AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



47 



servations. There is no doubt, that if they will consult 

 their experience, they will find they have realized the 

 truth of these leading points. 



I will venture to assert, that if landholders,in some favour- 

 able portion of the country — say a considerable area in any 

 cultivated part of New-Jersey, for instance — will make the 

 experiment, and place the whole of theirgameunder the pro- 

 tection of a given number of Sportsmen, the increase of birds 

 will be much greaterthan by any other method. I would not 

 destroy the traps and snares of the farmers' boys, but let 

 them catch as many as they can. The Sportsman is to 

 be unrestrained in regard to the number of clays he wishes 

 to hunt; but every other individual, with a gun, found tres- 

 passing, must be turned off of the privileged spot; and I 

 feel confident, that this district would produce, every sea- 

 son, a greater number of Partridges than any other of the 

 same magnitude throughout the state. D. 



January 27, 1834. 



THE SCOTCH DOCTOR AND THE JACKALLS. 



Doctor S was on board a Company's ship lying 



at or near Diamond Harbour; and being short of amuse- 

 ment, and feeling the bump of destructiveness more 

 strongly developed than usual on the surface of his peri- 

 cranium, he took up his gun, and went on shore to lay 

 wait for the Jackalls. In his walk along the beach he en- 

 countered the carcase of a dead buffalo — and, thinking 

 himself sure of sport, lay down behind some bushes, and 

 waited till the moon rose. Jackalls poured down from the 

 woods by dozens, and began to pick the buffalo's bones. 

 The Doctor cocked his percussion — and thought to him- 

 self, "The de'il my coveys! — boot I ha' thee noo! — 

 here gooes for wha's the best mon, a Scot or a Jackall!" 

 No sooner said than done, — the Doctor blazed away right 

 and left, and through the cloud of his own smoke, dashed 

 down the beach to bag his game! Alas! not a Jackall's 

 brush was singed! — and, to the Doctor's consternation, 

 instead of running away, the animals stood looking at him 

 with much coolness; and though frightened by the report at 

 first, they now began to collect round him, in great num- 

 bers, as if unwilling to be choused of their booty. Dr. 

 thought they might relish a bonny Scotsman more 



Doctor; " and the varmints look as if they would na 

 mind a bit o' Christian flesh!" 



Strange and almost unparalleled as the incident may 

 appear — and I had it from the Doctor himself— the hun- 

 gry Jackalls, when a cloud passed over the moon, began 

 to encompass him around, and yelping and grinning with 

 their long fangs, forced the Doctor to back as they ad- 

 vanced. 



Dr. S brandished his firelock, and shouted, "Hoot 



awa! Hoot awa' !" with all his vigour; but the cunning 

 animals seemed aware of his being out of powder, and as the 

 buffalo lay at the edge of the water, they fairly drove him 



into the river up to his chin, shrieking, "Hoot awa! 



hoot awa! — the de'il damn your mither's sons!" — and 

 being unwilling to lose his powder-horn, and yet afraid to 

 attack such a host of " hoongry beasts," he waited shi- 

 vering in the limpid element for many hours, till the 

 gray of morning induced his conquerors to retire. 



Nothing annoys the Doctor so much as the question: 

 "Which is the best mon, Doctor, a Scot or a Jackall ?" 

 I believe it was S 's first and last sporting excursion. 



He left off shooting on the wise principle of a cele- 

 brated tiger-shot, who having killed nine, and narrowly 

 escaped being torn in pieces by the tenth, relinquished the 

 sport forever: and, when jeered for his timidity, he coldly 

 replied, " Tiger-hunting is a delightful recreation while 

 you hunt the tiger, but not quite so agreeable when the 

 tiger takes it into his head to huntyow." 



[London Sport. Mag. 



than a carrion buffalo, and fumbled for his ammunition. 

 But, unlike a wise general, he had left his powder-flask un- 

 der the bushes; and the gaunt bony forms of the Jackalls were 

 now stealing down towards him from that quarter. " The 

 de'il! — the de'ill! — but my retreat is cut ooff!" wailed the 



THE HUMMING BIRD. 



BY MRS. TUBIfEH, 



Say, feather'd gem, of rain-bow dyes, 

 With ruby breast and emerald wing, 



Gay glittering in the sunny skies, 

 Like flitting flash of lightning. 



Say — is that busy, busy hum, 



Thy joyous song of love ? or fear 



Lest some rude rival bee, should come. 

 Thy favourite flowers too near 1 



Or canst thou from that tiny bill, 

 A silvery lay of sweetness pour, 



The bosom of thy mate to thrill 

 With fairy lover's lore 1 



And can that little breast e'er beat 



With passion's ardent glow 1 

 Feel anger's stern, impetuous heat 



Or love's fond fervour know 1 



