186 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Aran. 7, 1881. 



" Seventeen and two decoys," was the cool reply, "I hard- 

 ly thought you got as many," rejoins Reno. " Ought to 

 have had thirty," growls Washy, "aud we should if I could 

 have kept, the Doctor down." And they all gathered around 

 the breakfast-table as full of chatter and merriment as a pack 

 of monkeys. "What does the morning's work foot up?" 

 asks H. as the record must be entered in the journal. "Well, 

 here it is: Mudhole, 27; North Bar, 33; Gravel, 7 ; a grand 

 total of GO brant! The evening tide is worthless, and there 

 will be no more shooting till Tuesday morning. That night 

 a fresh breeze sprang up from southwest bringing along a 

 great many brant, and moreover, doing some damage to the 

 bars, but there is no time in the morning for "sand rolling," 

 and ttofy must bo hastily patched up for the nonce. 



Tuesday morning all hands up at 4 o'clock, lunch and 

 start for the boxes in the following order: First, Reno with 

 W. and the Doctor for the North Bar. Next, Washy at his 

 old haunt, the Mudhole, with M. aud H. as companions, and 

 last Geoi*e and S. occupy the Gravel. 



Alonzo, who is an excellent cook, runs the shanty, and did 

 not. our modesty forbid we would like to describe one of his 

 bird stews; and then his quahaug fritters, clam chowders and 

 cuisine generally have a reputation among gunners all over 

 Cape Cod ; but we must not waste precious lime over such 

 trifles. 



As the birds enter the bay mostly from the westward the 

 boxes all face that point of the. compass. Scarcely had the 

 last party put out the decoys, deposited the basket in the box 

 and comfortably seated themselves when a flock of about 

 seventy-five brant came pushing their way along up from the 

 southward aud lighted in the dark water near the Mud Dole. 



"Will they swim up with the tide ?" asks M. 



" Fine chance for them— it is flowing rapidly." Washy an- 

 swered, as the brant were playing, chasing each other aud 

 picking up floating eel-grass. 



Now they turn and head for the bar, now sag away again. 

 flow exciting, how disheartening arc these moments to the 

 occupants of the box I Did the reader ever lie in a box or 

 blind with a hundred ducks or geese swimming in for bis 

 decoys— now surging anil iallirg away, now nearer and again 

 more distant ? Well, if he be a nervous man it is doubtful if 

 he do not shake his gun-barrels out of the stock, and were it 

 not for the steadiness or the veteran guide who handles the 

 decoys aud attempts to keep the neophyte steady he would 

 be as likely to fire in the air or at the string of decoys as any- 

 where ; nor would he be the first one who has done thissatne 

 thing. Again the birds set toward the box. "Down, down!" 

 cries Washy, and he alone is " the observed of all observers." 

 On again they come, swimming hither and thither within a 

 hundred yards of three, throbbing hearts. Now, again they 

 halt, then retreat, as though they were suspicious all was not 

 right. At last one old "honker" starts for the live decoys, 

 which have to be occasionally jerked by the check-cord to 

 make them " show wing." 



"Yes," says Washy, " he is coming right on to the point of 

 the bar and the whole flock are following.!" 



At this juncture of affairs another flock of about forty 

 sprang up from the westward, shimmered along, swung round 

 and lighted with the main body. " R-ronk, r-ronk," ring a 

 hundred voices ; "Ruk-ruk" as many more— and such tu- 

 mult aud confusion ! The two concealed individuals imag- 

 ine all sorts of things— possibly they are let down at the very 

 front gate of Babel, or on board an emigrant ship, or in an 

 auction store. The guide quickly conveys the cheering in- 

 telligence that many of them are so far on the bar as to get 

 "toe-bold " and the others are in moderate, proximity. These 

 birds are quite vigilant, and any sudden movement would in- 

 stantly send them beyond the possibility of a hope of recov- 



ry- . 



"Raise your heads slowly," says Washy, and the two 

 neads are gradually elevated to a level of the third, when lo ! 

 the bar is dark as Erebus with the waving mass. A few mo- 

 ments of nervous consultation as to the best group for each 

 to fire at and the guide whispers, " Get ready." Just at this 

 moment the birds spread suddenly about and frustrate the 

 plans, producing dreadful uncertainty for a few seconds, but 

 they soon "bunched up" again and the word was given: 

 "Put, over I Ready) Fire!" The smoke of six guns wreathes 

 its way heavenward ; out jump the two— splash ! splash ! — 

 away they go I Washy takes a breech-loader along with him 

 to knock "over any wing-tipped birds that cannot otherwise 

 be gathered. One " old honker," with just a little bit of a 

 muscle of the carpus pricked by a stray pellet, is pulling foot 

 for the dart, deep water, off Harding's Beach. jfo nbu-resi- 

 dent would undertake to chase a strong bird half a mile, and 

 if he did he would certainly fail. The motion of the waves 

 over the while sand brings on a dizziness to oae uot accus- 

 tomed to tins work, and makes him feel every moment as 

 though he was about to " topple over headlong." Far differ- 

 ent is it with the guide or leader who has spent Ids whole 

 life upon the water. Away goes our little wiuged hero, fol- 

 lowing closely is our stalwart guide. Further on and further 

 still they go, almost out of sight. On the way out Washy 

 had gathered two or three dead birds, which he still held in 

 his hand, and when within about a rod of the live bird be 

 throws one of the dead to frighten the living, so that he will 

 dive and turn two or three somersaults in a bewildered con- 

 dition, so that his pursuer rushes forward and captures him. 

 In the meantime the dead and wounded had been gathered, 

 the bar smoothed off ready for another crack at them. 



" Dow many ?" asks Washy, as he stops to take breath. 



"Nineteen and two decoys— twenty-one, all told," quickly 

 responds H. 



" Well done," says Washy, and it seemed to give him a 

 •' heap" of comfort as ho placed that, decoy in the basket. 



"But, look you," says M.; "there go "nine right up for 

 the North Bar." 



"Precisely !" ejaculates Washy, hardly yet recovered FrOrn 

 bis long tramp, Buff, puff. Away out in the dim distance 

 rises the smoke aud the flock is reduced to four. Not much 

 time elapsed before a brace of black ducks (4n<M obncura, 

 Gme.) were seen swimming in for the " Gravel." The guns 

 were brought to bear and in a few miuutes they were quietly 

 reposing on the bottom of the box. The brant had for some 

 time been feeding in the channel between Monomoy and 

 Nauset. The regular feeding ground extends from near the 

 Mud Hole to the inner point, a distance of two miles. . In 

 passing from one to the other, as they do on each tide, feed- 

 ing in "the channel at, high tide and at Inner Point at low 

 tide, tbey are very likely to receive a salute as they pass in 

 review before the boxes. A shot from the Gravel started 

 a large flock from the inner harbor, and as they 

 lifted" and moved majestically along westward, it was 

 Kke a huge black cloud, so thick and dark. On it moved to- 

 ward the Gravel, and strange to say, notwithstanding the 

 waterwas quite shoal, and in some places nearly off the flats, 

 they all dumped down a little distance from the bar. Some 



were within gunshot of the box. What was to be done ? A 

 thousand brant, all within 180 yards of the two well charged 

 guns. As the tide was fast leaving the flats, and the birds 

 could walk around anywhere, and moreover as they began to 

 stretch up their necks and show signs of suspicion, it was 

 thought best to fire as soon as they should come together and 

 offer a favorable opportunity for a good shot. This they 

 soon did, aud George gave the order and the two guus belched 

 forth fire and smoke. Easy task to gather up the thirteen 

 dead birds that lay upon the water. Scarcely was the shot 

 made on the gravel when Washy's eye seemed to be riveted 

 to the •Western horizon. After a few minutes, as if almost 

 doubting the correctness of his own eyes, he says: "There 

 is a flock of sea-ducks coming this way, I think." "No; 

 they are brant," he continues, with much straining of the 

 visual organs. After a few momenta 1 pause he bursts out 

 again, " I declare they are horniili-rin „,,. .v/v-., ;,.,„, coming 

 right straight for the box!" 



"They look to me more like brant," says M. 



"No," remarks Washy, " don't you see how steadily they 

 fly, and so close to the water." 



"Ou they came till within about eighty yards of the box, 

 when their keen eyes caught, sight of some movement — most 

 likely the nervous motion of cocking the guns and getting 

 ready for the reception. They all suddenly wheeled to the 

 southward with as much precision and regularity as a tile of 

 soldiers. A grand fusillade of six guns ensued, but only one 

 bird was left to remind the gunners of the wariness of these 

 sea rovers. 



Chatham is not a great place for Canada geese (SB 1 

 ■ ■■■: M . - 1 will.), but early in the spring they are liablS to 

 become weather-bound, and get quite plenty in the bay and 

 harbor. A large flock had been thus detained, several of 

 which had been killed, aud when the flocks departed for their 

 more northern summer homes, a wouuded companion was 

 left behind. 



As the party sat discussing the disappointments of the last 

 fusillade, the habits and peculiarities of cider ducks, the ad- 

 vantages Of chilled over soft shot,, anil various other matters, 

 that crippled goose came swimming along and finally walked 

 up on to the liar, looked disdainfully down upon his little 

 congeners, then proudly strutted round as much as to say, 

 "Here 1 am, large as life, and monarch of all I survey." 

 There seems to be a natural antagonism between the species, 

 and as our little decoys ran from the monster 

 toward the box, as if for protection, and as his 

 gooseship could be of no earthly use, his reign— 

 —like that of many earthly tyrants — was suddenly ter- 

 minated by the regicide M., who "in this instance held in Ms 

 hands one of the improved Fox guns. The tide was now 

 ebbing fast, and George bad taken up his decoys and retired. 

 A pair Of brant came down by the north bar directly for the 

 Mudhole, and as they approached seemed to slack up, as if 

 to inspect the works or be introduced to the decoys, and as 

 they drew close together were both let down by the unerring 

 aim of Washy, with a single gun. Then a lone brant was 

 dispatched by M. A single sheldrake by "Old Cherokee," 

 which, as the tide was off the flats, was easily gathered, and 

 this ended the morning's sport at this bar. We might ex- 

 plain that " Old Cherokee" is a 131b. muzzle-loader Schaeffer 

 gun, 7 gauge, and takes as an easy charge 7 drams of powder 

 and 2£ ounces shot, and as 11., the owner, is an old gentle- 

 man of conservative tendencies, and as " Old Cherokee" has 

 served him so faithfully for many years, they will probably 

 continue their friendly companionship as long as the owner 

 lives. 



It is not considered wise to shoot at passing fowl when 

 brant are anywhere near, but still the boys will occasionally 

 forget themselves and knock over a black duck, loon, old- 

 squaw, coot,, sheldrake, or even a gull, still such "vermin 1 ' 

 is not counted at the shanty as belonging to the day's work. 

 The tide is quite low, 1ml Reno still slicks to the north bar, 

 and he had the good fortune of bagging three brant out of a 

 ck of six. 'Flic party also subtracted two from a 

 flock of seven coot, and this ended the day. As the parties 

 rendezvous at the. shanty, oil suits, long boots and heavy 

 clothing give place to light jackets and "slippers, guns are 

 oiled aud put in the places assigned, mutual congratulations 

 are exchanged and the birds are hung atound on the build- 

 ing. It was a sighl that, would gratify the eyes of all sports- 

 men, epicures and bonviwnti, as these, birds when properly 

 cooked are toothsome and fully equal to the best canvas 

 back ducks. "How many are there altogether?" inquires 

 the. doctor, as if lie wishes to make a diagnosis of the case 

 and was studying "quantities." " Sixty-six for Monday and 

 forty-five for Tuesday; one hundred and one brant as a 

 grand total for the two days," responds H., aud a jollier 

 party never sat down to one of Alouzo's "gull stews" 

 Startle not, gentle reader, when we. tell you that foi a real 

 Cape Cod st"ew a gray gull is superior to any other fowd. 

 Did'st ever eat a Cape Cod stew ? It is uot, I believe, men- 

 tioned by ancient, authors as among the " seven wonders of 

 the world," probably because language failed to do it justice. 

 Wo had as lief undertake to describe Edwin Forrest as Mela- 

 mora or Raphael's method of producing his Sistiue Madonna. 

 As long as memory lasts it will turn with pleasure to those 

 halcyon days among the brant and bird stews. 



The wind, which at early morn was southwest, a little 

 later veered to westward, blowing fresh and doing much 

 damage to the bars, which must be repaired before 

 they are in working condition, aud the residents, 

 with such as would volunteer, went out. after 

 dinner for that purpose, with barrows and shovels. 

 The bars are likely on a high tide and strong westerly wind 

 to be shifted from the front, to the rear of the box, but as the 

 party cannot wait for the next east wind to transport it, back 

 it, must, be done by main strength. Roll-boards arc laid from 

 a distance of two or three rods, the barrows are filled, rolled 

 upon the boards and dumped upon the bar, then leveled to 

 give it an even, natural appearance aud the work is done. 

 On this particular occasion the "Mudhole" received one 

 hundred and seventy -five of these raw recruits, and it is splen- 

 did exercise— almos't equal to dragging a hand sled up a long 

 hill with a prospect of a " coast " down again. It is also an 

 excellent specific against dyspepsia, strengthens the muscles, 

 expands the lungs, purities the blood and brings in its train 

 that sweet repose — that, blessed, dreamless slumber entirely 

 UuknOwB to indolent persons The bars are now in good 

 order and ready for the morning's sport: but we will not, 

 weary the reader with the recital of the remainder of the 

 week's work, but will close this already too much extended 

 article with a few extracts from the Monomoy Branting 

 Club journal, wherein is recorded a faithful account of all 

 the doings of the club from the first, aay of its organization 

 up to the present, hour. 



" Wedwsclmj, March 23, 1864 —Wind N. E., snowing and 

 blowing a gale. No one could lay, boats were driven ashore, 



bars leveled, etc, It was a terrible day ! About noon Alonzo 

 and. Jock went to "inner point" aud got a shot at black ducks ; 

 knocked over seventeen, but recovered only nine. George 

 went out and picked up a sea-duck Gloom was depicted 

 upon the countenances of the crowd. * * * * Only 

 a sportsman can appreciate the disappointment of a brother 

 sportsman at the loss of two or three days out of the six 

 allotted to him each year." 



"April 20, 1807.— Wind 8. W., with slight prospect of 

 rain. Blew fresh ou the flood, but di d away"on the ebb tide. 

 High tide to-day at 1:30, though not a full one ; the party in 

 high expectations of a good day's sport, in wdiieh they were 

 not, disappointed. The highest number bagged in any one 

 week since the club was formed is one hundred and "fifty- 

 eight, and the present, party is anxious to beat this. They 

 had already — four days— one hundred and twenty-seven, 

 and as the wind waB favorable and as brant decoyed exceed- 

 ingly well this spring, they were quite sanguine of success. 

 David Greene and Burleigh laid at the "Mudhole" and 

 killed forty-two ; W T ales and Wood knocked five out of a 

 passing flock at the fedge hummock ; Washy visited his old 

 haunt — the iron coffin of Dudley at the north bar— where he 

 made a splendid shot, killing thirteen ; one more shot added 

 another brace— sixty-two brant for the day I And a happier 

 party uever dined on roast beef at that seat of hilarity— the 

 shanty of the Monomoy Club. They had beaen the best 

 week of the club by ihirty-four, and in honor of the occasion 

 the last regular bottle of whiskey was broached and a bumper 

 drank to the champions." 



This was the best year of the club, footing up 715 brant. 

 The largest day's work this year was seventy, and the largest, 

 since the club was formed was on the oih of April, 1809— one 

 hundred and twenty-six brant I The whole number of brant 

 killed by the club since its o'ganization — eighteen years— is 

 5,4538, a yearly average of 302. 



The following is from a private memorandum showing the 

 work done at a single box on half a tide, before the dub was 

 formed: "April 10, 1803.- High tide about 9 o'clock a. m. 

 Tides are an hour later here than at, Boston. Wind east and 

 blowing a gale. Brant have been reeding in the harbor for 

 some days, but to-day they were driven by the wind into the 

 bay. Laid with Dean and Weston Linnell in the ' ' Mudhole." 

 On the flood tide had a great many brant come near enough 

 to shoot, but waiting for better chances, did not fire a gun 

 till the tide drove us and we wcut to the shanty for lunch. 

 Returning about 9:30, bailed out the box and set decoys. 

 Legions of brant all about us. The first shot, 18 ; second. 

 18; third, 23; fourth, 16; fifth, 21; sixth, 10; in all, 106 

 brant, and were through before 12:30 si. As the wind was 

 high and blowing hard off shore we lost a great many cripples." 



This brings us to the end of the week, when we must give 

 place 'tor the party that is to arrive this evening. And now 

 comes the hurry and bustle of picking up " traps," dividing 

 the birds, packing and " toting " to the boat, the embarkation 

 and, what is the mos' painful of all, the last good-bye to the 

 dear old shanty. W. HaItiood. 



THE MORALS OF BIRDS. 



WE area little given to imagining that anybeautirm 

 creature must possess moral qualities similar to those 

 which adorn its outward form, and it is somewhat of a 

 shock to us to find as we so often do that the characteristics 

 of the heart and those of the body have very little in com- 

 mon. The so-called meek and gentle dove is in fact as pug- 

 nacious as a game cock, and much more so than a bulldog, 

 aud the "sweet little bluebird" will fight as savagely as a 

 badger. 

 A few words on this point we take from the London (Hobs: 

 At this season of the year, when a deeper crimson comes 

 upon the robin's breast, bird life is thought to be ideal happi- 

 ness. If we are to believe a competent witness in the cur- 

 rent number of TheSijuiremch is not the case. Birds, we are 

 assured, have all the bad qualities of mankind. They are de- 

 ficient in love for their offspring, and have no more conjugal 

 affection than the traditional rover. Their moral nature is 

 often depraved. They hiss, and scold, and swear, and ex- 

 hibit terrible pugnacity. The majority of singing birds have 

 the tempers of wasps and are apparently never so happy as 

 when then are quarrelling. A fourth of their lives is, we are 

 told, passed in scolding and lighting. In their singing t>ea- 

 son, which is also their time for mating and contentioo, se- 

 vere pitched battles, fought between candidates for matri- 

 monial Ufe, are of continual occurrence, males and females 

 engaging in the fight on the slightest provocation. Those of 

 the stronger sex, are of course, the more pugnacious and 

 often fight until they are kdled. The females also fight furi- 

 ously for the males, and we are sorry to hear that when the 

 contest is over the conquerors march off with the objects of 

 their choice, "unless they should be met on the road by other 

 viragoes, and compelled to give upXheir husbands by force." 

 It is sad to know that the latter are so ungallant as to seem 

 indifferent as to which shall win them, and"remain idle spec- 

 tators of the struggle. A male bird will allow two hens to 

 fight for him until one of them is killed, and then with due 

 humility accompany the victor 



At this period of the year, especially the woods and the 

 fields are described as the scenes of desparate battles. 

 Shrieks of triumph and shrieks of defeat mingle with the love- 

 notes of the newly mated. Strife is visible everywhere 

 throughout the feathered creation. The very songs we bear 

 at dawn of day arc, we arc assured, more the result of rival- 

 ry and ambition than of joyous thanksgiving, the feathered 

 songsters being desirous of drowning the voices of others, or 

 of excelling them in vocal power in presence of the females 



A New Enemy tor the Ostbioh. — In the extremely inter- 

 esting account which we recently published on the domestica- 

 tion of the ostrich no mention was made of any enemies more 

 destructive to the birds than the wild animals of the country. 

 These, as they are not specially numerous and are easily 

 destroyed either by traps, poison or hunting, do not give the 

 ostrich farmer much concern. 



Within a short time, however, a new enemy has made its 

 appearance, aud so deadly does it appear to be, that its rav- 

 ages are making themselves very seriously felt, and it is 

 causing a great mortality among the young birds. This sick- 



