1$ SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



of the soil. It remains in its domicile all day, often 

 exposed to the I'ays of the sun ; but as soon as night 

 comesj it salHes out " seeking whom it may devour.^^ 

 If the soil be firm, the hole is only a few inches 

 deep; but if soft, it will sometimes be from two to 

 three feet. It is then no longer a hole but a burrow, 

 and to draw the fjrt-grl from thence a string is 

 required, with a morsel of carrion at the end of it — 

 when this is dropped in, it is the corpse which was 

 waited for. Crack ! The gr'i-gri pounces on its 

 prey, but is forthwith drawn out gently and pouched 

 by the fisherman without further ceremony. 



The cleverest gr'i-gri fisher is the white ibis of 

 Texas and Louisiana. It advances very quietly, 

 demolishes the heap of dirt around the habitation of 

 the grl-p'i, and fills up the cavity with the rubbish. 

 He then retires softly, and waits patiently until the 

 gri-gri comes forth to repair the mischief; where- 

 upon, Master Ibis seizes him in his beak and bolts 

 him in a twinkling. Which is the more ingenious, 

 — man or the ibis ? Before quitting the subject, I 

 would testify that the flesh of the gri-gri is deli- 

 cious, and resembles somewhat that of the European 

 crawfish;* but alas! they are mostly to be found 



* To tlie English, -n'lio usually prefer the lobster to the crawfish 

 {Paliimrus vulgaris), ;fhis may seem no very high compliment ; but 

 many French epicures give the palm to the latter crustacean, which 

 they call la langouste. Those who have eaten the delicate and fla- 

 vourous crawfish of the Bay of Biscay, will not be disposed to differ 

 very widely from this judgment. — Teaks. 



