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 destroyed 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 difficulties, 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 offering 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 gun, he will 
not send the one home in a starving condition, nor the 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. 
