Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-06-28
Josh Billings on Birds.

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 tune Il solitary
and sad. They are shot on the wing, and
man may be good in arithmetic, fustrate at
parsing, and even be able to preach accepta-
Div, but if he amt studied quail on the wing
he might as well shoot at a streak of light
ming in the sky as at quail on the go.
Briled quail, properly supported with jel-
leys and Champagne Charlie, IL Just the
most difficult thing, in my humble opinion,
tow beat in the whole history ov vlttles 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 q friend, with judis-ous &C
COMPARTMENT, blush at fust, then bow my
head, and then smile sweet acquiescence-in
other words. always quail before such re-
quest.
THE PARTRIDGE.
The partridge IL also game bird Their
game IL tow drum on q log in the spring ov
the year and keep both eyes open, watching
the sportsman. Pastridges are shot on the
wing, and are az easy to miss az ghost L.
1t is phun enuff tew see the old bird hide her
young brood when danger u near. This
Iuubl Dt SttDr II Cuu Dt uCoeAAceNr A-'-0
emmy body believe it.
The partridge, grouse and pheasant are
cousins, and either of them straddle grid
iron natural enuff to have been born there.
Take couple of young partridges and pot
them down. and serve up with kind OF a
chorus, and they beat the ham sandwiches
you buy on the Camden and Amboy Road
S75 per cent. l have eat these lamentable
New jersey ham sandwiches, and must say
that prefer couple of Eastwood chips
soaked in mustard water, and stuk together
with Spaulding's glue.
THE wooDKoK.
The fust thing yer generally see ov wood
kok is WIZ, and the last thing whirr.
How so many ov them are shot on the wing
IL q mystery to me, for it IL quicker job
than snatching pennys oph red hot stove
| have shot at them often but never remem-
Der oy my killing one ov them yit.
THE GOsLIN.
The goslin is the old goose's yung chi Id
They are yeller all over, and az soft az a ball
of worsted. Their foot IL woye hole, and
they kan swim az easy az a drop of kastor-
oil on the water. They are born annuity
about the 18th of May, and never waz known
to die naturally If man should tell me
he saw o goose die a natral detb, l wouldn't
he swore he had lied about seeing goose
die.
The goose are different in one respect from
the human family, who are sed tew grew
weaker and wiser. whereas goslin alwus
grows tuffer and more phoohsh.
have seen goose that they sed was 90
years old last June, and didn't look an hour
older than one that was only II.
The goslin waddles when he walks and
paddles when he swims, but never dives like
duck out of sight in the water, but only
changes ends.
The food Nv the goslin IL rye, corn, oats
IND barley, sweet apples hasty pudding,
succotash and billed cabbage, cooked poto-
toze, 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 breakfast.