WESTERN FIELD SPORTS IN EARLY DAYS. 261 



flew zigzag over the meadows, unable to stop a prairie 

 hen on the first day's shooting. 



These birds are usually hatched, in broods of twelve 

 to fifteen, in May, and on the 1st of August shooting 

 was allowed, though the young birds were not really 

 large enough to be killed till September, their flight being 

 still weak and their flesh insipid; but it was so easy to 

 kill the half -grown birds, that the gunners usually did it, 

 though the sportsmen waited till the grouse were strong 

 on the wing and had a game flavor. 



I was once crossing the prairie west of Chicago, late 

 in July, with a friend, on our way to some woodcock 

 grounds, when we saw a couple of Germans shooting the 

 young grouse. My friend, who was a very free-spoken 

 man, called out to them as we passed: "Say, boys, 

 why don't you suck the eggs? " 



We had in Chicago at that time many good dogs, not 

 valued at hundreds of dollars, as in these wealthy times, 

 but well bred, and good workers in the field. In fact, if a 

 dog was well bred it was easy to train him, where grouse 

 were so abundant. There was a large breed of liver-and- 

 white setters, which, from their size, could easily be seen 

 in the long grass. They were called the " Southport " 

 setters, from a town where they originated. I have seen 

 a young dog of this breed, which had never seen a bird 

 in the field, taken out in the morning with a trained dog, 

 and before night the youngster would stand as stanchly 

 as the old dog. 



I had myself a brace of pointer pups, out of old Phil, 

 which, at six months old, never having been off my 

 premises, were taken by me to a field near town where I 

 thought birds were to be found. While I was fastening 

 my horse, the young dogs jumped the fence and disap- 

 peared. I followed, and found them afar off, apparently 

 standing birds; as I approached, I saw the remarkable 



