FOREST ANDOTREAM. 



323 



sport. This fish is remarkable from the fact that it con- 

 tains so much blood. It will blued more and longer than 

 any other fish known of its size. Anglers that savo them 

 can never, throw them iuto the boat. The amount of bloat] 

 under foot becomes intolerable. They Swarm the luke in 

 countless millions, but are all gone iu the Winter, Some 

 years ago Oliver Gibbs, Jr., expressed to me tin- opinion 

 that these fish migrated to the ocean. Since that time 1 

 have observed them as cloudy as possible, and have now 

 also come to the conclusion that they are an anadromous 

 fish. They entirely disappear the last of September and 

 return again in May and the first of June, this being their, 

 spawning season. "The young remain the second season, 

 Whefl they are Of sufficient age to make the long journey 

 with the old fish. 



Now, if it be a fact that this fish is anadromous iu its 

 habits, it is certainly a very interesting fact. If it be true 

 that they actually make the journey of nearly two thousand 

 miles to and from the ocean, it would appear conclusively 

 that shad aud salmon would do the same, so that if the 

 salmon were introduced into the tributaries of Hie Upper 

 Mississippi we might reasonably expect them to retain their 

 anadromous habits and become plenty in these streams. The 

 same can be said of the shad. This fish, I have no doubt, 

 wi'l become numerous in these waters within a very few 

 years. Meantime, more ought to be introduced. 



The ichthyc fauna of Lake Pepin contains nearly thirty 

 species. Some of these are rare, and little is known, 1 be- 

 lieve, of their natural history. Of such more anon. 



Like City, Dec, 1804 Dit. D. C. Estes. 



■+•+■ 



For Forest, and Stream. 

 TURTLE HUNTING. 



THERE are three kinds of turtle which I have hunted, 

 aud these are the hard shelled, the soft shelled, and 

 the snapping turtle. The former is much the more raui- 

 n. on, aud tint latter the rarest. The hard shelled is about 

 a transverse diameter aud a half long, and nearly three- 

 quarters of the same in vertical diameter from the "highest 

 point of the upper shell, said diameter passing through the 

 intersection .Of the longitudinal and transverse diameters. 

 Toe upper shell is veiy convex longitudinally, and even 

 more so transversely. The head is small, shaped like a 

 snake's, and the neck not very long. The claws are slightly 

 Curved and not so strong or sharp as those of either of the 

 other varieties. The upper shell is dark brown, with some 

 dull yellowish broken lines, both longitudinal aud trans- 

 verse. The top of the head is dark"iike the back ; the 

 sides of it being lined longitudinally with greenish, yellow- 

 curved stripes. The under parts of jaw T s and throat are 

 greenish yellow, and the belly is yellow. It lies in the 

 mud during the cold Winter weather, aud iu the warm 

 days of March comes out to sun itself on the logs of the 

 CTeeks and bayous. Soon after, when the weather gets 

 warmer, it is lo" be found Moating ou or near the surface of 

 the water, usually near the edges of the growth of water 

 plants which fringe the shore, and often it lies among the 

 plants, its body concealed by the lily leaves, and its small 

 greenish head so harmonizing in color with the leaves and 

 in shape with the buds, or as yet unfolded leaves, that a 

 person may easily pass many of them without recognizing 

 one. In May the female turtle goes ashore (sometimes for 

 several hundred yards) and digs a hole iu the earth, in 

 which to lay her eggs, which number from one hundred 

 to double that number. Having deposited them, she 

 covers them with the loose earth previously removed, and 

 returns to the water, leaving the eggs to the care of the 

 sun aud soil. A good sized turtle of this kind weighs about 

 thirty pounds. The soft shelled or leather-backed turtle 

 receives these names from its upper shell being about as 

 soft and flexible around its edges as a piece of hemlock sole 

 leal her. It is about a transverse diameter and a half long, 

 and its greatest vertical diameter (intersecting the others) 

 is about one-third as great. Its neck is large, long, flexible, 

 and ends in a head ot about its own diameter, which head 

 terminates in a pointed snout, something like a pig's; its 

 claws are very strong, sharp, and much curved; its back is 

 dark brown, with a marked olive green hue, and is rather 

 lighter at the edges; its belly is while ; the back of its 

 head aud neck is colored much like its dorsus, but is some- 

 what lighter, fading out and becoming mottled (ou the 

 sides) with reddish brown and orange, which blending 

 with white on the throat, give it a very duty look; its Jong 

 ami extremely mobile neck and powerful jaws, and great 

 courage combined, render it more dangerous io handle than 

 the timid and less vigorous hard shelled, or the vicious but 

 comparatively short-necked aud clumsy suapping turtle. 

 The soft shelled turtle is seldom found on logs, but lies 

 mnoim or near lilies, particularly where there is brush in 

 the water; its head and neck are easily mistaken for a 

 piece of a dead and water logged branch; it is quicker aud 

 shyer than either the hard shelled or snapping turtle. A 

 forty pouud turtle of this kind is large, but 1 am credibly 

 informed of one which weighed sixty pounds. The snap- 

 ping turtle is proportioned much like the hard shelled, 

 being a little broader and not quite so deep in proportion lo 

 his length; his upper shell is nearer gray or brown mud 

 colors, 'as it is dry or wet; the claws are very strong, sharp, 

 much curved, aud tike those of the soft shelled turtle, ter- 

 minate in very loug, large, strong flippers: its ueek looks 

 rougher and more dirty than that of the soft shelled turtle, 

 nor has it any of thj brighter coloring sometimes seen 

 there. The snapping turtle likes lo live in the swamp, but 

 is sometimes found on logs among lilies, or in the shallow 

 water near the shores of creeks and lakes. Turtles of 

 either of these species (if properly cooked) make soup as 

 good as that from green turtle, but the Southern people 

 prefer the soft shelled, and esteem the snapping turtle 

 rather more. Ihau the hard shelled. Turtle's eggs are also 

 belter eating than those of domestic foul. 



To hunt the turtle to advantage you need au easy, pad- 

 dling canoe or boat; the Delaware Kivcr shooting skiff 

 being considered the best; it should be about thirteen feet 

 long, and it clinker built, the outer edges of the boards 

 Should be bevelled, to prevent the lapping of the water in 

 the sharp angles, (as even that sliglit noise is enough lo 

 startle a turtle, and when startled he goes off like a Hash). 

 If used to canoeing, by all means take a light canoe, suita- 

 ble for two people, and what they need to carry, namely, 

 two paddles, one pole, twelve to fifieeu feet long, with a 

 hook of beat steel, three-sixteenths of au inch in diameter, 

 and n shank of six inches at one eud of the pole, round 

 bend, sharp point iwoiuehes from shank, and one inch and 

 a half from bottom of beud. This pole should be marked 

 At every six inches, so that one cau tell instantly which 



way the point of the hook is turned when it is out of sight. 



Add to this a rifle, and pistol of large bore, and you have 

 your equipment for turtle shooting. Tour boat, paddles, 

 clothes and hat. should be of neutral tint. When you reach 

 your shooting ground (a creek or bayou with weeds, lilies 



water lettuce, logs, and stumps al 

 should sit near "the bow in such poi 

 shoot quicklvand with little motic 

 should face, diagonally toward the sh 

 peets to see turtle, and with rifle ready, 

 lows and note every unusual apt 

 the weeds which be is pi 



that 



oh), one man 

 to be able to 

 s to say, he 

 which h'e ex- 

 nine the wil- 

 along the edge of 

 giving a gh 



forward now and then, as he may get a shot, at some turtle 

 fifty or sixty yards up stream on'a log, and wdiich would 

 not" allow him to get any closer. When he sees the head of 

 a turtle half hidden among the weeds, if he brings his rifle 

 up quickly tile turtle will "be yards away before he can fire, 

 but he must raise it very quietly, with as little motiou as is 

 possible, and the instant that he covers the head, fire, ami if 

 lie can't see the head, (as Hie motion of the boat may have 

 brought leaves across the line of tire), but can see where he 

 thiuks the body is, then let him fire, and immediately take 

 the pole aud stand ready to hook up the creature as soon as 

 the bow of the boat reaches the spot where he sank. Of 

 course no noise of any kind must be allowed, for you often 

 hunt half a day without a word ; so great care" must be 

 taken to have nothing in the boat that cau rattle. The 

 paddler's duly is to keep the boat close to the weeds with- 

 out letting it "rustle against them, to paddle quietly, to keep 

 on the look out for turtles, and on seeing one, to put the 

 boat in the most favorable position for the shooter, to 

 check her as much as possible. -without noise, and on the 

 Shot being fired, put the bow of the boat as quickly as pos- 

 sible over the spot where the turtle sank, and keep it there 

 while the shooter feels for and hooks it up. He must bo 

 constantly on the watch for a sign from tin- shooter, as he 

 being in the bow, will probably see the turtle first. If the 

 boat should pass a turtle aud the paddler be unable to at- 

 tract the shooter's attention without scaring the chelonian, 

 he may use the pistol. Even on windy days there are 

 among the tortuous creeks sheltered places where one may 

 timl turtles ; but if a drop of rain strikes a turtle down he 

 goes. If you wish to avoid suustroke, keep a wet lily pad 

 or two iu the top of your hat. If you see the turt.leVbaek 

 only, try to fire at such an angle that the ball will range 

 toward his head; if it ranges toward his tail, you will lose 

 four out of live. You had better look for a turtle for half 

 an hour (as one of my friends .did last, Winter and got him) 

 than to go iu after him; for if he takes hold of your limbs 

 you will have no pleasant time iu getting out with thirty 

 pounds of live turtle hanging to your finger bone; putting 

 his head out of the shell and holding it. there while some 

 one cuts it off; and even then you will not gel oil' much 

 easier. Moreover, the bottoms of many of 'the Southern 

 creeks are so dark, and the waters so full of impurities, tluu 

 you can see nothing when you go down, but. an amber 

 colored sheen, if the sun is shining. So you will have to 

 trust to feeling alone, wdiich, with the chance of water 

 moccasins, alligators, sharp snags, and the turtle's strong, 

 sharp mandibles, is not sufficiently encouraging to warrant 

 the attempt, particularly as you will fail to find the turtle 

 in three cases out of four, when you cannot feel him with 

 the hook. An old soft shell wdll sometimes have quite a 

 quantity of moss growing on its back, aud 1 am told that 

 this holds good as lo the others, but have never seen it. 



A. Henkt. 



J-'oi Forest and Stream. 

 SPORT IN THE BROWN TRACT. 



WE had been paddling slowly up the river, (the 

 Beaver,) all day, fishing a"t the numerous spring- 

 holes, aud as the night closed around us, we found our- 

 selves al. the " Branch ; " pretty well tired out and ready to 

 camp anywhere. We ran up as far as it was possible with 

 boats ami lauded. A fire was soon kindled ou the bank, 

 aud our fish (of which we had a pretty good string) cleaned, 

 and after a shorl discussion it was decided that myself anil 

 two companions, with Asa, our guide, should go to Uncle 

 Chauucey Smith's cabin, over a half mile "carry," while 

 our second guide, Danfred, with our fourth man, should 

 "float" as far as Little Kapids in hopes of obtaining a 

 deer, aud we meet them in the morning. . 



The night was very dark, aud looked as though rain 

 would fall before m uy hours, aud as our friend's boat was 

 lost in the darkness, we picked up our traps, and shoulder- 

 ing our rifles aud rods, were ready for the "carry." Now 

 a carry is bad enough by daylight, especially if it happens 

 to be" one not much Traveled, as was the case with, this 

 particular one, which we were to "do" in the dark; but do 

 it, we had lo, or sleep without cover, which was not very 

 pleasant to think of, as it looked more like rain every in- 

 stant. Our guide lighted a caudle and started off, we fol- 

 lowing iu Indian file. The way was rough and ihe light 

 from our single caudle cast hut sickly rays ou the path. 

 Aud we stumbled on, now slipping on some stone, over- 

 grown with moss, or fulling headlong over the trunk of 

 some prostrate tree Iving directly across our path. Alter 

 what, seemed the longest half mile 1 ever walked, the cabin 

 of Uncle Chauucey nove in Sight and our "Jordan" was 

 traveled. As we caught siglu of the old log-house, stand- 

 ing in the clearing, far away in the wilderness, we hailed it 

 OS a "haven of rest," glad enough to have got over the in- 

 fernal "cairy" without breaking our necks. 



This cabin was erected by Uncle Chauucey Smith, and 

 here he has spent much of 'ins lime hunting and fishing for 

 Ihe. last fifteen years. It stands on the road opened through 

 the woods lo 'the shore of Lake Champlaiu, which Was 

 buill in the hope that people would come in and settle. 

 But they didn't, and consequently the bridges are down 

 most, of its entire length, though 1 believe this last Summer 

 the bridges have been rebuilt as far as Kittle Rapids, some 

 three miles from here. But very likely when ihe spring 

 freshets come, they will be carried off, aud parties coming 

 up the river will have to go as usual by boat. The land 

 has been cleared to some extent around the house and some 

 few vegetables were raised here, but it is fast growing up 

 again lo a wilderness, and unless some one comes here to 

 live, (which is not very likely,) it will soon be back to its 

 original state. The place is "not an inviting spot lor camp- 

 ing, although a great many parties seek its shelter, as it 

 saves building one, aud the branch aisoine seasons abounds 

 iu trout. The house consists of a inaiu building of logs 

 with shingled roof and a rear part -with bark roof, aud 

 stands close to where the road crosses the branch; so much 

 for the outside. 



Pushing opeu the door to the main building we enter. It 



certainly is not very inviting. Everything smells mouldv 

 and looks dirty. An old stove, nearly worn out, slant 

 one end of the room, while, the middle is graced V i roaga 

 board table with scats. A match, one or two old candle- 

 sticks and a few old broken dishes stand on it, and from 

 pegs driven into the wall hang old powder horns, minus 

 the powder, rusty guns, frying pans, and all Ihe odds and 

 ends that, could be thought of. Leadiug out from the hack 

 of the room are two closets or cells; with bunks like a 

 steamboat, with dirty ticks filled with hay and covered 

 with damp and mould. In the rear we found some bunks 

 filled with freshly cut hay from grass which grows around 

 the cabin, and as the glass was out of the one window iu 

 the room, Ihe air was much better. There was also an old 

 slove iu this room, and as the punkies and mosquitoes were 

 plenty, we started a, smudge in the hopes of smoking them 

 out. 



Going back to the front part Asa soon had supper cook- 

 ing and the savory smell of trout, and coffee filled the room, 

 and we were soon stowing away our evening meal with 

 keen appetites. After supper pipes were lighted, and sit- 

 ting around the old stove we listened to our guide while he 

 told us yarns connccled with his life. For nearly forty 

 years he had been more or less in the woods. Not a place 

 but. what he had visited, aud the moose, dear, bear and 

 wolves he had slain were innumerable. 



He helped bu'ld the road through the woods, and moose 

 were as plenty as deer then, and many a one fell before his 

 unerring rifle. But the pipes were smoked out at last, and 

 wrapping our blankets around us we were soou iu the land 

 of dreams. In the middle of the night wo had a tremen- 

 dous thunder storm and 1 awoke to find the water coming 

 down iu a shower on my head. Unfortunately I had bilii 

 down under a hole in llie bark roof, and only discovered it 

 when pretty wet; but 1 was too lazy to move much, so 

 drawing my rubber blenket over me I let it rain and soon 

 went to sleep agaiu. In the morning, after a hearty break- 

 fast, our guide returned to his boat, which ' he was 

 to paddle up to the rapids, while we three were to 

 walk three miles by the road to the same place. When we 

 got to a certain place, designated by Asa, we were to leave 

 the road and strike oil' to the left to the river. 



The morning was lowering and close, and the air was 

 alive with winged varmints, who settled down on us iu 

 clouds. The grass and bushes which lined the road were 

 very wet, adding greatly to our discomfort. 



At, last we reached the path from the main road, going 

 off towards the river. The trail was rather blind, iu fact 

 so blind that 1 was a little doubtful, but we concluded to 

 try it, aud uow the way was rough, indeed trees were lying 

 across our path iu every direction. The trail grew more 

 aud more obscure aud at last was lost on the edge of a 

 swampy piece of ground, but we kept on, some of the lime 

 in mud and water up to our knees, and at last we heard ihe 

 roar of the falls, and raising our voices, soon heard our 

 guide, answering. At last we reached the river, and were 

 soon ferried over, and rejoined our companion at the camp. 

 lie and Danfred had beeu out all night in the rain, "nary 

 deer" had they seen, but they had secured tour nice ducks, 

 besides the ducking they got by the rain. If there is any- 

 thing that will give a man the '"blues" I think ii is a rain 

 storm iu the woods, especially if you have a poor camp, as 

 was the case here. 



Ouce more taking our boats wo were soon on the "level," 

 aud here we found most excellent fishing. We took all the 

 trout that we could use to advantage, and embarking, re- 

 sumed the paddles. Soon we arrived at another series of 

 rapids, up which the guides waded with the boats, whilst 

 we walked over the mile carry. We amused ourselves as 

 best we could till the boat arrived, when once more we 

 were sailing up the lower outlet of the lake, which, being 

 full of rocks aud stones, made slow going, but al last w T e. 

 struck more open water. 



What a beautiful scene it was, that lovely sheet of water 

 lying so calm and still, with the green foliage environing it 

 to its very edge. The clouds had rolled away and patches 

 of blue sky were peeping out here and there. The water 

 lilies were in full bloom, making the air redolent with their 

 sweet perfume. The mosquitoes and flies gave us little 

 trouble for the first time siuce we struck the woods. As 

 we pulled slowly up the lake, the evening shadows came 

 on apace aud we must find a camping place for the night. 

 Dantred said there was one just above on the left baud side, 

 With a good spring handy, so we concluded lo try it. \\ ,'- 

 ran our boats into a small stream thai came down through 

 the lilies, barely wide enough for a boat, and landed. ~ I 

 followed Ihe path up through the "second growth" and 

 reached the camp, or rather where ihe camp had been, for 

 it had been burned down. I went back to the boats, 

 where the boys were busy unloading, and reported. 1 

 suggested lying our rubber blankets together and making a 

 frame work ot poles and covering ic with them, as tliat, 

 would keep off the dew. So at it we went, aud soou had a 

 comfortable shelter over us. Cutting some young rasp- 

 berry bushes, which grew in profusion around Ihe camp, 

 we made us some good beds. A fire was soon crackling in 

 front, and while our guides cooked the supper, we lazily 

 reclined on our blankets, or lent a helping hand. The meal 

 ended, we gladly retired to our blankets, and one by one 

 dropped oil into "dreamland," but somehow the more f 

 courled the "Cod of Sleep" the wider awake I grew. 



At last a loon gave us a little touch of melody, and as his 

 mocking laugh came floating over the lake it started my 

 homesick companion, who was just snoring melodiously. 



"for Cod's sake what's that?" he exclaimed, starting up 

 on his elbows." 



"Only the cry of a panther around the camp, and as you 

 sleep on the Oiltside you will be the first victim." 



Mean, wasn't it in me? but, then, 1 could not sleep and 

 wanted company. 



"Is your ritle "loaded?" said I; "if not, you better put iu 

 a charge and let him have it if he comes loo near." 



Hear the loou let out another cry, a regular "blood 

 freezer." This time my friend started to his feet, 

 thoroughly frightened, and" thinking 1 had carried the joke 

 tar enough, 1 calmed him down and quiet was once more 

 restored. 



I lay awhile listening to the wind sighing through the 

 treetops, aud at last dropped off into slumber, wdiich 1 had 

 so long wished for. F. B. 



Uanfonl, Ot., 1874. 



■».»■ 



Cats ! — We have received from our Florida correspond- 

 ent, Bred Beverly, the skin of the panther which he men- 

 tions in his article of Dec. 17th, as having been shot by him 

 during a recent Winter campaign in Florida. The animal 

 measured eight feet iu length when alive. 



