The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-10-01
The Country OF stuI.s.

A writer in NGcnsiItGH's MdgaSSHe,
speaking Of the quaint region known
as the Landes, says: One need not ask
why, since the collection of resin has
been one of the chief Industries Of the
Landes, wild creatures Of all kinds
have become much Ecarcer than form
erly throughout this region, which Is
still very attractive 30 the adventur-
Gus sportsman, especially If he be like
wise q naturalist The resiniers have
had 9 great deal to do with driving the
wolf back to the Pyrenees, not 50
much by making war upon him as by
worrying his nerves by the incessant
tapping of the axes. A wolf has a
delicate nervous system. A line of
railway run through his district is
quite sufficient to make him move else
whore. The boar, less nervous ami
NAL than the wolf, and more formid-
able one when attacked, is frequently
met in these forests. He has nothing
to fear from the resiniers. who. when
they see him have the prudence to let
him go on his way, and they treat his
spouse, when followed by her young.
with even greater respect If the boar,
on tho other hand, becomes imprudent
and makes nightly raids upon
maize field on the outskirts of q village,
the villagers organize q hunt His
taste for sweet maize stalks frequently
costs him his life; but he sells il dear
ly, ripping open dogs and sometimes
men, fighting SIS long as he has
strength to strike with his tusks. Gu
riously enough the boar has q rival
here in his congener, the domestic pig,
which, having found the air of the for
est and freedom sWeeter than that of
the sty or farmyard, became q SELF
emancipated porker.
A few years ago these wild pigs
they are known as cochoD SGHVGges-
were so numerous in the neighborhood
of Cazau and wrought such destruc-
ton upon the young pines that the
government took energetic measures
to exterminate them The wild pig Of
the Landes Is of the sam breed that
Bayonne hams. Formerly troops Of
wild horses roamed the Landes, Just as
wild horses and cattle still roam the
Carmargne-the desert of Providence
and Languedoc- They have entirely
disappeared. Roebucks, which were
once plentiful, are getting scarce.
Smaller quadrupeds, such rs foxes and
hareS, are very numerous, and the
wildcat Is found in the forest Tho
Landes are peculiarly rich in ornitho-
logy- Birds which have almost, If not
quite, disappeared from other parts of
western Europe, such IS the bustard.
the wild goose, and the Wild swan. lin
ger in their solitudes. FlamIngoes are
occasionally seen in districts where the
marshes have not been drained, and
there are wild pheasants about the
banks of Leyre. There are tortoises
in the sand, and the lakes contain a
great variety Of fresh-water fish.
Sportsmen to whom the pleasure of
shooting something In old Europe that
is really wild is heightened by natural
obstacles, such IS thickets that can on
ly be penetrated by means of an AK.
sand sloughs into which they may step
unawares and not be heard of more,
and forest flies capable of inflicting
positive torture, would find in the Ma
rensin, the district immediately south
of Lake Cazau. an ideal hunting
ground If the visitor takes out his
shooting license at the marie of COM
mune which he chooses for the scene
of his exploits, be may blaze away
without fear of hindrance; bnt IL Is
necessary that he should pay this local
tribute. for the commune has the right
to- stop people from shooting within
the bounds unless they are provided
with one of it's own licenses. The
license costs % francs. Half of the
money goes to the commune in which
it is taken out and the other half to
the state.