San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-06-29
Josh Billings ON Birds.
THE QUAIL.


The quail liz a 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 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 acceptably, but if he
amt studied quail on the wing he might
as well shoot at streak of Lightning in
the sky as at quail on the 60.
Briled quail, properly supported with
jelleys and Champagne Charlie, liz just
the most difficult thing, in my humble
opinion, tow beat In the whole history
ov vittles and something to drink.
I am no gourmand, for 1 kan eat
bread and milk five days out ov seven,
and smack my lips after git thyu, but
if l am asked to eat Drilled quail by
friend, with judishous accompaniment,
I blush at fust, then bow my head, and
then smile sweet acquiescence- other
words, I always quail before such re-
quest.
THE PARTRIDGE.
The partridge IL also game bird.
Their game IL to drum on a log in the
spring ov the year and keep both eyes
open, watching the sportsman. Par
tridges 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 IL near. This
must be seen, it can't be described, and
and make emmy body believe it.
The partridge, grouse and pheasant
are cousins, and either of them straddle
gridiron natural enuff to have been
born there. Take couple of young
cartridges and pot them down, and
serve up with kind of chorus, aud
they beat the ham sandwiches you buy
on the Camden. and Amboy Road S7a
per cent. 1 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 WOODROW.
The fust thing yer generally see ov a
woodkok IL WIZ, and the last thing q
whirr. How so many ov them are shot
on the wing IL a mystery to me, for it IL
quickerjob than snatching pennys oph
red-hot stove. I have shot at them
often but never remember ov my kill
ing 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 is the old goose's yung
child. They are yaller all over, and az
soft az ball of worsted. Their foot liz
wove hole, and they kan swim az easy
az drop of kastor-oil on the water.
They are born annually about the 10Th
of May, and never was known to die
naturally. If man should tell me he
saw goose die natral deth, l wouldn't
believe him under oath after that, not
even If he swore he had lied about see
ing 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
phoolish.
1 have seen goose that they sed was
SO 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 wa
ter, but only changes ends.
The food NV the goslin IL rye, corn,
oats and barley, sweet apples, hasty
pudding, succatash and billed cabbage,
cooked pottatoze, raw meet. 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 ever morning for breakfast.