Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-31
SEPTEMBER SHOOTING
The Sport on the Marshes Will Begin
Next Monday.
Ortolnn and Reed Birds Promise to
Their Slaughter Are Propitious.

Every hunter about Washington knows
that tomorrow will be the first day Of Sep
TENDER, and the laws of Maryland and Iir-
GINA give them the right to shoot reed
birds and ortolan. But tomorrow being
Sunday. and shooting on that day being
prohibited, the hunters will have to wait
until Monday morning before commencing
the slaughter of the innocents.
From all information the season promises
to be the very best that has been seen
about here for years. There is good crop
of wild oats and plenty Of birds. For near
ly month now the birds have been COM
ing in, and the merry "Tweet, tweet,
tweet" OF the dainty little fellows has filed
the night air. They always arrive in the
night and select a good marsh to settle in.
Here they would remain until the food
supply gave out if the hunters did not dis
turb them. But the hunters are after them
as soon as the season opens, and after that
they are kept on the move until the first
frost comes. That ends the season, for the
reed birds like mild climates. and when
Jack Frost puts an end to his visit in
these parts he takes up his long journey to
the south, where he plays havoc with the
rice fields.
Queer characteristics of the Reed
Bird.
The reed bird Is a perfect harlequin. Be-
fore he gets through with his family cares
he Is metamorphosed. AS a proud father
or devoted lover he wears a gaudy plumage
and is known as the bobolink. His plum
age is snowy and he is a most attractive
bird. The upper part of his body is black,
skirted with brownish yellow. Back Of his
head the feathers are cream color, while
his back Is scanned with brownish yellow.
The large part Of his wing, identical with
the scapular of man. is pure white, while
bis back and top tail feathers are similarly
marked. After the breeding season he dis
guises himself and takes on the same
plumage as the female. The coat then Is
yellowish brown above, brownish yellow
below; upper parts and sides below streak
ed with black, wings and tail dusky with
pale edges of the feathers. When thus at
tired he cannot be distinguished from the
female.
EARLY in May in the northern states the
merry chorus of the bobolink is heard,
and he is no mean musician. When he
changes his clothes, however, his song is
hushed, and he contents himself with a
simple, plaintive whistle. clink-link-a-link,
clink-link-a-link. When the reed bird ar
rives in the marshes he becomes glutton,
and all day (wben given a chance) he eats.
He never gets enough, and before many
days the rich food of the wild oats puts
him in very fat condition. So fat do
they get that 1t is not infrequent to have
them burst open when falling to the
ground.
How to Get Reedies.
The marshes about this city furnish ex-
cellent sport for the hunters, and the reg
ular army will be on hand Monday. The
best way to hunt reed birds is by wading
Provide yourself with an old suit of clothes
and tie your trousers tightly about the
ankles. Wear an easy pair of shoes, pref
erably tennis slippers. In your coat pocket
carry couple of raw tomatoes. to quench
your thirst Uhere is nothing better) and
a few sticks of sweetened chocolates, to
satisfy your hunger. Your gun should be
twelve gauge and light 1t Is better to
use smokeless powder. and load your shells
with about three drachms of 1t and an ounce
of number ten shot. If you have a dog,
SC much the better for it won't take many
shots to convince you that it is difficult
matter to find a dead reed bird. Practice,
however, Is a good teacher, and before you
have been in the marsh very many times
You learn how to mark" a dead one.
Pointers About Ortolnn.
A story about reed birds. however brief,
would not be complete without a word
concerning the sora, or ortolan. They be-
long properly to that family of birds
known as "waders." They arrive about
temporary abode in the marshes, lingering
short time after the reed birds leave.
They are slow to get away, and prove an
easy mark for the hunter. But once you
get them up and fail to kill them it's
difficult matter, indeed. to induce them to
rise again. When closely pressed by
deg, they will quietly sink out of sight in
the water. ard poking their bill above the
surface, breathe at leisure and throw con-
sternatioE in the mind of the hunter. They
are hard to pick but when fat are excel
lent eating.