FOREST AND STREAM/ 



341 



tlio buck's hoofs and kill the docr.the buck charged me six or peven times, 

 making me get behind truee, until the dog attracted Mb attention in fh« 

 rear, The hat He lasted pome five minute*, and was pT*l f istosi ' 

 I brought it to an end by ehooting the deer thrown tie he 

 the buck had knocked dovvu the do? under hia feet, and ■■ 

 best to "discourage'' him. IdreRBedthe dead buck, tied :he liver to my 

 belt, and hurried to camp to examine it before it could [n ifonnd 



it contained many ol the oval leech-like worm-, above mentioned, and 

 like the doe's its liver was flisflgnred and drawn out ors-hape by the para- 

 sites. 1 have preserved emac of the cells (Villi the norms complete, also 

 empty cells nnd portions of the diseased liver, and when I reach home, 

 where I have facilities for examining them, I will write yon more fully on 

 the subject. 



p.. s.— The. mercury is below zero, and Writing in a shanty With the 

 door open to admit llghl fund cold) is detiimeiital to navigating a pen. 

 Veiy fnly yomsj J. E. Batty. 



We have often scon those "blood-suckers" (as hunters 

 pall them,) in llf livers of deer killed in mid-Sum- 

 iuer, and always rcgaidcd their presence as a conditnn 

 or indication (i£ ill liealtli, and a strong argument against. 

 the eating of venison killed oul. of season. By Autumn 

 we had supposed tlie deer got rid of Ihcse parasites in 

 some mysterious way, we never heard any one attempt 1,0 

 explain" how, lint the 1 act. as stated above affords proof 

 positive that their presence is not confined to any particular 

 season, and naturally Mimesis Hie inquiry whether suoh 

 presence renders thecal eass unhealthy or unfit far fond. 

 Worms are also found in the nostrils of deer in the Spring, 

 when they arc lean and sickly, thereby destroying their 

 sense of smell; and old hunters have told us that there is 

 an oil bag in their hind leg, near the let lock, in the hollow 

 of the joint, which the deer break, and applying the con- 

 tents to their noses, thereby relieve themselves. As deer 

 depend more upon the sense of smell than sight for pro- 

 lection against enemies, their lives would be measurably 

 imperilled hy these worms Staffing tip their nostrils, did 

 not nature thus provide a remedy . We mention this at the 

 risk of appearing credulous, and exposing our own ignor- 

 ance. We have never seen the subject referred to in 

 works of natural history, and would like to be informed in 

 regard to it by any one competent to corroborate or give an 

 intelligent explanation of these statements.— [Ed. 



-».«» 



Fur WtSfUl a-t.d Stream. 

 THE BIRDS OF NEWFOUNDLAND, 



[CONOT-UDED.] 



117/,/ Geese nnd Bucks. 



BY far the most common species of goose in Newfound- 

 land is the Canada goose— Bsrm'cki CSmatUnnk, They 

 arrive in vast numbers in April and May, but the greater 

 proportion pass on to more Northern regions to breed. 

 Some, however, remain for this purpose in Newfoundland. 

 There is a marked difference, in color between the sexes, 

 the male being a light grey, the female dark grey, almost 

 black. There is perhaps no finer table bird than the Canada 

 goose, and none, with the exception of the partridge, 

 which is more attractive to the sportsman. It is no easy 

 matter to entice them within gun snot. When on the wing 

 the Canada goose may often be "toled" from a long dis- 

 tance by imitating its cry, or "crooking," as the settlers 

 phrase it, The more usual method, however, is the follow- 

 ing: -The sportsman secretes himself by the edge of any 

 pond on which geese are seen, and keeps throwing a glove 

 or stick in I he direction of the geese, each time making his 

 dog retrieve the object thrown. Soon this process arouses 

 the curiosity of the geese who begin to swim towards the 

 object. Should the sportsman have no nog he must act the 

 part, of one by crawling on his hands and knees in and out 

 of the bushes — a method which, if continued for any 

 length of time, becomes anything but pleasant. The 

 stuffed skin of a fox, however, will answer the same pur- 

 pose admirably, especially when the geese arc near the 

 shore, by tying it to a long stick, and imitating the motions 

 of a dog retrieving any object. It has been observed that 

 when on the wing, either in flocks or in pairs, a gander 

 leads; and the rule here is to fire at the hinder bird, not 

 only because the goose is the fattest, but because the gan- 

 der will generally hover over his dead mate for some time, 

 and thus his affection often proves fatal to the husband, as 

 a second barrel will bring him down. This bird, like the 

 domestic goose, is long-lived, the average length of life 

 being from forty to fifty years. 



The brent goose is very common on the Southern and 

 Western shores of Newfoundland, but is rarely seen North 

 of St. George's Bay. From Port-nu-Port they cross to 

 Anticosti and thence pass up the Labrador shore. 



Ducks.— Perhaps the finest table bird found here is the 

 black duck.or common wild duck of the island, which lavs 

 from ten to fifteen eggs and breeds on the borders of lakes 

 and rivers. It is no easy matter to get wilhin gun shot of 

 this shy bird, as "it will wind you like a deer." 



There is another duck here called by settlers tlie "Pie 

 Duck," the young of which is considered good eating. It 

 is one of the first to arrive in Spring and remains till frozen 

 out in the Fall. It is a curious fact that this duck makes a 

 hole in a rotten tree and there builds .its nest, sometimes 

 near the ground, often at a height of twenty feet. This 

 species is the American golden eye, ^ 



Long-tailed Duck, or Ilaimd,— This handsome Bird is very 

 abundant along the coast in Fall and Spring, but does not 

 breed here. Our settlers call them "hounds" from the re- 

 semblance which their clamorous cry, in a (lock, has to a 

 pack of hounds in full cry. This cry is "eow-emy-wit l" 

 "cow-cow-wit 1" and when borne on the wind from a dis- 

 tance it really has some resemblance to Hie cry of a pack 

 of hounds. These "hounds" are most expert divers, nnd 

 when the day is dull and cloudy, or with snow upon the 

 ground, it is almost, impossible to kill them, as they dive at 

 the flash with the rapidity of lightning. On bright days, 

 however, they can be shot as easily as non-diving birds. 



American Eider Due/,.— This speciea is called "the sea 

 duck" by our settlers, and until the last few years was the 

 most abundant species of duck in Newfoundland. The in- 

 crease of population and the destruction of its eggs have 

 greatly reduced its numbers. So abundant were l hey at 

 one time that it, was nothing uncommon for a settler to kill 

 from fifty to a hundred ai one shot. Sometimes as nanny 

 ■js twenty are still knocked down it n single shot 



JSng Kidrr.— The adult male of this species is a large, 

 handsome bird, much sought after by ornithologists. Here 

 it is called "the king bird," and is often shot during the 

 periodical migrations in company with the eider duck. 



IJ.irh'nuiii Ducktt.— The mn)c- and female of this species 

 arc called by our .settlers "lords and ladies," and are beau- 

 tiful birds, and perhaps the most expert of divers. The 

 sportsman is amazed to find that one of those birds can 

 escape the shut of bis percussion gun by diving, though 

 Sitting quietly on the water at a distance of but twenty 

 yards'; Sometimes, too, he fires at a flock ou the wing, and 

 is delighted to see the whole flock drop apparently "stone 

 dead" into the water; but, presently his astonishment, is 

 great when he sees the little harlequins all on the wing un- 

 hurt, and just out, of the range of his second barrel. Other 

 species of' ducks occasionally met with here are the surf 

 duck, the American scoter and the velvet duck. 



Stormy Petrel.— The stormy petrel, or Mother Corey's 

 Chicken, is a common Summer migrant, and brc.uls on 

 many of the islands round the coast. Wilson's stormy 

 petrel is also seen occasionally. Three species of shear 

 waters are met with in the Gulf of St, Lawrence, on the 

 Banks. of Newfoundland, or in ihe Straits of Belle Isle. 

 They are rarely if over swn on the island near the coast, 

 and their breeding places are probably some of Ihe surf- 

 bound islands on the. Banks, where formerly the great auk 

 found a favorite resort, 



QullK. — Fifteen species of gulls have been observed in 

 Newfoundland, of which the ring-billed gull is the most 

 common, its local name being "the squeezy gull." They 

 are all carnivorous, but. this one. is specially so. No sooner 

 is a. dead or dying bird visible on the water than it is espied 

 by these nulls, who gather round in noisy circles and 

 speedily devour everything but the bones and feathers. 

 Bonaparte's gull and the ivory gull are seen occasionally in 

 ihe Straits of Hello Isle and on the Northwest coast of 

 Newfoundland. 



<,Ye./< Nortlurn Direr.— This bird is called here the 

 "Loo," its proper name being "Loon." It is a common 

 Summer migrant, and at that season nearly every lake is 

 tenanted by a pair of "loos." It is believed that the same 

 pair return to their pond or lake year after year for a long 

 period, unless destroyed or continually disturbed. They 

 are very awkward walkers, though wonderfully strong on 

 the whig; and breed on the lakes of the interior. 



Having formerly in a separate paper in Forest and 

 Stream described Ihe great auk, once so abundant around 

 these shores, and now believed to be extinct, Ineednotnow 

 return to the subject'. The little auk and the common 

 guillemot, or niurre, are periodica! migrants here and breed 

 "ou the islands and north coast of the" island. Altogether, 

 upwards of two hundred species have been identified as 

 belonging to the avi-fauna of Newfoundland: and doubt- 

 less future observers will add greatly to the number. 



M. Harvey. 



-♦.*- 



MlSFLAOED Confidence. — A crack shot and good fellow 

 from New Orleans, while hunting along the railroad track 

 a short distance from that city, discovered a large alligator 

 swimming across 11 bayou to the place where he was stand- 

 ing. This was a strange proceeding, as alligators usually 

 do: quite the reverse, but this one being very large, and 

 looking savage, our friend thought it a challenge and gave 

 him a ball just back of his flippers. The old fellow turned 

 back at this, recrossed the bayou, about twenty yards wide, 

 and crawled up the bank, when a second shot laid him out. 

 Just then a )>avty of track repairers ran up to look at. the 

 game and offer congratulations as our mighty hunter ex- 

 pected, when what was his surprise to rind himself instead of 

 the alligator surrounded and in imminent danger of having 

 "his head punched" by tin angry crowd. He had killed 

 their pet, one they had been feeding for two years. The 

 alligator had crossed over, seeing a man standing there, 

 in friendly expectation of something to eat, and became a 

 victim to misplaced confidence. Full apologies and ex- 

 planations were made and grumblingly accepted. 



However, 1 would not advise any of your readers to 

 attempt to domesticate an alligator. They may do very 

 well to waste provisions on, but as playthings would not 

 probably prove a success. \* 



— The following amphibious story is going around: — 

 A shower of white toads took place in Larimee county, 

 Colorado, lately. The shower embraced a strip of country 

 half a mile wide and several miles in length. From a dis- 

 tance the frogs, OS they bounced along the ground, looked 

 for all the world like hail-stones. After the storm the frogs 

 hopped about over the country in droves of ten thousand. 



Jacksox, JDss., December 22, 1874. 



EDITOR FORBSf AXI> STIIKAM: — 



Your issue of December 17th contains an article on "Suicide of a 

 Scorpion," in which the English correspondent thinks he makes a good. 

 showing in the affirmative of the "mooted question, whether animalB 

 purpiescly commit suicide." It is another instance of what a German 

 eciculis; 'would c:ill "a fact not very well observed."' 



Tlie scorpion id ted him.-.- If, but lie did iw commit suicide, and the 

 English correspondent himself proves what I say. lie attacked his "pet" 

 Willi ft botanical lens, hitiny his prisoner with the "focused rays of Ibe. 

 son," and naturally the scorpion runs away, even hissing (f) and spitting 

 (?) in a very fleroB (*<c) way, whieh is repeated four or live times, with a 

 like result. 



Now, what is more natural lor tlie tortured ni-nchuidan than to strike 

 at (be Object giving it pain, and us "focused rays" are not. substantial 

 enough. Ihe Stint! colors its own body unintentionally, which I take to 

 bull rational explanation of tlie. occurrence Yours truly, 



Geo. C. Ethics, 



WoNDEitFi'L Leaf uy a Deer. — An Irish journal gives 

 ;m account of a tremendous leap taken by a deer belong- 

 ing to Mr. Gubbins, the master of the Taglioni Staghouuds, 

 County Limerick. The master a few mornings since was 

 in the paddock engaged in separating the bucks from the 

 does, when one of Ike former (his best) cpiitely walked up 

 to the boundary wall, which is thirteen feet high, and 

 cleared it at a bound. Loth to lose such an animal, Mr. 

 Gubbins decided on hunting him, and accordingly two 

 good hunters ami six couple of picked hounds were selected, 

 and laid at once outside ihe wall. They immediately hit 

 ofj the scent, and after a run of two hours the truant was 

 safely taken. The jump over the wall was certainly an ex- 

 traordinary performance. An English red deer stands 

 about four feet high, so that this animal must have cleared 

 ' own h'ie.ht 



faadhnd, ^Htvtt nnd (garden. 



PHOSPHATIC FERTILIZERS. 



TO one of our correspondents, who asks us for a. work 

 on pure fertilizers, we can say that ihe only book 

 we know of which will give him the desired information, 

 laid down scientifically, is a large and expensive work by 

 Campbell Morfit, chemist and author. London: Tucker 

 & Co. 1873. This book covers the whole ground lie seelja 

 information upon. After some considerable study ou our 

 part, we can give the following concise, reliable, and prac- 

 tical observations of our own, which we believe will em- 

 brace the whole subject of his inquiry. We have found in 

 very many works of speculative knowledge that, they are 

 to be depended on in the direct ratio only of their truth 

 fulness, not of their apparent, theoretical truth. Theory is 

 not always founded ou fact, us it should be. 



A story is told of Dr. Mouslow, when Professor of Bot 

 any at Cambridge, that there was brought to him by a tar- 

 mcr a few fossils. He saw at once, being somewhat of a 

 chemist and geologist, that they were not composed as 

 fossils usually are, of carbonate of lime, but of phosphate 

 of lime. He drew in a long aspiration and said: — "You 

 have found a treasure — not a gold mine. This is bone 

 earth, which we are at our wit's end to procure tot OU* 

 grain nnd pulse, and which we are importing all the dis- 

 tance from Buenos Ayres at considerable expense. Only 

 find enough of this and you will increase the food supply 

 of England immensely.'' 

 ■ It is a well known "fact in the chemistry of agriculture 

 that every phosphate of lime is not limited to the bones of 

 animals, in the great laboratory of the world we find in- 

 stances of deposits of the pure phosphates of lime very- 

 rare, and then on a small scale. The specimens thus found 

 are only seen in cabinets as curiosities. The highest grades 

 I have/ever seen were from Spain and Canada, and were 

 termed assatil.es, and contained ninety per cent, of phos- 

 phate of lime. 



A mineral phosphate, such as is used among our own 

 commercial concentrated manures is made from lime inter- 

 mingled with chalk, gypsum, silica, manganese, and n 

 crude collection of grosser material, which are reduced to 

 a pulp with sulphuric acid. Of this mass may be made n 

 good, bad, or indifferent phosphate by the addition of 

 bones, feculant matter, road scrapings, manure, and muck. 

 Ou.iruo Qun,u 



EtiCAJ.YPTL'3 Globtjloits.— This tree is a rapid grower, 

 and it attains a gigantic size. It maybe seen in St. Jose, 

 California, of a great height. From a letter just received 

 from a friend at that place I make this extract: — "The nee 

 you inquire concerning is what we call the "blue gum;" 

 what you call it I don't know. It attains the height of 

 sixty feet in six or eight years; if grows like a race horse 

 The leaves are of a gummy, sticky character, and they 

 smell like camphor, very strong. This tree will not stand 

 frost. It has failed to live in Georgia; attempts to culti- 

 vate the same having proved abortive. This is given upon 

 the liighest authority." If you will call to mind a circum- 

 stance" that occurred at Washington a few years ago at the 

 Smithsonian Institute, called the "sun flower mania, ' in 

 which Prof. Maury claimed such wonderful powers for the 

 sun flower, you will find a kindred mate in the Eucalyptus 

 globuht*. Maury claimed that several miasmatic localities 

 were completely purified and made healthy by growing the 

 sun flower in abundance. Of the value and virtue of the 

 sun flower almost every one knows, while of this now 

 claimant we know but "little, and would be the first to ad- 

 vise its propagation could we be assured that itwould meet 

 only a few of its claims, which we are sorry to know are 

 fabulous. Florida, the paradise of exotics, will not, grow 

 this tree, and we have still to regard it as one of the plants 

 whose location and abode must ever be outre mer for all we 

 can do with it as an embellisher of our cold Western and 

 New England homes. As the Forest and Stream has 

 acquired the reputation of a truth teller, we have given to 

 all who would love this wonderful tree a short notice of a 

 few of its characteristics, and which, as far as we have 

 noted, are correct and truthful, and may be strictly relied 

 upon. We shall at another time give an article in greater 

 detail on this wonderful tree, and we doubt not our friends 

 and rentiers will bo amused and instructed by it. 



Ollipou Quill. 



Western AQiiicrjtTTJHAL Life.— What can be pleas- 

 anter, says an exchange, than the life of a Western farmer? 

 At daylight he gets up a.nd examines (he holes around his 

 corn hills for cut worms, and thou he smashes codling 

 moth larva; with a hoe handle until breakfast. The fore- 

 noon is devoted to watering the potato bugs with a solu- 

 tion of Paris green, and after dinner all hands turn oiu to 

 pour boiling water on the chinch bugs in the corn and 

 wheat fields. In the evening a favorite occupation is 

 smudging peach trees to discourage the cureulio, and after 

 a brief season of family devotion a', the shrine of ihe ftignj 

 flying colooplera, ail the folks retire and sleep sOUndly till 

 aurora reddens the East and the grasshoppers tinkle against 

 the panes and summon them to the labors of another day. 



Eternal vigilance is the farmer's motto, and our Western 

 friends should add to their morning exercises a few barrels 

 of several good fertilizers, in small quantities, and these 

 pests, however troublesome, will entirely disappear. We 

 have been making some careful experiments with sivur 

 seven fertilizers for quite a number of years, and with the 

 very best success. From our experiments we know our 

 Western farmers can find relief from tOo viofenl 

 provided they will use the simple remedies we propose. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



H. P. E., Jersey City Heights.— In answer to your in- 

 quiry of December 14th, I would say that the "minute 

 white specks upon the leaf you sent are the skeletons of 

 the scale insect, a commou parasite of the aphis species. 

 They were doubtless alive when you sent them, but had 

 died on their way to me. An examination with the micro- 

 scope gives them the definition above, and they can he 

 easily exterminated by the use of pretty warm soap and 

 water. Remove your pot to a place where you can water t he 

 leaves and stem of the ivy with a 'fine rose jet gartlBu 

 syringe, and- replace the same. Use a ten inch pot, with 

 good garden soil; repot twice a year. Do not water oftoner 

 than once in ten days, and then give the water .somewhat 



warm. Tueammi ■■■ ■■ ■ 



