The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-02
THE BIRD WAS A FROG.
How "A Canadian Bested the Duke of
Argyll.

From the Chicago Inter-O Ocean.
A novel sport suggested by the acquired
Canadian taste for a savory French dish is
frog hunting. The pretty French Cana
dian village of Des Aulnaies, near LTslet
Quebec, recently had a frog hunt Dark
lanterns and landing nets were the imple-
ments of the chase, and those who par
ticipated in ii wore the long French
Canadian waterproof moccasins often en-
ployed by American anglers in Canada.
The hunt took place on the shallow edges
of large. marshy pool, shortly after
nightfall, and the hunters procured the
best part of their quarry while wading
knee high in the water.
The pond responded on every side with
the strange music of the game. The
twang! twang! of some of their number,
like the long drawn-out vibration of the
fingered string of a bass viol, mingled
with the clack-um of the younger males
and the believing of their seniors, made
strange discords. Not nfrequently those
who have heard for the first time the
calls Of the old males have mistaken them
for the roaring of distant bull. II is
the note which has given to the Rama
mugiens, the special variety employing
it, its common name of bullfrog. The
French Canadians know 1t as the War
waron, while all smaller frogs of this
and other varieties are grouped under the
common French name Grenoulles They
have no Warwarons in France and con-
sequently no such word in the dictnary
of the French language.
Whenever the music of a frog was
heard near one of the hunters he was in
structed to flash the light of his lantern in
the direction whence the sound proceeded,
and to trap the songster by a dexterous
sweep of the net 1t took novice at the
sport some time to learn to judge from
ahe utterances of the frogs their distance,
and even their direction. When the glare
of the lantern was flashed directly upon a
frog, upon a partially submerged log, a
rock or a water weed, or a lily pad, an
effort was made to entangle 1t in the
meshes of the net, or TO fish ii up out
of the water when il leaped from its perch
ing place at the sight OF the net. AS a
rule. the frogs were dazzed so much by
the sudden flashing upon them of the light
that they were Melted as easily as Indians
spear salmon by torchlight. Frequently
the splashes of great frogs jumping into
the water were heard by the hunters be-
fore they saw them or heard their pecu-
liar melody. The smallest catch was
four and the largest eighteen. Later that
night the hunters sat down to a dainty
supper. at which frog legs were served up.
Most OF the party were epicures and this
dish was no novelty TO them. To those
who had never attempted IL before the ex-
perience was similar to that of eating one s
first oyster. and furnished amusement to
their companions.
Those who hunt frogs as a business
strike them with sticks in the water or
upon It's banks. A japanese nobleman
lately at Lake Edwards on fishing ex-
nedition. amused himself by shooting the
warwarons with shotgun Instead OF
having the legs boiled or roasted and
served up with white sauce. as is done
usually. the gentleman from Japan simply
fried them in butter,
An Ottawa angler describes another