The duk iz a foul, naturalists say so, and common sense teaches it. Wild duks are very good shooting, and very good missing too, unless you understand the bizzness. I hav shot at them all day, and got nothing but a few tale feathers, but that satisfied me, for i am crazy for all kinds ov sport, you know. Thare are sum kind ov duks that are very hard to git even if you do kill them. I shot one whole afternoon, three years ago, at sum dekoy duks, and never got one ov them. I never hav told even mi wife ov this, and hope no one will repeat it. _THE SANDY HILL CRANE._ The crane iz neither flesh, nor foul, but a sad mixtur ov theze two things. He mopes along the banks ov kreeks, and wet places, looking for sumthing he haz lost. He haz a long bill, long wings, long legs, and iz long all over. He livs upon lizzards, and frogs, and sleeps standing on one leg, like a gide board. Sumtimes he tips over in hiz dreams, and then hiz bill enters the ground like a pikax. When he flies thru the air he iz az gracephull az a wind mill that haz broke away from its fastenings. Cranes are not very plenty on this earth, but at the last quotations, the supply just about equals the demand. _BLOSSOMS._ The reputashun that a man gits from hiz ansesstors often wants az mutch altering to fit him, az their old clothes would. * * * * * How menny people thare are in this world who work for the devil all the time, and then look to the lord for their pay. [Illustration] I dont never expekt to hav enny Poodle, but if i ever do, he must make up hiz mind to be tied onto a long stik every Saturday and be used for washing windows on the outside= Jess so. Josh Billings. [Illustration] If i kan hav all the salt makrell i want for brekfasst, I kan manage to make the other two meals out ov kold water.= Yes. Josh Billings. 31 Days. OCTOBER. 1877. Q.--Will yu define luck? @ @ @ A.--Luck iz driftwood. @ @ @ [Illustration] _This Nu Foundland weighs 94 pounds, And to save children iz willing, If yu haint no pond, nor children to save, The dog aint worth a shilling._