The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-16

smell of powder smoke, 1t is said. will set the
pampe birds running away when the gun is at a
distance Of two miles.
Further than that, a ranch owner is found
here and there who will not permit ostrich
hunting on his grounds. The birds quickly
learn the lay Of the land where they are safe and
gather on 1t from surrounding districts in great
bands. leaving the hunted grounds bare. And
what IL more remarkable still, the very birds
that will flee for their lives when started by a
man on the hunted grounds will show not the
least concern at the approach of a man when
they are on safe ground.
That they arc readily domesticated may be
inferred from this. Tho young will remain
about q ranch when they grow up. OF course,
and so their plumes may be obtained with
out killing them. But not many are kept
so, because the old cocks are often ugly and will
attack even men accustomed to feed them.
Because the ostrich. though having wings. is
unable to fly, It furnished such sport on the
desert as may rarely be found elsewhere.
Among the cowboys. hunting the ostrich is
known as "the wild mirth Of the desert" On
Long Island. New York. one may find an associ-
alton of athletic young men and women who at
times go out on horseback with hounds and ride
across fields and coverts on tho trail Of an anise-
seed bag. Some people sneer at this practice.
but 1t is q lively and ahealthful dash even though
the game (so-called) be rather tame. Better yet
is the good old habit Of the South Carolina
planter. who. with his hounds, ran a long
winded fox to earth. still better there are the
cowboys of. say. New Mexico. with their races
across the plains in chase of coyote or antelope
or deer. or even q bear. The game is
worth the struggle then, and the struggle
is worth-how can one estimate the value
Of such q mad chaser 1t is simply glorious, but
there is a race better still-the race for the life
OF an old cock ostrich. With both wings droop-
ing IL IL be at the south. but with one up and
spread like a great sail II 1t be at the north. It
stretches out its neck and fees away. The
sportsman has no need TO urge a we'll
desert horse-it will turn into the hot trail and
stretch out In pursuit till the speed sends q gale
whistling past the ears of the rider and the dust
from his heels fingers above the mesa like the
smoke from a flying express. Nor is the thrill
in the race alone, for there are pitfalls In the
shape OF burrows where a misstep will send the
rider flying sure enough, while gullies and gulches
with perpendicular walls lie here and there
across the trail. The bird with widespread wings
will land in safety. but rider and horse must
stop short on the brink or plunge to certain
death. Better yet. the bird, when overtaken, is
never shot by a sportsman there. He must loose
the bolas from his waist, and. swinging them
with whizzing speed around his head, launch
them forth at the right moment to tangle the
VI thu NV tioio ~ YAH aObko tllo DlOWs
Men pay good prices In the States to see a Capt.
Brewer knock down a pigeon at thirty yards
with a scatter gun, and they probably get the
worth OF their money. but what 10 the skill Of q
pigeon shooter compared with that Of the man
who can strike a running ostrich with the bolas
at a range Of sixty yards?
Once upon a time q milk-white ostrich APP
peared among the gray birds that roamed about
to tho south OF Carmen de Patagones. Its con-
apipunna nOlnr nj nnna Arauv fha Ipdtana apI
gauchos after it. but for some reason their at
tempts TO kill 1t failed, and within n few days
the belief that II was the god OF the ostriches
was spread among the hunters, and thereafter
their superstitious fear OF disaster made them
avoid IL altogether. 1t was seen for some years, |
but the interpretations panther probably got 1t
at last.
Both the eggs and the flesh of the ostrich are
counted good eating. the wings being the most
approved part OF the flesh.
Next In point OF interest to the ostrich are the
various kinds of wild fowl. 1t is with a curious
feeling that the traveller sees ducks singly and
In hOcks come Fastening toward his steamer on
the Patagonian coast instead OF flying from it
IN Wild alarm. A steamer passes each way
along that coast once in three or four weeks.
but the curiosity OF the ducks is not satisfied by
that, nor does such shooting as the steamer off,
GERS do serve to Brighten them 10 a noticeable
$3.50 AN NNN NAANNN
away when one of its number had been shot re-
turn again to hover above the spars, and so lose
a second and even a third individual.
Then. too, in the harbOrs hOcks of ducks fly
up and down and often alight within easy gun
shot Of the landings, while a gunner in a boat
can have all the shooting he wants without the
trouble Of rigging up blinds or using decoys. In
fact to Kill ducks was too easy when | was there.
The number OF ducks seen was not prodigiOus.
Vhara sraa no uilH aalarrr N - uyflI rH,a o.. f,.l |
along shore. 1t was, indeed, difficult to see
what they found to feed on about the harbors.
but enough were there to keep a shooter busy.
This refers to the months OF April and May. and
the people said 1t was the same the year round.
The best sport with a gun, however, is to be
had with the geese. There are two varieties.
and both are quite numerous enough TO satisfy
any one, even about the harbors. On the lakes
both salt and fresh-back in the interior they
are found really by the million, and 80. too.
are the ducks. Around the harbors the
geese frequented the low marshes and the bor-
ders OF the lagoOns that were filled with water
It high tide. No one among the population had
q decOy, and the birds were wild enough 10 get
up at very long range IL = man approached them
openly either on foot OF on horseback. They are
much sWifteT on the wing than they seem 10 be.
and 80 q sportsman could ind use for any grade
OF skill that he possessed. On the other hand
the tenderfoot would not be obliged TO 20 away
without . trophy. IL IL an open country, 30 that
the birds can be seen q kng way on. but there
are bushes enough behind which one may
creep within easy shotgun range.
AS trophies the geese found IN Patagonia are
remarkably beautiful. The ALtsrctic EAnder Il
snow white, with . blulsh Dill y 5ils the female
is eoloFed and mutlsd Ia a way that makes her
little. II any. lisa attractive TO the eye than =
North American wood duck. The duckG on the
other hand, are not especially beautiful. The
teal is about the hAndsOmest OF the lot.
Blaek-necked swans are common enough, the