THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATK )\ 



421 



THE ROYAL PALM BURSTS INTO FLOW'EP. 



A Train Attacked by a Deer. 



Winter Park, .Florida. 

 To the Editor :— 



During a recent trip of a train over 

 the branch of the Florida East Coast 

 Railroad between Titusville and San- 

 ford, in South Florida, a singular ex- 

 hibition of animal pugnacity, or of an 

 attempt at self-destruction occurred, as 

 reported by Professor Lenhart of the 

 Rollins College Business department. 



In a wooded area through which the 

 railroad passes, the train started up two 

 large deer, a buck and a doe. They 

 halted and stood at attention for a mo- 

 ment, apparently undecided what to do. 

 The doe solved the problem by turning 

 suddenly and running into the woods ; 

 but the buck, eyeing the train for a few 

 moments, suddenly charged it with great 

 impetuosity, striking one of the cars near 

 the middle. By the violence of the im- 

 pact, the deer's neck was broken, and 

 the animal thrown back about twenty 

 feet from the track. The train was 

 stopped and the dead animal loaded into 

 the baggage car to supply the lucky train 

 men's tables with venison. Was this an 



instance of animal bravado, or fright or 

 of an attempt to safeguard his fleeing 

 mate ; or was it deliberate suicide ? 



Thomas R. Baker. 



On a recent trip from Salamanca, in 

 the southwestern part of New York 

 State, to Dubois, Pennsylvania, the con- 

 ductor told me that the train two days 

 previously struck a black bear that stood 

 its ground on the track. And curiously 

 enough on the return trip the train 

 struck another bear at almost the same 

 place. Both found the locomotive a for- 

 mic! aide adversary, but the train men 

 said that bear meat is delicious, and ex- 

 hibit the skins with much satisfaction. — 

 E. F. B. 



Write while the heat is in you. When 

 the farmer burns a hole in his yoke, he 

 carries the iron quickly from the fire to 

 the wood, for every moment it is less 

 effectual to penetrate it. The writer who 

 postpones the recording of his thoughts 

 uses an iron which has cooled to burn a 

 hole with. He cannot inflame the minds 

 of his audience. — Thoreau. 



