yo Hunting Trips of a Ranchman 



to the prairies and grassy uplands. They are never 

 silent, and their discordant noise can be heard half 

 a mile off. Whenever they discover a wagon or a 

 man on horseback, they fly toward him, though usu- 

 ally taking good care to keep out of gunshot. They 

 then fly over and round the object, calling all the 

 time, and sometimes going off to one side, where 

 they will light and run rapidly through the grass; 

 and in this manner they will sometimes accompany 

 a hunter or traveler for miles, scaring off all game. 

 By the end of July or August they have reared their 

 young; they then go in small flocks, are compara- 

 tively silent, and are very good eating. I have never 

 made a practice of shooting them, though I have 

 fired at them sometimes with the rifle, and in this 

 way have now and then killed one ; twice I have hit 

 them on the wing with this weapon, while they were 

 soaring slowly about above me, occasionally passing 

 pretty near. 



The grass plover is found in the same places as 

 the curlew, and like it breeds with us. Its flesh is 

 just as good, and it has somewhat the same habits, 

 but is less wary, noisy, and inquisitive. The golden 

 plover is only found during the migrations, when 

 large flocks may sometimes be seen. They are de- 

 licious eating; the only ones I have ever shot have 

 been killed with the little ranch gun, when riding 

 round the ranch, or traveling from one point to 

 another. 



Like the grouse, and other ground-nesting birds, 

 the curlews and plovers during breeding-time have 



