Jura 8, 1882.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



867 



As Albino Surf Duck.— A white dunk of one of the 

 three spscies of sea ducks known along the New England 

 coots," was recently seen at Scarboro, and sought 

 far by the gunners. It was finally shot May 6 by George E. 

 Cosliman, of Cape Elizabeth. The bird proved to be a 

 "patch-head coot" or surf duck ((Elemia psrspidll/xia of 

 modern authors). The lull, feet and eyes were of normal 

 plumage pure white, excepting patches of black 

 under the wings, upon each cheek, and some black feathers 

 upon the lower pails. — Everett Smith (Portland, Me., 

 Slay »)• 



The Wiud Turkey.— We understand that Audubon's 

 large oil painting of " The Wild Turkey" is now for sale. 

 This superb work represents a male, female and brood, and 

 flps regarded by the naturalist as one of his best paintings. 

 The companion piece to this painting, " The Scotch Grouse," 

 tiras sold some years since to Mr. Frederick De Peyster. 

 Tie picture can be seen at 32 West Fortieth street, New 

 York 



Brown Thrusheb on Broadway.— New York, May 22. 

 :SL day or so ago, as I was walking on Broadway, I saw a 

 town thrush (tfarpomynchm rufus) fall fluttering to the 

 pavement exhausted. I am quite ceitain it was wild, as I 

 examined it in the hands of the man that caught it. — A. T. 



%&tt[t §ttg rn[& %m\. 



— > 



THE 



tompleat Markfman: 

 I 



The True Art 

 or 



shooting - Flying: 



A 



, J POEM. 



By the Hon. Robert Coote, Efq; 



Ye rural Sport/men lend an ear. 

 Attend my Song, my Precepts hear; 

 Suck ample Rules I here impart. 

 You 11 learn with Eafe the S!u>oling-Art. 



L N D ON. 



Compleat Markfman. 



YE rural Sporlfmen lend an ear, 

 Attend my Song, my Precepts hear; 

 When Love, and Sleep, have crown'd the Night, 

 Arife from Slumber with the Light; 

 When Eaftem Streaks their Beams difplay, 

 Arife, be clad, and hade away. ' t 



A fporting ne'er prefume to come. 

 Without a little Cordial Rum; 

 A proper Wicker- Bottle fill, 

 That will contain about a Gill. 

 If fick a Gulp will make you well; 

 'Twill keep out Air, the Wind expel; 

 And, fhould the Gripes, or Cholic feize ye, 

 A little Dram will quickly eafe ye; 

 Or, if your Spirits fail, a Dram 

 Adds Vigour to purfue the Game. 



But, let your prudent Care be fuch. 

 As not to drink a Gulp too much: 

 A Sup is good to keep you warm, 

 A Sap too much will do you Harm: 

 For, if a Dram too much you take. 

 It will your Sight unfteady make; 

 'Twill blunt your Eyes, and fpoil your Aim, 

 And then, my Friend, farewell the Game! 

 A Morning-Sot, without Difpute, 

 Can never aim, though he may (hoot. 



' The Markfman fhould the Bottle fpare, 

 At leaft, of all Excefs beware; 

 If you a Dram unwifely take, 

 Some fatal Step perhaps you'll make: 

 The Turkies flay, the Geefe deftroy; 

 In Mifchief all the Day employ. 



Procure your Tackle, Gun, and all, 

 And then your cheerlul Pointers call; 

 But, prithee, don't forget to bring 

 Into the Field, a Partridge-Wing; 

 And having cleans'd with utmoft Care, 

 The Touch-Hole from the Dufl and Smear, 

 Proceed to charge, and Prime the Gun; 

 (This mull not Over-Night be done, 

 For, if 'tis loaded Over-Night, 

 The Prime will hifs, and not be right.) 

 Prime not too full, 'twill merit Blame; 



The hanging Fire will fpoil your Aim: 

 The Reafon is, if I muft tell, 

 The Preffure does the Flame repel. 



In Charging, thofe who moft excell, 

 Take care to ram the Powder well; 

 But then, it muft not be forgot, 

 To ram, with T endernefs, the Shot: 

 One Thiid of Nitrous Dufh will do, 

 And take of Shot the other Two: 

 Then fearch for Tow, the Whole to clofe. 

 The fitted Thing that can be chofe. 



Be careful to obferve my Hints, 

 Provide a Tum-fcrew, Worm, and Flints; 

 For though no Accidents arife, 

 To guard againft them, muft be wife. 



For who would venture o'er a Den 

 Of Rogues, and Thieves, and Highwaymen, 

 Without a Weapon of Defence? 

 The Anfwer's plain, — No Man of Senfe. 



Perhaps the Reader may object, 

 And fay, he might not be attack'd; 

 I grant it true; but if he fhould, 

 The Weapons then might do him good; 

 And if you thus for Chance prepare, 

 You may your Accidents repair. 



When thus equipp'd, your Sport purfue, 

 Regardlefs of the Dirt or Dew: 

 The loit'ring fool fhould keep in Bed, 

 And there repofe his drowfy Head: 

 Let pamper'd Mortals ftay at Home, 

 Such Wretches are unfit to come. 

 Whoever fails in any Part, 

 Can ne'er be Mafter of the Art. 



Not eager, or without Concern; 

 A Medium in your Actions learn: 

 Be fare Take Time, — the chiefeft Rule, 

 That's practic'd in the Markfman's School; 

 Mod giddy Youths the Sport confound, 

 By firing on improper Ground. 



True Sportfmen Stoic-like fhould be 



Suite eafy, unconcern 'd, and free, 

 ot eager firing off at Random, 

 Or let a tim'rous Fear command 'em. 



Suppofe me going with a Friend, 

 In rural Sports, the Day to fpend; 

 Suppofe we faw a Feafant fprung, 

 His flutt'ring Wings the Valleys rung! 



Behold he mounts! — take Aim and Fire! 



Well done!— You've granted my Defirr! 



He's down! — Well done, I do declare, 



You've done your Businefs to a Hair. 



Quick, quick!— Recharge! don't let it reft! 

 And to your Dogs repofe the reft. 

 Recharge! before the Air gets in! 

 To loiter is a Shame and Sin; 

 The Barrel will the Powder heat, 

 And make the Charge the more complete; 

 The Touch-hole too, if H ifte you make, 

 More freely will the Powder take. 



Some, unacquainted with the Art, 

 Will fall to eleanfing every Part, 

 Until the Piece has loft its Heat, 

 And there fucceeds a clammy Sweat. 



And if the Bird be (lightly touch'd. 

 And down fhe fits moft (lily couch'd, 

 When you the Victim go to take, 

 She may a fecond Effort make, 

 And foar with broken Flight away, 

 While you lament th' efcaping Prey: 

 For Feafants very often rife, 

 And mount, with waddling Flight, the Skies. 

 A Bird, that I've concluded (lain, 

 I've often feen to rife again, 

 And to fome diftant cover fly, 

 To droop, and agonizing die. 



Woodcocks, and Snites efcape but rare, 

 When in the Wing they wounded are; 

 But Feafants very feldom lie, 

 With mortal Wounds they often fly. 



A Partridge fprung. Sir, Ha! — (he's gone! 

 You'd Time enough! — you (hot too foon! 

 Not Twenty Yards in Sight — for Shame! 



You don't deferve a Markfman's Name! 



You'd maul'd her with a proper Aim! 

 Permit her Forty Yards to go, 

 The Gun will ftirer Mifchief fow: 

 But when too near, the Cafe is this; 

 You either mangle her, or mifs. 

 And if too far you (lightly wound, 

 Nor make the Game defcend to Ground: 

 In mooting all Extremes refufe; 

 Take my Advice, a Medium choofe. 



But when the Trees confound the Scene, 

 You cannot keep the Golden Mean; 

 When Woodcocks dodge, we know no Laws, 

 Neceffity admits no Paufe. 



In Erfh of Barley, Oats or Wheat, 

 Where charming Quail, and Partridge fit, 

 Or in the Springs, where lovely Snite, 

 Will bore, to pleafe their Appetite; 

 Or where the Polt in Open Heah, 

 Moves in an even Line from Death; 

 There, if the p ece be fully prov'd, 

 Purfue the Mark when far reinov'd; 

 Raife up the Mouth above the Game, 

 And fire away, with careful Aim. 

 But judge before you execute; 

 Take Aim, and not at Random fhoot. 



The Cock is indirect in flight, 

 Like rapid Lightning flies the Snite, 

 Till diftance overcomes her Fright, 



Then ftraight along they gently fly, 

 And (lightly wounded, fall, and lie. 

 By Length and Motion of their Wings, 

 (Which are fuch long, fuch cumbrous Things) 

 So eafy maim'J, when Twenty fall, 

 Perhaps none dead amongft them all. 



When Snites receive a mortal Wound, 

 With fteady Wings they fkim around; 

 Expanded open like a Kiie, 

 They fmoothly fwim 'till fpent in Flight; 

 And where there iM/ans Motion lie, 

 And feldom move, but filent die. 



The gen'ral flying Marks are Five, 

 By thofe who to Perfection dive: 

 Obferve, of Lneals, Two there are; 

 A Traverfe and a Circular; 

 The Fifth Oblique, which none can teach, 

 But Practice, Perfectnefs can reach. 



When Birds fly onward to your Face, 

 Stand ftill awhile, and let them pafs; 

 Unlefs fome Trees behind you ftand; 

 Then manage with a careful Hand; 

 Advance the Mouth above her Head, 

 And Ten to One you ftrike her dead. 



When Birds fly from you in a Line, 

 With Care, I may pronounce them thine; 

 Obferve with Skill, to raife your Piece, 

 'Till there's no open under Space, 

 Betwixt the Obj ct and the Sight, 

 Then fire away, and (top her Flight. 



Now I've the Lineal Mark difplay'd, 

 You ftand in Need of further Aid; 

 The Travetfe next employs my Pen, 

 Not underftood by many Men. 



The Traverfe Crofs-Mark Skill requires: 



I've often heard your Country 'Squires, 

 In talking of this Traverfe Shoot, 

 Suftain a very high Difpute. 

 Before the Bird, fome always fire, 

 But that will niceft time require; 

 For fhould you too much Space admit, 

 The Shot will fly too quick to hit: 

 And if you give too /ittle Space, 

 That's full as hazardous a Cafe. 



The Partridge, flying fwift as Wind, 

 Will dan, and bilk her Death behind, 

 Which makes it difficult to guefs;— — 

 Your Time muft be exact, or mifs. 



If you will my Inftructions take, 

 You need not fuch ftrict Measures make. 

 Or take fuch wond'rous Pains, and Care; 

 And ftand a furer Chance by far. 



Obferve, that ev'ry fkilful Spark, 

 Will ftrive to gain a Lineal Mark; 

 Which better will Eight Feet allow, 

 Than will the Crofs-Mark, Inches two. 



When Forty Yards to Left, or Pight, 

 The rapid Partridge fleers her Flight; 

 Have at her with a fideling Line, 

 I make no doubt that (he'll be thine: 

 But juft behind, the Shot will glance, 

 And, if you kill, 'tis all a Chance. 



The Mark which Circular is term'd, 

 With fteady Care muft be perform J d. 

 Attend the Motion of the Bird, 

 'Till (he a proper Mark afford; 

 Obtain with Skill, and cautious Scan, 

 The furtheft Lineal Point you can; 

 With Patience, move your Piece around, 

 'Till you a proper Aim have found, 

 Then fire! and bring her to th* Ground. 



See Jewel ftands! — a Covey!— (lay! 

 And have Regard to what I fay: 

 When fcatt'ring Birds in Numbers rife, 

 And various Marks confound the Eyes, 

 Be fur^ confine your Aim to One, 

 Regarding none but That alone. 

 Experienc'd Men of One make fure, 

 And reft content with One fecure: 

 The fcatter'd Covey, if you wait. 

 May yet be your's by future Fate. 



Young giddy Fools, who vainly hope, 

 By Chance, to pick a Number up, 

 Do often find themfelves deceive!, 

 And wifh the random Fire reiriev'd; 

 Tho' many they may (lightly wound, 

 They'll fee none bounding on the Ground. 



Come on, my Friend, the fultry Morn, 

 Draws forth the Coveys from the Corn; 

 Or elfe fome Numbers may be found, 

 In fertile Fields, the Wheal around, 

 Sitting ftill to tafte the Sun, 

 Or, clucking to fome Coppice run, 

 To fpurn the Duft, and wafte the Noon; 

 Some let us kill, and fome difperfe, 

 And eat our Gains, while Sellers curfe. 



When'what the golden Harveft yields, 

 Is carri'd from the fertil Fields, 

 The Farmer's roomy Barn to crack, 

 And lufty Roger, Tom, and Jack, 

 With fturdy Blows are heard to beat, 

 Their Oats and Barley, Peafe and Wheat. 

 When Leazers give their Gleaning o'er, 

 And pauper'd Earth affords no more; 

 When Birds are all become to fhy, 

 At ev'ry little Nolle to fly; 

 At Eve, foon after Phoebus' Fall, 

 You'll hear the Partridge fcreakingr Call. 

 The ( O eys fe^k their Place of Reft, 

 And fly towards their humble Neft: 

 The old Ones call iheir Young, to come, 

 And with their careful Dams go home 



