242 : AMERICAN GAME. 
called a figure four, they are caught alive in hollow 
traps.” This we, of course, merely mention as illus- 
trative of the habits of the bird; for, of course, no sports- 
man would dream of resorting to so worse than poacher- 
like proceeding. The mode described by the eloquent. 
pioneer of American natural history, is probably prac- 
tised, for the most part, by the negroes for the supply 
of their masters’ table, and furnishing their own pockets 
with a little extra change, and is not used by the plant- 
ers as a means of ‘sport or amusement. It must be 
remembered, also, that Wilson, than whom there is no 
writer more to be relied on in matters which he relates 
of his own knowledge, and as occurring in his own days, 
must often be taken cum grano salis, as to the numbers 
of birds slain in this way or that within a certain time— 
things which he records, probably, on hearsay, and on 
which—we are sorry to say it—even good sportsmen, 
men who on any other subject would scorn to deviate 
one hair’s breadth from the truth, will not hesitate to 
draw a bow as long and as strong as Munchausen’s. 
Again, he writes of times when sporting was but little 
pursued, otherwise than as a method of procuring supe- 
rior food for the table, or for the purpose of destroying 
noxious vermin and beasts of prey; when the rules of- 
sportsmanship were little understood and as little re- 
garded ; and, lastly, when game abounded to a degree 
literally inconceivable in our day—although we have 
ourselves seen, with sorrow, the diminution, amounting 
