Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-03-07
JOSH BILLINGS ON BIRDS.
THE QUAIL.

The quail IL a game bird, about
one size bigger than the robin, and
so sudden that they hum when
they fly. They have no song, but
whistle for music; the tone IL Soli-
tary and sad. They are shot on the
wing, and a man may be good in
arithmetic, fuSt-rate at parsing, and
even be able to preach acceptably,
but if he amt studied quail on the
wing he might as well shoot at a
streak of lightning in the sky as at
quail on the go.
Billed quail, properly supported
with jelleys and a Champagne Char
lie, IL just the most difficult thing,
in my humble opinion, tew beat IN
the whole history ov vittles and
something to drink.
| am no gourmand, for l kan eat
bread and milk five days out ov
seven, and smack my lips after |
git thru, but if am asked to eat
briled quail by a friend, with judish-
GUS accompaniment, l blush at
fust, then bow my head, and then
smile sweet acquiescence-in other
words, | always quail before such a
request.
THE PARTRIDGE.
The partEidgeiz il also game bird.
Their game IL tow drum on log
in the spring of the year and keep
both eyes open, watching the sports
men. PartridgeS are shot on the
wing, and are as easy to miss az a
ghost il. 1t is phun enuf tew see
the old bird hide her young brood
when danger IL near. This must
be seen it can't be described, and
make emmy body believe it.
The partridge, grous, and pheas-
ant are cousins, and either of them
straddle a gridiron natural enough
to have been born there. Take a
couple Of young partridges and pot
them down, and serve up with d
kind OF chorus, and they beat the
ham sandwiches you buy on the
Camden and Amboy road 871 pei
cent. have eat these lamenLable
New Jersey ham sandwiches, and
must say that prefer a couple Of
Eastwood chips, soaked in mustard
water, and stuck together with
Spaulding'S glue.
THE wooDKoK.
The lust thing yer generally see
ov u woodkok IL a whlzz and the
last thing a whirr. How so many
ov them are shot on the wing IL a
mystery to me, for it IL a quicker
job than snatching pennys oph a
red-hot stove. l have shot at them
often, but never remember ov my
killing one ov them yit
They are one oy the game birds,
and menny good Judges think they
are the most elegant yittles that
ware fethers.
THE GOsLIN.
The go8lin is the old goose's
young child, They are yeller all
over, and az soft az a ball of
worsted. Their foot IL wove hole,
and they kan swim as easy as a
drop of kastor oil on the water,
They are born annually about the
10Th Of May, and never was known
to die natrally. If a man should
tell me he saw a goose die natral
deth, | wouldn't believe him under
oath after that, not even if he swore
he lied about seeing a goose die.
The goose are different in one re-
spect from the human family, who
are sed tew grow weaker and wizer,
whereas a goslin alwus grows tuffer
and more phooliSh.
| have seen a goose that they sed
was 99 years old last June, and
didn't look an hour older than one
that was only IL.
The goslin waddles when he
walks, aud paddles when he swims,
but he never dives like duck out
Of sight in the water, but only
changes ends.
The food Nv the goslin is corn,
rye, oats, and barley, sweet apples,
hasty pudding, succotaSh, aud billed
cabbage, cooked potatoes, 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 cat, won't git mad
and quit if they kant have wet toast
and lam chops every morning for
breakfast. '
The Game OF FARO,
Virginia City Chronicls.l
I. L. n