236 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



the dish within their reach, and not only obtained the pre- 

 cise course to this hive, but have frequently made prisoners 

 of Bees, drawn from other, and more distant hives. The 

 members of the two communities could be easily distinguish- 

 ed, as, the moment one approached the other, a battle be- 

 tween them would immediately ensue. 



When a hive was favourably situated, on a moderate size 

 tree, I would prefer climbing to the spot, and thrust in a 

 lighted match of brimstone, and disable the Bees, until I 

 thought I could take the honey with safety. I would then 

 cut a hole beside the hive and take the honey away, and 

 having provided a small line and a bucket, would lower it 

 down by degrees, until all was accomplished. In this way, 

 I have not unfrequently obtained from one hundred and fifty 

 to two hundred pounds of honey from a single hive. 



When the trees were large, and the hive at a great dis- 

 tance from the ground, the only plan to obtain the honey 

 was to cut down the tree; and, although this is the easiest 

 plan, yet it ought not to be adopted, unless the other fails, 

 as, should the tree be very hollow, it will break in its fall, 

 and most of the honey would be lost. It is also attended 

 with danger, because the anxiety to secure the honey before 

 it runs away, will cause many persons to run immediately 

 to the hive, and they are often punished most severely by 

 the Bees, which swarm on the outside at first to ascertain 

 the cause of their disturbance, but soon return again into 

 the hole, when they can be destro)'ed by means of sulphur, 

 and their honey taken. T. M. H. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE SPORTSMAN. 



A TRUE Sportsman always respects the rules and seasons 

 for shooting, and most heartily despises the man who de- 

 stroys the unfledged brood, or the protectors which Nature 

 has provided for them. * 



He is provided with every article necessary for his excur- 

 sions, without borrowing from his neighbour, or eternally 

 boring his friends for their guns, dogs, or horses. 



In his general exterior, he appears neat, clean, and pro- 

 perly accoutred. His dogs are mannerly, because, by dis- 

 cipline, they are restrained to proper limits, and, when he 

 visits a distant friend, these dogs avoid running into parlours, 

 chambers, or stealing viands from the kitchen fire. They 

 hunt properly, and require no noise, because he has in- 

 structed them in the fundamental principles of hunting. 



He neither curses at, nor abuses his dogs, but, when ne- 

 cessary, chastises them in cool blood, because good breeding 

 has taught him the fallacy of swearing at a dumb brute; or 

 venting his passion on another, when the fault too commonly 

 springs from other sources. 



To his dogs he is merciful and provident; he consults 

 their comfort, and, if he will draw recreation from their 

 services, he repays them by humanity. 



In the field, his demeanour is correct, and free from im- 

 petuosity; deliberation marks all his actions, and his expe- 

 rience is never chargeable with carelessness, or danger, to 

 his companions; to the more inexperienced who accompany 

 him; he is kind, and willing to confer knowledge; to con- 

 tribute to their pleasure by giving many opportunities to 

 shoot, without greedily embracing them himself, for the 

 sake of bagging game. When the dogs point, he does not 

 rush up to the game before his companions are near, and 

 take the first, and, perhaps, the only chance of shooting. 

 If a bird is killed in a joint shot, with a companion, he is 

 cautious not to claim it, but will yield it with pleasure, ra- 

 ther than excite unpleasant feelings, or engender strife. 



He is satisfied with a moderate quantity of game, and is 

 not ambitious to destroy life, for the sake of making a parade 

 of his success; and, when asked, he gives a faithful account 

 of the number killed, and is unwilling to reap the name of 

 a good shot, or great Sportsman, at the expense of truth, 

 by exaggerating his difiiculties, or the account of game 

 killed, to double of what is the reality. 



Although lively and communicative in company with 

 other Sportsmen, he does not boast of his actions, nor his 

 ability to excel his neighbour; neither does he brag of his 

 exploits, nor undervalue his friend's adeptness, for the pur- 

 pose of enhancing his own good name. He hears the abili- 

 ties of others praised without envy, or ridiculing their ex- 

 ploits, or oflering a bet, (accompanied by an oath,) that him- 

 self is superior. The consciousness of his own qualifications 

 does not make him vain and boastful; he is liberal to those 

 he employs, and a stranger to meanness of principle and ac- 

 tion; he avoids injury to the farmer's crops, and never adds 

 insult where injury has been unavoidably caused by him or 

 his dogs. 



He will not waste time or life, by shooting useless birds, 

 merely to gratify vanity, by showing how well he can shoot. 



If he drinks spirituous liquors during his excursions, he 

 does it moderately, so that he may, by its inebriating effects, 

 neither endanger his friends, nor disgrace their company. 



Should he borrow from his friend a dog or gtui, he will 

 not send the one home in a starving condition, nor tlie other 

 broken, dirty, and unfit for use. 



If he makes an appointment, he is strict to accomplish 

 it, and does not waste his time in bed hours after the period 

 to meet his companion has elapsed. 



Unless a man is more or less governed by the above, he 

 cannot lay claim to those principles which constitute a cor- 

 rect Sportsman. 



D. 



