Identifier: cabinetofnatural02phil (find matches)
Title: The Cabinet of natural history and American rural sports
Year: 1830 (1830s)
Authors:
Subjects: Zoology Hunting
Publisher: Philadelphia, John Doughty
Contributing Library: University of Pittsburgh Library System
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh Library System

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ia. The writer has in his possession therattles taken from a snake about thirty inches in length,killed by a farmer of New-Jersey, within twelve miles ofthis city. This gentleman last year, also killed another onthe same tract of land, which had thirteen rattles. It wasdiscovered on a private road which crossed his land; theextremities of the snake reached beyond each rut of theroad, and was supposed to measure six feet in length. PARTRIDGES. A short excursion to the country will convince any one,that there may be anticipated a good falls shooting at thesebirds. From some districts, I have been told by farmers,that they have never known a season of so great plenitudeas the present. The writer himself counted no less thana dozen different male birds in one neighbourhood lastweek. This rapid increase is owing altogether to thecare of farmers, and the forbearance of Sportsmen; and itis to be hoped the approaching fall will pass over, withoutmarking the destruction of many of these birds.
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AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. BIRDS EGGS. AND DESCRIPTION OF NESTS, (Plate XI. Vol. 2.) shelter them with their bodies. The eggs are three, some-times four, large for the bird, of a dun clay colour, andmarked with numerous small spots of reddish purple. Aflat, dry sandy beach, just beyond the reach of the summertides, is their favourite place for breeding. 1. Black Skimmer. 4. Meadow Lark. The nest is a mere hollow, formed in the sand, with-out any materials. The female lays three eggs, almostexactly oval, of a dirty white, marked with large spots ofbrownish black, and intermixed witli others of pale Indianink. These eggs measure one inch and three quarters, byone inch and a quarter. Half a bushel and more of eggshas sometimes been collected from one sand-bar, withinthe compass of half an acre. These eggs have somethingof a fishy taste; but are eaten by many people on thecoast. The female sits on them only during the night, orin wet and stormy weather. The young remain for seve-ral weeks

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