The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-05-08
Josh Billings On Birds.
THE BLUE JAY.

IttE BLt r JAY.
The blujay IL the dandy among birds, a
teathered fop, a iackanapes 5y natur, and
ov no use only tew steal korn and eat it
on n rail.
They are Il mysterious bird, for hav
seen them solitary and alone in the wood
ed wilderness, one hundred miles from
emmy sign ov civilizashun.
Az means ov diet, they are Just about
az luxurious az a billed indigo bag would
be. such az the wash-wimmin nse tew
blue their clothes with.
The bluiav haz no song-they kant sing
even From Greenland's ley Mountains"
but i must sa that fox ov them, flying
amung the evergreens on a kold Winters
morning are hi colored and eazy tew look
at.
1t IL hard work for me to say hard
word against the birds, but when write
their history it IL a duty owe tew posteri-
ty not to lie.
THE QUAIL.
The quail II 4 game bird, about one
size bigger than the robbin. and so sud-
den that they hum when they fly
They hay no song but whs ell ior
music the tune IL solitary aud sad
They are shot on the wing, and q man
may be good in arithmetic. tust rate at
parseing, and even be able tew preach
acceptably, but if lie haint studded quail
on the wing, he M ght az we'll shoot at
streak ov lightning in the sGyaz At quail
on the 60
Briled quail, prepelly supported with
jellys, toast, and a! champane Charlie il
Just the most diffikul. thing, in mi humble
opinyun, to beat in the whole history ov
vittles and sumthing TO drink.
| am no gourman1, for i kan eat bred
and milk five days our ov seven, and smak
mi lips after git thru, but if am asked to
eat briled quail by = friend. with judish
iouS accompanyments, blush at fust,
then bow mi he'd. and then smile sweet
acquiescence-in other words. i always
quail before such request
THE PARTRIDGE.
The partridge il also game bird Their
game IL tew drum on loo in the Spring
of the year, and keep both eyes open,
watching the sportsmen
Patlidges ere shot on the wing, and are
az easy to miss az u ghost H.
1t il phun enuff to see the old bird
hide her yung brood when danger IL near.
This must be seen, It kant he described
and make emmy boldly believe it,
The partridge, grouse and pheasant are
cousins, and either one ov them straddle
a gridiron natural enuff tew hay bin born
thare.
Take couple ov yung patridges and
pot them down, and serve up with the
right kind ov chorus. and they beat the
ham sandwich yu buy on the Camden and
Amboy Railroad 81 II per cent.
| hav eat theZe lamentable Nu jersey
ham sandwich, and must sa that prefer
a couple ov bass wood chips, soaked in
mustard water, and stuk together with
Spalding's glue.
THE WOODKOK.
The woodl1ok IL one ov them kind ov
birds who kan git up from the ground
with about as much whizz. and about NJ
bizzy AZ a tre-kracker, and fly away az
krookeh az a korkskrew.
They feed on low. wet lands, and only
eat the most deikate things
They run their lungs down into the soft
earth and gather tender iuices and tiny
phood
They hav i long. slender bill, and q
rich brown plumage, and when they light
on the ground yu lose sight of them NJ
quick az yu do ov Il drop ov water when
it falls into a mill pond.
The fust thing vou generally see ov a
woodkok IL a tohies and fhr last thing il
u Whirr.
How SO many oy them are killed Oh the
wing IL MYSTERY to me, for il il quicker
job than snatching penny7 oph a red-hot
stove.
hav shot at them often. but never
heard ov my killing one ov them yet
They are one ov the game birds. and
menny good Judges think they are the
most elegant vittles that wear feathers
THE GUINA HEN.
The guina hen il spekled kritter,
smaller then the goose and bigger than
the wild pigeon.
They hav a keen eye, and 4 red kokade
on their heds and alwas walk on the run
They lay eggs in CRATE protushun, but
often can't find them themselfs.
They are az treckled as a coach dog,
and Just about az tutf tew eat az a half
billed lrow.
They hav voice like pccallo flute,
llitt lOl !dChcl tWp Wv llcll hcIl llltht Il
saw that il being filed ashamed ov itself
They are very sly bird, and the nearer
VII git tew them the further they cit oph
They are more ornamental than useful,
but are chiefly good tew trighten away
hawks.
They will see a hawk up in the sky
three miles and a half off, and begin at
once tew holler and make a fuss about it.
THE GosLIN.
The gosln il the ola goose's yung
child They are yeler all over, and az
soft az ball OF worsted Their foot IL
wove whole, and they kan swim az eazy
az a drop of kastor oil on the water
They are born annually about the 10Th
ov May, and never waz known tew die
naturally.
goose die natral and square deth, |
wouldn't believe him under oath atterthat
not even if he swore he had lied about
seeing goose die.
The goose are different in one respekt
from the human family, who are sed tew
grow weaker, but wizer; whareaz goslin
awus grows tuffer and more phoolish.
| hay seen goose that they said waz
10 years Olu laSt JHne, ana ne ulun look
II.
The gosin waddles when he walks,
and paddles when he swims, but never
dives, like a duk, out OF sight in the
water, but only changes ends.
The food ov the gozlin IL rye. corn,
oats, and barley, sweet apples, hasty pud-
ding, and billed kabbage, cooked potatoze,
raw meat, and turnips, stale bred kold
hash and the buckwheat kakes that are
left over.
They amt SO partiklar az sum pholks
what they eat, and won't git mad and
quit it they kant hav wet toast and lam
chops every morning for breakfast.
If i waz Il going tew keep boarders,
wouldn't want emmy better feeders than
an old she goose and y goslins. If
kouldn't suit them should konklude
had mistaken mi kalling.
Rost goslin iz good nourishment if YOU
kan git enough ov it, but thare aint much
waste meat on Il goslin. after yu hav got
rid ov their feathers, and dug them out
inside
| hav alUnS notiSSaI whom VII IA &C yurn