HINTS FOE SOUTHERN HUNTING. 31 



that may catch in bridle reins, will avoid annoyance. For 

 alligators, the Mead explosive ball is unequalled, and its 

 use increases very materially the chances of so shocking 

 and stunning those tenacious animals, as to recover 

 them at once. As they lie on logs, and on slimy banks, 

 they usually retain life enough to wriggle into the water, 

 when they sink ; but we have shot them with the Mead 

 bullet, and have seen them dash out upon the land, and 

 be unable to get any command of their movements. All 

 the talk of a ball glancing harmlessly from their scales 

 may have been true years ago, but the modern rifle 

 carries its missiles through the scales and skull, and 

 penetrates any part of the animal, even at a long range. 

 For all but &quot; gaitor,&quot; the shot gun is the convenient 

 arm. Deer are usually &quot; jumped &quot; and shot bounding 

 through the large leaves of the low palmetto, and at all 

 times one load of fine shot is needed for quail, snipe, and 

 plumaged birds, that are constantly fluttering up. 



Wild turkeys are hard to kill, but often an expert 

 caller will bring them so near that missing is needless, 

 and the use of a wire cartridge of large shot in one barrel 

 will do all that can be done to insure success in getting 

 this superb bird, which is a far finer trophy, and more 

 difficult to obtain than any that tempts the sportsman 

 from his camp while the day has not dawned. The 

 hen turkey should never be shot (she can be readily 

 distinguished by her color), as the broods will at once 

 disperse and thus deprive the sportsman of his pastime. 

 Quail should not be shot after the 1st of March. 



No dainty split bamboo rods, nor leaders of tinted 

 gut need be carried south of the mountains of Carolina ; 

 for the trout, grayling, and salmo salar live not in the 

 streams that bear away the washings from rich mellow 



