SPORT
AH! list the music of the whistling wings,As westward sweeps the long-extended corps;Our own Outarde revisits well-known haunts,And the loud quack rings out anew from sea to shore.The Canvas-back a double zest affords,And yields a dish to "set before a king";And where the north-shore streams rush to the sea,Here the rare Harlequin shoots past on rapid wing.To Grondine's flats the Ibis yet returns;The snowy Goose loves well the sedgy shore;Loud booms the Bittern 'midst the clustering reeds,And the famed Heron nests on pine-top as of yore.If shapely form and splendour charm the eye,The graceful Wood-Duck claims fair beauty's prize;No gorgeous plumes like his adorn the crest;No lovelier shades could feathers yield or sparkling eyes.The shady copse the wary Woodcock haunts;From Château Richer's swamps the Snipe upsprings;Ontario's fields know well the scurrying Quail,And o'er the glassy lake the Loon's weird laughter rings.Afar 'midst forest glades, where Red Men lie;On mossy log the Ruffled Grouse strut and drum;The plump Tetrao courts the spruce tree's shade;And spotless Ptarmigan with boreal tempests come.Resplendent thro' the grove the Turkey roams,And lends a deeper grace to Christmas cheer;Our silvery lakes still claim the graceful Swan;And o'er the uplands shrill the Plover's pipe we hear.Or come, where far on rolling Western plains,Beneath the brushwood Sagefowl snugly lie;And Prairie Hens rush boldly at the foe,Their cowering brood to shield, as swoops the Falcon by.A hunter thou? The grim Bear courts thy skill,And fearless roams ere yet he seeks his den;His glossy robes might grace triumphal car,—His pearly spoils proclaim the rank of dusky men.The Wolf, still tireless, tracks his victim's trail;The prowling Lynx, like sleuth-hound, wends his way;And by the well-worn path the CarcajouDrops from his hidden perch upon the unwary prey.Shy Reynard follows where the startled HareDarts thro' the matted elders like a gleam;And the sleek Otter on his titbits dines,Nor dreads the Hound's loud bark upon his lonely stream.Far from men's haunts the Beaver builds his damAnd ponderous mound, to keep him safe from harm;His larder filled with choicest winter stores,—Cold winds may bite and blow, his lair is soft and warm.Thro' rushing chute and pool the Fisher swims;And Mink and Martin sport right merrily;While overhead the angry Squirrel chides,And warns the rude intruder from his nut-stored tree.And when the maple trees are stripped and bare,—When land and stream with snow are mantled o'er,—When light toboggans down the mountains sweep,And the bold skater skims the lake from shore to shore,Then don thy snowshoes, grasp thy rifle true;The timid Red Deer thro' the forest bounds,—The wary Caribou rests on the frozen lake,And browse the mighty Moose upon their endless rounds.These all and more await the hunter's skill;Such trophies well our antlered halls adorn;Their shining coats may win a golden prize,Or keep us snug and warm amid the winter storm.But yet, possessed of aught that hands could win,Or all that pleasure puts within our ken,We joy to know a nobler gift is ours,—We own the heaven-sent heritage of freeborn men.
AH! list the music of the whistling wings,As westward sweeps the long-extended corps;Our own Outarde revisits well-known haunts,And the loud quack rings out anew from sea to shore.The Canvas-back a double zest affords,And yields a dish to "set before a king";And where the north-shore streams rush to the sea,Here the rare Harlequin shoots past on rapid wing.To Grondine's flats the Ibis yet returns;The snowy Goose loves well the sedgy shore;Loud booms the Bittern 'midst the clustering reeds,And the famed Heron nests on pine-top as of yore.If shapely form and splendour charm the eye,The graceful Wood-Duck claims fair beauty's prize;No gorgeous plumes like his adorn the crest;No lovelier shades could feathers yield or sparkling eyes.The shady copse the wary Woodcock haunts;From Château Richer's swamps the Snipe upsprings;Ontario's fields know well the scurrying Quail,And o'er the glassy lake the Loon's weird laughter rings.Afar 'midst forest glades, where Red Men lie;On mossy log the Ruffled Grouse strut and drum;The plump Tetrao courts the spruce tree's shade;And spotless Ptarmigan with boreal tempests come.Resplendent thro' the grove the Turkey roams,And lends a deeper grace to Christmas cheer;Our silvery lakes still claim the graceful Swan;And o'er the uplands shrill the Plover's pipe we hear.Or come, where far on rolling Western plains,Beneath the brushwood Sagefowl snugly lie;And Prairie Hens rush boldly at the foe,Their cowering brood to shield, as swoops the Falcon by.A hunter thou? The grim Bear courts thy skill,And fearless roams ere yet he seeks his den;His glossy robes might grace triumphal car,—His pearly spoils proclaim the rank of dusky men.The Wolf, still tireless, tracks his victim's trail;The prowling Lynx, like sleuth-hound, wends his way;And by the well-worn path the CarcajouDrops from his hidden perch upon the unwary prey.Shy Reynard follows where the startled HareDarts thro' the matted elders like a gleam;And the sleek Otter on his titbits dines,Nor dreads the Hound's loud bark upon his lonely stream.Far from men's haunts the Beaver builds his damAnd ponderous mound, to keep him safe from harm;His larder filled with choicest winter stores,—Cold winds may bite and blow, his lair is soft and warm.Thro' rushing chute and pool the Fisher swims;And Mink and Martin sport right merrily;While overhead the angry Squirrel chides,And warns the rude intruder from his nut-stored tree.And when the maple trees are stripped and bare,—When land and stream with snow are mantled o'er,—When light toboggans down the mountains sweep,And the bold skater skims the lake from shore to shore,Then don thy snowshoes, grasp thy rifle true;The timid Red Deer thro' the forest bounds,—The wary Caribou rests on the frozen lake,And browse the mighty Moose upon their endless rounds.These all and more await the hunter's skill;Such trophies well our antlered halls adorn;Their shining coats may win a golden prize,Or keep us snug and warm amid the winter storm.But yet, possessed of aught that hands could win,Or all that pleasure puts within our ken,We joy to know a nobler gift is ours,—We own the heaven-sent heritage of freeborn men.
AH! list the music of the whistling wings,As westward sweeps the long-extended corps;Our own Outarde revisits well-known haunts,And the loud quack rings out anew from sea to shore.
AH! list the music of the whistling wings,
As westward sweeps the long-extended corps;
Our own Outarde revisits well-known haunts,
And the loud quack rings out anew from sea to shore.
The Canvas-back a double zest affords,And yields a dish to "set before a king";And where the north-shore streams rush to the sea,Here the rare Harlequin shoots past on rapid wing.
The Canvas-back a double zest affords,
And yields a dish to "set before a king";
And where the north-shore streams rush to the sea,
Here the rare Harlequin shoots past on rapid wing.
To Grondine's flats the Ibis yet returns;The snowy Goose loves well the sedgy shore;Loud booms the Bittern 'midst the clustering reeds,And the famed Heron nests on pine-top as of yore.
To Grondine's flats the Ibis yet returns;
The snowy Goose loves well the sedgy shore;
Loud booms the Bittern 'midst the clustering reeds,
And the famed Heron nests on pine-top as of yore.
If shapely form and splendour charm the eye,The graceful Wood-Duck claims fair beauty's prize;No gorgeous plumes like his adorn the crest;No lovelier shades could feathers yield or sparkling eyes.
If shapely form and splendour charm the eye,
The graceful Wood-Duck claims fair beauty's prize;
No gorgeous plumes like his adorn the crest;
No lovelier shades could feathers yield or sparkling eyes.
The shady copse the wary Woodcock haunts;From Château Richer's swamps the Snipe upsprings;Ontario's fields know well the scurrying Quail,And o'er the glassy lake the Loon's weird laughter rings.
The shady copse the wary Woodcock haunts;
From Château Richer's swamps the Snipe upsprings;
Ontario's fields know well the scurrying Quail,
And o'er the glassy lake the Loon's weird laughter rings.
Afar 'midst forest glades, where Red Men lie;On mossy log the Ruffled Grouse strut and drum;The plump Tetrao courts the spruce tree's shade;And spotless Ptarmigan with boreal tempests come.
Afar 'midst forest glades, where Red Men lie;
On mossy log the Ruffled Grouse strut and drum;
The plump Tetrao courts the spruce tree's shade;
And spotless Ptarmigan with boreal tempests come.
Resplendent thro' the grove the Turkey roams,And lends a deeper grace to Christmas cheer;Our silvery lakes still claim the graceful Swan;And o'er the uplands shrill the Plover's pipe we hear.
Resplendent thro' the grove the Turkey roams,
And lends a deeper grace to Christmas cheer;
Our silvery lakes still claim the graceful Swan;
And o'er the uplands shrill the Plover's pipe we hear.
Or come, where far on rolling Western plains,Beneath the brushwood Sagefowl snugly lie;And Prairie Hens rush boldly at the foe,Their cowering brood to shield, as swoops the Falcon by.
Or come, where far on rolling Western plains,
Beneath the brushwood Sagefowl snugly lie;
And Prairie Hens rush boldly at the foe,
Their cowering brood to shield, as swoops the Falcon by.
A hunter thou? The grim Bear courts thy skill,And fearless roams ere yet he seeks his den;His glossy robes might grace triumphal car,—His pearly spoils proclaim the rank of dusky men.
A hunter thou? The grim Bear courts thy skill,
And fearless roams ere yet he seeks his den;
His glossy robes might grace triumphal car,—
His pearly spoils proclaim the rank of dusky men.
The Wolf, still tireless, tracks his victim's trail;The prowling Lynx, like sleuth-hound, wends his way;And by the well-worn path the CarcajouDrops from his hidden perch upon the unwary prey.
The Wolf, still tireless, tracks his victim's trail;
The prowling Lynx, like sleuth-hound, wends his way;
And by the well-worn path the Carcajou
Drops from his hidden perch upon the unwary prey.
Shy Reynard follows where the startled HareDarts thro' the matted elders like a gleam;And the sleek Otter on his titbits dines,Nor dreads the Hound's loud bark upon his lonely stream.
Shy Reynard follows where the startled Hare
Darts thro' the matted elders like a gleam;
And the sleek Otter on his titbits dines,
Nor dreads the Hound's loud bark upon his lonely stream.
Far from men's haunts the Beaver builds his damAnd ponderous mound, to keep him safe from harm;His larder filled with choicest winter stores,—Cold winds may bite and blow, his lair is soft and warm.
Far from men's haunts the Beaver builds his dam
And ponderous mound, to keep him safe from harm;
His larder filled with choicest winter stores,—
Cold winds may bite and blow, his lair is soft and warm.
Thro' rushing chute and pool the Fisher swims;And Mink and Martin sport right merrily;While overhead the angry Squirrel chides,And warns the rude intruder from his nut-stored tree.
Thro' rushing chute and pool the Fisher swims;
And Mink and Martin sport right merrily;
While overhead the angry Squirrel chides,
And warns the rude intruder from his nut-stored tree.
And when the maple trees are stripped and bare,—When land and stream with snow are mantled o'er,—When light toboggans down the mountains sweep,And the bold skater skims the lake from shore to shore,
And when the maple trees are stripped and bare,—
When land and stream with snow are mantled o'er,—
When light toboggans down the mountains sweep,
And the bold skater skims the lake from shore to shore,
Then don thy snowshoes, grasp thy rifle true;The timid Red Deer thro' the forest bounds,—The wary Caribou rests on the frozen lake,And browse the mighty Moose upon their endless rounds.
Then don thy snowshoes, grasp thy rifle true;
The timid Red Deer thro' the forest bounds,—
The wary Caribou rests on the frozen lake,
And browse the mighty Moose upon their endless rounds.
These all and more await the hunter's skill;Such trophies well our antlered halls adorn;Their shining coats may win a golden prize,Or keep us snug and warm amid the winter storm.
These all and more await the hunter's skill;
Such trophies well our antlered halls adorn;
Their shining coats may win a golden prize,
Or keep us snug and warm amid the winter storm.
But yet, possessed of aught that hands could win,Or all that pleasure puts within our ken,We joy to know a nobler gift is ours,—We own the heaven-sent heritage of freeborn men.
But yet, possessed of aught that hands could win,
Or all that pleasure puts within our ken,
We joy to know a nobler gift is ours,—
We own the heaven-sent heritage of freeborn men.