The woodcocks are, in all respects, like those in England, except that
they are only about three-fifths of the size. They breed here, and are
in such numbers, that some men kill twenty brace or more in a day. Their
haunts are in marshy places or woods. The shooting of them lasts from
the 4th of July, till the hardish frosts come. Here are five months of
this sort, and pheasants and partridges are shot from September to
April.
The snipes are called English snipes, which they resemble in all
respects, and are found in great abundance in the usual haunts of
snipes.
The grouse is precisely like the Scotch grouse. There is only here and
there a place where they are found; but they are, in those places,
killed in vast quantities, in the fall of the year.
As to the wild ducks and other water-fowl, which are come at by lying in
wait, and killed most frequently swimming or sitting, they are
slaughtered in whole flocks. An American counts the cost of powder and
shot. If he is deliberate in everything else, this habit will hardly
forsake him in the act of shooting. When the sentimental flesh-eaters
hear the report of his gun, they may begin to pull out their white
handkerchiefs, for death follows the pull of his trigger, with perhaps
even more certainty than it used to follow the lancet of Dr. Rush.
The plover is a fine bird, and is found in great numbers upon the plains
and in the cultivated fields of the islands. Plovers are very shy and
wary, but they have ingenious enemies to deal with. A waggon or carriage
of some sort is made use of to approach them, and then they are easily
killed.
Rabbits are very abundant in some places. They are killed by shooting,
for all here is done with gun—no reliance is placed upon a
dog.—_Cobbett._
AMES-ACE, _s._ Two aces thrown at the same time on two dice.
AMMONIA, _s._ A volatile alkali, produced from bones or sal
ammoniac, and other mineral substances. _Carbonate of ammonia_,
a stimulant and cordial. _Drop ammoniac_, as an expectorant, is
given successfully in doses of two, three, and four drachms.
AMPHIBIOUS, _a._ That which can live in two elements.
ANAS, _s._ The generic name of the duck tribe.
The Duck, a genus thus characterised. Bill middle size, strong,
straight, more or less depressed, covered with a thin skin, often more
raised than broad at the base, which is either furnished with a fleshy
substance or quite smooth, always depressed towards the point, which is
rounded, blunt, and clawed, margins of the two mandibles toothed with
plates, of either a flat or a conical form. Nostrils almost at the
surface of the bill, at some distance from the base, somewhat oval, half
closed by the flat membrane which lines the nostril. Legs short,
feathered to the knees, drawn back towards the belly; three toes before,
wholly webbed; hind toe free, articulated higher up on the flank,
without a membrane, or having only the rudiments thereof. Wings of
middle size; the first quill either as long as the second or rather
shorter.
Temminck divides the genus into four sections. 1. The Goose; 2. The
Swan; 3. The Duck. A. Ducks having the hind claw naked. B. Ducks having
the hind claw covered with a loose membrane.
This genus, in which ornithologists have included all the Swans, Geese,
and Ducks, amounts, according to the latest enumeration, to ninety-eight
species, and about fourteen varieties; thirty-three of the former, and
one of the latter, are accounted British birds.
From the swan downward to the teal, they are all of a clean-plumaged,
beautiful race of birds, and some of them exquisitely so. Those which
have been reclaimed from a state of nature, and live dependent on man,
are extremely useful to him; under his protection they breed in great
abundance, and without requiring much of his time or care, lead their
young to the pool almost as soon as they are hatched, where they
instantly, with instinctive perception, begin to search for their food,
which at first consists chiefly of weeds, worms, and insects; these they
sift, as it were, from the mud, and for that purpose their bills are
admirably adapted. When they are further advanced in life, they pick up
the sodden scattered grain of the farm-yard; which, but for their
assiduous searchings, would be lost. To them also are allotted large
quantities of corn which are shaken by the winds from the over-ripened
ears in the field. On this clean and simple food they soon become fat,
and their flesh is accounted delicious and nourishing.
In a wild state, birds of various kinds preserve their original plumage;
but when tamed they soon begin to vary, and show the effects of
domestication: this is the case with the tame goose and the duck, which
differ as much from the wild of their respective kinds, as they do from
each other.—_Bewick._
ANASARCA, _s._ A general dropsy, consisting of a watery fluid lodged
beneath the skin.
_Anasarca_ arises from debility or inflammation. The former occurs to
old horses when turned out into poor or marshy pasture, and is indicated
by general swelling of the belly, chest, and hind legs; it generally
ends fatally unless strong diuretics and sudorifics are employed; and
these are combined in the celebrated old drench of Markham, which has
cured more horses of this disorder than any other remedy; and is
considered in the low country, about Glastonbury and Wedmoor, where this
disease is prevalent, an infallible remedy. It consists of a decoction
of wormwood in a gallon of ale, which is boiled down to two quarts, and
skimmed. In this one ounce of Castile soap is dissolved, and then there
is to be stirred in six drachms of grains of paradise, powdered, and the
same quantity of long pepper. The whole of this mixture is given at
once, fasting. The horse to be clothed and rode about until he sweats
and stales profusely, which he soon does, and is then relieved. The
horse is often capable of doing some work after his recovery; but the
constitution of such horses is generally too far broken to receive any
permanent benefit from this or any other treatment. The other kind of
dropsy, or that which depends on a high degree of general inflammation,
most commonly attacks colts during the first, second, or third year, or
before they begin to change their grinding teeth. At this period there
is less blood formed, not only from the state of the grinding teeth, the
gums, and the mouth in general, which is such as to render mastication
painful and imperfect, but from the stomach sympathising with this state
of the mouth. This disorder in young colts is first observed by dulness,
disinclination to motion, hanging the head, and indifference in grazing.
There are swellings also on the belly, chest, sheath, or udder, which
are sometimes very considerable. When these symptoms are observed, the
colt should be taken up and bled until he is quite faint, or drops down
from faintness. Nothing more is necessary, unless it is turning him into
a place where he can have but little food and sufficient exercise.
Markham’s drench has been given to colts when affected with the Moor
ill, as the disorder is termed, with success.
* * * * *
In dogs, this complaint very seldom occurs, unless as an accompaniment
of the ascites. I have, however, now and then seen it, and, in most of
the cases, it was in old dogs who had laboured under some previous
debility. In such instances, when any remaining stamina affords a chance
for recovery, the treatment recommended for dropsy of the belly may be
resorted to: very small punctures may also be made in the distended
skin.—_White_—_Blaine._
ANGLE, _s._ An instrument to take fish, consisting of a rod, a line
and a hook.
ANGLE, _v._ To fish with a rod and hook.
ANGLE-ROD, _s._ The stick to which the fisher’s line and hook are
hung.
ANGLER, _s._ He that fishes with an angle.
_The Angler_ will take care, when he means to fish at bottom, to have
with him different kind of lines neatly coiled up, strong single hairs,
hooks untied of divers sorts, and also tied to bottom links of coarse
and fine gimp of twisted and single silk worm gut, of hog’s bristles,
and of white and sorrel hair; likewise to be provided with cork and
quill floats, and spare caps. Shot split, and small pistol bullets to
poise the floats; shoemaker’s wax in a piece of leather (if the wax be
too stiff, temper it with tallow); silk of various sizes and colours;
recollecting, that hooks for worm fishing, and red paste, are usually
tied on with scarlet; and those for gentles, yellow paste, and grubs
with straw-coloured silk; a plummet to ascertain the depth of the water
when a float is used; a clearing ring to disentangle the hook, which is
used by running it along and over the top of the rod, and gradually down
the line (holding it by a strong twine, long enough for any such
purpose) to where the hook is fast, if at a stump or other immoveable
substance; but if it be hung to weeds, let the ring get below the hook,
then pull the twine, and the ring will break the weeds, and thus save
both line and hook; in the former case, if it does not release the hook,
it will enable the line to be broken near to it, and prevent the line
from being strained in any other part. A sharp pen-knife, a pair of
scissors, a small whetstone about two inches long and a quarter of an
inch square, are indispensible. A landing-net, the iron hoop made with
joints, and a socket to contain a handle for it; some use a light hook
that screws into a long staff, which not only secures the taking of a
large fish out of the water, but also is a useful implement in
disengaging the line from weeds or boughs of trees. A disgorger to put
down the throat of a fish when he has swallowed the hook, until it is
touched, when by pulling the line gently at the same time that the
instrument presses down the hook, it will be freed. These may be made of
a piece of split cane five or six inches long, and a quarter of an inch
wide, with a notch at each end. Baits should be carried, the gentles,
pastes, and natural flies, in tin boxes; for the latter, with holes
punched in the top to admit air. He will likewise not be without worms
of different sorts in canvass and woollen bags, and a larger one for
malt or other ground bait: to hold the baits, it is far better to have
something like a fish-woman’s apron, with three or four partitions (made
as below), than to dangle the gentle-case or worm-bags from a button. A
piece of coarse cloth, three quarters in length and breadth, doubled to
within three inches at one side; which three inches must be doubled back
again, and sewed all along close to the first doubling to receive a
belt; the great doubling at each side is then to be sewed up, so that
the foreside may allow room for the hand to go easily into the pockets,
which will be ten inches deep; and when stitched in three places, will
leave four divisions, each four inches broad. The fishbasket, pannier,
or creel, as they are made very neat and light in wicker-work, should be
large enough to admit the fish to lie at full length; they are thus
better preserved, both in appearance and for use, than when bent and
crushed together; some persons carry their pannier at their back, others
under the left arm, having the side nearest them rather hollowed: in
these baskets are sometimes a partition at the top, for holding night
lines, &c.—_Daniel._
ANGLING, _p._ The art of fishing with a rod and line.
Angling came into general repute in England about the period of the
Reformation, when both the secular and regular clergy, being prohibited
by the common law from the amusement of hunting, hawking, and fowling,
directed their attention to this recreation. The invention of printing
assisted in exciting attention to this subject, and made known its
importance “to cause the helthe of your body, and specyally of your
soul,” as the first treatise quaintly concludes. Wynkin de Worde gave
the world, in 1496, a small folio republication of the celebrated Book
of St. Albans. It contained, for the first time, a curious tract,
entitled the Treatyse of Fysshinge with an Angle; embellished with a
wood cut of the angler. This treatise is imputed to Dame Juliana
Berners, or Barnes, prioress of a nunnery near St. Albans. “The angler,”
she observes, “atte the least hath his holsom walke and mery at his
ease, a swete ayre of the swete savoure of the meede flowers that makyth
him hungary; he hereth the melodyous armony of the fowles, he seeth the
yonge swannes, heerons, duckes, cotes, and many other fowles, with their
brodes, whych me seemyth better than alle the noyse of the houndys, the
blast of hornys, and the scrye of fowles, that hunters, fawkeners, and
fowlers, can make. And if angler take fysshe, surely thenne is there noo
man merier than he is in his spyryte?” The Book of St. Albans contains
“Treatises perteynynge to Hawkynge and Huntynge,” as well as “Fysshinge
with an Angle;” and several editions of it were printed in the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries; as that under the title of “The Gentleman’s
Academie in 1595;” “The Jewel for Gentrie in 1674.” Mr. Haselwood, a
learned biographer, has recently favoured the public with a well
finished _fac-simile_ reprint of the work, but he disputes the claim of
the fair lady above mentioned to be the authoress of the above treatise
on angling, and only assigns her a small portion of the treatise on
hawking, the entire treatise on hunting, a list of the beasts of chase,
and another of birds and fowls.
Walton’s inimitable “Discourse on Angling” was first printed in 1653, in
an elegant duodecimo, with plates of the most considerable fish cut in
steel. This edition, and three subsequent ones, consisted wholly of what
is now called part the first of the “Complete Angler,” or Walton’s
individual portion of the work. While engaged in 1676, being the
eighty-third year of his age, in preparing the fifth edition, he
received from his friend, Charles Cotton, Esq., a gentleman in
Derbyshire, “Instructions how to angle for a Trout or Grayling in a
clear Stream,” as they were first called, which afterwards became part
the second of this joint publication.
Angling has been thought of sufficient importance to be protected by
statute. This first occurred in the reign of Edward I., when
imprisonment and treble damages were awarded against all that should
trespass on the rights of authorised fishers. By the 31 Hen. VIII. c. 2,
s. 2, it was enacted, “If any evil disposed persons shall fish in the
day time, from six in the morning to six in the evening, in any ponds,
stews, or moats, with nets, hooks, or bait, against the will of the
owners, they shall, on the conviction thereof, at the suit of the king,
or the party aggrieved, suffer imprisonment for the space of three
months, and find security for their good behaviour.” By the 5 Eliz., c.
21, s. 2, it is enacted, “If any person shall unlawfully break or
destroy any head or dam of a fish pond, or shall wrongfully fish
therein, with intent to take or kill fish, he shall, on conviction at
the assizes or sessions, at the suit of the king or the party injured,
be imprisoned three months and pay treble damages; and after the
expiration of the said three months, shall find sureties for good
behaviour for seven years to come.”
By the 22 & 23 Car. II. c. 25, s. 7, it is enacted, “That if any person
shall, at any time, use any casting net, drag net, shore net, or other
net whatsoever; or any angle, hair, noose, troll, or spear; or shall lay
any wears, pots, nets, fish-hooks, or other engines; or shall take any
fish by any means whatsoever, in any river, stew, moat, pond, or other
water, or shall be aiding thereunto, without the consent of the owner of
the water, and be convicted thereof within one month after the offence
committed, such offender shall give to the party injured such
satisfaction as a justice shall appoint, not exceeding treble damages;
and pay the overseers of the poor such sum, not exceeding 10_s._, as the
justice shall think fit: in default of payment, the said penalties to be
levied by distress; or the offender to be committed to the house of
correction for a term not exceeding one month, unless he enter into a
bond, with surety, in a sum not exceeding £10, never to offend in like
manner.” Justices are also authorised to destroy all such articles as
before recited and adapted to the taking of fish, as may be found in the
possession of offenders when taken. Persons aggrieved may appeal to the
quarter sessions, whose judgment shall be final.
And by the 4 & 5 William and Mary it is enacted, “That no person (except
makers and sellers of nets, owners of a river or fishery, authorised
fishermen and their apprentices) shall keep any net, angle, leap, pike,
or rather engine, for taking of fish. The proprietor of any river or
fishery, or persons by them authorised, may seize, and keep to his own
use, any engine which shall be found in the custody of any person
fishing in any river or fishery, without the consent of the owner or
occupier. And such owner, occupier, or person authorised by either,
sanctioned by the consent of any justice, in the day time, may search
the houses or other places of any unqualified person, who shall be
suspected of having such nets, or other engines in his possession, and
the same to seize and keep to their own use, or cut in pieces and
destroy.” Stealing fish in disguise is made felony of by the 9 Geo. I.
c. 22. “If any person armed and disguised shall unlawfully steal, or
take away, any fish out of any river or pond, (whether armed or not,)
shall unlawfully and maliciously break down the head or mound of any
fish pond, whereby the fish shall be lost and destroyed, or shall rescue
any person in custody for any such offence, or procure any other to join
him therein, he shall be guilty of felony without benefit of clergy.”
This (commonly called the Black Act) is made perpetual by 31 Geo. II. c.
42.
By the 5 Geo. III. c. 14, s. 1, it is enacted, “That if any person shall
enter into any park or paddock enclosed, or into any garden, orchard, or
yard, belonging to, or adjoining to, any dwelling-house, wherein shall
be any river, pond, moat, or other water, and, by any means whatsoever,
(without the consent of the owner,) steal, kill, or destroy, any fish,
bred, kept, or preserved therein, or shall be assisting therein, or
shall receive or buy any such fish, knowing them to be such, shall, upon
conviction, be transported for seven years. Persons making confession of
such offence, and giving evidence against an accomplice, who, in
pursuance thereof, shall be convicted, will be entitled to a free
pardon.” And by the same act, section 3, it is provided, “That if any
person shall take, kill, or destroy, or attempt to take, kill, or
destroy, any fish in any river or stream, pool, pond, or any other
water, (not being in any park or paddock enclosed, or in any garden,
orchard, or yard, belonging or adjoining to a dwelling-house, but in any
other enclosed ground, being private property,) such person being
thereof convicted by confession, or the oath of one witness before a
justice, shall forfeit five pounds to the owner of the fishery of such
river or other water; and in default thereof shall be committed to the
house of correction for a time not exceeding six months.”
By the 1 Eliz. c. 17, “All fishermen are forbidden to destroy the fry of
fish, small salmon and trout, under a penalty of twenty shillings;” and
by the 4 & 5 Anne, for the protection of salmon in the counties of
Southampton and Wilts, no salmon shall be taken between the first of
August and twelfth of November. Statutes of Geo. I. and II., forbid the
same fish to be taken in the rivers Severn, Wye, Ware, Ouse, &c., under
eighteen inches long.
It is held that when the lord of the manor has the soil on both sides of
the river, as in the case of the Severn, the right of fishing goes with
it; and he who intrudes thereon must prove his claim of a free fishery;
but when the tide ebbs and flows, and the river is an arm of the sea, as
in the case of the Thames, the right is presumed to be common, and he
who claims a privilege must prove it.—_Ency. Lon._ (_Vide_ FISH,
FISHING, &c. &c.)
ANIMAL, _s._ A living creature.
ANIMAL, _a._ That belongs or relates to animals.
ANIMALCULE, _s._ A small animal.
ANISEED, _s._ A stimulant and cordial, much used in veterinary
practice. The essential oil is generally preferred.
ANKLE, _s._ The joint which joins the foot to the leg.
ANKLE-BONE, _s._ The bone of the ankle.
ANODYNE, _a._ That which has the power of mitigating pain.