St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-06-14
Josh Billings on Birds.
THE QUAIL.

The quail il game bird, about one
size bigger than the robin, and so sud
den that they hum when they fly.
They have no song, but whistle for
music, the tune iz solitary and sad.
They are shot on the wing, and a man
may be good in arithmetic, fustrate at
parsing, and even be able to preach ac-
ceptably, but if he amt studied quail
on the wing he might as well shoot at a
streak of lightning in the sky as at a
quail on the go.
Briled quail, properly supported with
jelleys and Champagne Charlie, iz
just the most difficult thing, in my
humble opinion, tow beat in the whole
history ov vittles and something to
drink.
l am no gOurmand, for 1 kan eat
bread and milk five days out of seven,
and smack my lips after l git thru, but
if | am asked to eat briled quail by a
friend, with .judishous accompaniment,
l blush at fust, then bow my head, and
then smile sweet acquiescence-in other
words, always quail before such a re-
quest.
The partridge il also game bird.
Their game il tow drum on log in
the spring Ov the year and keep both
eyes open, watching the sportsman.
Partridges are shot on the wing, and
are as easy to miss az ghost il. 1t is
phun enuff tew see the old bird hide
her young brood when danger iz near.
This must be seen, it can't be described,
and make emmy body believe it.
The partridge, grouse and pheasant
4
die a gridiron natural enuff to have
been born there. Take a couple ov
young partridges and pot them down,
and serve up with kind of chorus,
and they beat the ham sandwiches you
buy on the Camden and Amboy Road
S71 per cent. l have eat these lament
able New Jersey ham sandwiches, and
must say that prefer a couple of bass
wood chips, soaked in mustard water,
and stuk together with Spaulding's
glue.
THE wOODKOK.
The fust thing yer generally see ov a
woOdkok iz a WIZ, and the last thing a
whirr. How so many ov them are shot
on the wing il mystery to me, for it
iz a quicker job than snatching pennys
them often but never remember ov my
killing one ov them yit.
They are one ov the game birds, and
menny good judges think they are the
most elegant vittles that ware fethers.
THE GOsLIN.
The goslin iz the old goose's yung
child. They are yeller all over, and az
soft az ball of wOrsted. Their foot il
wOve hole, and they kan swim az easy
az drop ov kastOr oil on the water.
They are born annuity about the 18th
ov May, and never waz known to die
naturally. If a man should tell me he
saw a goose die a natral deth,
wouldn't believe him under oath after
that, not even if he swore he had lied
about seeing goose die.
The goose are different in one respect
from the human family, who are sed
tew grow weaker and wiser, whereas Il
gOslin alwus grows tuffer and more
phOolish.
have seen a goose that they sed was
93 years old last June, and didn't look
an hour older than one that was only
IL.
The goslin waddles when he walks
and paddles when he swims, but never
dives like duck out ov sight in the
water, but only changes ends.
The food NV the goslin il rye, corn,
oats and barley, sweet apples, hasty
pudding, succotash and billed cabbage,
cooked potatoze, raw meat, wine, jelly
and turnips, stale bred, kold hash and
buckwheat cakes that are left over.
They amt so particular as sum
phOlks what they eat, won't git mad
and quit if they kant have wet toast
and lam chops every morning for break
fast.