146 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Mabch 24, 1881. 



Tajie Ruffed Grouse, No. 2.— Springfield, O., March 

 12. — Editor Forest and Stream: In looking over your excel- 

 lent paper of the 10th iust. I noticed an article wntten by 

 "Mig," and dated at Cortlandt, N Y., March 3, in which he 

 mentions the fact of having a ruffed grouse in his possession, 

 and that it was doing weli. 1 also have a specimen of the 

 same family in my possession. The way I came by it is as 

 follows: I left my office for dinner one day last fall, and 

 upon my return opened the door to enter, when, lo ! Mrs. 

 Grouse had taken possession, and was on her wing, darting 

 hither and thither in search of an opening to make good her 

 escape. At first I thought, as I am something of a Nimrod, 

 some one had captured her, and in order to get off a joke had 

 turned her loose in my office. I at once set about securing 

 her. I followed in hot haste as she made numerous gyra- 

 tions from one side of the room to the other, and at last I 

 caught her. But how had she made her advent into my 

 room ? On the. south side was a door, the upper part of 

 which is filled with four large panes of glass, and strange to 

 say through one of these this bird came with a crash, inside of 

 my office. She is now apparently happy and as tame as a 

 chicken. She always appears delighted when fed, as is 

 evinced by her kluck-kluck and her inimitable walk as a 

 game bird. That the ruffed grouse can be domesticated I 

 shall no longer doubt. Will our friend "Mig" tell us 

 whether his bird is a male or female, and if so can we not 

 bring them together, and thus show our brother sportsmen 

 how tliis glorious bird can be domesticated and vastly in- 

 creased '{— NlMROD, 



PouGrocEErstB, N. T., March 11. — Your article from 

 Cortlandt, N. Y., about the tame grouse answers well for the 

 description of one I nave. It was caught in the same way 

 last fall. I have it in my store in a large cage; it feeds well 

 on grain and hemp-seed. It will come to the front of the 

 cage when 1 call it and kluck. It will also come when you 

 show it a leaf of lettuce ; also will allow you to handle it. — 

 Yours, L. Cabpenter. 



Wither ap.k tub Winter Birds of Canada ?— The fol 

 lowing letter to the Quebec Morning Chronicle is from the 

 pen of Mr. John Neilson, who has for many years been ob- 

 serving the habits of Canadian birds and whose experience is 

 Of great value. The question ia an interesting one, and we 

 should be glad to know whether observers in various parts of 

 the country, have noticed a similar scarcity of birds. The 

 writer says : 



Over thirtv years a close observer of the coming, going and 

 doings generally of our sedentary and migrat. ry fauua, my 

 notebooks and memoranda fail to Bhow anything like the 

 almost complete absence of birds during the present winter 

 Wot about the environs of the ancient capital only has this 

 scarcity of birds been remarked but my own observations in 

 the Eastern Townships, Cap Sante, ValcarLier and other 

 places, strengthened by corroborating evidence written 

 from La Croe.be and Vermillion (St. Maurice River.), from 

 Lake Megantic aud Etchemin (Beauce District), proves 

 thut this rather extraordinary exodus is general over a large 

 portion of Eastern Quebec. 



Add to the above unusual phenomena the tardiness of the 

 crows— now eight to ten days behind their ordinary time of 

 arrival— aud we have matter sufficient lo conjure up quite a 

 pleasing variety of theories as to the why have they gone? 

 For my part, T leave theory -making to such as possess aptitude 

 for abstract speculations. I only quest after the positive — 

 namely, Where have our birds gone to ? Will distant ob- 

 servers vouchsafe information? J. N. 



DornriM, Cap Rouge Road, March 9th, 1881. 



P. S. — From among our deserters must be excluded the 

 pine grosbeak (Piniaia candensis). This species was fairly 

 abundant from October till January 15. They apparently 

 commenced their northern migration February 6, the last 

 noLcd being March 3. 



Owls were also sufficiently common during autumn; sev- 

 eral of the larger species (Urand Duo) snowy and barred, 

 were obtained in the vicinity of Quebec. The birds princi- 

 pally alluded to above are pine finches, red polls, crossbeaks, 

 chicadees, nuthatch, woodpeckers and Canada jays— all ex- 

 ceeding rare during the present season. 



Spring: Notes— White Plains, N. Y., March 8.— In cross- 

 ing some brush this moruing on a warm hill side I Btarted a 

 woodcock. I think we will have snipe in a week or two if 

 this weather holds.— G. W. B. 



Orange, N. J., March 11.— First flock of blackbirds seen 

 at 8 o'clock this morning. — A. P. W. 



Sing Sing., March 11, 1881.— Editor Forest and- Stream: 



Thet.veather has been very mild and the birds are beginning 

 to arrive. 



March 1— Saw first song sparrow ; and March 2— They ar- 

 rived in small flocks and are how singing merrily. 



March 5— Saw flock of five, robins feeding on sumach berries 

 and seemingly having a good time. 



March 6— The crows are fly ihg over in large flocks of fifty or 

 a hundred. One flock passed very low" and I noticed what 

 seemed to be a gull flying with them, but as they flew over 

 me I saw it was a crow nearly all white. Are these albinos 

 common 1 It is the first one I ever saw.— P. D. 



White crows are certainly uncommon, but they do occur. 

 We have never seen but one, however. 



Birds Collected at Good Ground (Shinnecock Bay), 

 Suffolk Co., Long Island, from November 1, 1880, to March 

 15, 1881— 



My friend, George A Lane, shot and sent me during the 

 past winter the following birds, viz. : 



November 0. — Horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), blue 

 bird (Sudia sial-is), meadow lark (Stumella magna). 



December 25.— Meadow lark (Sturnella magna), great 

 northern shrike (Collurio borealis), tree sparrow (Spizella 

 monticola), snow bird (Junto hyemalis). 



January 15.— lied bellied nuthatch (Sitta canadensis), yel- 

 low bird (Cfoywmitoira tristii), snow bunting (Pkctrop/ianes 

 nivalis); 28, horned lark (Emnophila alpestris). 



February 22.— Blue jay (Cyanura cristata), chickadee 

 (Parus atricapillus). 



March 1.— Brown creeper (Certhia familiarti), red bellied 

 nuthatch (Sitta canadensis). 



March 15.— Yellow rumped warbler (Dendroeca Coronata). 



He writes me that the horned larks, tree sparrows, snow birds, 

 snow buntings and yellow bird3 were comparatively plenty, 

 even during the most severe weather. Wit. Dutches. 



New York City. 



%m\& j§ig and fiati. 



THE WINTER AND THE BIRDS. 



statistical report showing the effect of last winter's 

 weather on the game in the state of new jersey. 



WE give below the most complete statistical report of the 

 effect of the last winter's cold and snows on the game 

 in the State of New Jersey over compiled or published by any 

 paper. In fact, no other State or section of this country has 

 ever before been more carefully or thoroughly canvassed. 

 Covering as.it does the I wenty-one counties of New Jersey, 

 we have arranged them in order, beginning at the north and 

 running down to the south. Under each county the names 

 of the 398 places have beeu placed in alphabetical order, and 

 the items sent us by our correspondents are remarkably ex- 

 plicit, aud worthy of the attention of all those who are in- 

 terested in the problem of game protection. 



If would be great injustice to those who have enabled ub 

 to make this compilation if we did not extend to them onr 

 hearty thanks, and in the future, if we can be of any service 

 to those who have courteously forwarded these items of valu- 

 able information, we trust they will uot fail to call upon us. 



In this issue we refrain from summarizing the canvass, as 

 we prefer that it should speak for itself, but in our issue of 

 March 31 the story of each section aud county will be care- 

 fully presented. 



SUSSEX COUNTY. 



Andover.— Our swamps were dry and afforded good shelter. 

 The quail, however, suffered more than usual. None have 

 been found dead ; but bevies that were kuown to exist have 

 not been seen. Probable loss, thirty p r cent. They were 

 fed, but not sy stematically. 



Augusta.- 1 can state that the severity of the winter has 

 bees very hard on the game. Snow drifts covered the quail 

 and many flocks have been found dead. This has been the 

 hardest winter on birds for a number of years. Seventy per 

 cent, have perished. The fanners do not feed them. 



Bamer Run. ~X cannot learn that the game has been de- 

 stroyed to a greater extent than in other years. A few quail 

 have lived about the grain stacks. 



Bianchville. -The impression prevails here that a good 

 many quail and partridge (ruffed grouse) have perished this 

 Winter in the snow diitls. 1 know of none that have been 

 fed. 



J.kckertoim.— The quail and partridgoB (ruifed grouse) have 

 about half perished. Fanners fed aud protected them all they 

 Could, 



Flatbrookrilk;. — The severe winter has been powerful on 

 the game. Quail suffered the most. Whole flocks have been 

 found dead The farmers did not feed. The foxes, owls 

 aud hawks destroy mere game, than the sportsmen kill. 



FlaibrooktoiMe.— Quail are scarcer now lUaji they have been 

 for m.ny years. The farmers fed, but the winter has killed 

 the birds." 



Fndun. — There are few birds left. On the place I am liv- 

 ing, a farm of 240 acres, I don't know of a single .piail. and 

 we generally have fifteen or twenty every winter, lu acircle 

 of six miles I have not been able to hear of but six birds 

 alive. Pheasants (ruifed grouse) have been rare for some 

 years. 



Qlenwood.—Thv deslrueti n of quail by cold and suow 

 storms this winter in northern New Jersey has been greater 

 than ever before in my experience. Fully seventy-live per 

 cent, of the quail left at the close of the season have perished. 

 1 have heard of two flocks one of three and one of nine — 

 that have wintered in barnyards. 1 do not think many part- 

 ridges have died. 



Hainscille. — I don't think there has been any material 

 difference in the wintering of birds in this section from other 

 winters. There has been in im 



Hamburg'/ —As nearly as 1 can ascertain the percentage of 

 quail destroyed by this hard winter is at least fifty. Part- 

 ridges have suffered neatly as much. I think few birds have 

 been fed by the fanners. " 



JJamburgh. -So far a3 I can learn the destruction by the 

 winter and other causes was at least seventy-five per cent, of 

 our quail, and possibly fifty per cent of the ruffed grouse 



Huntmiille. — The winter has beeu a bad one for quail and 

 game of all kinds. It has been far more destructive than 

 usual. About sixty per cent, of the game has perished. No 

 farmers feed them. 



Lafayette. — Very few fanners feed. There arc only a few 

 birds left The winter was very hard on them. 



Lincoln. — The past winter has been very hard on birds and 

 game generally. It is noticeably more so than usual. I think 

 one-half of the quail aud partridges have been destroyed by 

 the snow aud severe cold. The farmers and others did all 

 they could to feed the birds that came about their buildings. 

 Two women in this vicinity were noticeable for their devo- 

 tion to the birds— Mrs. C. Betmet and Miss M. Stimson. 



McAfee Valley. — Many farmers fed the birds during the 



MiddleviUe.—l am pained to inform you that the severity 

 of the winter just passed has almost wiped out the quail 

 Large flocks were left January 1, but I am fully convinced 

 that in most eases two-thirds of them — and in most instances 

 whole flocks— are gone. Partridges are very scarce. Rabbits 

 as a rule got through safely. 



Monroe.— There arc but few quail left this spring. Farmers 

 as a general thing do noi feed the funis. 



Monroe. — I have noticed particularly the scarcity of game 

 this spring. 1 have found where whole docks of quail have 

 perished. I think tWO-thirds of the birds have died. Some 

 that were fed have come through all right. 



Newton. — The winter has been very bard on game, es- 

 pecially quail, in this county and Northern New Jersey. It 

 has been the most severe on game that we have had since 

 1836-7. Ninety to ninety-five per cent, of our quail have 

 perished. The deep snow has deprived them of all food. 

 The farmers fed them, and up to the very severe snow storm 

 of Feb. 1 those fed were doing well, but even these failed to 

 return to the barn-yards after that i-fnn, which was heavy 

 and drifting, aud beyond doubt all, or manly all, perished. 

 Have heard of but one (surviving bevy in Sussex The few 

 ruffed grouse left from the ravages ol the fly have fared bet- 

 ter, and I hear of some of them* surviving. 



Stillwater. — Birds were very scarce at the commencement 

 of the winter. Hunters nearly cleaned them out. Cannot 

 hear of a bird left within a radius of one mile from this 

 place. Farmers do not seem to have found any dead ones. 

 Cannot hear of any being fed during the winter. 



Stillwater.— A. large number of quail were frozen last 

 winter The snow is off the ground, and the farmers report 

 finding quite a number of dead birds. Partridges (ruffed 

 grouse) were scarcer last fall than ever before, the cause 

 being the numerous fires in the woods. 



Stockholm. — One-half of the quail perished, the others 

 would had they not been fed ; not by farmers, but by hunt- 

 ers. The grouse have come throughsafe, only what has been 

 killed by the foxes. 



Tranquillity. — The snows and cold weather have caused a 

 number of quail to perish. Some of the farmers have fed 

 the birds. The foxes and hawks have destroyed many. 



Vernon. — The quail are about two-thirds destroyed, as 

 near as I can get at it. Certainly the most of them are dead. 



Wawayanda. — The past winter has injured the game some, 

 but I think to no serious extent. Large flocks of quail have 

 wintered in the farmers' barn-yards, near the rye stacks. 



Wykertown. — Birds have wintered in this vicinity as well 

 as they commonly do. They 'are very scarce. 



PASSAIC COUNTY. 



Hewitt. — After the natives and the fancy shooters from 

 the cities were through there were two or three small coveys 

 left to be snowed under. 



Lake View. — I know of but one flock of quail, they are all 

 right — I fed them myself. 



Passaic. — Some of the game has frozen to death. The de- 

 crease this year over last year is about fifty per cent. The 

 fanners up here are so mean that they would not let the poor 

 little things feed in their barn yards. 



Ringwood. — Game of all kinds was scarce last fall, especially 

 the partridges. The winter has been very severe No onu 

 has fed the game. 



Richfield.— Very few birds in this section. 



Ring-wood. — Game in this section is very scarce. The 

 winter has been so cold and the snow so deep that the little 

 quail could not find a stalk of herbs nor a kernel of gram, so 

 they have passed away like the morning dew. I carried 

 grain day after day all winter long to feed a bevy of thirteen 

 quail, and the middle of February they disappeared and 1 

 have not. seen them since ; I think the frost and snow have 

 killed them. As far as I can learn, the farmers did not feed 

 the quail. 



WeslMUford — No doubt the winter has been very hard on 

 quail ; probably more so than for many years past owing to 

 the severe weather. In very few instances have quail been 

 fed; I think it safe to say that seventy-five per cent, of these 

 birds perished. The partridges (ruffed grouse) do much 

 better ; their loss is small. 



BBUGEN COUNT*. 



AJlehdate.— The destruction of game last year was not 

 greater than in former years. Wc have had lio snowdrifts 

 The foxes and hawks kill many birds. In the cover the birds 

 feed on cedar berries. Several persons fed the game. 



Cresskitt. — Do not thiuk there has been any greater de- 

 struction of birds than usual. The sportsmen have fed them. 

 During extreme cold weather birds also followed the roads 

 and picked from horse droppings. As snows were hard, so 

 they could navigate, thiuk very few perished. 



fidgewater. — We are rather near to New York, and game 

 has been pretty thoroughly exterminated The farmers do 

 not feed them, but the farmers' cats seem to have no objec- 

 tion to eat them a la cannibal. 



E-ng't wood — 1 hear of no quail left alive save a few seen 

 early in the winter along the railroad track, where they have 

 been fed by the employes. I think seven-tenths of the 

 native birds must have perished. 



Etna. — The effect of the cold and snow on the game this 

 winter has been that it has left the surviving birds ia a very 

 poor condition. The destruction has not been greater than 

 in other years, except by hawks. Birds have been fed by 

 some farmers. 



Kingsland- — Very few birds here to perish. The farmers 

 did not feed. 



Little Ferry. — All birds are very scarce here. 



Maywood. — Very few birds and no effect on the game in 

 this section. 



Monlwle. — We surmise that a great many quail have per- 

 ished, still the fact has not come to my notice. Even should 

 any have died under the snow or frost, unless you happened 

 to be just there shortly after, all traces would disappear, 

 hawks and foxes being the scavengers. No birds were fed to 

 my knowledge 



Norwood.— The winter has been very severe on all game 

 Neither farmers nor residents feed the birds. The percentage 

 of birds that have perished cannot be estimated. 



Norwood.— I don't think the farmers or residents feed the 

 quail. The destruction of game was much greater this winter 

 than usual. 



Riser Edge. — The farmers do uot as a rule feed the birds. 

 I am not aware of any destruction of game in this section. 



Saddle River. — Some farmers fed the birds and the game 

 did not suffer last winter more than usual 



Schraalen-'mrgh. — Game is scarce in this vicinity. A few 

 quail were shot here last season. Do uot think that, there are 

 fewer birds than usual. 



Spring Valley — The quail are all right, and also the 

 rabbits. 



Washington.— Quail, which were quite abundant in the 

 early part, of the winter, have been almost killed off by the 

 deep snows. Partridges have fared much better, aud as late 

 as the last week in February I flushed several in the swamps. 

 My opportunities for observation have been unusually good, 

 for I have been able to get into the swamps on snow-shoes, 

 when it would have been impossible to have stirred without 

 them Feedug was attempted by some neighbors, butthe 

 oft recurring snow storms discouraged them, and the birds 

 were left to their fate. Some gentlemen talk of restocking 

 with quail this spring. 



Westwood — The cold and snows have killed a great many 

 birds — more than in a number of winters past. I should 

 judge one-third of the birds perished. Flocks have been 

 found dead. A number of residents have fed. 



WARREN COUNTY 



Allamuchy— This winter ha3 been very hard on the game. 

 1 think it is safe to say fifty per cent have perished. Some 

 farmers have fed the quail around the stacks of grain. 



Anderson.— The birds that have been saved went to the 

 farm yards and grain stacks. 



Anderson.— Fifty per cent, of the quail have perished. 

 Tnere was no feed except near the barracks, 



