The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-23
RICE BIRDS ARE PLENTY.
The Toothsone Little Morsels Fat
and Juicy.

and Juicy.
/ Rice birds are in season again. The
hunters have been bringing them in for a
| week now, and the price is beginning to
| get within reach of the ordinary man S
| pocket. When they first began TO come
in the birds brought a dollar a dozen
/ readily, but the price dropped rapidly,
and last night the hunters were selling
| them at 30 cents d dozen.
The birds are said TO be very plentiful
this year, and the price will probably
drop down as low as % cents q dozen be
fore the end OF the season. The birds
are now being slaughtered by the thou
sands every day. 1t is no uncommon
thing for one hunter to bring in several
hundred. One discharge from a gun will
sixty.
The rice bird is justly famed as the most
toothsome delicacy of the coast Its
fame IS by no means confined to the coast
country either, and no first-class restau-
rant IN any large city thinks its bill of
1are complete at this season of the year
without the familiar announcement of
rice birds on toast" The number of
people engaged at this season of the year
In the slaughter of these feathery little
morsels IS much larger than is generally
supposed
The large fish dealers make a good
thlng or II at this season of the year by
shipping them In cold storage to all parts
Of the country. New York secures a large
supply from Savannah. and thew are
shipped as far west as st. Louis The rice
olrd IS nothing more than little lump of
lat wrapped around a few fragile bones.
AS is well known they soon spoil if left
exposed to the warm air, but a
Leading restauranteur informed a
MORNING News reporter last night
that rice birds keep lust as
well as any other game if properly frozen
by the cold storage process, and can be
served in good condition six months after
being killed. The large dealers make
contracts with hunters for the season and
thousands of dollars worth of rice birds
are shipped away from Savannah every
season.
A curious fact, showing the habits of
the rice birds, was broughG to the atten-
tlon OF a MORNING News reporter last
night. A hunter had Just made a sale of
punch OF several dozen to restaurant
man. The latter was examining his pur-
chase.
Here's Waterman" he said, holding
up skinny little fellow, distinguished
by his lack of fat from his fellows
Yes" assented the hunter, Il had
eight watchmen on one bunch to-day"
In response TO the inquiry as to what
was meant by watchmau, as regards
rice birds it was explained that watch
men are birds who pearch upon bushes
and keep watch while their companions
feed. AS a result watchmen are always
poor and skinny, while their companions
are rolling in fat Judging by their APP
pearance the little sentinels must be
faithful to their trusts. Neverth eless
they frequently meet the fate of their
fellows. Perhaps they fall asleep on
their posts from hunger and fatigue.
More likely they are killed on the wing
while the droves are flying past the
hunter.
Rice bird hunting is not hunting, pure
and simple. There is lutte sport in it.
Inc hunters gun is loaded with large
charges of the very smallest shot, and he
simply empties it point blank into the
drove as soon as he gets close enough. No
Workmanship is required. The chief
trouble is in picking up the birds which
fall in the rice or in the grass and weeds
on the canal banks and into the water.
IL is SAID that as many birds are lost as
are found, in which case, the destruction
IN this manner must be very great. The
rice planters Like to have the birds killed
out, as they destroy great quantities of
rice in the milk, but they don't want the
hunters trampling through the fields,
and, for this reason, the latter are gen
orally compelled to keep to the canal
banks.