GAME OP AMERICA 43 



Here ends what may, I believe, be termed a complete list of 

 all the game, both quadruped and winged, of the United States 

 and the Provinces ; I am not aware of a single omission ; per- 

 haps, indeed, in the latter portion of my catalogue, the fowl es- 

 pecially, I have admitted some genera, which are of so rare 

 occurrence on the coast, as to fall seldom before the gunner's 

 aim ; and which, therefore, can hardly be enumerated as regularly 

 game. I judged it, however, better to err on this, than on the 

 other side of the question ; and the error, if error there be, 

 will be rectified when I come to speak of the various kinds of 

 shooting, and the habits of the animals pursued in each. 



And here I should, perhaps, apologize to my readers for the 

 apparent but necessary dryness of this part of my work. A 

 catalogue never can be rendered entertaining, and yet it is indis- 

 pensable. I think I can promise that future pages will possess more 

 interest to the general reader, although I should strenuously 

 urge it on him, who desires really to make himself a master 

 of the subject, not to skip or slur over the above list of names, 

 but to fix them in his understanding and his memory, as I shall 

 have constant occasion to refer to them hereafter, and as a know- 

 ledge of them is absolutely necessary to the acquisition of skill 

 and science in field sports, in their widest range and most liberal 

 signification. 



I now come to the subdivisions of my subject, according to 

 the different regions of country to which the different kinds 

 of shooting and hunting, and the different species of game be- 

 long. These, it appears to me, are threefold, chiefly. 



First. Upland shooting, which may be termed particularly the 

 field sports of the Northern and Midland States, consisting in the 

 pursuit of small game — as the Pinnated and Ruffed Grouse, the 

 Quail, the Woodcock, the Snipe, the Upland Plover, the Hare, 

 the Rail, and one or two species of Duck, which are found only 

 on inland streams and marshes — with the double gun, and the 

 trained pointer, setter, spaniel, or retriever. 



Second. Fowl shooting, whether from sailing-boats, batteries, 

 or otherwise ; and, under this head, I include the killin"- of the 



