THE VIRGINIAN ORTIX. 211 



the foreigner did an immense public service ; he who 

 introduced the old Spanish pointer deserves the grati- 

 tude of every sportsman, for doubtless our present 

 beauties, with all their speed and sagacity, have much 

 of the blear-eyed, bad-tempered, pottering old scoun- 

 drels' blood in their veins ; and still further, to foreign 

 climes we trace the pheasant, the turkey, and so many 

 more valuable animals that to enumerate them would 

 be tedious. However, I believe that there are quadru- 

 peds, birds, and fishes, still strangers to England, that 

 require only to be known to be appreciated ; and by 

 placing their merits before the public, some one may 

 be found sufficiently patriotic to make the attempt to 

 naturalise them. 



Without more preamble, and to come at once to the 

 point, let me say that in my humble opinion there is 

 no bird more worthy of attention, and more deserving 

 of the honour of introduction to any land, than the 

 American ortix. Its numerous good qualities, together 

 with its description, I will to the best of my knowledge 

 give, hoping it may be the means of our yet seeing this 

 little beauty ornamenting European fields, and adding 

 brilliancy and variety to the game-bags of its numerous 

 enthusiastic sportsmen. The American ortix varies in 

 weight from eight to ten ounces, is erect in his walk, 

 very handsome in plumage, strong upon the wing, 

 feeds principally upon grain, grass seed, and ants, 

 frequents indifferently brush, timber, or open country, 

 is capable of standing cold, is not quarrelsome with 

 other game, and is very prolific, frequently hatching 

 two broods in a season. Moreover, an advantage 

 which cannot be too highly estimated, is that it never 

 gets so wild as to rise so far from your dogs as to be 



