14 



tiif: naturalists club. no. i. 



Oil the 17th of August last, just as the sun was preparing to say 

 good eveniug to a glorious day, a boat might have been seen sliootitig 

 out of a cove of the beautiful Susquehanna, not far from Columbia, 

 freighted with live slock of the genus homo. There were five specimens, 

 who had spent the day in learned converse on the wonders of creation; 

 they had examined the length of a flea's toe with microscopic aid — they 

 had leafed over ponderous tomes to determine differences where was no 

 distinction — they had accurately measured the dimensions of an ani- 

 malcule that was invisible to the naked eye — 



" Of birds and flowers they talked, 



Plants, insects, trees and many creeping things." 



Tliey now sought relaxation from severer labors by an aquatic excur- 

 sion, and their little bark " walked o'er the water like a thing of life," 

 for two sturdy arms plied the yielding oars. Entomophilos sat in the 

 prow — he was the Nestor of tlie crew ; Encyclopedianus occupied the 

 stern : he was owner and commander; Ornithophilos, with gun in hand, 

 watched the tall heron as he flew to his roost; — Paganus (not a Pagan, 

 but a right good christian and a villager.,) was leaning over to fish up 

 beetles floating by; and Urbanus, "a dweller in cities," rowed the fir- 

 built boat. " Oinith.," cried Ento.,"look above you." In less time than 

 this is written, there was a report of his gun, and a large blue heron was 

 struggling on the surface of the water. " A good shot!" was echoed 

 all around. 



" Do you ever miss on the wing ?" asked Encyc. 



" Not often when I'm in good nerve." 



"Did you ever try yourself at an object thrown up by another ?" 



"Yes, and won a good supper for myself and six others from a 

 country tavern-keeper. We were out gunning one day, and stopped at 

 a house for refreshment. The publican oflered to bet that I could not 

 hit a quarter six times out of nine. I took him up. I loaded both bar- 

 rels — the quarter was thrown. I banged away and struck it twice be- 

 fore it fell. I did the same thing twice; the fifdi shot I knocked it so 

 far oft' that I was obliged to run after it to liit it again before it fell, but 

 the publican cried out, " I give it up — you nced'nt try any more — I've 

 lost. — Now what will you have ?" said he. 



"Coffee and chicken fixens for six," I replied. 



" You shall have them, and never did I pay a lost bet more cheer- 

 fully," was his answer. 



"^That \\3.s J'oivl shooting," dryly remarked Paganus. 



