THE REED-BIRD. 213 



we will, therefore, confine ourselves to one single instance, in which 

 thirteen dozen were picked up, — the result of a raking fire poured 

 into a flock from an old fowling-piece that "scattered most con- 

 foundedly." This is not by any means the largest number we 

 have heard of being bagged at one coup de fusil; but the account 

 is well authenticated and within bounds of credence, and we give 

 it to our readers as such, for we have no reason to doubt the vera- 

 city of the party who told us. 



NETTING REED-BIRDS. 



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

 has been amusing himself in netting these birds upon the meadows, 

 and has been quite successful in the sport, catching immense num- 

 bers, oftentimes several hundreds at a single draw of the net. The 

 process of taking reed-birds in this way is very simple ; but, as we 

 are opposed to all kinds of poaching and unsportsmanlike 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 reed-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 

 cafS^ in company with some others of our green countrymen who 

 were in Paris at the same time, and, greatly to our surprise as 

 well as indignation, were forced to pay for the information at the 

 rate of a dollar per head for these delicate little morceaux. At 

 this rather rechercM but expensive feast — for we devoured the 

 poor ortolans in nearly the same numbers as we were wont to do 

 the reed-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 reed-birds, and, in course, ortolans 



