120 ON THE WING. 



Sometimes they are so wild that the sportsman cannot 

 come within less than rifle-range of them before they 

 take to the wing. 



The Eastern setter or pointer cannot stand the hunt 

 on the plains like the native dogs. The suffering 

 from the hot winds is excessive, and the sports- 

 man is often obliged to carry out water by horse and 

 wagon for the use of his dogs. The hard labor 

 attending this sport makes it so tedious that many 

 hunters do not long continue it. 



Of late years our Eastern markets have been well 

 supplied with this game from Arkansas, Wisconsin, 

 Iowa, and some other Western States. It comes in 

 abundance late in the fall and in the winter, when it 

 is frozen and packed into barrels and sent by railroad. 

 So plenty have these birds lately been in our Boston 

 market that I have purchased them for seventy-five, 

 and even for fifty cents per pair. A large number are 

 brought from Iowa, where they are caught in nets and 

 traps. These come to the market in better condition 

 than those that have been killed with the gun. The 

 meat of these birds is quite dark, and does not relish 

 like that of the ruffed grouse of the Eastern States. 

 The pinnated grouse weighs from three to three and 

 a half pounds, and is easily domesticated ; while the 

 ruffed grouse, on the other hand, is supposed to be, 

 like the quail, completely untamable. 



In order to make fair work in shooting this game, 

 the gun should weigh about eight pounds, be of twelve 

 bore, well balanced in hand, and should be loaded with 

 3| drachms of powder, and ij oz. of No. 6 or 7 shot. 



