Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-09-11

FOR THE FaOEEeTIoS O. THE GAME OF

In my last directed the attention of the public
mainly to thenscessty Of protecting scavenger birds
in which embraced birds Of song and plumage-
though shall likely, before am through with this
subject, have something more to say with respect
to the singing birds especially.
Wewil now devote few lines to the class of birds
about which the sportsman feels deep interest as
to the goose and duck. do not think any thing
can be done that viii in any way be protective.
They are birds Of passage to some extent. and do
not belong to the class that need protection The
wild turkey, although they raise among us5 need no
protection, as they are but seldom hunted in the
raising season, and if they were it would be gene
rally without success, as the parent bird is so very
seeretiVe during the raising season that it is next to
impossible to find their nest and are but seldom s0en
until the young brood is pretty well grown. From
these facts l would not b. inclined to ask anv pro
Ieoton Tor theWid turkey. 1t is not my wish to ask
Tor any thing which will not address itself to the
good sense of the people generally. The dove field
lark and partridge or quail, with an occasional
shpe and pheasant make up pretty much the list of
our birds suitable for the bag or table.
Inc dove increases but slowly, and does not prom
Use ever TO become very abundant yet if they were
protected IN the raising season, there would be no
uouot an astonishing increase. The dove makes
considerable flesh, and are by some regarded as ex.
cellent food; but the fact that thew are remarkable
Tor their innocence and proverbial for their harm
lsssness together with their melancholy lonely COO
ing mas ever been sufficient protection for me. for
have the first one yet to kill but those who love
to XII just for the sake of killing have no such feel
ings The dove is decidedly sexolized. and mako
their home about the habitaton of man, and during
the spring and early summer are very gentle, and
unless protected by law they would be always in
danger Let them be projected during the spring
and summer
The partridge is our main dependence in Tenues-
see, being common to all parts of the State and very
prolific If they were properly protected thew
would soon become very abundant, and as the cult
walton of small grain and grasses are on the increase
IN our country, which is conducive to the prosper
yOf this bird, together with the fact that our eli
mate is perfectly suited to them if they were prop
erly cared for they would soon be very numerous
but as there is in almost every neighborhood idle
boys and worthless persons to be found, who would
rather walk about with gun on their shoulder than
80 to work, and in the neighborhoOd Of towns and
cities we find individuals who make business of
securing the country, particularly on the Sabbath
day, killing all the birds of every kind that comes in
their way To all such persons the partridge is very
much exposed during the raising reason, for such
are the habits Of this bird that unless protec ed they
are in constant danger; if both parent birds would
keep down in the grass and remain silent there would
be more hope of them; but while one is upon the
nest warming the eggs the other is sure to take its
position upon the fence or stamp, and that it NAV
be sure to attract the attention of every body keeps
up continual whistling, so that they are certain
almost to be found and killed. They ought by all
means, to be protected at this period In fact no
person ought to be allowed TO kill partridge during
he spring and summer months
With respect to the prOpriety of netting partridg-
es, it seems to me that no man ought to be allowed
to nett Partridges in another mans enclosure with
out the consent of The proprietor 1t does not look
fair and right, after have raised on my own grain
a dozen fOcks of BIRDS for an nterloper to come on
some rainy day and drive them all into his nett and
put them in bag and take them off either to devour
himself or sell to the keeper of an eating house
We're he to come with his dog and gun and kill one
or two out of each flock, could bear with him. but
for whole years supply to be caught and borne off
in a single day, is too bad. My plan would be to
put down the nets altogether, and then the little
O1ys would have some sport with their traps And
with a fowling piece two or three might be taken
when wanted, and in this way the partridge would
soon become numerous and might be regarded as
part Of the poultry of the country.
A LOVER OF NATURE.