INTKoDUCTnKY IMl.MAllKS. 3 



tions, habits, lianiits. seasons, ami the iuimIc df jMirsuin^ 

 Mini takiiiu', ill the most artistical aixl sitort^iiiaii-liko 

 mainuT. of siidi animals as an- j)0(Miliar to this rontincnl, 

 which have ucwv hrcn a subject of investip^atioii to the 

 sj)ortiiig iiaiuialist, seemed to nic to atlonl a topic iiite- 

 restiiiir ainl ajxrceable to iho Avritcr, ami not ilcvoiil ol 

 >omc jTcteiision tnwanl ontortaininu-. and pcrliaps instnict- 

 iniX. the ^meral reader. 



At the same timo, neither jtrctondinu; nor hopiiiL;- to 

 m.ikf my woik /ttr/rrf. I thoii^jiht ]>roper to exercise my 

 own judi::ment in decidiiiLT wiiat species of sports are to be 

 re«rnrded as Field Sports at all, what as American Firld 

 Sports, and what as ret|nirinir drserijition. ;in;dysi--. or 

 exjilanation. 



Some men consider the shootin<r of migratory thrushes, 

 and golden-winged woodpeckers — which it pleases them to 

 call robins and high-holders, — as wrj] as small song-birds 

 in LTonrral. as a l''irld Sjtort ; 1 d" not. 



Many men— I might say, of tlio rni-al parts of tin- 

 Kastorn and Middle State.s, >/io\f men — consider sipiirrels, 

 raccoons, opo.ssums, ground-hogs, and such like vermin, as 

 iKjing Game ; I do nut. Therefore, I dealt not with any 

 of these, nor apologise for not ilealifig with tiiem. 



Again. Fox-hunting on hoi*scl>ark, in a well-fenced 

 arable, or pasture country, is the finest of all Fiehl Sports, 

 l>evond a question. But the facts, that one pack of fox- 



