THE REED BIRD. 199 



NETTING REED BIRDS. 



During the last year or two, a Frencli gentleman of our city 

 has been amusing himself in netting these Birds upon the mea- 

 dows, and has been quite successful in the sport, catching 

 immense numbers, oftentimes several hundreds at a single draw 

 of the net. The process of taking Eeed Birds in this way is 

 very simple, but, as we are opposed to all kinds of poaching and 

 unsportsman-like modes of taking any kind of winged game, we 

 will not dwell longer on the subject. 



COMPARED WITH THE ORTOLAN OF EUROPE. 



The flavor of the Eeed Bird is extremely juicy and rich, and 

 assimilates as near as possible to that of the Ortolan of Europe, 

 which interesting fact we very unwittingly tested at a celebrated 

 co/e, in company with some others of our green countrymen, 

 who were in Paris at the same time ; and greatly to our sur- 

 prise as well as indignation, were forced to pay for the infor- 

 mation at the rate of a dollar per head, for these delicate little 

 morceaux. At this rather recherche but expensive feast — for 

 we devoured the poor Ortolans in nearly the same numbers as 

 we were wont to do the Eeed Birds at the height of the season 

 in our own city — we think that the flavor of the French Bird 

 was indelibly stamped upon our palate, in about perhaps the 

 same ratio as the impression made at the time upon our 

 purse, which, en passant, was not very light, we can assure the 

 reader, as we were all Philadelphians, and consequently death 

 on Eeed Birds, and, m course, Ortolans also. As far as we 

 can recollect the particulars of this dejeuner a la fourchette — ■ 

 which, by the by, afforded us all much merriment for a long 

 time afterwards — the company, pretty generally, when partak- 

 ing of the feast, in the goodness of their hearts, or rather in the 

 joy of their stomachs, were quite loud in their praises of the far- 

 famed Ortolan, and all pronounced its flavor much superior to 

 that of the poor unpretending Eeedy of America. But before 

 leaving the cafe, we must acknowledge there were some long 

 faces and short purses in the " crowd," that seemed disposed to 



