lanbom |lote0 on latutttl li0torr). 



Vol. III. 



PROVIDENCE, MAY 1, 1886. 



No. 5. 



Entered at the Providence Post-Offiee as Second-Class Matter. 



!]|anb0m Ifoi^s on !f alural f iston|, 



A Monthly Devoted to the Distkibdtion of Use- 

 ful Knowledge Concerning the Various De- 

 partments OP Zoology, Mineralogy, and 

 Botany. 50 Cents a Year. 



Address all communications to 



JAMES M. SOUTHWICK, 



358 Westminster St., Providence, R. I., U.S. A. 



Yelping a Gobbler. 



Early in March, before the turkeys began 

 to gobble, we had taken several by lying in 

 wait at their roosts. But about the third 

 week in March the gobblers were beginning 

 to make the woods ring ; and one day, at 

 dinner, my hunting companion, Ben H — 

 remarked to me " I reckin we might yelp up 

 a gobbler this evenin', if you want to. I 

 heerd one a gobblin' right smart this mornin' 

 over on Brushy." Now Ben was a native 

 '•'■ West Texican," born and bred in the 

 woods, a skillful and enthusiastic hunter ; 

 and you may be sure his proposition was 

 eagerly accepted. 



Setting out about four o'clock, a two-mile 

 walk across a rock}' ridge brought us to the 

 little diy creek, whose banks of dense 

 chaparral and cedar brake had gained for it 

 the name of '' Brushy." A favorable loca- 

 tion was soon secured in a thicket, in front 

 of which and toward the neighboring 

 mountain was an opening some fiftj' yards 

 across. We lay down at full length, propped 

 up on our elbows, behind the screen of 

 bushes. Ben laid his gun by his side, but 

 cautioned me to keep mine in readiness, and 

 when I heard a gobbler at once to bring it 

 to bear in that direction, that there might be 

 no stir when the turkey appeared. Then he 

 took from his pocket and put to his lips a 

 common, slender cigar-holder, cupped his 

 hands about the end and sounded a won- 

 derfully perfect imitation of the turkey hen's 

 plaintive call. At first it brought no re- 

 sponse ; then came from away off at the 



foot of the mountain an answering gobble. 

 The bird was apparently a half mile away . 

 Again the call sounded and again the gob- 

 ble. This was repeated several times, 

 the answer coming nearer and nearer, then 

 abruptly ceasing. Ben motioned to me to be 

 ready, then sounded the call again. {Strain- 

 ing eyes and ears, soon we could hear 

 the dicJc-thrrrr of wings as the turkey 

 " strutted" ; and in a few moments more he 

 advanced from behind a thicket on the 

 opposite side of the opening — tail spread, 

 wings dropped and head drawn proudly 

 back as he looked about for his expected 

 inamorata. The sunbeams glanced and 

 flashed from his feathers ; and, in my admira- 

 tion, I entirely forgot our purpose in sum- 

 moning him. Presence of mind was sud- 

 denly recalled by an impatient " Humph ! " 

 from Ben as he caught up his Winchester. 

 With a sharp " Pit," the old gobbler had 

 wheeled and started to rise ; but mj' Rem- 

 ington dropped into position Justin time, and 

 a charge of " B " sent him flopping on to his 

 back. 



He was a splendid, huge old fellow, and, 

 though by no means the first we had taken, 

 yet we could not resist the impulse to sit 

 down and gloat over him ; smooth his 

 ruffled plumage and pull his long " beard." 

 Ben asked if we should not go up the 

 creek and tiy for another. I thought we 

 ought to be satisfied ; so we picked up our 

 bird and started for home. And we were 

 fully satisfied before the ranch was reached, 

 for I verily thought that turkey could not 

 weigh an ounce less than fift}' pounds. But 

 the scales refused to go beyond twenty-four 

 and three-fourths ; and. after all, that isn't 

 so bad for a turkey ! h. 



Strange Behavior of a Blue Jay. — In 

 Random Notes, Vol. II., No. 1, is an article 

 about a Jay which pounced upon an English 

 Sparrow and flew away with it. The writer 

 asks, "did he want the sparrow for food?" 

 I am not well acquainted with the habits of 

 our birds, but from what I have seen of the 



