A SOUTHERLY BAIN. 243 



test of statistics. Corn-husks, pigs' spleens, goose breast- 

 bones, squirrels' magazines of nuts, musk-rat houses, all 

 are relied upon by country people, but not one is trust- 

 worthy. Perhaps the position of the dark and light por- 

 tions of the breast -bones of geese (i. e., geese hatched 

 the previous spring) is more relied upon as an indication 

 of the " open " or cold weather of an approaching winter 

 than all the others ; but it can not be of any use, if for 

 no other reason than because, in a number of such bones 

 reported upon by as many different people, there was 

 nothing like unanimity ; and, strangely enough, it is yet 

 an open question whether the light portion of the bone 

 is indicative of "open" weather, and the dark portion 

 of cold, or vice versa. 



What originally gave rise to these various signs is 

 well worth tracing ; but it is not to be dwelt upon here. 



Having wandered too far already, let us take a back 

 track and return to the hill-top where Uz still is standing. 

 No man who, without any pretensions to " book-learning," 

 studied Nature out-of-doors probably ever excelled Uz 

 Gaunt in correct impressions of Nature's methods. As 

 a sportsman, or u a gunner," as he called himself, he was 

 a success ; for no one could excel him in finding game, 

 or in bringing it down. This, however, never worried 

 me, for he generously gave me chances to shoot, although 

 I often failed to secure a duck which he would surely 



tnot have missed. But Uz kept himself, at times, when 

 [ was with him, so busied about the movements of the 

 birds he sought, and was so interested in determining 

 bow nearly correct he had been in his calculations as to 

 their whereabouts, that he forgot to shoot when they 

 were flushed. Not long since, he sculled up to a flock of 

 widgeon which we could not see, but which he " knew " 

 were "just beyond that clump of alders." I had my 



