Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-06-19
Josh Billings on Birds.
The QUAIL.


, The quail IL game bird. about one size
bigger Than the robin. and so sudden tha;
they hum when they fly. They have nc
song, but whistle for music, the tune il
solitary and sad. They are shot on the
wing. and r man may De good in arith.
metIc, fust rate at par>ing. and even be
able to preach accep,ahly. but if he ain
stuffed quail on the wing b. might as well
shoot at streak Of lightning in the skv
as At i quail on the go.
Billed quail. properly supported with
jelleys and - Champagne Charlie, il inst
The most difi i.ult thing. in my humble
/ opinion. tew beat in the whole history ov
vittle- and something to drink.
I am no gourmand. for kan eat bread
and milk five days out Of seven. and
smack my lips when git thru. but if |
am aske'l to eat brile,l quail ~ friend,
with jndi>hous accom- psnyment, blush
at fust- then bow my head. and then smile
sweet acqIiesrnee in other words, | al
WAYS qnaIl before such request
The ptttridge il alsn = game bird.
Their game is tow drum on a log in the
spring " the year and keep both eyes
open, watching the sportsman. Pattriiges
are shot OF the wing, and are as easy t.
miss az a ghos, IL 1t is plum enrff tew
See the old bird hide her young brood
when danger il near. This must be seen.
it can I be described, and make enny body
believeit
Tbs pttiriige. grouse and pheasan, are
cousins, and either ov them str.dde q
gridiron natural enuf to have been born
there. Take a couple Ov young psrJridges
and po. them down, and serve up with q
kind Of . chorus, and they beat the ham
sandwiches YOU buy on the Camden and
Amhoy Road eigbty-segen and oue-hs,lI
pr cent. l have eat these lamentahle
New Jersey ham sandwiches, and must
SAY that prefer = couple Of bssswor.i
chips. soaked in mustard water, and stuk
together with Sp.ulding's glue.
THE woODKoK.
The fust thing yer generally see ov a
wOOlkOk IL = WIZ. and the ltst thing a
walrr. How 50 many ov them are shot
Un The wing IL = mystery TO me, for it IL 4
quicker jpo than ,natching peunys oph 4
red hot stove. | have suUl 4, them often
but never remember oy nj killing one oT
them yit.
They are one ov the game birds. and
menny good jniges think they are the
most elegant yIttles that ware feathers.
The GoSLIS.
The g2slin il tie old goose's yuag
child. they are Weller all over. and az
soft az 4 ball Of wgrs.ei Their foot il
wove hole. sn1 they Kan swim ~ rasy az
4 drop ov kt>lor oil on the water. They
are BORN Annually about he l5. b ov Nav.
and never waz known 10 lie naturally. If
4 man should tell me ne saw a goo>e die 4
na,r..l deth wouldn't believe him under
osth after that, not even if ne swore he
hal lied about seeing a goose die.
The goose are different in one res pect
from the human family, who are >ed tew
grow weaker AMI wiser, whereas a gOslin
aIwus grows tutfer and more phoolish.
l have seen = goose that they sed vas
nine;y-ihree years old last June, and
didn't look IN hour older than one tha.
WAS only seventeen.
The goslin wIdiles when he walks and
paddles when he swims. but never dives
like duck ont 9v sight in the water, but
only changes ends.
The f0od Nv the goslin il rye. corn,
oats7snd hurley, sweet apples. hasty pud
ding. succotash and billed cabbage, cooked
Dotatoze, raw meat wine, Jelly and tur-
nips, stale bred. koIi hash and huckwheal
cakes that are left oger.
They amt 50 particular Is sun pholzs
WHIST they eat. won't git mad and quit if
they Kant have wet toast and lam chops
every morning for breakfast.