Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-01
OUT ON THE MARSHES
sportsmen Commenced Popping at 0rtolan
Early This Morning.
The Difference Between That and the
Reed Bird-BOth Are PIenti-
full This Season.

For week past every individual who
finds sport in the slaughter Of feathered
bipeds has been looking forward eagerly to
September 1. Every variety Of fowling
piece. from the improved hammerless to
the single-barreled muzzle-loader, has been
cleaned and put in condition for use, and
the less fortunate sportsmen who depend
on muskets and carbines for shotgun pur-
poses have oiled and frightened their en-
gines of danger with equal pleasure. Today
nearly all these people and their variety
of guns were on the marshes at early light
intent upon the destruction of ortolan and
reed birds, while to the majority anything
with wings. from a black bird to a fiy-up-
the-creek, was sure Of a loud and warm
welcome. The law that protects marsh
birds expired at II o'clock last night, and
along the Potomac and the Eastern branch
wherever wild rice or similar vegetation
grows there has been a steady and con-
unual pop-pop-pop of guns, for all the
world like the echoes of an alert SkirmiSh
line.
The OrtOIan and Reed Bird.
To the real sportsmen the only bird
deemed worthy of the dignity of their at
tention is the ortolan-that mysterious lit
tie long-legged brown bird of short, quick
flight, which comes from, no ore knows
where. and goes. no one knows whence.
Even in this locality. where the annual
slaughter of the ortolan is enormous, there
Is remarkable amount of ignorance
shown about the ortolan, many people in
sisting upon calling the reed bird by that
name The ortolan is the rail of New Jer-
Sey ard PENNSYLVANIA, and the sora of
the south. The reed bird is the bobolnk of
the north and the rice bird of the south,
where 1t is also frequently called ortolan.
Between the two. however, there are no
features of similarity save the tendency
to feed in the same places The ortolan is
not gregarious, but keeps to himself in
spite OF his numbers. The reed bird loves
company of his kind and travels in i'm
mense fiocks. The best time to shoot both
Is when the tide is high. and ortolan shoot
ing is exciting sport when the birds are
plentiful.
The well-informed ortolan hunter eouips
himself with a twelve-gauge gun and two or
three hundred shells loaded with IL
drains of nitro powder-no one will shoot
black powder any more nowadays-and
He proceeds to the Eastern branch and en-
ploys man and a skiff. If he is fortunate
IN his selection of a man who is an expert
IN polling skiff slowly and evenly
through the wild rice that covers the flats
he Will find SO many ortolan that his gun
barrels will become too hot for his hands
from his constant shooting. Consequently,
many sportsmen use two guns shooting one
while the other Is becoming cool. A good
shot Will frequently have a. many as six or
eight ortolan knocked down in the segment
OF small circle in front of him at one time
and 1t is in such a case that an expert
poler counts. because it is his duty to not
only pole" the skiff. in the front of which
tne gunner sits, but also to mark the dead
birds.
OrtOlnn Very Plentiful.
This year there are more ortolan on the
marshes than has ever been known before
and big bags will undoubtedly mark the
hrst day of the season. There are two we'll
krown spcrtsmen in Washington who al
ways vie with each other on the opening
day to kill the most birds. They are Mr.
William Wagner and Mr.. George Barr.
Last year Mr.. Wagner won, killing on the
nrst day eleven dozen and five ortolan,
while Mr.. Barr bagged one less than eleven
dozen. They are both out today on the
Eastern branch. Other famous ortolan
shots, many of whom are also out on the
marshes. are Norman Pruitt, Tom A. King
or the internal revenue bureau, JOS. Hunter
old reliable" Mckelden, Arthur McCor-
mick. the expert at Tappan's; Arthur Mat
tingly, Oscar Bielaski Andrew Hancock
William Degges, Fenwick Keys, Tom Barry
twenty-gauge gun, and j. II. Buckingham
the veteran theater doorkeeper. Charlie
Laird will miss the day, as he is with the
rinemen at Sea Girt. The ortolan is a
game bird, when compared with the reed
bird. but when they pass the inspection Of
an experienced cook the ''reedy" is king
without question. Later in the season.
when reed birds have gone south, one will
still be able to get them at restaurants
metamorphosed for bill Of fare purposes
from English 81 arrows.