Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-23

READY FOR THE REED BIRDS.
Gunners Preparing to Sprinkle the
Marshes With Shot.
| FAVORABLE CONDITION OF TIE xARsHrs-
PLACES WHERE TEE HuSrxns ao-rzE GAME
LAWS AND THE SUNDAY Law.
Scores Of people in Washington hail with de-
light the coming Of September l. when the law
permits the killing Of certain birds The first
OF September is really the beginning Of the
cunning season. Already the gunner has begun
70 get MS guns and ammunition ready for the
morning OF the opening Of the season As the
frst day OF September falls on Sunday this
year the season will not open until the follow
Ing day. The law prohibits the gunner from
carrying through the District on Sunday the
implements used for killing birds. There are
many persons, no doubt, who will want to start
Tor the marshes Sunday evening in order to
catch the early tide and get the first bag of
game. 1t used to be that persons who wanted
70 carry their guns through the District on
sunday would take them apart and carry them
In sections to evade the law. Whether such an
expedicnt would exempt man from the penal
ties OF the law is not known. because such a
case was never taken into court 1t is not
probable. however. that the police will disturb
persons who start off Sunday evening for q
days sport on Monday.
THE MARSHES
this year, so the gunners say, are in good con-
dition and the birds are likely to remain longer
than they generally do. The season has been
so wet that the grass is still green and is very
thick. That will make cunning exceedingly
difficult the first morning. although the more
experienced persons known as showers" will
be able to get their boats through the grass
Good showers are not so plentiful as they
might De, ana this year they are going to take
advantage of the condition of the marshes and
get their own prices for days work.
BIRDS ALREADY APPEARING.
Reed birds and ortolan have already appeared
IN the marshes, 30 some of the gunners say and
the season promises to be good and long one.
With few more warm days there will be
plenty OF ortolan here, and, should the weather
prove hne the gunners predict that week
from next Monday will be one Of the best days
cunning on the marshes. As already stated,
the grass Is yet pretty green and it is likely to
remain SO some time. and it will be some days
before the seed will begin to ripen and fall.
FAvoRITR HUNTING GROUNDS.
On the flats below the observatory there have
been a flock or two of birds for several days.
Those flats are easy of access, and consequently
the number OF gunners who go there is large.
Cunning on the fats lower down is not so good,
as the constant blowing of steamboat whistles
frightens away the birds. The marshes in the
Eastern branch from the Navy yard bridge to
| some distance above Bennings is probably the
best place about here for the gunners This
spot is not only easy Of access, but boats can be
showed through much easier than on the fats.
The street cars do not start early enough in the
morning to get the gunner on the marsh in
time for early shooting, and consequently many
gunners will spend the night somewhere about
the branch. Some will stay at Bennings bridge,
while others will spend the night in boat houses
near the branch.
THE GAME LAWS.
The law permits the shooting Of woodcock
after the LIST of July. Pheasants can be killed
after the LIST Of August The birds that are
permitted to be kille "A after the LIST of Septem-
Der are prairie chick N, snipe, waterfall. orto-
Ian. reedbirds and ricebirds 1t is violation
of law to kill any bird in the night time. to
rob birds nest or to trap or ensnare any bird.
The penalty for killing bird in the night is
S25. penalty of $40 is provided for persons
who trespass on the lands of another while
cunning. This section was passed to prevent
gunners from tramping through the truck
gardens of farmers and destroying their pro-
duce in order to shoot few birds.
There are now plenty of blackbirds in the
marshes, and it is lawful to kill them. There
has been a considerable number Of persons
shooting them within the past two or three
weeks.
REED BIRDS AND sPARRows.
Next week there will appear on the bars Of all
the frst-class restaurants the following: Reed
birds and ortolan on toast
The birds always appear in the restaurants
before the opening of the cunning season."
said gunner to a STAB reporter. ''Iwont say
what kind of birds they are. l won't say that
many OF them are English sparrows because no
one would accuse the proprietor of an eating
house OF putting of sparrOws on his customers
for reed birds. Next week there will no doubt
be large number of both reed birds and orto-
Ian killed by persons who are in search of
black birds, but hardly enough to supply the
saloons.
''Sparrows," he continued, ''are almost if not
quite, as good as either of the other birds. They
are usually very fat, and when cooked there is
not one person n a thousand who can tell the
difference between what he is eating and a
reed bird. There Is no bird that flies that
makes a better pot pie than the sparrow.
Sparrows are sometimes hard to catch, but AN
experienced shot with parior rife ought to
Kill enough OF them in the back yard any time
to make a pie or to have them ON toast"
FIsHY SUBSTITUTE
story is told of Matt Server when he kept
the saloon in the Baltimore and Potomac depot.
Matt was very fond of birds of every descrip-
ton and frequently he would get a number of
them from persons who would arrive on the
trains at night from cunning trip. One night
several of his friends who had been cunning
returned with fine lot of birds 1t was said
that they had imbibed little too freely. Matt
got the birds and ordered them served on toast
to the gunners. who were his guests In a few
minutes the party was seated at a table and
supper was served There was something OH
toast The hunters ate heartily of the supper
for some minutes until one Of them said some
thing about the number Of small bones in the
birds, and then Matt told them of the joke he
had played Oh them. They were eating fried
herring.
There is provision of law not embodied in
the game law that imposes a penalty for dis
charging gun within three hundred yards of
dwelling house.
PREPARING FOR THE WASHINGTON LIGHT IN
FANrRY.-Au eyes in Atlantic City seem to be
turned toward the event of next Sunday, when
the Washington Light Infantry will arrive by
special train over the Pennsylvania railr DAD
The city is already assuming a military air.
Train will leave B. and P. station tomorrow
night at 9:45 pm. and run through without
change, arriving ut Atlantic City Sunday morn
ing.-AdpI
FOREIGN NOTES.
II ia rumored that Oueen Victoria fhinle ~