eat them greedily when they have an opportu- 
 nity, so that they are not wholly useless to man. 
 
 Steller's eider duck {Somateria stellerii), which is con- 
 fined to the Northwest coast, has a black collar, a black 
 chin-patch and eye-ring, and a general reddish-brown hue, 
 which is darkest below. It has a length of about eighteen 
 inches, and a proportionate weight. It is little sought 
 for even by the littoral Indians of British Columbia, 
 owing to the character of its flesh. 
 
 The spectacled eider {S.fischerii) is blackish; the throat, 
 neck, scapulars and wing-coverts being white. This is a 
 common resident of the waters of the Northern Pacific 
 Ocean, being, according to the naval authorities, abund- 
 ant off the coast of British America and Alaska. 
 
 The eider, or sea duck (;S'. moUissima), is common on 
 the Atlantic Coast from Labrador to New England. 
 
 A variety known as var. V-nigra, from having a V- 
 shaped black patch on the chin, is found on the shores of 
 the Pacific. The male eider is of a whitish hue in the 
 spring, except the breast, the lower back, the tail, and a 
 patch on the crown of the head, which are black. The 
 female is a reddish-brown, and the male is of the same 
 color at certain seasons, so that they can only be dis- 
 tinguished apart by their size, the latter being about two 
 feet in length. 
 
WILD DUCKS. 
 
 301 
 
 The king eider {S. spedabilis) has a general blackish 
 color in spring, and a forked patch of the same hue, 
 on the chin, while the neck, anterior portion of the body, 
 and interscapulars of wings are white, the crown and 
 nape being cinerous. This species is found as far west as 
 the great lakes, where it attains a length of about two feet. 
 
 The black scoter {(Edemia americana) is generally 
 black. The male has a peculiarly swollen, orange-colored 
 
 KING EIDBB DUCK. 
 
 bill, which is shorter than the head, and a tail of sixteen 
 feathers. The female, which has not the turgid man- 
 dible of the other, is sooty-brown aboye, and grayish be- 
 neath. The length of an adult male is about two feet. 
 The western range of this species rarely goes beyond the 
 Mississippi River. 
 
 The white-winged coot {(Edemia fusca), which is 
 also known as the bell-tongued coot, white-winged 
 surf duck, and the velvet scoter, is more abundant 
 than the preceding, but its geographical range is about 
 the same. The male, which is black, has a short black 
 
303 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 bill that is tipped with orange. The wings have a patch 
 of white; the iris is white, and there is a spot tinder the 
 eye. The female is sooty-black, and has the white 
 patches on the wing. 
 
 The surf duck, or sea coot {(Edemia perspicillata), is 
 common on the Atlantic Coast, its place on the Pacific 
 being occupied by the Trowbridge variety, which differs 
 from it a little in markings. Both have a bill which is 
 much swollen at the sides, as well as at the base of the 
 upper mandible. This bill is orange-red in color, and 
 white at the sides, except where it is broken by a black 
 circular spot at the base below. The male is black, but 
 has a white patch on the forehead and the top of the 
 head. The female is darkish- brown, and has white 
 patches before and behind the eye. Large numbers of 
 these birds are shot from boats by some sportsmen on the 
 Atlantic Coast, when they commence their southern mi- 
 grations in autumn. They arrive fronj the north in 
 flocks which might be estimated at thousands, and from 
 that time forth they are lawful prey to all who wish to 
 waste ammunition on them, for their flesh is neither ten- 
 der nor palatable. 
 
 The mergansers, which are distinguished from all their 
 kindred by having a round, toothed -bill, instead of a flat 
 one, are very common all over the Continent. 
 
 The goosander, or fish duck {Mergus merganser), has a 
 green, puffy head; the back and wings are black and white, 
 and the under parts are salmon-colored. The upper parts 
 of the female are gray, mixed with some white; the neck 
 and head are reddish-brown, and she has a small crest. 
 
 The sheldrake, or red-breasted merganser {M. serrator), 
 approaches the preceding in general color, but the breast 
 is reddish, streaked with black; the sides are undulated 
 with black; the wings are crossed by two black bars, and 
 have a whitish mark in front of them. Both sexes have 
 a slight crest, and are smaller than the goosanders. 
 
WILD DUCKS. 303 
 
 The hooded merganser, or swanbill diver {Mergus cu- 
 cullatus), which rauges all over the Continent, is about 
 eighteen inches in length. The male has a thick crest; is 
 blackish in hue above; the under parts, the speculum, 
 center of crest, and the stripes on the tertials are white; 
 the sides are chestnut, and barred with black. The head 
 and neck of the female are brown; the chin is whitish; 
 the wing tip is decorated with white; and the back and 
 sides are dark-brown. The mergansers being unfit for 
 the table, owing to the character of their food, which is 
 solely composed of animal matter, principally fish, they 
 are not pursued to any extent, yet they are shot occa- 
 sionally by sportsmen in search of other game. Their 
 feathers bring a good price, and this induces some pio- 
 neers to kill them at every opportunity. 
 
 Of the eiders, the most prized are the sea duck and 
 king duck, as their feathers are so elastic that the down 
 taken from a nest may be squeezed in the hand, and when 
 the hand is re-opened it will regain its original bulk. 
 This down, which is plucked from her own breast by the 
 female, is a dark-slate color, and so highly prized that it 
 meets a ready sale in all civilized countries. The great 
 breeding grounds of these ducks are in the far north, and 
 there they are regularly pursued by the Indians and pio- 
 neers who know the value of their plumage. Their nests 
 are despoiled both for the sake of the down and the eggs, 
 as the latter are considered delicacies. The eggs, which 
 number from three to five, and are of a beautiful olive- 
 green color, are about three inches long, very smooth, 
 and large in circumference. The young are pretty crea- 
 tures, good divers and swimmers from the moment of 
 their birth, and readily susceptible to domestication. 
 
 Certain kinds of sea ducks are shot from boats anchored 
 in some bay or creek, as they fly past overhead. A fleet 
 of thirty or forty of these boats are sometimes engaged 
 in this business at a time on Long Island Sound, and 
 
304 AMERIGAIT GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 when their occupants are busily at work with their wea- 
 pons, it requires no great stretch of the imagination to 
 compare them to miniature war ships engaged in battle. 
 The ducks are picked up as fast as they are shot, unless 
 the firing is so brisk that it would be a waste of time to 
 go after single birds. Some of the ducks fly a quarter of 
 a mile perhaps, after being hard hit, and then fall life- 
 less; hence many escape the bag of the sportsman. Others, 
 when wounded, dive to the bottom of the bay, and taking 
 hold of some weeds with their bills, cling to them until 
 they are dead. These generally come to the surface when 
 the warinth has left the body, as the muscles then relax 
 their hold. 
 
 Old squaws, or musical ducks as they are generally 
 called, on account of their melodious cry, which may be 
 expressed by the notes B. Gr. C. B. on the treble clefl of 
 a piano, are considered excellent shooting, as they fly fast 
 and are hard to kill. The fishermen say that these 
 birds are regular members of a duck opera troupe; that 
 their song is " He's got no gun," and that they never 
 vary it. Their four notes might certainly express this 
 idea, for they are unusually noisy and bold when they see 
 a person passing them on shore without that deadly 
 weapon in his hands; whereas the sight of it causes them 
 to hasten away immediately if they have been shot at 
 much. Talk of instinct in birds! If they do not reason 
 on cause and effect after a few lessons in the science of 
 gunnery, then I make a mistake. Shooting sea ducks, 
 except for their feathers, is not very profitable, as their 
 flesh has so fishy a taste as to be almost uneatable. Some 
 persons, however, manage to eat them and apparently to 
 enjoy them. Among the methods recommended for mak- 
 ing them palatable, one is to put an onion or two inside 
 each bird, then place it over the fire in a pot of cold water, 
 until the water is nearly ready to boil. It should then 
 be taken out and roasted as ordinary ducks are. If 
 
WILD DUCKS. 305 
 
 treated in this maimer it is said to equal the fresh water 
 species in flavor. Another is, to open the bird, remove 
 the inside fat, and soak the body a few hours in water 
 before, roasting it. A well known cook says that wild-fowl 
 ought to be put into boiling water for a few minutes in 
 order to loosen the skin, which must be pulled off to 
 make them tender. They should then be thoroughly 
 washed inside, and wiped outside with a dry cloth. 
 An onion, and a piece of salt butter equal to it in bulk, 
 are next placed inside each bird; a piece of buttered paper 
 or a slice of bacon is tied over the breast; and while it is 
 roastmg it is basted freely with melted butter. The 
 bacon or paper ought to be removed a few minutes 
 before the bird is done; it should then be sprinkled 
 freely with salt, and garnished with thin slices of bacon 
 rolled up. 
 
 The pleasantest day with ducks that I can recall was 
 one spent on the Indian Eiver, in Florida, where a party 
 of us were passing a portion of the winter. We left our 
 headquarters, which were situated in the ramshackle 
 cabin of a Cracker, on a delightful morning in Decem- 
 ber, and pulled down the river, which gleamed like molt- 
 en silver under the bright rays of the southern moon. 
 After rowing about two miles, our Cracker guide, who 
 was accompanied by two Chesapeake Bay dogs, planted 
 several wooden decoys in front of a well-formed blind, 
 and then rowed up and down a contiguous creek to see if 
 any ducks were near. On his return he reported that no 
 birds were within a mile of us, so we crept into the blind 
 and waited patiently for the approach of the dawn and 
 ducks. When the faintest indication of daylight ap- 
 peared, two of us rowed the boat up a creek, in order to 
 conceal it in the shrubbery, and prevent its being seen by 
 the keen-eyed canards. While pulling heedlessly on- 
 ward, we were startled by a tremendous churning and 
 splashing in the water, and on turning round to see 
 
306 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 what caused it, we were surprised to find ourselves almost 
 in the midst of a huge bed of ducks, which mast have 
 numbered several thousand. This unexpected meeting 
 stupefied us for a moment or two, as we did not antici- 
 pate such good fortune, but even if we had known the 
 ducks were there I doubt if we could have seen them, as 
 the moon had sunk behind the forest, so that the stream, 
 which was as tranquil as a mill-pond, gave back none of 
 its reflections. 
 
 On recovering our wits we seized our guns and fired 
 four barrels into the mass of feathers that whirled above 
 us in the air, and a moment later we could hear the 
 splashes of several ducks as they struck the water, and 
 the frightened squawks of the crippled as they fluttered 
 helplessly down the river. We set about picking up our 
 birds at once, and in this we were aided considerably by 
 one of the retrievers that had remained in the boat, seem- 
 ingly asleep, and which went to work without even being 
 asked to do so. Through his exertions and our own, we 
 managed to secure seven dead ducks and two cripples, but 
 these, evidently, were not all we had brought down, judg- 
 ing by the splashes m the river, and the opportunity we 
 had for making a large bag. Having concealed the boat, 
 we returned to the blind with our trophies, and received 
 the congratulation of our friends for bringing them such 
 early indications of good luck; The guide said he "reck- 
 ned"we should have "piles of shootin'," and he also 
 "reckned" the wind would freshen about sunrise, and 
 that the ducks would come booming towards us; but he 
 wasn't "sartain sure" of the wind, as "it mought, and 
 then it moughtn't freshen afore noon, or maybe evenin'." 
 His prophesying was soon cut short by a large dark cloud, 
 from which emanated a loud whistling sound, that passed 
 overhead at a high altitude, but when it cleared the blind 
 it sunk rapidly downward until it struck the water, not 
 three hundred yards from our position. 
 
WILD DUCKS. 307 
 
 " Ducks by the million, by Jiminy," exclaimed the 
 guide. " I tell you, gemmen, you'll have piles of shoot- 
 in' at day-break." 
 
 That was the very thing we were waiting for most im- 
 patiently, so when the dull, gray light began to steal 
 across the eastern horizon, our spirits went up wonder- 
 fully, and we discoursed enthusiastically about the balmy 
 air, and the luxuriance and color of the tropical scenery 
 that surrounded us. 
 
 As the gray merged into a steel-blue, and the blue into 
 the roseate tints that indicated the approach of the god 
 of day, the wind freshened and blew a fairly fast gale from 
 the ocean. 
 
 "I tell you, gemmen," said the Cracker, "you'll have 
 piles of shootin' soon, as this wind, that I told you 
 mought and moughtn't come, will send the ducks up the 
 river a-kiting, and we can jest lay into 'em like a thou- 
 sand of bricks." 
 
 His prophesy again proved to be correct, for, in a few 
 minutes, the weak squawks of a team of approaching bald- 
 pates were heard, and a little later the ducks came sail- 
 ing down towards the decoys. Just as they were moment- 
 arily hovering, previous to settling, the contents of ten 
 barrels were poured into their midst, and twenty-seven of 
 them tumbled headlong into the stream and squawked or 
 floundered about in the agonies of death. The remainder 
 turned, on seeing this catastrophe, and, with many a 
 scream, winged their flight to the silent forest that 
 stretched for miles beyond us. 
 
 The enthusiast of the party became ecstatic at our early 
 good fortune, and indulged in the wildest gambols and 
 half a dozen impromptu jigs, which he had invented on 
 the spur of the moment. So vehement was he in this 
 display of terpsichorean agility, that one of his comrades 
 hinted that he had formerly been an Irish dancing master; 
 but this cynical inuendo not having the desired eilect, an- 
 
308 AMEKICAN GAME BIED SHOOTING. 
 
 other said that as soon as men became crazy at their success 
 in duck-shooting it was customary to anchor them in the 
 stream until their ardor cooled, or they became sane once 
 more; but even this implied threat made no impression 
 on him, and all he could say was: 
 
 "I don't care a hang what you do to me; I must have 
 bagged a dozen of those ducks myself, if I didn't kill 
 every one of them." 
 
 As this proved that he was hopelessly duck crazy, fur- 
 ther hints were deemed to be unavailing, and he was left 
 to the tender mercies of time and more flocks to restore 
 him to his ordinary senses. Before he had concluded all 
 his terpsichorean evolutions, the guide, who seemed to 
 be staring at the clouds, sung out: 
 
 "Mark ducks, gemmen; mark river; here they come in 
 piles." 
 
 On looking, sure enough they were in " piles," for 
 thousands of them were rushing up the river. 
 
 The first team was composed of black ducks, and we 
 expected to make a haul among them, but just as we 
 thought they would sink to our decoys they wheeled about 
 and fled back as if they had been suddenly imbued with 
 the idea that their wooden images were gross frauds and 
 dangerous acquaintances. The teams behind them did 
 not display such a suspicious nature, however, for they 
 swept down to our decoys in the most familiar manner, 
 but before many of them could settle, the ten barrels 
 again blazed forth almost simultaneously, and their 
 shower of lead must have brought down thirty or forty 
 mallards and canvas-backs. Several were only wounded, 
 and as they tried to flutter away we had an opportunity 
 of trying our accuracy at shooting single birds. Before 
 the last of them was killed, another mass of feathers, 
 comprising ducks of several species, came sweeping to- 
 wards us, producing a noise like the whistling roar of an 
 approaching whirlwind, and as they came fluttering and 
 
WILD CtJCfiS. 309 
 
 splashing about our decoys we poured a heayy volley into 
 the densest part, and a score or two more gave their lives 
 as a forfeit for their credulous natures. 
 
 When the remainder had fled we launched our boat 
 and commenced picking up the slain, while the dogs de- 
 voted all their attention to securing the wounded, and 
 this they did in the most admirable manner, for they 
 often passed birds which were splashing wildly in their 
 death struggles, and went after those that were making 
 efforts to escape. The ducks would dive on seeing the 
 dogs approaching, but the latter were evidently used to 
 this stratagem, for they rose, as it were, in. the water, 
 and turned slowly in a circle, while they carefully 
 scanned the surface, and when a bird came up they 
 hastened towards it and captured it or sent it down again. 
 The chase continued in this manner until nearly all the 
 cripples were secured, for the retrievers followed a duck 
 until it died on the bottom through suffocation, or it was 
 shot by a member of the party. These dogs rushed into 
 the water without any orders on seeing a duck fall, but if 
 a shot was unsuccessful they remained as still as if they 
 were made of cast iron, and hardly blinked their feelings 
 of disappointment. We had good shooting at this point 
 until ten A. M., but the ducks ceased "trading" after 
 that, and settled in vast beds beyond gun range, or sought 
 safety in the surrounding morasses. We managed to se- 
 cure a few canvas-backs and red-heads by toling them 
 towards the shore with a gaily-colored handkerchief which 
 was tied to a stick and waved slowly over the blind, but 
 the greater number were too cautious to approach within 
 gun shot. Our guide told us that he had frequently 
 brought them near the land by making one of his re- 
 triever puppies gambol along the shore, and related sev- 
 eral instances in which he had been unusually successful 
 with this trick where all other means of obtaining a shot 
 had failed. Having seen this ruse performed more than 
 
u.vg J.O If \:is.±~K/x\ja.\jiXy J\.\js^ija oxx\:?iJ.Vf imi.x\a. xa ovx\jxxp^xj \j\jx\jx^\*.f 
 
 so that it may be seen some distance away. 
 
 It is nothing unusual for an ordinary shot to kill from 
 fifty to a hundred ducks in a day by flight shooting 
 alone in some parts of the West and Southwestj and, if 
 heavy duck guns are used, perhaps double that number. 
 Instances are also known where, owing to the wildness 
 of the birds, one was not bagged in a day, although the 
 sky was dotted "with large "trading" teams, as they 
 took care to keep away from the land. That some ducks 
 have strong vital power is evident from the fact that a 
 party of five men failed to kill one which they fired at 
 simultaneously, in a lake in Minnesota. They brought 
 the bird down, but it had scarcely touched the water ere 
 it began to swim away. This raised such a howl of indigna- 
 tion among the wild-fowlers that one of them jumped into 
 a skiff, and swore he would have that bird, as he did not 
 want it reported that five of them could not kill a consump- 
 tive duck. He paddled after the fugitive, and on approach- 
 ing it lifted the paddle to hit it, but the duck was under 
 before the weapon touched the water. This elicited roars 
 of laughter and a volume of suggestions. One told him 
 to jump out of the boat and kick the durned duck to 
 death; another wanted him to dive after it; a third sug- 
 gested that he throw salt on its tail, and a fourth, to 
 put pepper in its nose and let it sneeze its head off. Be- 
 fore either of these suggestions could be carried out, the 
 duck, skiff, and fowler disappeared like lead. This sud- 
 den disappearance caused all to indulge in speculation as 
 to the cause of it, but while each had his own idea, the 
 general impression (for this occasion only) was, that he 
 had committed suicide through chagrin at being outwit- 
 ted by a consumptive duck, or that the duck had turned 
 on him and dragged himself and the skiff under. The 
 party then started to search for him, but being unable to 
 
WILD DUCKS. 311 
 
 find any trace of him along the shore, they went to a 
 farm house a few yards from the lake, and on entering 
 that, saw a bearded individual arrayed in an old slouch 
 hat and a woman's calico dress sitting near the fire. 
 
 "Where is the duck, Jem?" asked one, as he stared 
 hard at him. 
 
 "Dum the duck," said the metamorphosed Jem. 
 "Lost?" 
 
 "I cal'ate she is. I ain't seen her since she went down 
 the last time." 
 
 " She must 'a, been one o' those enchanted ducks you 
 read about," exclaimed another. 
 
 " How so? " asked a third. 
 
 " Why, don't you see she has turned Jem into an old 
 woman; all that's left of the Jem Smith we used to know 
 is his old hat. He's now a reg'lar caliker-gownd. I 
 pity his poor wife. That must have been a wicked duck 
 to treat Jem like that." 
 
 Jem, on hearing this, jumped up and swore he would 
 shoot the speaker, and as all pretended to be afraid of an 
 enchanted woman, they ran from the house amid roars 
 of laughter and hastened to town to tell of their compan- 
 ion's mishap. The result of that expedition was to wound 
 a duck, to have two of the party catch cold, and to give 
 Jem Smith a name which still clings to him, if he lives. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE WOODCOCK. 
 
 Its various names — Nests and eggs — Grotesque wooers — ^Mode of carry- 
 ing the young — Dutiful raotliers — Metliod of transporting the 
 young — Gourmands — Haunts— The lazy season — Cocker spaniels — 
 Charges for a gun — Fire-hunting in the Southern States — Best 
 month for shooting woodcock— The moulting period— Frequent 
 cornfields in September — How to cook woodcock. 
 
 The woodcock {Philohela minor), which is also known 
 as the woodsnipe and the bog-sucker, is smaller than its 
 European congener, the adult males seldom averaging 
 over eight ounces in weight. The upper portions of the 
 woodcock are gray, brown, black, and russet, and the 
 lower reddish-brown. The mating season opens in April, 
 soon after the birds return from the south, and reaches 
 its climax in two or three weeks. The males are ardent 
 and grotesque wooers, for they strut before the females 
 with their tails spread out, and their rigid wings sweep- 
 ing the ground, like so many miniature turkey cocks. 
 After strutting for awhile, they rise spirally into the air 
 to a height of two or three hundred feet, then drop like 
 a rocket beside the hens, and playfully dart at them with 
 their bills extended. They are very active with voice and 
 wing on moonlit nights, for they serenade the females 
 most persistently, though their song is anything but 
 melodious, it being a hollow, ringing sound of zisb zisb. 
 When the hen is ready to lay, she builds a nest of grass 
 and leaves on the ground beside a shrub, log, or tussock, 
 and often conceals it with sedges or " brush " to protect 
 it against enemies. She then deposits her eggs, which 
 are generally confined to four in number, though she oc- 
 312 
 
THE WOODCOCK. 313 
 
 casionally drops fiye. These are white, blotched with 
 chocolate, and yery symmetrical in shape. If she sits on 
 these the young are hatched early in May, but should 
 they be destroyed, she lays another set; hence it is not 
 unusual to meet chicks in August which are hardly able 
 to fly; yet they are killed by some persons. 
 
 The mother takes the chicks to the feeding grounds as 
 soon as they are able to travel, and works diligently in 
 procuring them food, but should food become scarce or 
 the ground so hard that the young cannot bore through 
 it, she takes them, one at a time, between her thighs, 
 and transports them to a region where it is more abund- 
 ant. When she is removing them, her flight is slow, 
 quivering, and labored, and she does not rise higher 
 above the ground than necessity compels her. After 
 reaching her new quarters, she seems to be very happy, 
 and nothing gives her so much pleasure as to see the 
 young feeding generously on juicy worms. Few moth- 
 ers are more devoted to their duties than the female 
 woodcock, for she will sometimes allow herself to be cap- 
 tured rather than desert her nest, and if any foe threat- 
 ens to assail her chicks, she pretends to be wounded and 
 flutters helplessly ahead of it until she has led it away 
 from them, when she rises suddenly and hastens to some 
 dense covert until she can rejoin her brood. A family of 
 woodcocks generally consists of six — the two adults and 
 four chicks. These remain together until the autumn, 
 then separate, and though they may stay in the same 
 coppice or swale, yet they seldom associate, but wander 
 about singly until they commence migrating to their win- 
 ter homes. Being largely nocturnal in habit, they seek for 
 their food chiefly at night, and return to the dense brakes 
 in which they live ere the day dawns. As they cat an enor- 
 mous quantity of worms — at least their own weight every 
 twenty-four hours — they get fat in a short time where 
 food is abundant. Their favorite haunts are rich swampy 
 U 
 
314 AMEEICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 districts where moisture and worms are plentiful, but 
 they carefully avoid sour meadows and thirsty lands. 
 They are partial to the banks of streams that meander 
 through woods, the sedge-bound bayous so common in 
 the South, the sides of meadows at the foot of hills, and 
 oozy beds covered with aquatic vegetation. They also 
 frequent open woods having a rich alluvial soil, and flat 
 lands adjacent to rivers which overflow their banks. 
 Cool, shady, moist ground is a favorite resting place in 
 sultry weather, especially if a hot breeze is blowing. 
 They are often found in places the opposite of each other 
 in character, and the arbitrary manner in which they 
 change their residences, seemingly without any purpose, 
 is puzzling to the sportsman, for where they are abundant 
 one day they may be invisible the next, and vice versa. 
 
 Being somewhat indolent in the early part of the sea- 
 son and in warm weather, they often wait until a man is 
 very close to them before flushing, but when they do 
 flush, they rise like a rocket and skim along the tops of 
 the trees, only to sink like a lump of lead after flying a 
 few yards. This habit of theirs makes shooting them 
 rather difiicult, as persons have no time to take aim, and 
 must therefore be content with snapshots. If they fly in 
 partially open ground, a man can afford to take deliber- 
 ate aim at them, but he must fire the moment he catches 
 sight of them in cover. The best dogs for woodcock work 
 are Cocker spaniels, as they can penetrate the thickets, 
 owing to their small size and thick coat, and being slow, 
 one can easily keep up with them. If they run mute, a 
 bell can be tied to their necks, and that will inform the 
 sportsman were they are; and should it cease jingling, it 
 is a sign that they have come to a point. Some dogs do 
 not at first take kindly to this sort of work, on account, 
 it is supposed, of the disagreeable scent of the woodcock, 
 but they get over their repugnance after a while if 
 they are thoroughbred, though they may always dislike 
 
mm^mt. 
 
THE WOODCOCK. 317 
 
 retrieving the bird. The best time for making a big bag ol 
 woodcocks is the mating period, as the males may then 
 be readily seen against the stariit sky, when they rise to 
 hover and to serenade the gentle sex with their hoarse 
 song of ' ' bisweet, bisweet, crock wauk. " Very large bags 
 are rarely made, however, owing to the scarcity of the 
 birds, and the difficulty of getting fair shots at them. 
 Ten couples a day is considered good work even when 
 they are comparatively numerous, but I have heard of 
 persons who were said to have bagged twenty couples 
 in that time. The ordinary charge used in woodcock 
 shooting is two and a half drachms of powder and an 
 ounce of No. 10 or 12 shot. 
 
 Woodcocks are very numerous in Florida and Texas 
 during the winter, being frequenters of the banks of 
 every lagoon where food can be procured. The negroes 
 often kill large numbers by " fire-hunting " them at night, 
 as all they have to do is to knock them on the head with 
 clubs. I was out with a party one night in Florida which 
 kiUed five, but they were satisfied with the bag, as it was 
 better — a very little better — than nothing. 
 
 The best month for woodcock shooting in the Middle 
 and Western States is July, as the old and young are then 
 in cover along the courses of streams and the bottom 
 lands. They are supposed to go to the high grounds in 
 the month of August while they are moulting, and to re- 
 turn to their regular feeding grounds at night, only to 
 leave them again before daybreak. It is quite a common 
 belief that they only seek for food during the night, but 
 it is evident that they also feed in the daytime, as some 
 have been shot as late as three P. M. with worms m their 
 mouths, they not haviniy had time to swallow them be- 
 fore being killed. They descend to the cornfields in Sep- 
 tember, and work diligently wherever the soil is soft and 
 damp, and remain there unless they are disturbed. To 
 make much of a bag then, a person must use a stool to 
 
318 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIlfG. 
 
 raise himself above the standing grain, and a spaniel to 
 rout them from cover. The gun may kick a man ofE his 
 perch occasionally, but that is a mere trifle compared to 
 the sport enjoyed. Some men use step ladders when 
 they have to shoot in thickets. These are placed at con- 
 venient points, and when the fowlers mount them, the 
 dogs are sent in to flush the birds. If the animals are 
 successful, Mr. Philohela Minor is greeted with many a 
 salute as he emerges from cover, and if he is sent to grass, 
 the "grassers" congratulate themselves in no uncertain 
 phrases. This plan of shooting cannot, of course, be 
 generally adopted, but it will do for special occasions. 
 
 The female is larger than the male, and weighs an 
 ounce or two more. This makes her a special target 
 for fowlers, but the man who would kill her in the spring 
 or summer must be cruel or thoughtless, for her death 
 means the loss of four or more young birds, and the rapid 
 decimation of her family. She is the lirst to arrive from 
 the South in the spring, being followed a week or fort- 
 night later by the male. Her time of arrival varies from 
 February to March, as It depends entirely on the con- 
 dition of the weather; and her time of departure for the 
 South, from November to December. The first flights 
 that reach the Middle and Western States in the autumn 
 are called "flight birds." These ai'e distinguished from 
 the permanent summer guests by the brighter color of 
 the plumage on the breast, and their active habits, as 
 they act like strangers in a place. When the birds are 
 moulting, they keep under cover as much as possible, and 
 seldom wander far from their places of concealment. If 
 these are on the hillsides, the birds live mainly on the lit- 
 tle white worms which are found on the under side of 
 fallen leaves, and such other food as may be convenient. 
 They turn over the leaves in a large extent of country in 
 twenty-four hours, as they work rapidly each morning 
 and evening, in order to be under cover when the sun ap- 
 
THE WOODCOCK. 
 
 319 
 
 pears above the horizon. Their presence in a region may 
 therefore be known by the position of the leaves or the 
 borings in the ground. 
 
 Ardent lovers of woodcock shooting think no bird af- 
 fords such sport as their favorite, as luck and uncertain- 
 ty enter into it to a large extent. This is true, for a 
 man may find dozens in a region one day and not a single 
 bird the next, owing to their erratic migrations. I will 
 close this chapter by giving a recipe for cooking wood- 
 cock. The bird should first be allowed to get "high," 
 but not too much so, and then be thoroughly cleansed. 
 Leave on the head, as it is a delicious morsel, cover the 
 breast with sweet lard, and then roast in a covered pan 
 containing a lump of salt butter. 
 
CHAPTEE XIV. 
 
 SNIPE. 
 
 Abundance in the West and South — Lie well to dogs in fine weather- 
 Migrations — Haunts and habits of Wilson's snipe — Side shots — 
 Large bags — Best time to shoot at a snipe. 
 
 Snipe are exceedingly abundant in the West in spring 
 and autumn, and in the Southwest in winter, being 
 most numerous in the tier of States bordering the Missis- 
 sippi and Missouri Rivers, the Gulf Stream, and the Pa* 
 cific Ocean. It is nothing unusual lor a man to bag from 
 fifty to seventy couples a day in some of these regions, 
 for they become so tame and fat in places where food is 
 abundant and enemies are scarce, that they pay little or 
 no attention to a person, and fly so close to him when 
 they rise that he may bag the majority. I have heard of 
 a sportsman who killed sixty without making a miss, and 
 of another who grassed ninety-one in a hundred shots. 
 This statement may give an idea of their numbers and 
 fearlessness when they are not constantly assailed by 
 storms of leaden hail. Snipe lie well to dogs in fine weather, 
 and are sometimes so lazy that they cannot be flushed 
 until they are almost kicked out of their places of con- 
 cealment. They are very wild in blustry weather, and 
 flush long before a person is within shooting distance. 
 Some persons prefer to shoot without a dog in such 
 weather, as they say the chances of getting shots are bet- 
 ter. They always beat down wind, as the birds must 
 rise against the wind to get on the wing, owing to the 
 length and closeness of the under alar feathers. This 
 forces them to fly to the right or left of the sportsman, 
 330 
 
8KIPE. 333 
 
 and thus present easier shots than if they went straight 
 away in their usual zigzag course. 
 
 They commence migrating southward from the extreme 
 north about the month of September or "October, and 
 make several stoppages on the way, resting wherever food 
 is abundant. Their favorite time for travelling is on mur- 
 ky, drizzling days. If a single bird is flushed on such 
 days, its sharp call is answered by every snipe in the field, 
 and all rise together, dart about in the air, and give vent 
 to their feelings in many cries of " scaipe. " The snipe has 
 the habit of hovering, and of producing a noise with its 
 wings as it descends, which is so characteristic of the wood- 
 cock and some of the grouse. The hovering is practised in 
 hazy weather during the spring, and frequently continued 
 all day, half a dozen perhaps, being engaged in it at the 
 same time. Large numbers are destroyed at this period 
 by market-hunters, as the birds are fat and lazy, especi- 
 ally if the season is warm and clear. They do not go 
 South in the autumn until the frost has made the ground 
 so hard that their long, soft bills cannot penetrate it when 
 they are searching for the juicy worms. 
 
 The GaUinago wilsonii, which is also known as the 
 English, the American, and the jack snipe, is a true rep- 
 resentative of its family, and has all the cunning and 
 caution which has given its European namesake the high 
 character it bears among sportsmen. I'his species returns 
 from its winter quarters in the South about April, and, 
 while large numbers breed in the United States, the major- 
 ity go further north to raise their families. The male is 
 very domestic in his habits, for, if he is not engaged in 
 cheering his spouse by hovering and drumming over her 
 nest, he is busily at work providing her with food. He 
 resorts to the usual "tricks of his trade," to lead foes 
 away from the young, but if he is unsuccessful, he sounds 
 a note of alarm, and the chicks, on hearing it, seek safety 
 in a convenient tussock until the threatened danger has 
 
334 AMERICAJS^ GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 passed. Both parents are very careful of their brood, 
 and work diligently in providing them food. The young 
 are in prime condition about November, and so well able 
 to take care of themselves that the fowler has to use all 
 his art to bag them. Many persons think that snipe are 
 diflScult to kill, but this is only true to a certain extent, 
 for if one will walk down wind, and not shoot rapidly, 
 but give the birds a start of twenty or thirty yards before 
 firing — if they rise within ten yards or so — he will find 
 that his bag at the end of the day will be much larger 
 than if he had taken snap shots, and that he may score 
 with both barrels, thus giving himself double snipes and 
 a duplicate pleasure. The cause of this is readily appa- 
 rent. When they fly about twenty or thirty yards, they 
 settle into a straight course, whereas they dart hither and 
 thither in the most eccentric manner previous to going 
 that distance. Side shots are better and surer than the 
 straight, especially if one is beating to the leeward. If a 
 person is shooting over dogs, he cannot well beat down 
 wind, as the animals must work to the windward or 
 across wind, if they are to be of much use besides acting 
 as retrievers. When the dogs point, it is advisable to 
 get to their windward before flushing the bird, as the 
 chances of grassing it are greater. Setters are better for 
 this work than pointers. If snipe are abundant, large 
 bags can be made in favorable weather, for it is nothing 
 unusual for a market-hunter to average fifty couples a 
 a day for a week or two, and sometimes more; but, should 
 the weather be unpropitious, few birds are harder to kill, 
 on account of their erratic habits, capricious character, 
 and manner of soaring high and flushing at long dis- 
 tances. When they first arrive from the South they are 
 wild and unsteady, and keep constantly changing their 
 haunts, as if no place suited them. They sometimes 
 travel in wisps numbering twenty or more, then decrease 
 to " walks " of four or five. It is little use trying to pur- 
 
SNIPE. 335 
 
 sue them in murky, rainy, or blustry weather, as they 
 will not allow man or dog very near them, for they are 
 both sharp of vision and hearing. The best days for 
 shooting them are those which are soft, hazy, and sunny, 
 when the air is fanned by a gentle, southerly breeze. 
 They lie well to dogs at such times, and, when flushed, 
 may not fly more than a few yards before settling again. 
 Any tyro can grass them then, if he will only permit them 
 to get some distance away before firing, in order to let 
 the shot spread, and cover them deliberately before the 
 trigger is pulled. If they are abundant, one can dispense 
 with a, dog, as they lie well before a man, but if they are 
 not, a staunch, steady setter that will keep its point 
 under all circumstances, until the birds are flushed, and 
 obey the motions of the hand, is necessary to successful 
 shooting. The animal must be prompt in coming to heel 
 when ordered, and remain there until set to work again. 
 The advantage of this obedience is, that a flushed bird 
 will often lie to a man after alighting when it would not 
 to a dog, and will therefore afEord an opportunity of bag- 
 ging it, as it rarely moves more than a few feet from 
 where it was marked down. 
 
 Some sportsmen say that the best time to shoot at a 
 snipe is when it rises, and poises for a moment before 
 darting away, while others think it should not be fired at 
 until it reaches a distance of twenty or thirty yards from 
 the gun, when it starts off in a direct course. Side-shots 
 are the surest, but, as the bird flies quickly, the gun 
 should be pointed a foot ahead of it at twenty or twenty- 
 five yards, and from two to three feet at from forty to 
 fifty yards. Snipe are not near so wild and unsteady in 
 the autumn as in the spring, for the reason, perhaps, that 
 they are over their family troubles for the year, and have 
 few foes to fear except man, for their haunts are usually 
 safe from the incursions of the small predaceous ani» 
 mals. 
 
CHAPTEE XV. 
 BAY BIEDS. 
 
 Their haunts and habits. — Methods of shooting them. 
 
 The greater number of the shore bitds of the Conti- 
 nent, such as ploTers, godwits, willets, yellow-legs, 
 curlews, and sandpipers, are called Bay Birds by 
 the majority of sportsmen, owing to their fondness 
 for the sea shore and the regions adjoining water. 
 These various species are placed in the order Limicolce, 
 which has numerous representatives. Birds belonging to 
 it have a globose head, which slopes abruptly to the base 
 of the bill; the bill is weak, flexible, somewhat soft- 
 skinned, and therefore sensitive and blunt at the tip, 
 without hard, cutting edges; the nostrils are like a slit, 
 never feathered, and are surrounded by a soft skin; the 
 tibia is more or less naked; the legs are elongated; and 
 the hind toe is free and elevated, but is often wanting. 
 
 The family CharadriidcB, to which plovers belong, 
 may be distinguished from the other's by having the bill 
 shorter than the head, the broad, soft base separated by a 
 constriction from the hard tip, the neck short, the tarsus 
 reticulate, and only three toes, except in the squatarola. 
 All species of plover have the peculiar habit, after alight- 
 ing on the ground, during the breeding season, of Hand- 
 ing with legs half bent and drooping wings, and trem- 
 bling as if they had a severe fit of the ague. They act as 
 if they were on their last legs, and utter a singular sound, 
 which is more of a plaint than a song of joy, at becom- 
 ing the parents of promising families. 
 326 
 
BAT BIRDS. 327 
 
 The black-bellied plover, bull-head, or ox-eye {Squat- 
 arola helvetica), is one of the commoneist of the family. 
 The face and under parts are black; the superior parts are 
 variegated with black, white, and cinerous; and the tail 
 is barred with black and white. This species varies so 
 much in plumage at different seasons that it is frequently 
 mistaken for its close companion, the whistling plover, 
 yet both can readily be distinguished apart. The gold- 
 en plover, which is also known as the bull-head, frost- 
 bird, and whistling plover {Gharadrius fulvus, var. vir- 
 ginicus), is smaller than the preceding, but its flesh is 
 equally as good. It is scattered throughout the country, 
 and is found feeding on prairies and sand bars in immense 
 flocks during the autumn. Its back is speckled; the under 
 parts are black during the breeding season, and dotted 
 with the bright yellow spots from which it derives the 
 name of golden plover; the forehead, rump, and upper 
 tail-coverts are white; it has a whitish line over the eye; 
 and the tail is grayish-brown, with white or ashy bars. 
 The female is rather grayish. This bird has received the 
 name of prairie pigeon from some of the western farmers, 
 owing to the vast flocks that sweep over the plains in the 
 spring and autumn, and devour the grasshoppers which 
 sometimes prove a scourge to growing crops. It winters 
 on the grassy ranges of the South, and leaves for the 
 North in the early part of April, reaching such re- 
 gions as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Manitoba about the 
 tenth. It is fond of frequenting burnt prairies, plowed 
 fields, and bare pastures, being so partial to the latter 
 that ib will return to them even after it is driven away 
 by fowlers. It is found in sheep pastures in large num- 
 bers, as sheep are such close feeders that they leave but 
 little grass to cover the earth. It is sure to be a resident 
 of fields that are being plowed, as it often follows the 
 plow to pick up the worms, which it knows by experience 
 are brought to the surface. As it flies close to the ground 
 
328 AMERIOAIT GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 when moving in flocks, a person can bag a good many Iby 
 taking a stand at some point on their line of flight, or by 
 lying down on the ground, provided his clothes are of a 
 neutral hue. It is nothing uncommon for a man to kill 
 ten or eleven with both barrels, especially if they present 
 a chance for side shots. If they are flying at a high alti- 
 tude, the sportsman may be able to score with the first 
 barrel, but he will often find it difficult to use the sec- 
 ond, as they descend with such a rush that one might 
 imagine the entire flock had been killed. If flocks are 
 not moving in one directiouj it is little or no use trying 
 to take a stand on their line of flight, so the only ready 
 resource left is to stalk them from a carriage or a wagon. 
 The horse should be driven rapidly towards them, as if 
 one intended to pass them, and when he is hauled up, care 
 should be taken that he is within gun range of them. 
 As the birds always rise when the horse stops, the person 
 who is prompt with his weapon should be able to count 
 with both barrels and make a large score. If a man 
 stalks them afoot, he should run parallel to the flocks, as 
 if he were hastening away from them, and, on getting 
 within distance, wheel suddenly and fire. He must be 
 good in wind and steady in nerve to make a heavy bag 
 by this method, as it is exceedingly trying on the 
 muscles. 
 
 Should any of a passing flock be killed or wounded, the 
 survivors often circle round them, and thus offer capital 
 opportunities for making side shots. It is not unusual 
 for a man to kill twenty or thirty at a time in this manner, 
 as the creatures seem to take no notice of the leaden hail 
 that is decimating them. Instances are known in which 
 persons have killed two and three hundred in a day by 
 wing shooting alone, owing to this habit of the birds, for 
 they sweep round and round several times, and within a 
 few feet of their dead or crippled kindred. The large 
 flocks break up into small wings, numbering from three to 
 
BAY BIRDS. 339 
 
 twelve, about the last of April. These may be found on 
 the bare pastures early in the morning, but they resort 
 to arable fields about eight or nine o'clock to feast on the 
 worms which they prize so much. They fly very rapidly 
 at this time, so that they make excellent targets on which 
 to practice wing-shooting. They re-unite in dense 
 masses after the breeding season is over, and keep together 
 until the cold weather sets in, when they begin their 
 southern migration. They are fond of frequenting the 
 sand bars of rivers in the evening during the autumn 
 months to sand themselves and quench their thirst, 
 and so anxious are they to reach these places as soon as 
 possible, that they do not take even the most ordinary 
 precautions against foes. 
 
 The killdeer plover {^gialitis vociferus), which de- 
 rives its name from its sharp, peculiar note, is found all 
 over the Continent, but is most abundant in the West- 
 ern States. It may be recognized by its white forehead, 
 black bands on neck and breast, black bar on crown, 
 black bill, tawny rump, white tail with orange-brown 
 through part of it, and from one to three black bars, 
 white secondaries, and grayish legs. It associates with 
 its congeners, and with curlews, tatlers, sanderlings, and 
 other bay birds. "Wilson's plover {JEgialitis wilsonius), 
 which is a searshore species, is of a pale ash-brown color, 
 and has a black bar on the crown, a broad band across the 
 throat, a dark bill, and flesh-colored legs. The ring 
 neck, or semi-palmated plover {^gialitis semipalmatus), 
 is about one-third the size of the killdeer, which it closely 
 resembles in color, but it has the bright orange eyelid 
 which is wanting in the latter, and also in Wilson's 
 plover. This species is scattered over the country, 
 but its favorite resorts are muddy flats or sandy 
 shores, over which it runs in small groups, while 
 searching for food. It is rather tame, for it only 
 runs a few yards after being alarmed ere it comes 
 
330 AMERICAN- GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 to a standstill, and remains perfectly quiet for some 
 time. 
 
 The piping plover {JEgialitis melodus), is found in the 
 Eastern and Middle States; the snowy plover {^gialitis 
 cantiana) is a resident of the regions beyond the Eocky 
 Mountains; the surf bird of the Pacific Coast, Aphriza 
 virgata, which seems to be the connecting link between 
 plovers and oyster-catchers, seldom leaves the vicinity of 
 the ocean; and the mountain plover {Eudromias monta- 
 nus), which seems to have no partiality for water, wanders 
 from the Missouri Eiver to the Pacific Ocean. 
 
 Next to the plovers comes the oyster-catcher {Hmma- 
 topus palliatus), which is found on the shores of the At- 
 lantic and Pacific Oceans, though not in large numbers. 
 This is black or brown above; the under parts below the 
 breast are white; the bill is red or orange, somewhat com- 
 pressed, and knife-like; the rump is white; a ring of the 
 same hue encircles the eye; and the legs are flesh-color. 
 The turnstone {Strepsilas tnterpres), which receives its 
 name from its habit of turning over stones and pebbles 
 with its bill when searching for food, is a resident of the 
 shores of both oceans. It has a curious piebald appear- 
 ance, as it displays white, black, brown, and chestnut- 
 red colors, but the latter is wanting in winter. The 
 American avocet, or blue stocking {Recurvirostra ameri- 
 cana), has exceedingly long blue legs; a long, slender, 
 and black bill with an upward curve; and red eyes. Its 
 general color is white, but the back and wings show a 
 good deal of black, and the neck and head are cinnamon- 
 browii. The latter parts are of an ashy hue in the young. 
 
 The stilt, or long shanks {Himantopus nigricollis), has 
 carmine legs, a black bill, and is glossy-black above; the 
 side of the head and neck, the rump, and the under parts 
 are white. This is very common on the Southern 3oast 
 during the winter, but it is not shot much, not being 
 highly prized as an addition to the table. The phala- 
 
BAT BIRDS. 331 
 
 ropes are very abundant around the pools, sloughs, and 
 meadows of the West, but while some breed there, others 
 go north, and are only found in the United States during 
 their migrations. One of the commonest is Wilson's 
 phalarope {Steganopus wilsonii), whose slender, awl- 
 shaped bill enables a person to readily distinguish it from 
 other bay birds. The upper parts are of an ashy hue; the 
 under parts are white; and a black stripe extends down- 
 ward from the eye to the neck. The Northern phala- 
 rope {Lobipes hyperbreos) is only found in the United 
 States during its migrations. Its hue is grayish-black 
 above, varied with tawny on the back; the under parts 
 are white; the sides of the head and neck are marked 
 with a broad chestnut stripe; and the upper tail-coverts 
 are white. The red phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) 
 is an active, graceful, finely formed bird. Its lobed feet 
 enables it to travel readily in the water; hence it is fre- 
 quently found some distance from land. It is only a mi- 
 gi-atory visitor to the United States. The upper parts 
 are tawny and cinerous, and the lower purplish-chestnut, 
 but white in the young. 
 
 The dowitcher, brownback, gray snipe, or red-breasted 
 snipe {Macrorhamphus griseus), is gray above and on the 
 breast in winter, and white on the abdomen, but, in sum- 
 mer, the upper parts are brownish-black, variegated with 
 light-brown, and the under portions are brownish-red va- 
 riegated with dusky. This bird, though called a snipe, 
 differs much from the true snipe in habits, for it prefers 
 the sea-shore to the marshes, and flies in dense flocks, like 
 the sand-pipers. The semipalmated sand-piper {Ereunetes 
 pusillus) and the least sand-piper {Tringa minutilla) 
 are quite common on the sea-shore, associate together, and 
 resemble each other closely in hue, yet they can be readily 
 distinguished apart when dead by the semipalmation of 
 the former. Baird's sand-piper {Tringa bairdii) and 
 the white-rumped sand-piper ( T. bonapartei) are like the 
 
333 AMEKICAK GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 least sand-piper in hue, but larger. The white-rumped 
 species is readily recognized by its white upper tail-cov- 
 erts. The purple sand-piper {T. maritima), which is 
 fond of haunting rocky shores, is ashy-black above, with 
 purplish reflections; the under parts are white; the breast 
 is lighter than the back; and it has a white line over the 
 eye. The hue changes to a slaty-gray in winter; and the 
 young are dotted with dusky below. 
 
 The dunlin, or red-backed sand-piper (^T. alpina var. 
 americana), is ashy-gray in winter, but in summer the 
 upper parts are chestnut, each feather having a central 
 black field, and nearly all being white-tipped; the breast 
 is streaked with dusky; and the under parts are white, 
 except the belly, which has a broad, black area. The red- 
 breasted, knot, or robin-snipe {T. canutus), is quite com- 
 mon on the Atlantic Coast. The upper parts are, in 
 summer, brownish-black, the feathers being tipped with 
 ashy-white; and the under are brownish-red. It is gray 
 in winter. The pectoral sand-piper, jack snipe, grass 
 snipe, or marsh plover {T. maculafa), does not look un- 
 like the Wilson snipe, though of course both differ in the 
 shape of the bill. The general hue is grayish, variegated 
 above with chestnut. This species is fonder of muddy 
 flats and salt water marshes than of sandy beaches; it is 
 also found on wet ground distant from large bodies of 
 water. "When a wing is alarmed it rises promptly, emit- 
 ting loud, rapid notes, and flies in a zigzag manner, like 
 the snipe, but if it is travelling quietly from one field to 
 another the motion is even. Groups mount to a high 
 altitude sometimes and dart about like feathered spectres, 
 then drop rapidly to the spot from which they rose. This 
 species never goes in large flocks, and that fact, combined 
 with its erratic motion in flight, makes heavy bags quite 
 rare. 
 
 The Bartramian sand-piper, upland plover, or field 
 plover {Actiturus iartramius), is blackish above, varie- 
 
BAY BIRDS. 333 
 
 gated with twany and white;' the under parts are a pale 
 tawny; the breast and sides are marked with bars and ar- 
 rowheads of black; and the legs and bill are pale. This 
 is considered one of the best game birds of its order, 
 owing to the delicacy of its flesh; hence it is eagerly 
 sought by all lovers of the gun. It is a resident of the 
 high plains of the West, as it finds an abundance of food 
 in the numerous and juicy grasshoppers which frequent 
 that section. It moves in large flocks, and as it breeds 
 throughout the country, it may be met with from Cana- 
 da to the Southern States. Its notes are soft and pleas- 
 ant as it goes 
 
 " wild whistling o'er the hill " 
 
 in September and October, when it is so fat that it might 
 be compared to a ball of butter. It is cunning and cau- 
 tious in the autumn, and readily recognizes a man with a 
 gun, but it is less wary in spring after its return from the 
 South. The best way of making a large bag of upland 
 plovers is to drive towards them with a horse and car- 
 riage, not directly, however, but parallel with them, 
 and shoot the moment the animal stops, or else to place 
 a companion in the most convenient cover and drive them 
 in his direction. Both may get shots by this means. 
 The birds fly in rather open order when alarmed, and 
 very rapidly, so that they get out of harm's way in a 
 short time. 
 
 The rufE-breasted sand-piper {Tryngites rufescens), 
 which looks like the preceding, but is much smaller, is 
 scattered over the open regions of the Continent. The 
 spotted sand-piper, teeter, peetweet, or sand-lark {Triii- 
 goides macularius), is very abundant along the sea-shore. 
 It generally travels in small wings numbering from four 
 to sixteen. The adult is of an olive hue above, with a 
 coppery lustre, and a pure white below, the throat and 
 breast being dotted with black markings. The sander- 
 ling, or ruddy plover {Calidris arenaria), which is usu- 
 
334 AMEEICAK GAME BIRD SHOOTIKG. 
 
 ally common along the coast, has the upper parts varied 
 with ashy, black, and reddish; the under parts below the 
 breast are white. This color changes in winter, the su- 
 perior region being speckled with white and black, and 
 the lower with white; the reddish tinge disappears. 
 
 The tattlers make up in numbers what they lack in 
 diversity of species, being found all over the Continent. 
 Among the best known is the semipalmated tattler, or 
 willet {Tetanus semipalmatus), which, in summer, is gray- 
 ish above, with black markings, and white below; the 
 throat, breast and sides, being streaked with dusky. It 
 is devoid of these spots in winter, and presents an ashy- 
 gray hue. Being quite large, it is shot by all lovers of 
 the gun, but it is not highly appreciated for its gastro- 
 nomic qualities. 
 
 The greater telltale, greater yellow-shanks, stone snipe, 
 or yellow-legged tattler {Totanus melanoleucus), is a 
 watchful, noisy bird, which seems to have been created 
 for the special purpose of making the sportsmen use 
 " swear words," and of calling the attention of all bay 
 birds to his nefarious designs. One of these spindle- 
 shanked creatures will stand motionless and silent until 
 the fowler approaches, and then give vent to such a pe- 
 culiar cry that it arouses every living bird within hearing 
 distance, and causes it to leave for safer quarters. It is 
 to the bay birds what the jay is to the denizens of the 
 forest, and, like the latter, it seems to rejoice in the dis- 
 comfiture of the gunner. Being a frequenter of muddy flats 
 and salt-water marshes, its flesh is not considered good, 
 hence it is not generally shot for the table. The lesser yel- 
 low-legs, or telltale ( T. flavipes), looks like the preceding in 
 everything but size, and is as great a tattler. The solitary 
 tattler {T. solUarius) is a lustrous olive-brown above and 
 white below; the sides of the head and neck are streaked 
 with dusky; and the tail is marked with black and white. 
 It is a resident of wet woods and swamps, and one or two 
 
BAT BIRDS. 335 
 
 may be found around sheltered pools in autumn. When 
 these are alarmed they fly rapidly and in silence, but at 
 other times they are partial to telling people that they are 
 in the neighborhood. The wandering tattler {Heteroscelus 
 incanus) is a resident of the Pacific Coast. It is of a 
 leadish-gray color aboTC, and white below, shaded and 
 barred with gray. 
 
 The marlins, or godwits, seem to be getting scarce in 
 several parts of the country, owing, probably, to the in- 
 discriminate war waged upon them, for their- size and 
 deHcaey of flesh make them objects worthy of pursuit. 
 The two best are the great-marbled godwit, or humility 
 (Limosa fedoa), and the Hudsonian godwit, or white- 
 tailed marlin (L. hudsonica), which is smaller than the 
 former. The great marlin is of a general rufous color, 
 Tariegated above with black, brown, and gray; the bill is 
 flesh-colored, tipped with black, and about five inches 
 long. It frequents marshy places near the sea-shore, and, 
 as it is strong of wing, bagging it is no idle pleasure on 
 many occasions. It has a shrill cry, which is odd, loud, 
 and rapid. The white-tailed marlin is not so common 
 as the preceding, and has a more northern habitat. This 
 species is brownish-black above, variegated with gray, 
 rufous, and sometimes white; and the under parts are 
 reddish, variegated with dusky. The winter plumage is 
 grayish, and so is that of the young. 
 
 Curlews, which are very abundant from the Atlantic to 
 the Pacific Ocean, breed on high, sandy grounds. The 
 nest is a rude affair, which generally holds four eggs 
 placed in such a manner that their small ends touch. 
 These birds are as cunning as crows, and have such 
 trained eyes that, though they may come within an 
 aggravating distance of the sportsman, yet they manage 
 to keep out of range of his gun, unless he can cir- 
 cumvent them. They are clamorous criers, and such 
 suspicious creatures that they announce the approach 
 
336 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIN^G. 
 
 of a man to all their congeners scattered over a large area. 
 The result of their signal of danger is, very often, the 
 discomfiture of the fowler, and the choleric expulsion of 
 words that are not supposed to be used by angels. If they 
 are not shot at much, they become quite tame, and some- 
 times follow a plowman so closely, in their eagerness to 
 feast on the worms in the newly-turned furrow, that he 
 can kill some with his whip. If a person is concealed 
 in shrubbery, or behind driftwood, he may be able 
 to bring them within reach by imitating their wailing 
 notes, by waving a black handkerchief from the top 
 of a stick, or by using decoys on the sand bars which 
 they frequent. Wing-tipped birds make capital " stools," 
 as they cry loudly, flutter their wings, and make such a 
 racket that their kindred descend to learn what ails them, 
 and keep sweeping round and round them until several 
 are shot. ■ When the birds fly in herds from one point to 
 another, a man may be able to bag several, if he is under 
 cover on their line of flight, but if they detect him by the 
 color of his clothes or any want of carefulness on his 
 part, he will only have his pains for his labor. The 
 usual charge for curlews is four and a half drachms 
 of powder and one and a quarter ounces of No. 7 
 shot; but if they are mingled with other birds, some 
 sportsmen prefer No. 9, as that is sufficiently effective 
 for all classes. The most marked member of this 
 genus is the sickle-bill, or long-billed curlew {Nu- 
 menius longirostris), which has a bill ranging from 
 five to nine inches in length. Its, hue is rufous, with 
 blackish markings. It is very abundant, especially 
 in the Far West. The jack curlew {N. hudsonicus) is 
 smaller than the one mentioned, somewhat paler, and its 
 bill is only three or four inches long. It is quite common. 
 The dough-bird, or Esquimaux curlew {N. borealis), is 
 smaller than the preceding, and like it in color, but its 
 bill is much shorter, being less than three inches. This 
 
BAt BIEDS. S^l 
 
 species is found extensively on the Western prairies, where 
 it associates with the golden and upland plover, and flies 
 in flocks with them. These flocks maybe approached by 
 using a horse and wagon, as they manifest little fear of 
 quadrupeds; and, being addicted to flying low, large bags 
 can be made very frequently, especially on the bare and 
 open plains. Notwithstanding the abundance of bay 
 birds, they do not afford such good sport as other feath- 
 ered game, as dogs cannot be used in their pursuit, so 
 that one of the most picturesque elements of sport is 
 wanting. All that is to be done then, is to avoid detec- 
 tion, and shoot the birds when they come within range. 
 In shooting them along shore, sportsmen conceal them- 
 selves in blinds made of sedges, and fire away at them 
 when they descend to the decoys planted along the beach. 
 These decoys are usually rude imitations of the black- 
 bellied plover, each being mounted on a single peg. The 
 birds frequently hover over the stools until they receive 
 four or five volleys, as they seem to think there is no ne- 
 cessity for alarm when they see their wooden images rest- 
 ing quietly on their perches. It is sometimes amusing to 
 note how they watch the decoys during a volley, for 
 they eye them m the most peculiar manner, and wheel 
 around them, as if they were trying to find out why they 
 did not attempt to flee from the leaden hail which was 
 decimating the ranks of their living congeners. . This 
 habit of flying around the decoys enables a man to kill 
 them in large numbers, it being nothing unusual for a 
 man to bag a hundred brace of bay birds in a day, and 
 even more if they are very numerous, as he may kill 
 thirty or forty at every discharge of his gun, if he is an 
 expert wild-fowler, 
 
 15 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 RAILS. 
 
 Their haunts and hahits — Charges for a gun — Method of shooting raUi 
 —Big hags. 
 
 The rails enjoy greater immunity from the guns of 
 sportsmen than any other birds on the Continent consid- 
 ered fit for the table. One cause for this is the fact that 
 they make their habitat in wet meadows and marshes, 
 where it is difficult to reach them without the aid of 
 boats, and that they migrate during the night only, on 
 account of the shortness of their wings, which prevents 
 them from making long flights. Their bright eyes, 
 graceful forms, short, upright tails, active movements, 
 jaunty carriage, and innocent inquisitiveness render them 
 interesting to lovers of birds, while their delicacy of flesh 
 makes them equally so to an epicure. They are fleet of 
 foot, gregarious, and fond of indulging in social gossip 
 when they feel themselves safe, but they relapse into si- 
 lence the moment a foe appears. They will approach to 
 within a few feet of a man if he stands still, but the least 
 perceptible movement on his part will send them scamper- 
 ing away. That they are not so frightened as they pre- 
 tend is evident, however, from the readiness with which 
 they reappear, and slyly peep at the intruder if he keeps 
 quiet. They utter a shrill cry which is easily imitated, 
 and to which they are always ready to respond, both by 
 voice and presence, for they rush out of concealment on 
 hearing it. They prefer to use their legs to their wings 
 in escaping a threatened danger, but, if wounded, they 
 resort to diving and swimming under water, or to hiding 
 in the grass or sedges until they are almost run over. 
 338 
 
RAILS. 339 
 
 One of their ordinary stratagems for avoiding capture is 
 to sink into the water near a bunch of sedges, until only 
 the bill, and, sometimes, a part of the head is exposed. 
 Kails are only shot at high tides, as a rule, owing to 
 the difiSculty of reaching their haunts without boats, and 
 though the shooting may not last more than two or three 
 hours, it is not unusual for an experienced sportsman 
 to bag from one hundred to three hundred in that time. 
 Eail shooting is carried on along the Atlantic Coast from 
 Connecticut to Florida, but it only reaches perfection on 
 the Delaware Eirer, where the birds are so numerous 
 that any ordinary shot can make a large bag, provided he 
 commands the serrices of a good "boat pusher" who is 
 acquainted with the marshes. These " piishers " are better 
 for retrieving dead and wounded birds than any dog, for 
 they rarely lose one, though a dozen may be lying in the 
 marsh at the same time. All shooting ceases when the 
 tide commences to ebb; and then the sportsmen who have 
 taken part in the battue meet to compare notes and find 
 out which of their number has the distinguished honor 
 of being "high boat," and to congratulate him on his 
 success. More than two thousand rails are frequently 
 shot on one ct these expeditions, besides several ducks 
 and reed birds. The king rail, or fresh-water marsh hen 
 {Rallus elegans), which is the largest of the family, fre- 
 quents fresh-water marshes, though it is sometimes found 
 on salt marshes. It lives largely on wild oats, and being 
 loth to use its wings, it depends on its legs to escape dan- 
 ger on land or water. This species is of a general olive- 
 brown hue, the eyelids being whitish. The clapper rail, or 
 salt-water marsh hen(^. longirostris), resembles the pre- 
 ceding in general color, except that it is not so bright. It 
 is also smaller, and equally as averse to using its wmgs. 
 The red rail, or Virginia corncrake {R. virginianus), 
 looks like the king rail, but is not near so large, as it 
 only measures from eight to ten inches in length. It is 
 
340 AMEEICAK GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 
 
 partial to dense cover, and frequents both salt and fresh- 
 water marshes, but it is only found in the former places 
 early in the summer and autumn. 
 
 The sora, ortolan, or Carolina rail {Pormna Carolina), 
 is the best known of the RalUdcB, and the one most gen- 
 erally shot, those previously mentioned being pursued 
 but very little, owing to the comparative coarseness of 
 their flesh, and their want of game qualities. This spe- 
 cies is olive-brown above, variegated with black and nu- 
 merous white spots and streaks; the flanks are varied 
 with black and white; the fane and central hne of the 
 throat are black; and the remainder of the throat, the 
 breast, and the line over the eyes are bluish-gray. The 
 yellow-breasted rail (P. noveboracensis) is such an exceed- 
 ingly secluded bird that it is rarely shot. The breast is 
 yellowish; the flanks are dark and barred with white; 
 the upper portions are varied with black and yellowish- 
 brown, and marked with white semi-circles and transverse 
 bars. The Florida gallinule {Gallinula galeatd) is an in- 
 habitant of the Gulf States, where it is exceedingly abun- 
 dant. It can be seen in solid phalanxes along the Indian 
 Kiver in Florida, and in the southern portion of the 
 State. Its back is brownish-olive; its head, neck, and 
 under parts are grayish -black; the wings and tail are 
 dusky, but the edges of the wings are white; and the bill 
 is red, tipped with yellow. An adult is about fifteen 
 inches in length. The purple gallinule {Porphyrio inar- 
 tinica), which is most abundant in the Southwestern 
 States, is a handsome bird, its head, neck, and under 
 parts being purplish-blue, and the upper olive-green; the 
 bill is red with a yellow tip; and the legs are yellowish. 
 The head, neck, and the lower part of the back of the 
 young are brownish, and the under parts whitish. The 
 coot, or sea-crow {Fulica americana), has widely lobed 
 feet like the phalaropes, so that it is more at home on the 
 wS'ter than on the land. It frequents fresh waters, and 
 
BAILS. 341 
 
 though its flesh is not considered of much importance by 
 some persons, others think it is equal to that of the rab- 
 bit, hence it is often killed by fowlers. Its general color 
 is a dark-slate, paler below, blackening on the head and 
 neck, and tinged with olive on the back. The edge of 
 the wings is whitish; the bill is whitish, and marked 
 with reddish black at the tip; and the feet are a dull- 
 green. The Carolina rail is the only one that is bagged 
 in large numbers, as it is not only the most abundant, 
 but the most delicate in flesh. This is nearly always 
 killed from boats, the ordinary charge of a gun being 
 from two to two and a half drachms of powder, and from 
 three-fourths to an ounce of No. 12 shot, though some 
 persons use No. 10. As one can keep dry at bhis sport, 
 and it can be enjoyed in the pleasantest season of the 
 year, it is a favorite with those lovers of the gun who re- 
 side in convenient cities, and have not much time to 
 spare from business. To show what bags can be made at 
 rail shooting, I give the number killed by a party at one 
 tide, but I substitute letters for names for reasons easily 
 understood. A, shot two hundred and flfty-nine; B, two 
 hundred and fourteen; C, one hundred and eleven; D, 
 one hundred and five; B, one hundred and three; F, 
 eighty-five; or a total of eight hundred and seventy-sev- 
 en. These figures prove that a person must have plenty 
 of ammunition, and work hard at rail shooting. 
 
CHAPTEK XVII. 
 
 PIGEONS, DOVES, BITTERNS, CRANES, AND HERONS. 
 Terms used by sportsmen for describing companies of birds. 
 
 The wild pigeon {Ectopistes migratorius) is more 
 abundant than any other bird on the Continent, for its 
 numbers are so incalculable that the word " myriads " 
 is the only one which will give a person an idea of 
 the vast throngs that swarm over the country during 
 the breeding season. These pass certain regions in 
 such dense masses that they actually shut out the sun, 
 while the movements of their wings produce a roar like 
 that of a hurricane. When they alight in a forest, the 
 trees seem to be one mass of feathers, for scarcely a leaf 
 can be seen, and every branchlet capable of holding a bird 
 contains one. Some of the pigeonries cover an area of one 
 hundred and eighty square miles, and as each tree bears 
 from one to fifty nests, a person can imagine what a stir- 
 ring scene the forest presents. The birds begin building 
 their nests about the first of April, and before that time 
 if the season is favorable. These nests consist of a few 
 bunches of dry sticks and twigs, yet they are so ingen- 
 iously interlaced with the branches that heavy winds can- 
 not dislodge them. The female lays only one or two 
 eggs, and these are generally fertile. When the young 
 are hatched the branches are sometimes so heavily 
 weighted that they snap and fall to the ground, or re- 
 main hanging like broken limbs. The forest presents a 
 very ragged appearance on such occasions, and looks as; 
 if it had been swept by a tornado. If the first laid eggs; 
 are destroyed, the pigeons are supposed to lay another 
 342 
 
PIGEONSj DOTES, BITTEKNS, ETC, 343 
 
 set, as a pigeonry which is deserted one week may be 
 occupied again the next. 
 
 After all the mast in a pigeonry has been eaten up, 
 the old birds start on foraging expeditions at daylight, 
 and some go so far that they do not return until mid- 
 night. The distance the latter traverse in that time must 
 be very great, when we consider how swiftly they can fly. 
 One of the greatest wonders connected with these birds 
 is the instinctive manner in which they find their own 
 nests at any hour of the night, although they are the 
 counterpart of millions of others in the neighborhood. As 
 soon as the pigeons take up their residence in a forest, 
 the men and boys in the neighboring districts arm them- 
 selves with guns and clubs and sally forth to deal destruc- 
 tion among them. Those who have guns shoot them 
 all night, and those possessing clubs climb the trees and 
 knock them down as fast as they can. Thousands upon 
 thousands are slaughtered in a night in this manner, yet it 
 does not seem to diminish their numbers from year to year. 
 Sportsmen generally take their stands in glades and shoot 
 the birds as they fly to and from their roosts each morn- 
 ing and evening, and though this is somewhat better than 
 killing them on their perches, yet the destruction is al- 
 most equally as great, owing to the density of the flights. 
 Vast numbers are also caught alive by netters, for the 
 purpose of being used in pigeon tournaments, or to be 
 kept until they are wanted for market. The netters some- 
 times pay the owner of forest land from ten to a hun- 
 dred dollars for a spot where the flight is good, or for a 
 drinking place or salt marsh which the birds frequent 
 regularly. Their first movement is to bait the ground 
 with salt, and then to set their seines. When everything 
 is ready, they conceal themselves, and wait until the first 
 pigeon arrives and announces the finding of the bait. 
 The moment it does that, they make preparations for 
 casting. The satisfied piping of the discoverer of the 
 
344 AMEBICAlir GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
 
 dainty morsels brings its congeners beside it in such 
 numbers that they stand on each other so thickly that 
 only a mass of pointed tails can be seen. The decisive 
 moment has then arrived, and at a signal from one of 
 the netters, the strings of the seine are pulled, and it falls 
 upon the dense mass of struggling, startled birds. It is 
 not an uncommon thing to trap from two to three hun- 
 dred pigeons at every fall of the net, and as the falls are 
 numerous throughout the day, one may imagine how 
 many are captured. 
 
 Trapping pigeons on salted or baited ground does not 
 require so much tact and experience as trapping them 
 when they are flying over a net. This latter method re- 
 quires live pigeons as decoys, and is somewhat cruel, as 
 the decoys have their eyes sewn up and a light weight 
 fastened to their legs to prevent them from flying away. 
 These are thrown into the air when a flock is passing by, 
 to attract its attention, while trained stools — that is, 
 pigeons trained or forced to act as if they were alighting 
 — are worked industriously at the same time. If these 
 bring down the flight the net is sprung and fastened at 
 the four corners; the captives are then taken out and 
 placed in coops, which stand ready to receive them. The 
 best time for netting is the morning and evening. The 
 catch varies from nothing to a thousand or more per day 
 for each man. From five hundred to a thousand men 
 are sometimes engaged in trapping in a single roost, 
 and they keep at the business as long as it pays. The 
 average price of dead birds is from fifteen to fifty 
 cents a dozen, and of live birds, from thirty to seventy- 
 five cents a dozen. Buyers, who are liberally supplied 
 with barrels and ice, accompany the netters and shoot- 
 ers to the pigeonry, and make their purchases as rapidly 
 as they can, in order to be first in the market. When 
 the squabs appear, another raid is made on the roosts, as 
 these are considered equal to quail in delicacy of flavor. 
 
PIGEON'S, DOVES, BITTEBSS, ETC. 345 
 
 The wild pigeon is a fayorite practising target with 
 white and red archers, as its rapid ilight thoroughly tests 
 the accuracy of their aim, the strength of their bows, and 
 the feathering of their arrows. Some of the shots which 
 these men make would cause European bowmen to open 
 their eyes, and mouths too, with astonishment, and to 
 think very little of their own prowess, when they see 
 birds going at full speed brought down by a short hunt- 
 ing arrow and a comparatively light bow. 
 
 The colors of an adult pigeon are dull bluish-gray 
 above, and purplish-red below, whitening on the cris- 
 sum; the sides of the neck are golden, with purplish 
 reflections; some of the wing-coverts are black-spotted; 
 the tail is cuneate, the middle feathers being bluish - 
 black, and the others ashy or whitish. The bird has a 
 length of seventeen inches. 
 
 The band-tailed pigeon {Oolumba fasciata) is shot occa- 
 sionally, but it is not much sought for, even by pot-hunt- 
 ers, although its flesh is quite palatable. 
 
 The Carolina dove {Zenadura cariolensis) is seldom 
 killed for food by whites, owing to its small size, though 
 hungry Indians are glad to get it. 
 
 The bittern, or bog-bull [Botaurus minor), which is 
 frequently shot for the table, may be readily recognized 
 by its form. It is of a dull-brown color, speckled and 
 streaked with buff and white above; the chin and throat 
 line are white; and there is a black spot on each side of 
 the neck. The bill is yellow at the base and dark at the 
 tip; and the legs are greenish. This bird is so slow in 
 flight that it can be easily bagged. A smaller species 
 than this, called the least bittern, is considered quite a 
 delicacy by some of the Indians. 
 
 Cranes and herons are also shot occasionally, as their 
 flesh is excellent, especially when it is a little high. They 
 fight. bravely when wounded, and, as their bills are sharp, 
 persons ought to be careful in approaching them. 
 
346 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTIN-G. 
 
 Two species of crane are indigenous to the Continent, 
 namely, the white or whooping crane, and the sand-hill 
 crane. The plumage of the former is pure white, the 
 bill dusky-greenish, the head carmine, and the legs black. 
 The second, which is smaller than its congener, is 
 plumbeous-gray in color. 
 
 The herons are quite numerous and move in immense 
 sedges in some portions of the Southern and Pacific 
 States. The best known is the great blue heron, which 
 is about four feet in length when full grown. The adults 
 of both sexes are grayish-blue above; the neck is pale 
 purplish-brown, with a white thro9,t-line; the head is 
 black, and has a white frontal patch ; the under parts are 
 mainly black, streaked with white; the bill and eyes are 
 yellow, and the legs greenish. The little blue heron is of 
 a slaty-blue color, but inclined to be purplish on the 
 head and neck; the bill is blue; the eyes are yellow, and 
 the legs black. The young are white, but they can be 
 easily distinguished from the young of the snowy heron 
 by their bluish tracings and the color of the bill and feet. 
 The great white heron is pure white; bhe bill, eyes, and 
 legs are yellow, the latter being greenish in front. The 
 great white egret, or white heron, has very long plumes 
 of feathers, which droop over the tail, during the breed- 
 ing season. The bill and eyes are yellow, and the legs 
 black. The little white egret resembles the preceding. 
 The bill and legs are mainly black, and the eyes and toes 
 yellow. The Louisiana egret is slaty-blue on the back 
 and wings, and chiefly white below; the bill is black and 
 yellow, and the legs yellowish-green. The reddish egret 
 and green heron may be recognized by their markings. 
 The egrets are shot principally for their plumes, which 
 command a good price in the markets of the civilized 
 world. They do not come under the head of game 
 birds, ahd are mentioned only to complete the list of 
 the Ardeidm. 
 
HOW TO PACK GAME. 
 
 347 
 
 HOW TO PACK GAME— TERMS USED BY SPORTSMEN. 
 
 Game should be packed in the natural state, and the 
 feathers laid smoothly in their proper places. Birds that 
 are shot, should be hung up by the feet before being for- 
 warded any distance, in order that the blood may run out 
 through the mouth. All feathered game should be 
 packed entire, as drawn birds are not supposed to keep 
 as well as the undrawn, nor do they realize so good a 
 price in the market. Neyer pack birds when they are 
 warm or wet, and do not send those that are much muti- 
 lated to market, as they are worth but little, and may 
 injure the lot. Smooth the feathers, place the heads 
 under the wings, and the breast upwards. Pack all 
 tightly, so that they will not shift about, and fill the 
 packages in such a manner that they may be closed by a 
 slight pressure on the top. Use light, medium-sized, 
 strong boxes or hampers. In shipping quails any dis- 
 tance, they will keep better if they are wrapped in paper, 
 especially in soft weather. Birds should not be allowed 
 to become hard frozen before being shipped, to be well 
 chilled is sufficient. Live pigeons, or other feathered 
 game, should not be kept caged too long, as they lose flesh 
 every hour they are in the coop, and become so thin and 
 soiled as to be rendered almost worthless in a compara- 
 tively short time. Their flesh also becomes insipid. 
 
 The following terms are used by sportsmen in describ- 
 ing companies of the different kinds of birds. 
 
 WMgeows — (according to numbers,) 
 a " company," " buHch," 
 "trip." or "knob." 
 Teal— A "epring." 
 Goois — A ' ' covert. ' ' 
 Shddrdkes — A "dopping." 
 Woodcocks— A "flight." 
 Snipe — A "walk," or "wisp." 
 Plovers — ^A " wing." 
 Curlews — A "herd." 
 JSaiy birds in general — A " flock." 
 ymd Figeons—A " flight. " 
 Serons—A " sedge." 
 
 2Wfe^« — A "drove," or "flock." 
 Qrouse — A "pack," a "brood," or 
 
 "family." 
 Quails — A "bevy." 
 Birlridges — ^A " covey." 
 Swans— A "herd," a " whiteness." 
 6eese — A "gaggle," when on the 
 
 water; a " string " or " skein," 
 
 when flying. 
 Mack Bromt—A "gang." 
 Dwlcs — A "paddling," on the 
 
 water; a "team," on wing. 
 MaRards — ^A "sord."