Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-11-07

LARK. HAWKING IN ENGLAND. = Tht
Field contains brief account of small
but successful attempt to revive one of the
most ancient and honorable sports known
In this country. A gentleman has, as il
appears, taken two or three merlins-tht
smallest of hawks-to Salisbury plain, and
in the short space of month, during part
of which the weather was bad, has killed,
or at least caught, considerably more thar
a hundred larks. This does not, perhaps
sound great achievement when it is re-
membered that the same number is often
caught by a bird catcher in twenty foul
hours. Put then every lark brought down
by these small falcons means a more OIL
less long fight, in which much skill and
speed are displayed on both sides, and
much running Is necessary in order to keep
the chase in sight. Lark-hawking with
merlins used to be called "heron. hawking
In miniature" and those who have seen the
two declare that they are much alike.
And some of the most renowned falconers
of ancient times, including, as it is said,
Louis XII of France, declared that no
sport in the world was more worth seeing
than fight at skylark. The fact that
it can still, in some parts of England, be
practiced with so much success suggests a
question why more men do not engage in
it, as ir former times. These little hawks
are not very difficult to get, and are said to
be easily trained, and thus, at the cost of a
small expenditure of time and money a
sportsman living in an open country might
indulge In pleasant experience of kind
not novel, indeed, but certainly unusual
London Globe.
THE AEGLER's FAvoRTTE BRD.-The
kingtisher is specially dear to the wander
ing fly y-hsner in the " shires." In the most
lonely spots on his stream, from bush to
distant brake, the bird flashes by him like
a streak of emerald light He follows. In
quarter of an hour or so it darts past him
back again. Thus it is identified with
grassy meadows, scattered hawthorn BUSH
es, willow holts aad other abodes of peace
on the anglers beat Itself well answers
to its name friend has seen it dive
through thin covering of ice for its prey,
and once shot one which fell on the other
side of the stream, and had stickleback
an inch and a quarter long, and still alive,
In its mouth on his crossing to gain his
prize. He gave the little fish its liberty,
and it swan off as if nothing had hap
pened. The French legend accounts for
the kinghsher's brilliant coloring and its
habit of darting along the water.courses
by the following scrap of folklore When
Noah sent the dove out of the ark, know
ing the kiDgfsher's fondness for water, he
let it out also. 1t flew so high for gladness
that the sky turned it's back blue, and the
sun scorched the lower part Of its body TO
the rusty red it bears at present. When
it returned the ark had disappeared, and
ever since it has been seeking it with
plaintive cries along the streams and rivers.
The angler finds that his favorite birds in
crease in interest as he thus garners up any
scrap of Old World lore connected with
them, and many giily and ancient water
watcher can be communicative on these
subjects if properly questioned.-[ Belgra-
via Exchange.
a WOUND PROM STAG's Horn
Throughout the West Highlands, wound
from a stag's horn is believed to be very
dangerous. 1t is difficult to cure, and
often causes extreme debility and bad
health. Gamekeepers, foresters and their
assistants dread it extremely, and say that
a dog which receives such wound usually
dies from gangrene or modification OF the
sore, however slight it may have seemed at
first. II he recovers, the result is almost
equally unsatisfactory the dog becomes
paralytic in the wounded limb or epilep-
tic; OF if he has been a wise and intelli-
gent creature, he now becomes perfectly
stupid The author of N ether Locha-
Der" was personally acquainted with fine
looking young man, an assistant forester,
who, in helping to take dead stag of a
hill pony's back, was accidentally wounded
in the leg by one of the tines. He did not
think much of the wound at the time. 1t
was an ugly, ragged cash, but not deep,
and he lad more than once had much more
serious wounds which had healed at once
quite easily by the first intention" as the
doctors say. This wound from the dead
stag's horn would not, however, heal /;
none Of the salves or ointments or healing
medicaments of the glen had the least ef-
feet upon il. It always became the longer
the worse, and when Mr.. Stewart saw the
young man he was on his way to Glasgow
to see if the skill of the doctors there
could counteract the dire effect of the
stag's horn Chambers Journal.
THE TRAIL WAS Too HoT.-On of our
fox-hunters gives the following account Of
an adventurous day afeld: One morning
as was crossing lots with my hound
the dog on his track, and concealed myself
in the thicket, knowing that fox will
often circle and pick up his own track. /
could hear the hound baying way of to-
ward New Gloucester Then it changed
and grew msre and more distinct, and
knew the fox was returning. | must have
awaited some half an hour, when | saw the
fox dart into a hollow log little distance
-, 1.fk hut ba errE tho Okhpr
end ! remained in my hiding. place, sup.
posing it a trick OF the fox to put the dog
of his track. The dog was puzzled only
an instant, and followed the fox on a long
circuit this time, but in the course OF an
hour I saw it again enter one end of the
log and out at the other Thinks l. My
chap, III play you Yankee trick by
stopping up the further end of that log.
This | did, and again hid myself, hoping
for q third return. | was hidden about
the same length of time, when, by the
voice OF my dog, l knew the fox was re.
turning A few minutes later l saw the
fox euter the log. / ran up to the open
end, and soon had it secured This being
done awaited the coming up OF the dog
which / tied TO a sapling, while went out
to get an az. l coon got back and opened
the log sufficiently to see four foxes insteac
of one. How was that :? It's plait
enough. Oae fox would run until tired
then would enter the log, and anothe
would take his place. But why did no
the hound bay the three in the log :? TIT
trail was too not, you see u Lewiston
(Me.) Journal
THR QUAIL TRESPASS "A Los Angelo
vineyardlst says quail, fessting upon hi
grapes. have cost him ten dollars ds,
during the season, and he believes the los
to farmers who raise grain in that count,
ia still greater. But the quail can not b
killed during this season of greatest los
because the game law protects them frou
the sufferers. If an owner finds tres
passer upon his property he can eject him
and Il the trespasser does injury to tn