Daily Republican., 1880-08-26
IT 10 THE CAT.
An Invetoraio Enemy OF Quail ANA
Other GAmC.

An Invetoraie Enemy OF Quail ana
OsheR Gamc.
Particularly interesting to Delaware
sportsmen, considering that they have
intred duced large numbers Of Missini
uail into Delaware at great expense,
will be the following extract from Forest
and Stream.
"But there Is one enemy to bird life
to which we have not yet alluded, al
though, In our opinion it is no less de-
structive than all the others which we
have mentioned. An enemy that hunts
indiffsrently by night or day, in the
deepest woods or In the orchard close to
the house; q creature that does more to
deplete the covey Of quail, to destroy
the woodcock, both old and young, and
kills more insectivorous birds than all
the hawks in district; an animal that
Is the pet of the children and the fav'
orite OF the housewife.
"Whatl' says some horrifed reader,
"you don't mean the" Yes We do.
IT IS THE CAT.
A cat that lives in the house or In
the stables and only makes occasionsl
stolen visits 10 the woods and fields is
bad enough, and destroys no small
amount OF bird life. We have seen
such cat--one that spent all its days
living under the stove, or in the warm
sun, one that had such a virtuous and
innocent cOuntsnance that you would
have trusted 1t with untold pitchers OF
cream--we have seen such a cat, we
say start quietly out just at dusk, and
return to the kitchen in less than ten
minutes with a dying wocdcock In It's
mouth. From the stomach OF another
similar feline Pscksniff we have taken
the larger part of an adult quail.
But house cats that only hunt ocoa-
sionally are saints and martyrs compar-
ed with the domestic cat run wild, or
with the utterly irreciainable descend
ants of these wild tame cats. Sneh
animals are veritabls pot hunters.
The English keeper well understands
the injury done in the preserves by the
domestic cat and wages against 1t
war. A similar crusade should be IN
augurated in this country by all who
are interested In the preservation OF our
game birds.
The hunting grounds of the cat cover
all the localities trequented by our
feathered game. You may start them
as well from a swamp where the cock
are to be found, as from the hedges that
border the rye stubble through which,
1t morning aud evening, the quail
wander. We have come upon them
peacefully reposing in the alder runs
that We were working out late in the
season for ruffsd grouse, and have sur
prised them ON the borders Of the snips
grounds, at their meal on a green-wiHg
ed teal or a rail.
There is one way, and, so far as we
know, only one, Of curing q hunting
cat of its fondness for what some OF our
ootemporaries call the "noble art Of
venerie," and we hope that, during the
next season, all of our readers who have
the opportunity will give 1t thorough
trial. The rule is one which we in
variably practice ourselves, and usually
with the best results. It's this: when
you see cat while out shooting, ap.
proach 1t as closely as possible, aim
your gun at the shoulders or back and
pull both triggers.
1t ia time that the sportsmen Of our
country, and especially of the thickly
settled East where cats do most abound,
took some active steps to protect the
birds from this enemy, the most de-
structive, after man. with which they
have to contend.
We are sure that, could the quail,
the woodcock and the ruffed grouse
speak, they would, If questioned as tc
the enemy Of which they stand most In
fear, reply in accents Of horror aud
alarm
"It il, 1t is the catW
And the great army Of insectiverous
birds, the friends Of the farmer, tht
sweet.voiced warblers that cheer us
through the spring and summer by
their songs, and beautify our homes by
their brilliant plumage, weuld take uI
the sad refrain, and, in tones whose
pathos and earnestness could not fai
to arouse the sympathy Of every kindly
heart, unite in uttering the confirma
tory, the condemnatory, the now classic
wOrds:-
"Thcy're right; it Is the cat.'