AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



ler 



This being ascertained, the winners smile, 

 But with no taunting jibes their mouths defile. 

 Then to the house resort, (except some stickers, ) 

 And there regale them with the Major's* liquors. 



D. 



* Major Rose, who formerly kept the tavern on the ground where the New 

 Piffeon Club shot their matches. 



PROSPECT OF GAME. 



The season for shooting Woodcocks will open on the 

 5th of July, according to law, but the work of destruction 

 has already commenced in the neighbourhood of this city, 

 and some parts of New Jersey. The birds, however, are 

 small, and poor, and can only be valued for the sport of 

 hunting them, and not for their fitness for the table. The 

 season, thus far, has been favourable to the increase of this 

 species of game, which indeed appears to be more plentiful 

 than for many preceding years, there being scarcely a spot 

 of ground adapted to the habits of the Woodcock, which 

 does not contain them. 



This is a fortunate thing for our sportsmen, whose regret 

 at the severities of the past winter will find some allevia- 

 tion in being able to pursue this bird in anticipation of 

 the usual fall's sport after quails — and I would here most 

 strenuously advise my fellow sportsmen, especially those 

 whose impatience mostly outweighs their prudence — to let 

 the season for woodcock and rail suffice them for the year, 

 and in no instance during the approaching fall, destroy 

 quails — one winter's protection to these birds, will repair, 

 in a great measure, the havoc, which the protracted snows 

 of the past winter have made on this favourite game, and 

 the foresight and prudence of one year will advance the 

 means of recreation two-fold. 



I am pleased to say, and it may be satisfactory to many 

 sportsmen to know, that there is yet a remnant of quails 

 in existence, which has been cherished either by some 

 friendly hand, or the vigorous constitutions of the birds 

 have bufieted the inclemencies of a winter unprecedented 

 in its severities. Through the middle and lower part of 

 New Jersey, as far as Cape May, an occasional " Bob 

 White" may be heard, and in the neighbourhood of Phi- 

 ladelphia, and counties adjacent, as well as other States, 

 this bird is also heard. 



I was informed that a gentleman, during the latter part 

 of this spring, who was standing in front of his house, 

 which borders the river Delaware, a few miles above this city, 

 observed some unusual appearance in the water, and seem- 

 ed like a number of rats swimming to the shore; on approach- 



ing the spot, however, he discovered it to be a covey of 

 quails, which had, no doubt, attempted to pass from Jersey 

 to Pennsylvania, but, by reason of the width of the river, 

 they were unable to do so, and settling in the water, were 

 obliged to make up the deficiency in their flight by swim- 

 ming; through wet and fatigue they were nearly exhausted, 

 but a few minutes rest recruited their strength, and enabled 

 them to continue their migration. 



This circumstance, in some measure, accounts for the 

 reason, why, during harvest, and until the middle of Sep- 

 tember, the region about Philadelphia has hitherto been 

 so plentifully sprinkled with coveys of quails — for, being 

 of a rich soil, and aflbrding abundant food, it invites the 

 migration of these birds from New Jersey, and which 

 remain with us until the farmers plough their ground again 

 for the winter's grain, when the means of subsistence being 

 in a great measure destroyed, they commence running 

 until the Delaware impedes their progress, over which 

 they fly in accumulated numbers, to spend the winter in 

 Jersey; the soil of the latter place not being able to sus- 

 tain the same degree of cultivation as the former, much 

 food and cover for the quails consequently remain, and 

 hither they resort until the subsequent spring. M. 



Philada. June 27, 1831. 



SHOOTING MATCH. 



An interesting Pigeon match, for Five Hundred Dollars 

 a side, was decided on Wednesday, June 22d, 1S31, at 

 Cornell's near Bristol, Pa. The parties were Messrs. 

 T. P. G. and J. L., of Philadelphia, against Dr. G. W. 

 and Mr. H. S., of New Jersey. Each person shot at 

 twenty birds, twenty yards from the trap, and stood as 

 follows: 



Birds. Birds. 



Mr. T. P. G 15 Dr. G. W 17 



Mr. J. L 19 Mr. H. S 15 



34 32 



Being won by the former party by two birds. 



The Shooting was represented to have been very fine; 

 each person shooting, in his turn, at five birds, until the 

 twenty shots were accomplished. Mr. J. L. killed his 

 first seventeen birds, missed the eighteenth, and killed the 

 other two birds, making the nineteen killed. 



Mr. H. S. counted only 15 birds, but 19 were killed by 

 him, the other 4 having fallen dead out of bounds. 



The Jersey gentlemen challenged the successful party to 

 a second trial, on a future day, but the challenge was de- 

 clined. 



