March, 1892.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



47 



his comfortable home in South Tamworth. 

 Tlie conversation quite naturally turned upon 

 the events of the day and to Pigeons. !Sud- 

 tlenly George spoke up and said "See here, 

 uoys, rU tell you a Pigeon story, and one 

 wliich, altliough the events described in it 

 happened many years before you were born, 

 will interest you, 1 think." Some one who 

 knew George's "proclivities" passed him the 

 "weed," anotiier, an article from wliich I 

 daresay he took that which eased tlie <lust 

 from liis tliroat a bit, gathered there from liis 

 long drive tiiat day and from wliich he had 

 just returned. Pipes were tilled anew, the 

 little assembly, almost to a man, settled back 

 in their chaiis, prepared for a hearty laugh, 

 so sure to follow, and George, getting his 

 "quid" adjusted, said: — 



" Xow boys, this is the Pigeon story as told 

 by Stephen Allard, an old bear hunter of 

 Albany, N. H." "About 1825 or ';^0, s(tme- 

 where 'long there, I was out one day a-hoein' 

 C'irn on my burned ground, and the sun was a- 

 shining bright as ye ever see it, when all to 

 once there was a dark cloud passed over my 

 liead, and I looked up and see a flock of 

 Pigeons Hyin', and there was more'n five hun- 

 dred tliousand million legion of 'em. Jest 

 beyond me there was an ole dry stub with 

 plenty of sways on it, and they all flew and lit 

 on the old stub, every one of 'em. 



"I had my <>le Queen's arm with me, in case 

 the Injuns should attack me or the beais 

 (pronounced bayars), and as I liad but (me 

 charge of ammunition with me, that being in 

 the ole Queen's aim, I wanted to be sure and 

 kill ev'ry one of 'em the first shot, and as I 

 pulled the trigger 1 give her a little switch, so 

 as to scatter tlie shot, and I killed every one 

 of 'em dfnd as ^ pelture,' and down they come, 

 the whole five hundred thousand million legion 

 of 'em onto the ground. Then I took my bay- 

 onet and pricked lioles through their necks 

 and strung 'em onto a string o' withes, and I 

 slung 'em over my shoulder and started for 

 home. 



"Iliad to ford across the river on my way 

 there, and as the water was pretty high, it 

 being in the spring of the year, the current 

 carried me down stream into deep water, so it 

 run over the waistband of my pantaloons. 

 However, I managed to climb up the bank, 

 and when 1 got on the sliore I four.d my load 

 was a great deal heavier than before, so I took 

 off my pantaloons to wrinff 'em out, — mind 

 ye, gentlemen, my wife Molly carded the wool 

 and spun the yarn and wove the cloth and 

 made the pantaloons: they were very stout 

 and sufficient to cnrry my load. — and wlien I 

 come to shake "em out I shook out more'n five 

 bushels of the handsomest trout you ever see 

 in all yer life; and mind. ye. gentlemen, this 

 is jest as trew as the Holv Writ, everv word 

 of it." Chas. F. Danforth.' 



T have taken Great Horned Owls' egsrs this 

 season on the foUowins: dates: Jan. 28, 1-2; 

 Feb. :3. 2-2; Feb. 8, :^2; Feb. 16, 4-2, 5-2; Feb. 

 10. Ci-?,. First Bluebirds appeared here on 

 Feb. i:^,. and on the 16th a Red-headed Wood- 



pecker was seen. Dr. W. S. Strode, Berna- 

 dotte, 111. 



Trinomials. — "AVell, little boy, what's 

 your name'?" "Shadrack Xebuchadnezzar 

 Jones." "Who gave you that name?" "I 

 don't know. But yer bet cher yer life if I find 

 out, wheii I get's me growth tliey'll be sorry 

 for it." — Life. 



Those who have watched the naming of 

 birds since the advent of the A. O. U. will 

 probably appreciate the above joke. [This is 

 sent in by a well-known friend. — Ed.] 



A beautifully marked specimen of a partial 

 albino Bobwhite was secured by Henry J. 

 Thayer at the Boston market. The tips of the 

 feathers were natural, while the background 

 was nearly wliite, giving a very unusual 

 appearance. 



A. E. Kibbe writes that his pet skunks are 

 doing nicely, and he hopes to breed from them 

 tills spring. 



A few flocks of Pine Grosbeaks were 

 reported at Readville, Mass., early in February. 



Prof. Forbush is now on the war-path after 

 the Gypsy Moth. 



Twenty thousand tanned dog-skins on the 

 floor in one loft in the city of Boston was an 

 unusual sight of this week, all from China. 

 They are used for mats, robes and gaiments, 

 and no doubt the animals were eaten. The 

 black ones are the most desirable. 



The following additions have been recently 

 made to tlie Zoological Department at PiOger 

 Williams Park, R. I.: A fine male tiger, a bull 

 bison, and a pair of lions about two years old, 

 captured on the coast of Africa when about 

 six months old. There are expected shortly 

 a pair of leopards. Rocky Mountain lions 

 (panther) and spotted hyenas. The park is 

 located on the outskirts of the city of Provi- 

 dence, and under the present management is 

 becoming very popular. 



A pet bear, a lovely creature, about a year 

 old, kind and gentle, can be lead, and has 

 been introduced on the stage, — for sale. 

 Address the editor for particulars. 



We are very much gratified to notice a sign 

 of interest on the subject of introducing a 

 more general attention to the study of natural 

 history in the public and private schools in 

 Massachusetts. It is time it was done. 



. Our friend Cant well comes to the front 

 again. He writes that he still lives but has 

 been very busy. He sends us a number of 

 photographs. The first represents him with 

 ills Prince Albert buttoned up to the chin, his 

 hat reverently raised with one hand, while he 

 sadly views the remains of a large specimen, 

 evidently contemplating whether it is too far 

 gone for preservation. T]iis view is very 

 unlifeUke. Others represented him with the 

 various surroundings, showing the store and 

 workshops of C. E. Aiken, with whom he is at 

 present connected. Surely Geo. G. Cantwell 

 shoots the kodak as well as the gun. 



