FOREST AND STREAM 
99 
For Forest and Stream. 
A BLACK DECEPTION. 
T HE islands of St. Nevis was captured and recolonized 
by the English shortly before the close of the Eliz¬ 
abethan era (as every body knows), and preserves to this 
day, as Ireland does, the continental mode of sounding the 
vowels in the vernacular, which was the Court fashion of 
the period (as every body don't know). In other words, 
St. Nevis men “spake” with what we mistakenly term the 
“brogue," which was really the pronunciation of Shaks- 
peare, Johnson, Massinger, as well as that of Raleigh; 
Dampier, and Drake. However, we are not going into the 
philology of the matter, but merely wish to explain what 
led to Paddy Geohagan’s “s)quare" mistake two or three 
years ago. Had Paddy been aware of thg above stated 
fact, it would have saved him and the wife of his bosom 
from being frightened into fits; but he was not, and so the 
catastrophe came. Paddy was coming over, by winter 
passage, in a ship which, meeting with disaster, was com¬ 
pelled to bear up and seek a leeward port for assistance. 
Accordingly she made St. Nevis, and put in to repair and 
refit. Glad of the chance to stretch their legs after the 
protracted and boisterous voyage—though Tather chagrined 
at the inevitable six weeks or so of detention before them 
—Pat and Judy gathered theinseives up, and went ashore 
for a stroll in the strange tropical land, whereto the fates 
had brought them. All eyes and ears, they were passing 
along George street, when their attention was attracted hy 
the cry of a negro vender of vegetables. Of course the 
darkeys speak, the language of their former proprietors, 
and this fellow was bawling in a brogue that would have 
passed muster in the Cove of Cork. “Swate jser-r-ratees, 
swate per-r-ratees!” Pat stopped aghast with astonish¬ 
ment at the familiar accent lrom such a mouth; besides, 
coming from the wilds of Connaught, he had never seen a 
negro before. “Judy, darlint,” he said, “bud do yees hare 
that?" “1 do, agrah,” she replied, “spake to him in the 
name av wondhermiut, an’ ax where did he lam to spake 
like uz." Up came the crier, “Av its plazin tu ye,” be¬ 
gan Paddy, “fwhero did yez come from, at all, at all?” 
“Counetl,” answered the negro, innocently, giving the 
name of a black village on the"opposite side of the island. 
“Connaught !'’ echoed Pat, as a horrible suspicion darted 
across bis soul, “an’ fwbat, thin, is yer names'” “Augus¬ 
tin.” “O’Gusdon," screamed Judy, “meownmaiden name! 
“Och, tbe saiuts betune uz an’harrum; how long bees ye 
here, thin?” and she clung to Pat for support. “It’s woo 
wake yesterday since I kem over,” replied the wondering 
islander. Judy screeched, Paddy roared with despair, 
and both reeled against the wall, gasping “Ounly won 
wake in this baste of a climate, an’ black as the devil al¬ 
ready!” Nautes. 
For Fores/ and S/ream. 
A HUNTER’S HORSE. 
A GOOD, tough, intelligent horse is most essential to 
the hunter’s comfort. Oftentimes he is your only 
companion, and a "friend in need,” and if educated aud 
trained kindly and carefully, he will watch camp better 
than a dog, smell or hear auy dangerous visitors, often 
point out large game by pricking up his ears and looking 
directly at it; he will pack game when it would be ini pos¬ 
sible to get ether transportation; he will not fail to follow 
t trail or pick out a good ford, when it is so dark you 
would be helpless and lost; his instinct will lead him to 
Ind water for yon on the plains—in fact a good horse or 
nule is the “king pin” to a hunter’s existence. Itis strange 
,o see the difference in a horse when among others of his 
rind and people, and when alone with his master in the 
wilderness for a long period. When in civilization the 
torse often becomes full of tricks, and is cross and slub- 
iorn. Sometimes he will kick and bite his keeper when in 
oo good condition, and at such times the whip can be used 
o advantage; but when he gets into the mountains, or on 
he plains, and sees nothing human but. his master and the 
vild animals which tbe hunter kills, the horse then be- 
lornes a kind and affectionate animal,and if permitted would 
ollow the hunter for weeks like a dog. He is uneasy when 
lis rider is away, and becomes timid and wary. When he 
baerves the hunter returning to camp on a trail in the 
orest, or on a roll of tbe prairie, he greets him with a 
riendly neigh, and goes the length of his lariat to meet 
im. When first packing game on a horse never become 
ngry and beat him if he is frighteued and refuses to be 
jaded. Lead him slow-ly up to a dead deer, put your 
and on his neck, and approach the game; allow him to 
nell of the carcass, and see that it is harmiess,'and with 
little experience he will pack game to camp and be as 
tell pleased with his performance as the hunter who 
loots it. if a horse becomes nervous when he is being 
acked with game, it is a good plan to tie your coat or hat 
ecr his eyes until the load is lashed firmly. For hunting 
i the mountains I would recommend a medium-sized, 
ind, long-legged, quick-walking mule. There is a great 
ifference in these hybrids. I used one mare mule iu the 
( erra Madre Mountains that had never seen game until 
n te came into my hands. I packed a warm limsy doe on 
If. it' that was covered with blood, and she did not even 
i tort at it, but quietly picked her way to camp over fallen 
ji nber and rock with her heavy load, using the best of 
i) dgment. Tbe remembrance of such a load would cause 
#i me mules to buck at times for a whole season. 
a ules use better judgment than horses when traveling • 
J ’er had ground: yet they are easily frighteued, and will 
« rk up their picket pins and stampede just as you are 
e iout to turn in some night, unless they are hobbled. A 
i{ ule always looks up to a horse as a superior, and follows 
t m when feeding or running. Picket two or three of the 
i ost reliable horses in a herd, and unless the feed is poor, 
e mutes will stay with them. There are some mules that 
iL catch buffalo, but I would prefer a horse for the 
J tins or an open country. The “American” horse fares 
•d lly on the plains without his forage; therefore the wiry 
ii 4 tie Indian ponies will he the best for hunting, They 
a; j used to poor feed, are easy animals to ride, aud if one 
li Is behind his party a few miles, the distance is easily 
H tde up by a pony, when it would be necessary to work 
i ur passage the distance with your heels if a mule was 
.» iden. Thelndian ponies of the plains are poor, uu- 
a pt creatures, yet in the summer some of them get 
•3 imp and sleek. The Crow Indians have some of the 
st stock I have seen on the plains, and some of tlieDa- 
ta-Sioux Indians have good-looking ponies; yet nearly 
of them show their poor keeping In winter, as the cot¬ 
ton wood bark, which they eat, is not sufficiently nourish¬ 
ing to keep them in good condition. It is amusing to see 
Indian ponies try to devour oats and shelled corn. They 
make awkward work of it, and doole badly, and I have 
seen many that would refuse corn for the dry buffalo 
grass of the plains. J. H. Batty. 
[2 Ale Department is now meter the charge of a competent Naturalist, 
Indorsed by the Smithsonian Institution, and will henceforth be made a 
special feature of this payer. Alt communications, notes, queries, re¬ 
marks, and seasonal observations will receive careful attention. ] 
MY FEBRUARY FIELD NOTES—BIRDS. 
BY C. C. ABBOTT, M. D. 
February 1st. —Cloudy; wind east. Saw but one bird, a 
grass-finch, (Poocates graminem), other than crows and 
snow-birds. This well-known “sparrow” comes very 
near to being a literal resident. I have thought at 
times that they never passed a week of their lives out of 
the fields in which they were hatched. But they are won¬ 
derfully silent in winter; not chirping often, even when in 
company. 
February 2nd.—Violent northwest wind all day. Grows 
abundant; no other birds noticed, except one pair of 
“black-caps” (Pams atricapillus), which clambered about, 
the trunks of the pines and locusts, but avoided the wind 
all they could, I thought. 
February 3rd. —Cloudy; cold. A pair of red tailed hawks 
hovered over the meadows, at a great elevation, for several 
hours, and screamed incessantly. They have been abundant,, 
off and on, during the winter, hut this is the first time I’ve 
noticed their call, These two have paired, I suppose. 
(They often have their nests completed and eggs laid in 
March). Great abundance of snow-birds. Do they really 
know when snow is about to fall? 
February ith. —Snowing-. NO birds noticed, until evening, 
when a single flock of horned-larks passed overhead. First 
I have seen since November; but this does not prove they 
have not heenabout. In conversation with a good observer 
to-day, I learned that on Wednesday, a fleck of snow hunt¬ 
ings, (Plectrophanes nivalis), had been braving the high 
wind, in one of my fields. Did they too, know of the 
coming snow? I have seen none myself since last winter, 
February 5th. —Clear; cold; thermometer 4° Fah. at 8 A. 
M. A large loose flock of red-poll linnets frequented an 
elm tree, most of the day, twittering incessantly, and ap¬ 
pearing to find a good deal to eat, but what, I cannot im¬ 
agine. It was not the slightly swollen leaf-buds, for the 
yellow birds (Chrysomitris) go over the Iree, every year, in 
the same way, day after day, and there would be no foliage 
at all, the following summer, if the buds were eaten. These 
linnets are not common. These are the firet I have seen 
since 1873. The hawks appear to find it too cold to sail 
over the meadows, and have taken shelter. Saw the skins 
of a pair of barn-owls (.Stria pmtmco'a), killed on the 
meadows a week ago.' They were found in a hollow tree, 
and had probably been there several months. 
February 5th. —Dull and rainy. Not a bird of any kind 
noted, except the usual evening flight of crows. 
February 7th. —Clear; warm. The song-sparrows sang fit¬ 
fully all day. A downy woodpecker, a brown tree-creeper, 
(Certliia familians), and a pair of crested tit-mice, ( Lop/to■ 
phwrns bicolor), were noticed from my study window. The 
crested tits were quite lively, and sang with as much vim 
as ever I had heard them in May. 
February 8th. —Clear; warm. The cardinal grosbeaks that 
have long tenanted the blackberry thicket near the house, 
came back to day, or a new pair arrived from somewhere. 
The male’s cheery whistling was kept up until after sunset. 
These grosbeaks, like the grass-finch, are fixtures, whereso¬ 
ever they happen to be hatched, if they are not crowded 
out by tiiose of an older generation. 
February 5th. —Dense fog; rain in evening. The song-spar¬ 
rows only appeared in the bushes of the hill side. 
February 10th. —Clear; very warm. The birds all back 
again. The song and chipping sparrows abundant. The 
black-caps (Parus atricapillus) and crested tit-mice, numer¬ 
ous. Saw the first, fox-eoiored sparrows (Posset ella iliaca) 
of the season. They were numerous, but not associated in 
a flock. The sparrow-hawks have probably followed them 
up, for five were noted, skulking about, and one was seen 
to capture a “foxto," as it flitted in the long grass. These 
sparrows are somewhat uncertain in their movements. 
Noticed a number of meadow larks to-day; but they are 
here throughout the year, skulking about the fields and 
sometimes showing themselves, by perching on the stakes 
of the worm-fences. A few ducks flew overhead, going 
nori heast, but too faT off to determine the species. 
February Mth. —Cloudy; warm; ruin in the evening. The 
blue-birds began to leave the more sheltered nooks and 
hill sides, aod~chip and warble, as in May. They are here 
all winter, but do not show themselves frequently, for 
weeks, keeping in retired spots, where something in the 
way of food is found, and the chilly winds are warded-off, 
Crow black-birds, ( Quiscalus purpureus), were quite abun¬ 
dant early in the day. The idea, almost universally held, 
that these birds are migratory, is certainly an excellent ex¬ 
ample of the imperfect knowledge of our birds, had hy 
most people. Even fanners, who are well posted ns to 
crow black-birds from May to November, seem wholly ig¬ 
norant of the fact that from November to May, they have 
not entirely quitted us, for more southern regions. A large 
flock is down onmy books for Jan. 29th, and to-day, they 
have been screaming from the tall pine tree tops. 1 doubt 
not but that daily now they will be with us, in varying 
numbers. Cedar-birds, yellow-birds, (Chrysomitris), and a 
cross bill, (the white-winged) noted. 
J 'To be concluded']. 
—A great scarcity of birds this Winter in comparison 
with last winter, which was very Bevere, ia remarked by all 
our correspondents. 
BIRDS OF LOWER MICHIGAN. 
BY A. B. COVERT, OF ANN ARBOR, MICH. 
FAMILY TURBID,®. 
- Tardus migraiorvus. Robin. Abundant at Ann Arbor, 
arriving about March 15th, and rearing two broods in the 
Season. The nest is built about May 1st. Departs for the 
south September 1st. 
- Turdtis mvstclinus. Wood thrush. Common; arrives 
from the 1st to the 10th of May; breeds May 25th; de¬ 
parts about. September 15th. 
. lurdus Pallasi. Hermit thrush. A very rare summer 
visitor, arriving from the 10th to tho 15th of May. Only 
one instance (June 1st) of the nest having been found. 
Common in October during the fall migrations. 
, Turd us fuscescens. Wilson’s thrush. Not common. It 
arrives from the south about May 1st; breeds about the 1st 
of June; departs southward by September 10th. 
< Mimas Garolinensis. Cat bird. Very common, arriving 
from the 1st to the 15th of May, and breeding about the 
20th, About October 1st this species moves southward. 
Hurporhynehus rufvs. Brown thrush. This well-known 
bird is a common summer visitor; reaches us from the 
sou: h between the 15th of April and the 1st of May, aud 
breeds about May 10th'. Its beautiful song and beneficial 
habits have endeared it to the gardener, small fruit-grower, 
and farmer, who have taken it under their prolection; and 
whoever kills one of these birds is cerlaia to bring down 
upon him the wrath of the community. By September 
15th the brown thrushes have all departed for the south. 
FAMILY SAXICOLID-iE. 
’ Sicilia sialis. Eastern blue-bird. Very common, arriv- 
ing as early as March 15th. It breeds first about May 10th, 
and rears two broods in the season. By the 1st of Sep¬ 
tember this bird has become rare, and in a few days none 
are to be # seen. 
FAMILY SYLVIID.E. 
■ Regains calendula, Ruby-crowned kiDglet. A rare spring 
and "autumn migrant, reaching here from April 10th to 
May 1st, and returning between September 20th and 
April 15 th. 
■ Regains satrapa. Golden-crowned kinglet. This also is 
a very common visitor, coming and going iu company 
with the preceding. A few remain all winter. 
- PvUuplila cmru'ea. Blue-gray gnatcalclier. Very com¬ 
mon, arriving about the 1st of May. Tbe eggs are laid 
from the 1st to the 10th of Jane, and it departs" about the 
1st of October. 
FAMILY PARID.E. 
' Pants atricapillus, Black-capped chickadee. Common, 
resident, breeding in tbe middle of May. 
FAMILY SlTTnXiE. 
Sitta Garolinensis. White bellied nuthatch, Copimou, 
resident, breeding about May 1st. 
Sitta Canadensis. Red-bellied nuthatch. Rare, resident, 
breeding from April 20tli to May 1st. 
FAMILY CERTHIID.E. 
- Certliia familiaris. Brown creeper. Common spring ‘ 
and autumu migrant, arriving about April 15th. A few 
remain and breed about the 20th of May. Early in Oc¬ 
tober they all leave. 
FAMILY TROGLODYTID.E. 
f Thryothorus Ludonieianus, Carolina wren. This wren is 
only an accidental visitor from tbo south. Ono specimen 
was taken June 4th, 1872. 
, Troglodytes oedon. House wren. This bird is very rare 
around Ann Arbor, although common near by, arriving 
about the 5lh of May. It first breeds May 20th, and raises 
two broods in tbe season. By September 1st all have 
gone. 
Telmatodytespalusiris. Long-billed marsh wren. Com¬ 
mon, arriving about the 20th of May, breeding about tbo 
20th of June, and departing for the south abuut Septem¬ 
ber 1st. 
- Oistothorus stellaris. Short-hilled marsh wren. Not as 
common as the preceding, arriving about the same time, 
and brectling about July 1st. I have taken the nest as late 
as July 20th, departing about the middle of September. 
FAMILY ALAUDIDJ3. 
s Fremophila,alpcstris. Horned lark or shore lark. A com¬ 
mon resident, breeding about May 1st. I have found the 
nest of this bird while the snow was yet on the ground. 
During the hardest portion of winter, this bird moves 
fuither southward for a short time. 
[2b be continued,] 
Notes from our Correspondents.— "Teal ” (Salem, 
Mass.), writes that Salem harbor is open, and whistling 
duckB and other wild fowl are abundant ; shore larks are 
yet about, and robins, bluebirds and redwinged black¬ 
birds have been seen. A gunner reports having seen a 
woodcock, but "Teal” doubts it_W. F. H. Getty sends 
a list of birds observed to remain at Yonkers, N. Y , 
throughout the year. It includes tbe following: Robin, 
blue-bird, golden-winged and downy woodpeckers, chicka¬ 
dee, purple finoh, song sparrow, blue jay, meadow lalk, 
crow, ruffed grouse and quail... .Harry W. Oarideo (\Yater- 
ville, N. Y.l, mentions the first arrival of robins there on 
March 10, and a song sparrow and red-winged blackoirds, 
March 13. On that, day a heavy snow storm set in. The 
pine grosbeaks have been there in plenty all winter.... 
“ Umbellus” (Peotone, Ills.), says the only birds there iu 
winter are snow-birds (Juntso) and snow-buntings (Plectra- 
phases), none of which have been seen this winter. A. 
record of this season’s observations on the nesting of 
Illinois birds is promised. 
— Articles of special value to our readers in the Popular 
Science Monthly for April will be “ Tbe Bonier Territory 
between the Animal and Vegetable Kingdom," by Prof. 
Huxley; an account (illustrated) of tho sbeathbill of Ker¬ 
guelen Island (Chiords ■minor) by Dr. Kidder, which is of 
great interest; “Auiiual Parasites and Messmates” and 
"Modern Philosophical Biology.” Tho “ Miscellany” also 
contains interesting matter. 
