234 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



and sooner or later as they happen to be farther south or 

 north ; four eggs are the usual number, although occa- 

 sionally five may be found. These are about the size of 

 the domestic pigeon's, smooth, of a yellow clay color, and 

 prettily marked with irregular patches of puce or brown. 

 The young, as soon as hatched, run about like the plover, 

 snipe, and the majority of waders, and at the age of four 

 weeks are able to fly. The mother-bird, during the infancy 

 of her progeny, is a most attached and solicitous parent, 

 frequently permitting herself to be captured rather than 

 desert her offspring. What a beautiful example the human 

 family may frequently learn from the insignificant inferior 

 animals ! 



For shooting woodcock, a sport that nearly all are par- 

 tial to, I prefer the setter to the pointer, for the reason that 

 the former are better protected by their thick coats from 

 the thorns of the briers; again, I have found them less 

 liable to become footsore, with a stronger relish for hunt- 

 ing through damp and sometimes wet ground; besides, 

 they are more easily taught to retrieve, and are, in my be- 

 lief, more intelligent. A gentleman who has frequently 

 shot with me across the Atlantic, uses with great success a 

 pair of cocking spaniels, which answer admirably, and make 

 an extremely lively and pretty team, but they are rather too 

 quick for a veteran ; ten years ago, I should have enjoyed 

 nothing better than such companions. One thing I would 

 recommend, that for woodcock - shooting your dogs have 

 plenty of white in their color, for unless such is the case, 

 you will frequently lose a point and shot by walking past 

 them, an annoyance to yourself and a disappointment to 

 your setter. 



Before concluding, I would call the attention of all good 

 and true lovers of the dog and gun to a practice that exists 

 in Louisiana, and doubtless elsewhere, of killing woodcock 



