AMERICAN GAME. 307 



The custom of selling game is, I am glad to see, becoming 

 very general amongst the principal proprietors. To the care- 

 less observer it may at first appear an unjust proceeding for 

 the landlord to sell game which feeds on the farms of his 

 tenants ; but, practically, I scarcely know an instance where 

 the latter are not most amply remunerated ; indeed the 

 farmer can legally claim indemnification if his landlord is so 

 unjust and unwise as to refuse it. It should be remembered 

 also, that although rabbits, hares, arid deer undonbtedly do 

 much damage to crops, all flying game are assistants rather 

 than enemies to the farmer. 



In many of our larger towns the game-shops are even 

 supplied with birds from America, which are brought by the 

 steamers via Liverpool. The ruffed grouse, a very beautiful 

 bird, and excellent for the table, a smaller species of grouse, 

 and even the far-famed canvas-backed duck, find their way 

 over in these rapid vessels. The latter bird, however, does 

 not seem likely to become a profitable article of commerce, 

 as the price at which it is sold in America is greater than 

 can be obtained for it in this country. Although the canvas- 

 backed duck is a kind of pochard, yet, unlike our ducks of 

 that species, it does not feed by diving, but almost wholly on 

 the wild celery and other succulent plants; and this it is which 

 gives its flesh the exquisite flavour so much praised by all 

 who have eaten it. Excellent as our own mallards are when 

 well fed in the corn-fields, the canvas-backed duck is un- 

 doubtedly far superior. 



Besides the common eatable ducks, such as the mallard, 

 the widgeon, and the teal, golden eyes, scaup ducks, scoters, 

 and indeed every possible variety, are to be found in the 

 large poulterers' shops : swans, geese of all kinds (the bernacle 

 goose from Ireland principally, and the brent goose from 

 almost all our coasts), are to be had in profusion : but these 

 birds, and indeed all wild fowl, are so variable in their flavour, 

 according to the feeding-ground they come from, that the 

 careful buyer should always endeavour to learn where they 

 have been killed. 



Strange as it may appear, mergansers, goosanders, and all 

 the fish-eating and rank-tasted birds, even including cor- 

 morants and sea-gulls, find consumers among the inhabitants 

 of large towns, who are exceedingly omnivorous, and by no 

 means over fastidious in their tastes ; and so wide is the 

 range of ornithological traffic in which the poulterers engage, 



