RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



into the pond, wing-broken. Bnt scarcel}- 

 had it touched than an alligator arose and 

 began a hot pursuit, which was fully real- 

 ized b}' the wounded bird. Meantime we 

 were poling and reloading as rapidl^^ as 

 possible, but scarcely was one cartridge in 

 than the 'gator was about to seize his prey, 

 and a shot behind the eye set him to 

 thrashing in the agonies of death ; but 

 another moment and the Ibis would be 

 ashore, when it could quickly run out of 

 range ; but just as it was gaining its feet, 

 another shot laid It low also. 



One afternoon we visited the rookery, 

 taking our blankets with us, so we could 

 stay until dark and see what birds came in 

 to roost, and then sleep in the nearest 

 hammock. We were disappointed at not 

 seeing an}' Spoonbills, but pleased that we 

 had a chance to see the White Ibis come in 

 to roost. They came in long rows, with a 

 loud rustle of wings, and gathered on three 

 or four trees. After several flocks had 

 alighted and standing room was getting 

 scarce, another flock swung in and a gen- 

 eral flapping and dislodgment took place, 

 and then, as if b}' common consent, away 

 they all went, forming themselves into 

 three or four ranks as they flew. After go- 

 ing a distance of perhaps a quarter of a 

 mile they wheeled, and back they came 

 with a rush and alighted upon the same 

 trees from which they started, only perhaps 

 occupying another tree also. The next ar- 

 rival caused another commotion and anoth- 

 er general flight, and several times this was ! 

 repeated. The White Ibis is a beautiful i 

 bird in life, though strange looking, with its i 

 blood-red face and blue eyes. Its whole j 

 plumage is of cleanest white, with the ex- 

 ception of the blue-black tips to its wings, 

 a very noticeable character when flying. 



On one occasion when shooting American 

 Egrets a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers be- ^ 

 gan work scarce twenty feet above our j 

 heads, and seemed not in the least con- 

 cerned, although we ftred about two dozen j 

 shots at the Herons. These Woodpeckers j 

 were the least shy of any birds I ever met, j 

 and it is the more remarkable on account 

 of their usual extreme wariness. The 

 flesh of the Spoonbill is excellent eating, as 

 iiie had abundant chance to determine, for 

 it was only by close calculating that we 

 were not starved out before our team came 



^"^'^ ^^- (To he continued.) 



A FEW Points about Loading a Gun. — 

 This topic does not naturally fall within the 

 scope of taxidermy, though it does practi- 

 cally, and is to most young collectors a 

 source of trouble. The principle of loading 

 correctl}' is the same as that used in choosing 

 a stone to throw. There is a certain weight 

 that can be thrown a greater distance than 

 one either lighter or heavier. The common 

 fault is to load too heavy. If too much pow- 

 der is used it cannot all burn before leaving 

 the barrel, thus being a waste if notliing 

 more. If too much shot is used it will not be 

 propelled so far, besides giving the sensa- 

 tion known as a kick, which is nothing more 

 nor less than the gun moving back to free 

 itself of the charge. There is, of course, al- 

 ways a recoil, but this should be so slight 

 that the shoulder can withstand it without 

 flinching. If the recoil is allowed there is 

 no doubt but tlie force of the charge is much 

 impaired. This will account for a gun shoot- 

 ing so much harder when held by some per- 

 sons, than by others. 



A foul gun will shoot much harder than a 

 dean one. If you doubt this, fire at a pam- 

 phlet with a clean gun and observe the pen- 

 etration, then after shooting a few times try 

 it again. The reason is obvious ; when the 

 gun is clean the shot leave the barrel with 

 the burning of the first of the powder, but 

 when the barrel is not shiny, the friction re- 

 tards it to get the full benefit of the powder. 

 If you use a cheap quality, it is almost a 

 necessity to clean your gun daily ; but if 

 you use good powder it will not perhaps 

 need cleaning oftener than once in several 

 weeks, and this is no injury to the gun 

 either. We have for several seasons past 

 used Hazard's Duck Shooting Gunpowder, 

 No. 3 grain, for collecting, and think it 

 superior to any other. 



Several years' experience have given us 

 the following results as being the best for 

 a 12-bore breech-loader. Never use over 3 

 drams of powder or 1 ounce of shot. This 

 is the strongest load for all sizes of shot to 

 No. 10. There is more friction, and conse- 

 quenth' more kick, to a charge of small 

 shot, so that 2.^ drams of powder is suflfl- 

 cient for one ounce of 10% IP, or 12% We 

 use dust shot very largely, nnd find it very 

 effective. The heaviest charge we load of 

 this size is f oz. to 2^^ drams of powder, 

 and for short distances of 20 yards and 

 under, ^ oz shot and If drams of powder. 



