48 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16-No. 3 



Editor of O. & O. : 



Knowin.ij ytni to be well acquainted with the 

 birds of this region, I am j;jolni;t() impose upon 

 your time for a few moments to ask a (piesti(tn 

 (»r two about the ''Black Duck," as we call 

 it here, the Anaa obscura^ and to give you an 

 observation which perhaps may be so well 

 known to you that you will think it scarcely 

 worth the trouble to answer. 



During the first two weeks in December, 

 ISOO, I shot a good many of the above-named 

 ducks upon a small stream in this vicinity, and 

 upon two occasions, when the thermometer 

 was very low, I found the bills of the ducks 

 were a very brir/hf oranrje f/elloio^ and the feet 

 were much more brilliant red. Saturday, De- 

 cember loth, I shot five of these birds and 

 three, which were males, had tliese brilliant 

 yellow bills. The temperature on this day was 

 — 5° at 7 A.M., and did not rise above +0"^ at 

 any time during the day. On bringing the 

 birds into the house and laying them on the 

 rug before an open fire the bills and feet be- 

 came their usual color. This has occurred to 

 me several times this winter and only ujntn 

 very cold days. 



Now I would like to ask if this is a usual 

 oecuiTence, or was it only accidental that the 

 cold weather and the color of the bills were as 

 above stated? I never in the course of my 

 reading noticed any remark about tbe matter, 

 and do not suppose it of much conse(]uence, 

 ]>ut never have I seen in such horny matter as 

 the bill so complete a change in a few moments. 



I hope 1 have not troubled you too much, 

 and that you will deign to answer some time 

 when you have leisure. 



Arthur Talhof Lincoln, M.D. 



nentiysvillp. Me. 



[A few days since the writer had occasion to 

 call on a party who had j\xst received a number 

 (tf Killer Ducks. As they h^V spi'ead out on 

 a board the bright chrome bills of tlie males 

 were very noticeable. Two days later when 

 they came into our offic^e not a trace of the 

 color was to be seen; all had turned to the 

 slaty shade. The bills of tlie Scot(!rs, W(K>d 

 Ducks, etc., all lose their brilliant color in a 

 few hours after death. — Ed.^ 



Editor ofO. <fc 0.; 



1 enclose herewith some verses written by 

 L Allen Kingsbury (tf Wellesley, Mass., as a 

 tribute to a d(tg owned by ine and well known 

 by the shooting fraternity in New England as 

 " Biddy Muldoon." She was the last one in a 

 direct line of a stock of Irish Setters that has 



been in my hands for over a (juarter of a cen- 

 tury, and which, although they liavc not been 

 prominent in the dog shows, still have been 

 well known from the Mississippi to the Prov- 

 inces by field sportsmen, 



William W. Casflf, 



LINES ON MY DOG "lUPDY." 



Some years agone I owned a " Pup," 

 It then was young and wild and giddy; 



When I vvas called to christen her. 

 In winsome mood I called her " JJiddy." 



Her color was a darkish red . 



When she grew up knew every letter 

 In the whole gamester "alphabet" — 



She was a full-blood Irisli Setter. 



On many cold and winter nights, 

 Just like a ikiar .ind loving child, 



She slept and cuddled by my side. 

 And numy weary hours beguiled. 



She knew when ready for a tramp, 

 And watched my gVin and fastened door; 



And when it outward, creaking, swung, 

 She, barking wildly, ran on before. 



And when I brought some rare bird down, 

 Regardless of the drizzling sleet, 



She brought it with a wagging tail, 

 And laid it gently at my feet. 



She seemed to know our Iil.anehe*s step ; 



And when she early came <)r late, 

 Watched f(tr her with an anxious face. 



And met her ere sliy reached the gate. 



Hat dog-* grow old, like all the world, 

 And wrinkles come and hair turns gray; 



So she was sick and lame and weak. 

 And crawletl away to rest one day. 



As thus she lay in dreaming mood. 

 And saw the flag and *• drinking cup."* 



She knew with true and dog's instinct 

 Her dear old home was breaking up. 



She looked lielore, and all was dark. 

 And saw behind there's nought beside. 



She took the wise and unly path 

 And licked my hand and kinilly died. 



'Twas Autuum tide and eventide; 



We un-de a grave beneath a tree. 

 When stars looked d()wn we Inid her in. 



And breathed a prayer on *' i)eiided knee." 



I rai-ed above a siuiple stone ; 



And as a child again I cried. 

 And as the te;irs, unbidden rtow«'d, 



I wrote her name an<l day she died. 



And wondered if some "other day" 

 Some kindly one, unknown to fame, 



Ily mem'ry stirred, with m'>istene<l lids, 

 Beneath the stars will write my name. 



What strings there are, run thmugh the heart, 

 liy hand unseen, by hand divine. 



That thrill and throb, when ruthless torn 

 From deeper strings they intertwine. 



Farewell, my pet, the fuily dog 

 That twined herself around my heart; 



So now, Alas! I walk alone,— 

 It was so hird for me to part. 



And when I fold my weary hands, 

 And say my childliood's simpW^ prayer. 



And call the names of tho-^e I bive, 

 Her name will stand among them there. 



Some wise ones say, all life lives on, 

 Beyond time's bounds, and "earth's sunset " : 



If this be true, I've dreamed as much, 

 I hope beyond to mtM^t my I'ct. 



* She died while an au(;tion sale was taking place, 

 preparatory to the rcmov.al to a distant state of hur 

 owner. 



