286 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[May 13, 1881 



lows: I have been noticing particularly the peculiar habits of 

 a woodpecker. As I go to work every morning, about 8 

 o'clock, this bird alights from a tree on a neighboring hill, 

 flies directly to an oil can with bottom upward, on winch be 

 pecks away with measured stroke for about tralf-an-liour. 

 He then flies off about twenty feet to an old coffee pot and 

 goes through the same performance for another half hour. 

 He is then off, and is seen no more till the following morning. 

 Now, this woodpecker is not ''lapping at the hollow beech 

 tree" to obtain food, by arousing the insects concealed be- 

 neath the bark, and the question arises. What is he drumming 

 on the old tins for except to gratify bis drumming propensi- 

 ties? Between his taps on the tin can he looks toward the 

 sky, as if waiting the effect of his music on the feathered 

 race around. Evidently he is in search of a mate, and his 

 instinct (curiously enough) tells htm, as instinct tells the 

 small bad boy, that more noise is to be got out of tin than 

 out of an old oak. This being springtime, I presume he will 

 stop it when he procures his mate. He certainly deserves 

 one for bis ingenuity. — Raphael B Bravo. 

 Litthrr't; Valley, Monterey Vuvnty, Vol. 



; CARE OF MONKEYS IN CONFINEMENT. 



THE larger anthropoid apes are especially interesting to 

 me, and I lose no opportunity of increasing my knowl- 

 edge of their habits and actions in captivity. "The gorilla 

 that was exhibited at the Westminster Aquarium some few 

 years since, was an especial favorite of mine. He would sit 

 on my knee and recline his head on my shoulder, appreciating 

 me as a friend and glad of some respite from the treatment of 

 the German keepers, more brutal than himself, who managed 

 this gentle and confiding creature with a large cart whip. 

 Some months since, I saw a full-grown orang-outang at 

 Jamrack's, but the conditions under which it was then to be 

 seen were very unfavorable to its examination, and I had to 

 content myself with making a very brief announcement of its 

 arrival and probable snu in the A'/Wrf of Aug. 28, 1880. This 

 orang-outang was purchased by the manager of the Royal 

 Aquarium, Westminster, and has passed through the late 

 unfavorable winter in that institution. During the old 

 weather it had a sever* attack of bronchitis, through which 

 it. passed most favorably, under the very judicious manage- 

 ment of Mr. Carrington, and the unceasing cure of its attend- 

 ant. This orang-outang is the largest that I have ever seen 

 alive. Mr. Wallace, iu his "Malayan Archipelago," states 

 the height of his finest, examples to be 4 feet 2 inches wheii 

 measured erect, and that the outstretched anus readied 7 

 feet 9 incites. These measurements, I should say, are fully 

 equalled by those of the male at the Aquarium ; but as he 

 refuses to be handled even by his attendant, it is impossible 

 to measure him accurately. His cage is nearly six feci high, 

 but he has not to extend "his long arms to reach the top, and 

 as he hangs suspeuded from Ids hinder hands, he can reach 

 over a great, extent of the floor. Of the history of the speci- 

 men little or nothing is known, except that it was shipped 

 from Malacca, and that it was very thin and savage when it 

 arrived. Its age is surmised to bo about ten years, its well- 

 developed, discolored permanent incisors and canines giving 

 credence to the supposition. Its treatment throughout the 

 winter has been carefully managed. The temperature has 

 been kept up to about 65 deg. Fahrenheit by steam pipes, 

 and while the creature was ill a bronchitis kettle was kept 

 steadily at work. Its medicine was cod-liver oil and milk, 

 with a small quantity of carbonate of ammonia. The animal 

 appears now in very good health ; its nose is assuming a blue 

 tinge ; it is active in its habits, playing for two or three hours 

 at a time with a young chimpanzee that is allowed to visit, it. 

 The actions of these two animals when seen together are 

 most amusing. The orang pursues the chimpanzee, which is 

 not a quarter of his size or weight, and stretching out his 

 long arm, seizes her by the leg, and by main force pulls her 

 across the cage, pushing her hand into his mouth, and pre- 

 tending to bite her. She enjoys the rough horse-play, gives 

 utterance to her gratification in a subdued laugh, something 

 like the sounds of " Hah, hah, hah," done in a loud whisper. 

 At last she tires of the sport, and then the power of mind 

 over matter comes into play. Seating herself in one corner 

 of the cage, she repels hiB unties by blows or bites, and, 

 though strong enough to crush her in Ids grasp or kill her 

 with one bite of his strong canines, he is subdued, and takes 

 refuge under his blanket, w T hich he wraps around and over 

 him," so as to cover himself entirely and exclude the free ac- 

 cess of air. Being desirous of ascertaining the exact treat- 

 ment of this animal, 1 asked Mr. Carrington for his dietary, 

 which he kindly gave me for one week, adding the cost. The 

 orang-outang is supplied with a good quantity of rice milk, 

 well sweetened, about half a pound of rice per day being em- 

 ployed ; he has, by way of animal food, about, half a dozen 

 eggs daily in addition to the milk. He also takes weekly 

 about one bottle of cod-liver oil, and eats about sixpenny 

 won h of bread per diem. But the most expensive articles 

 or his dietary are the bananas and oranges with which he is 

 supplied. Sixteen shillings' worth of bananas, bought at the 

 wholesale rate, and an equal expenditure for oranges, make 

 an orang-outang rather an expensive pet, as his board, with- 

 out lodging or attendance, costs about £3 per week. — London 



$<ig mid §juiu 



Spuing Notes.— Sing-Sing, May 3.— I send you the follow- 

 ing notes of bird arrivals : 



April 17. Found red shouldered hawks (Buteo linmivx) 

 nest containing two eggs. 



18. Saw first chimney swift (Chaetura pelasgia). 



24. Saw pair of pewits (S<>/M,ni*fuie«») building nest. 



27. Found blue birds (Sialii. stalk) nest containing five 

 eggs, and robin's (Tardus migratorius) nest containing one 



28. Saw first wood thrush (Turdw miiMdhms) and cat 

 bird (Mimtw Onrolinensis). 



29. Found song sparrow (M/'lospiza melodia). 



May 1. Saw first king fisher (Ceryle akyon). Fair king 

 birds (Tyranmm <Mr<>Uuendi<), and yellow warbler (Jh/i- 

 draeai aextiva). Found robin's nest containing three eggs. 



2. Sawpair house wrens (Troglodytes aedvn) building nest. 



Rare Birds for New York.— Ocean, N. Y., April 27.— 

 There were two very rare birds for this part of the State shot 

 here to-day, and roceived by me for mounting. One is a 

 California grebe, the other is Bonaparte's gull.— J. T. Stky- 

 kkb. 



Captive Heron, Allentown, Pa.— Last week Mr. Theo. 

 Mohr shot a fine specimen of the night heron (Nyctiardea 

 grisea nmvia). The bird lives yet, and is very hearty. They 

 feed him on fish and fresh meat.— C. H. B. 



HOW "HATCH" WON HIS RIFLE. 



OUR party numbered four. We had run down from the. 

 city to spend a day or two with " Uncle Hatch," as he 

 was familiarly ktrown among the boys. Hatch lives in the 

 little seaeoast town of M — -, about thirty miles from Bos- 

 ton. The old gent was delighted to see us,"and readily prom- 

 ised to show us "how to shoot a quail " the next flay,' though 

 he was a " leetle afraid we would have bad weather for our 

 sport." Sure enough, the next morning was wet and cold, a 

 drizzling northeaster having set iu about mi .might, and at 

 daybreak it was "piping." 



As we couldn't shoot, we voted to take a peep into Hatch's 

 shop to while away the time. Hatch's shop was a famous 

 depository for old flint, locks, Queen's arms, muzzle-loaders, 

 decoys, fishing-tackle, spears, and, in fact, everything that 

 an old-time sportBinan could gather together in his extended 



travels. L had taken down from a magnificent pair of 



antlers an old-fashioned octagon, iron-barreled rifle which 

 looked as if it might have been old when riymouth Rock 

 was founded. Wo were looking and commenting upon it, 

 when a quiet chuckle at the door startled us, aud turning, 

 we saw the genial lace of the "old man," who had stepped 

 in unawares. By the twinkle in his eyes and the comical 

 working of his mouth we knew that he had overheard at 

 least a part of our not very complimentary remarks about 

 the rifle. When ho had deposited his load, consisting of a 

 dipper of cider and a bucket of "sponge russets," ho quietly 

 took up the old rifle, and, after sighting it carefully once or 

 twice, turned to us with a contented smile upon his visage, 

 and said ; 



"Well, you youngsters don't think much of the old tool, 

 do you? She ain't very smooth, but she has been a mighty 

 good one, and has killed more game than you hoys ever saw 

 outside of them Boston markets. I haven't shot her for fif- 

 teen years, but I'll bet I can beat the best of yer now, long 

 or short range." 



Knowing jie old man to be a practiced hand at the trig- 

 ger, none of ub cared to accept his bet, though we asked nu- 

 merous questions about the gun. 



"Well, It looks as though we may have fair weather in 

 about an hour; so, it you want me to, I'll tell you how I 

 came to be the boss of that old blunderbuss, as you fellows 

 call her." 



We filled our pipes and seated ourselves around on boxes 

 and stools. The qld man begun as follows : 



" Nigh on to thirty year ago, me and my old chum, Cross 

 (dead now, poor fellow:), went on our annual hunt down 

 East. That was in the davs of slow travel, and it took us a 



number of days by packet, stage 



old camp on the Nun 



of Maine. We had 



seen a deer, though 



third morning 1 cl 



nothing bigger tha 



camp tired and h 



Cross had got there b 



of his knife 



come back 



a mile or m 



thing to 



ngry 



He. said tic 



id footing it to reach 

 us River, in ■ township 40,' State 

 in camp two days and hadn't 

 ns ' were plenty enough. The 

 over :i new ground,"but saw 

 hedgehog, aud went back to 

 bout an hour after noon. 

 and, judging from the looks 

 lg in the door post, he had not, 

 had killed a youug_ deer about 

 1. after getting a bite of some- 

 :at, we went out to bring him in. Not far from 

 where he found his deer I noticed the stump of a big maple, 

 about three or four feet high, that had all grown up to 

 sprouts, making a capital stand to shoot from. I told Cross 

 I was going to ' lay' on that stump that evening and see if I 

 couldn't shoot a deer. It took us till late iu the afternoon 

 before we got his meat back to camp, and the sun wasn't 

 more'n an "hour high when I whistled to Rolfe, my old 

 hound, and started. I took pard's gun, 'cause I liked her 

 mighty well. Cross laughed when he see me going, and, 

 says he, ' Hatch, if you'll bring in a deer to-night, the rifle's 

 yourn,' — aud, fact, I thought he were pretty safe insayiug it. 

 Well, I got to the old stump audmade myself as comfortable 

 as I conld among the young shoots that grew from the top 

 of it. The sun went down aud I hadn't seen nary hoof, aud 

 I began to think I was going to be skunked that day sure, but 

 1 took a pull at my pipe and waited patiently till it got most 

 too dark to shoot. Pretty soon T heard my dog snuftin' pretty 

 hard, and in a minute more I heard a rustling in the young 

 poplars and maples that, grew iu a little hollow in front of 

 where I was laying. I watched close for the deer to show 

 himself, expecting he would give me a shot every minute. I 

 got a sight, at his horns once as he poked his way through 

 the bushes, and then I lost track of him. Well, I got pretty 

 nervous, and 'twas getting to be tedious work setting on top 

 of that old stump, but just as I was thinking of sliding down 

 to stretch my legs, I saw my deer way across the holler, 

 making for the tall timber that grew on the side of the hill 

 beyond. It was mighty dark by that time, aud I could only 

 distinguish his form now and then as he rose above the tops 

 of the brush. When he got to the edge of the wood he stop- 

 ped right in front of a big dead poplar, and began to scratch. 

 Now was my time. I tried to sight him, but 'twas so dark I 

 couldn't see the lengthof my gan barrel, I twisted audsquint- 

 ed but 'twas no use ; at last I found I could sight the big tree 

 behind him, 'cause it was so much lighter colored than the 

 deer, and so I concluded to try a chance shot and trust to 

 good judgment, backed up by a lot of luck. I sighted for 

 the tree about a foot above the buck's back, and swinging 

 my rifle to the left till I thought she was p'inted about right, 

 I let her off. I listened for his start, but didn't hear any- 

 thing, so I got down to the ground and sent old Rolfe ahead 

 to see what he would find. The dog he knew what he was 

 after, and made a bee line for the place where 1 lust see the 

 deer. I tell yer, boys, I was a little astonished when I got 

 there and found that deer dead as a. nail, not a rod from where 

 I fired. I had put my ball right into his neck bone, and he 

 hadn't kicked more than once. I had just got my knife into 

 him when I heard Cross' whistle and knew he was coming 

 out to look for me. So I sat down and waited. You never 

 saw a man more surprised than he was when I showed him 

 my game and told him the particulars. But he was up to 

 his word and gave me the gun, and she has brought down 

 many a one since that time, though I never made her shoot 

 in the dark after that. We got the deer back to camp that 

 night, and next day I measured the distance from my stump 

 to the old poplar, and it was a hundred and ten rods to a 

 foot. Yes, that's the gun, and them are the horns that grew 

 on the buck I killed." 



We all agreed that it was a marvelous shot, and apolo- 

 gized to the old man for our premature judgment of the 

 "old blunderbuss," which wa3 more than ever an object of 

 interest. The storm had broken up, and soon we were stow- 



ing away one of Aunt Roxanna's glorious luuches, prepara- 

 tory to our delayed start for the fields. Island Camp. 



HOUNDING VS. STILL HUNTING. 



WE begin the publication this week of the numerous re- 

 plies received in response to our request forcxperienee 

 and observation on the subject of deer-huuting. The par- 

 ticular points of the iuquiry were ns follows: 



1st. What is the character of the country referred to V 



2d. What is the prevailing method of hunting deer? 



3d. Describe honu'lmq .leer, ah praeuecd ru the .section reterieu 

 to, and its effects. Does it drive deer out of the country ? 



4th. Dosoribo in like manner still hudtinfe &nd its affects. 



5th. What class of men kill the most door?— market hunters or 

 parties of sportsmen?— residents or non-residents? 



Gth. Would resident sportsmen approve of a law prohibiting 

 hounding deer? Would the residents assist m enforcing it? 



7th Would they approve of a law permitting hounding, but pro- 

 hibiting the killing or capturing of the deer after it has been run 

 into the water ? Would such a law be practicable ? 



8th. What is the open season for deer? 



9th. What are the niuter habits of deer, so far as you have poi- 

 aonally observed them, 



MAINS AUD NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



Hounding and still hunting iu Coos County, N. H, and 

 Oxford County, Me., have led to the following observations: 



1st. Character of country is mountainous, and the source 

 of Connecticut and Magalloway rivers; includes many lakes, 

 ponds and beaver meadows, and the occasional evidence of 

 water where it is not now, the moss-grown cranberry 1 m, s 

 the summer haunts of larger game than the subject of solici- 

 tude. 



2d. The question relating to the favorite means of capture 

 resorted to only brings Out the prejudices of the writers, and 

 results of the earliest impressions, the prevailing method as 

 it exists in the minds, but not in the practice, of the residents. 

 Within the last five years, owing to light snowfalls, the mode 

 has been crust-hunting with dogs. In the summer and 

 autumn of 1879, parties attempted their capture at Panua- 

 chenee Lake, by using hounds. They were not successful, but 

 eight miles from them, as the crow flies, at Connecticut Lakes, 

 deer were found seeking food in unlikely places— on rocky 

 shores, between the marshy locations on which they always 

 were found, the dates corresponding with the drives made on 

 the Magalloway waters, where they could not be taken by 

 jack-shooting— the common practice in both locations in 

 1880, where they were taken as late as September 9. and 

 found on the nights of the 17th and 18th of the same month. 



4th. Still hunting on snow is not aud never has been prac- 

 ticed here. 



5th. Deer are increasing rapidly. Sportsmen do not, 

 slaughter here. 



6th. Residents do not favor game laws. 



7th. No need of a law applying to dogs in surnme) " 

 amnion. The streams are abundant, and dogs lose their game. 



8th. Open season for Coos Co., N. H., Aug. t to Dee. 1, 

 Oxford. Me., Oct. 1 to Jan. 1. 



9th. Peer choose the sunny slopes when there 1b an oppor- 

 tunity and plenty of undergrowth, hardwood lauds usually, 

 seeking: fir and spruce ridges to escape pursuit. Rivulets 

 usually arc abundant in their winter haunts. A deer j ard 1 

 have never seen, as the term is generally accepted. A system 

 of thoroughfares often extending for miles, only after heavy 

 snowfalls, where only the more recent feeding -l.o .urni ap- 

 pears to the casual observer, does their range appear limited. 

 Unless very much frightened, they will always run away on 

 the trail concealed, but, which their instinct enables them to 

 locate, to the discomfiture of the pursuer. Eow. NdKTOS, 



ONTAKIO- 



lst. Hilly and rocky country, with large tracts of burned 

 land and brule, 



2d. The habitats still-hunt to a great extent, but a few 

 use dogs, or rather curs. Sportsmen usually bring in dogs 

 with them, and by the same token frequently have them' 

 shot. 



3d. I am not very clear as to this, but. really do not think 

 that it. does, as the deer appear- to return to their former 

 resorts when driven off for a time. The deer arc usually 

 driven to the lakes, and in some places arc bagged on the 

 runways, but 1 may say that "watering" is the rule, aud the 

 result is usually that out of four deer put in only one is killed ; 

 but every hunt has its charms, derived from using the hounds, 

 whether the deer is killed or not. 



4th Where deer are plentiful, still-hunting, by all odds, is 

 the most, effective. 



5th. Market hunters, though, thank heaven, wearc troubled 

 with few here. Very likely the non-residents kill most. 



6th. There are, you may say, no resident sportsmen, in the 

 true sense of the word, and the sportsmen in the neighbor- 

 hood by all odds prefer hounding. 



7fh. Seems hardly practicable, as it is hardly human nature 

 not to watch for and shoot a deer, if one knows where it is 

 going to water. Such a law in most sections would, to a 

 large' extent, render hounding useless. 



8th. Oct. 1 to Dec. 15. Hounds allowed for six weeks. 



9th. Have, a tendency to "yard" in green woods. 



ONTARIO. 



1. The country to which I would refer is the territory 



lying between the Madawaska and Bonnecbere rivers iu 

 Ontario in the vicinity of Lake Clear, Heiland Lake and Con- 

 stant Creek. This tract, containing some 300 square miles,_ 

 is well wooded with pine, maple, beech and birch. Lakes of 

 small size are met with every two or three miles in all direc- 

 tions. The laud is mountainous aud rocky. A few senilis 

 are scattered along the. intervening valleys. Ice forms on the 

 lakes toward the middle of November. 



2. The settlers and market-hunters practice still hunting. 

 Two or three parties of sportsmen are accustomed to visit 

 the locality in October and November, one of which use?. 

 dogs. The others are still-hunters. 



H. Deer are hounded in the usual wav- One of the party 

 takes the dogs to the foot of a hill where recent tracks arc 

 discovered and lets them slip and pick out their own quarry. 

 The remaiuder of the party, two or three in number, are 

 posted on the well-known runways, where they each take 

 their chances of a flying shot. Sometimes one is posted on a 

 lake in a canoe, as the deer always take to water The 

 hounding seems to have no effect on the deer. They are too 

 plentiful. Crust-hunting and still-hunting are thinning them 

 out wonderfully. Where we were camped last, year we found 

 tracks in the morning very frequently within a stone's throw 

 of the dog-house. 



4. Still-hunters generally range along the tops of the hills 

 in the early moraine, and without, much trouble come Qpflq 

 their prey. Or else they track the deer— if a very large 

 one— up hill and down dale. Mr. Plaunto, ol Lake Clear) 

 always limited with dogs until last season when he lost five 



