Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-20
JOSH BILLINGS ON BIRDS.
The Blue Jay she DANDY Among Birds
"A Game BirsR-A Drannsner bird
The WeOdeock-The Gutnea Hen and
the Domestic G0sEtng : Birds Of .
FEATHER. etc. m W

4
The weodeoek-Tne Gmtnea EAen and
the Domestic GOsEtng = Birds Of
Feather, etc E Nkl
- THE BLUE JAY.
The buiay u tEs dandy apong birds, q
fop, q jackznapes Dy natur, ana
ov no use only tew stesl- -korn and eat l.
on rail.
They are q mysterious bird, for l nav
seen them solitary and alone In the wooded
wilderness, one hundred miles from en- |
sighns Of civilizAshun.
Az means ov diet, they are Just about |
az luxurious az a billed ifdigo bag wonld |
be, such az the washwimmin use tew blue
their clothes with.
The bli jay haz no soDg-they kant sing
even "From Greenland's Icy Mountains;
but must ss that fox ov them. lying
amuDg the evergTeens on keld winters
morning are hi colored and eaZy TO look at.
It liz hard work for me to say hard word
aginst the birds, bat when write their his
tory it IL duty owe tew posterity not to
lie.
The quail IL game bird, about one size
bigger than the rob bin, and so sudden that
they hum when they fly.
They hav no song, but whissell for music;
the tune il solitary snd sad.
They are shot on the wing, and man
may be good In arithmetic, fast rate at
paTseing, and even able to preach accept
ably, but if be hain't studied quail on the
wing, be might az well shoot at streak oV
lightning IN the sky az at quail on the 60.
Brled quail, properly supported with jel-
lys, toast, and champagne Charlie, IL just
the most diffikult thing, in mi humble opin-
yum, to beat in the whole history ov vittles
and sumthing tew drink.
am 10 gourmand, for kan eat bred
and milk five days out ov seven, and smak
mi lips after git thru, but if am asked to
eat briled quail by friend, with judishious
accompanyments, blush at fust, then bow
mi he'd, and then smile sweet acquiescence
i'm other words, i always quail bt fore such
| request.
THE PARTRIDGE.
The partridge IL also game bird. Their
game il to drum on log in the Spring ov
the year, and keep both eyes open, watch
ing the sportsmen.
Patridges are shot on the wing, and are
az easy to miss az a ghost il.
It il phun enuff to see the old bird hide
her yung brood when danger IL near. This
must be seen, it kant be described, and
make emmy body beleave it.
The partridge, g:ouse and pheasant are
cousins, and either one Of them straddle 6
gridiron natural enuff tew hav bin born
there.
Take a couple of young patridges and
pot them down, and serve up with the
right kind Of chorus, aud they beat the
ham sandwich w buy On the Camden and
Amboy Railroad 87I per cent.
/ have eat these lameutable M Jersey
ham sandwich, and must say that l prefe
couple of bass-wood chips, soaked il
mustard water, and stuck together will
Spaulding's glue.
THE wooDKOK.
Tie woodkok is one ov them kind
ov birds who git up from the groun'
with about az much whizz, and about 3
bizzy az a fire-krscker, and fly away a.
krooksd az korkskrew.
They feed on low, wet lands, and onl
eat the most delikate things.
They run their tuugs down into the sof
: earth, and gather tender juices and tin.
- phOod.
They hav long, slender bill, and ric
brown plurssge, and when they light on tt
ground yu lose sight of them az quick az y
do ov a drop oy water when it falls into
mill pond.
The fust thing yu generally see ov
woodkok IL a lchizz, and the las thing IL
tohir.
How SO many ov them are killed on Il
7 wing IL mistery to me, for it IL quickt
e job than statching pennys Oph red-h
t stove.
t Ihav shot at them often, but never heal
:, ov my killing one ov them yet.
: They are one ov the game birds, an
o menny good Judges think they are the mos
;. elegant Gittles that wear feathers.
q THE GUINA HEN.
r The cuina hen is speckled kritter, sma
o er than the goose, and bigger than the wi
pigeon.
e on their heds, and alwss walk on the ru
They lay eggs in crate p ofushun, bI
3 they Law them so much on the sly that tn
1t often kant find them themselfs.
Z They are az freckled az coach dog, az
Y inst about az tuff tew eat az halI-blle
y krow.
They hav voice like a piccallo fiu
1t and for racket, two ov them kan make
ls saw that il being filed ashamed ov itself.
ID They are a very sly bird, and the near
10 VII git few them the further they git oph.
d Tbey are more ornamental than usef
g. but are chiefly good tew frighten aw
d hawks.
ID They will see hawk up in the sky thr
II, miles and half off, and begin at once Z
boiler and make fuss about it.
IN THE GoSLIN.
", The goslin IL the old goose's yuDg Chi
u They are yeller all over, and az soft 81
ball of Worsted. Their foot IL wove who
ar and they kan swim az eszy az drop
kastor oil on the water.
lst They are born annually about the 18th
Igs NAV, and never Yaz known tew die nat
ed ly.
ell If man should tell ne he had sa7
in goose die natral and square deth
he wouldn't believe him under oath after Il
not even if be sWore he had lied about s
nd ing goose die.
,se The goose are different in one resp
ms from the human family, who are sed
DIV grow weaker, but wizer; whareaz gos
,ed alwus grows tuffer and more phoolish.
vi Ihave seen a goose that they sed waz
. years old last June, and he didn't look
hour older than one that waz II.
The goslin waddles when he walks
II. ua dies when he swims, but never div
si- ike a duk, out Of sight in the water,
n q only changes ends.
Der The food ov the goslin is rye, corn,
md and barley, sweet apples, hasty pudd
IN and billed kabbagn, cooked potatoze, I
meat and turnips, stale bred, kOld hash
the buckwheat cakes that are left over.
They amt so partiklar az some pho
and what they eat, aud won't git mad and 9
er- if they kant have wet toast and lam CHI
.ys, every morning for breakfast.
Bile iii wsz going tew keep bosrder;
the wou dn't want emmy better feeders than
old she goose and II goslins. If koul
suit them should konklude had mista
mi kalllng.
Roast goslin IL good nourishment, if
and kan git enuff Ov i, but thare amt m
665 waste meat on gosliD, after yu have
lles rid ov their feathers, and dug them out
side.
do. l haV alwus notissed, when yu pas
los. plate up for sum more baked goslln,
hotel, the colored brother Gums bak en-
with plate and tells you; sinister, the r
II. VTna.l.