Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-16

Made distant echo to the cottage loom"
-(BUcHANAN READ.
On the 1st day of the current month
the average school boy realized that his
double-barreled shotgun was no longer
the subject Of prohibitory legisla-
ton; and accordingly he started out
to wage war on everything that wore
FEATHERS OR HAIR.
As the quail domesticates itself all
all about the barnyard during the
breeding season when the father quail
keeps the eggs warm while his Quaker
clad mate goes off to pick up beetle or
two; and, as they never receive any mo-
lestation during that period, either with
dog or gun, they are = much easier
in the season. Hence it is
suspicion any metropolitan gentleman
loading gun to bag q dozen or 30 of these
CARDS the quail as his own property,
equashes, belonging to his father. The
disciple of Hawker sends in his racing
settlers and cuts down one with each.
barrel.
THE FARMER BOYS TACTICS.
He does not believe in anything that
Crank Forester" has laid down as
doctrine of sportsmanlike work in the.
field. He loads up his old muzzle loader
and after huddling the birds together,
bangs away for 'pot-shot," and wrings
the necks Of a dozen of them. These he
ships into town, consigned to some poul-
try vendor or restaurant-keeper and, at
the close of the season, he generally has
neat little wad of crisp bank notes
coming to him. The quail Of California
differ materially from the "Bob Whites"
of the eastern states, which have been
80 successfully introduced into Montana
and Idaho. There are two varieties, the
blue quail, or valley bird, being found
all the way from San Diego to Grants
pass, in Oregon, north Of which he is
never seen.
THE MOUNTAIN QUAIL.
This bird is much larger and has
beautiful crimson breast, slashed with
bars of white and instead Of the "prince
of Wales crest'' which the blue quail
has, he has five or six long black plumes
IN his head. Now mark the difference
in this same bird in two adjoining
states. In California he is to
be found only in the highest
mountains, living close up to the
region of eternal snow, while in
Oregon, he is to be found all through
the oak groves of the Willamette and
Umpqua valleys, and seeking his food
in the wheat stubbles, just like his
slate-blue congener does in California.
The English sportsmen with whom l
have conversed insist that he is not a
quail at all, but partridge; and they
bring very forcible anatomical argu-
ments to sustain the weight OF their
theory.
CURIOUS DOUBLE SHOT.
Thomas G. Reames, the banker of
Jacksonville, and ex-sheriff of that
county. ia one of the best all-around
shots that I know. Between Medford
and Jacksonville, in the Rogue river
valley, is one of the best quail grounds
in America; and almost any good shot
can pick over four dozen there in
days trip through the dense
saw Mr.. Reames kill a blue quail with
one barrel and mountain quail with
the other. This I deem impossible in
anv other locality, as it is the only place
within my knowledge where these birds
not only herd promiscuously but actu..
ally hybridate at times. / have one OF
these hybrid specimens dressed by Sam
Douglass. of Portland, for which have
been offered several times its real value.
PLEA FOR THE PIPER.
Numerous bills have been introduced
in our state legislature, at various times,
asking for the total repeal of the game
laws, so far as certain counties are con-
cerned, 80 Rs to admit of quail being
shot at all times throughout the year.
To the honor of our solons, be it said,
that all such bills were indefinitely post
poned. The truth is, that the quail, 90