UPLAND SHOOTING. 203 



fi)r the especial purpose of gcttinjr this sport in perfection. If 

 the law authorized the shooting them in September, or at the 

 latest on tlie first of October, there are many districts of the 

 country, wliere tlie Ruflied Grouse would aftbrd great sport to 

 tliose, wlio wouhl take the trouble to pursue them into their 

 fastnesses, which requires considerable strength and activity. 



In the meantime, however, while there is no legitimate 

 upland shooting to be had — by legitimate, I mean that, which 

 is followed with dogs, whether Setter, Pointer or Spaniel, in a 

 legitimate and scientific manner — there comes into play, at the 

 very critical moment, the " Bartramian Sandpiper," better 

 known as the "Upland Plover" — " Grass Plover" — "Field Plo- 

 ver," or " Frost Bird" — which as far as a Ijonne bouche for tlie 

 epicure goes, is inferior in my judgment to no bird that flies, 

 unless it be the Canvass-Back ; and there, w^ith the Chancellor, 

 / douht ! As a game-bird, and object of pursuit, I do not my- 

 self care about him, the modus operandi does not suit my book, 

 or entertain me ; nevertheless, there is much skill displayed in 

 circumventing, or as Major Docherty would say, surrounding 

 this wily bird, and as frequently a very large number may be 

 lirought to the bag, it is with some persons a very favorite 

 sport. 



This bird, which by the way is not a Plover, though very 

 nearly allied to that species, is stated by Mr. Aububon to arrive 

 in the Middle States, early in May, to reach INIaine by the mid- 

 dle of that month, to breed from INIaryland northward to the 

 Sashatchewan, and to winter in Texas and Mexico. 



It is shot, in the Eastern and INIiddle States, from Massachu- 

 setts to Pennsylvania, during the months of August and 

 September, and in fact, until it is driven southward by the 

 frosts ; although it is worthy of remark, that it is also killed 

 abundantly so far south as the neighborhood of Charleston, S. 

 C, as early as the middle of July. The great majority of the 

 birds shot in these districts is certainly not composed of those 

 only which are bred here ; but is continually swelled by flocks 

 coming down successively from the north-eastward, where I 



