. The birds of Ohio; a complete scientific and popular description of the 320 species of birds found in the state . mit of taking asnap-shot, and I pulled off without molesting the birds. To tell the truth, Ihad not thought of its being sport to kill Coots, but two boys soon disabusedme. Hurrying up to seize the opportunity I had let pass, they fired chargeafter charge and picked up fifteen birds. The Coots were badly scattered,but even after the attack, separate bunches were studied at close range, andI refused a dozen opportunities to deliver murderous shots. Returning afterbreakfast, I foun
. The birds of Ohio; a complete scientific and popular description of the 320 species of birds found in the state . mit of taking asnap-shot, and I pulled off without molesting the birds. To tell the truth, Ihad not thought of its being sport to kill Coots, but two boys soon disabusedme. Hurrying up to seize the opportunity I had let pass, they fired chargeafter charge and picked up fifteen birds. The Coots were badly scattered,but even after the attack, separate bunches were studied at close range, andI refused a dozen opportunities to deliver murderous shots. Returning afterbreakfast, I found the shooting mill in full swing. Not kids this time, butfull-grown men, gentlemanly sportsmen, to the number of a dozen were bang-ing right and left. I lay by and watched for half an hour or so listlessly, andthen seeing the birds were doomed (wretched excuse!), I chimed in half-heartedly. It was now for the first time that I saw the Coot as a flying bird. Everyone is familiar with the shuffling manner in which it rises from the water,and lumbers off at a low height to splash down again at what it supposes a. THE AMERICAN COOT. 457 safe distance. Today, however, under the lash of incessant alarms they tookto wing readily and proved themselves graceful fliers—a little slow and verysteady, but really fair game so far as that is concerned. In flight, they carrytheir legs stretched at full length behind them, and seem to use them quitecleverly as a rudder, to supply the deficiencies of the abbreviated tail. Every gun in the swamp was pounding at than, but they had no thoughtof leaving the locality by daylight. A sad feature of the chase was the numberof birds that fell into the reetls and were either lost, if dead, or else left wound-ed. So fiercewas the per-s e c u t i o n,that by noonthere wereonly eight}that mus-tered in theopen waterwhile thesports me nlunched; al-tho I pre-sume there\v e r e asmany morelurking i nthe whichwere sparedthe first daywere tootired
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1903
