FOREST AND STREAM 
200 
i 
: 
d ! 
A WEEKLY JOURNAL, 
Devoted to Field and Aquatic Si-orts, Fraoticat.NAtural History, 
l r Tsu;Otn.TOBK, the Protection of Game,Preservation of Forests, 
AND THE tNOULOATIQN IN Men AND WOMEN OF A HEALTHY INTEREST 
IN Oot-hoor Recreation and Study : 
THE WINTER FAUNA OF MT, MARCY. 
PUBLISHED BY 
forest snd publishing <$osn$at%. 
17 CHATHAM STREET, (CITY HALL SQUARE) NEW YORK, 
[Post Office Box 8833.) 
133 SOUTH THIRD STREET, PHILADELPHIA. 
Terms, Five Dollars a Your, Strictly In Advance. 
A discount of twenty-live percent, allowed for five copies and upwards. 
Advertising Rates. 
In regular advertising colnrana, nonpareil type, 12 lines to the inch, 25 
Cents por line. Advertisements on outside page, 40cents per line. Reading 
notices, 60 cents per line. Where advertisements are inserted over 1 
month, a discount of 10 per cent, will be made; over three months, 20 
per ceut-i over six months, 80 per cent. 
NEW YOKE, THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1876. 
To Correspondents. 
All communications whatever, whether relating to Cosiness or literary 
correspondence, mast be addressed to The Forest and Stream Pub- 
lisiuno Company. Personal or private letters of course excepted. 
All communications intended for publication most be accompanied with 
real name, as a guaranty of good faith. Names will not be published if 
objection be made. No anonymous contributions will be regarded. 
Articles relating to any topic within the scope of this paper are solicited. 
We cannot promise to return rejected mannscrlptB. 
Secretaries of Clubs and Associations are urged to favor ns with brief 
notes of their movements and transactions, as it is the aim of this paper 
to become a medium of useful and reliable information between gentle¬ 
men sportsmen from one end of the country to the other; and they will 
find our columns a desirable medium for advertising announcements. 
The Publishers of Forest and Stream aim to merit and secure the 
patronage and countenance of that portion of the community whose re¬ 
ined intelligence enables them to properly appreciate and enjoy all that 
a beautiful in Natnre, It will pander to no depraved tastes, nor pervert 
the legitimate sports of land and water to those base uses which always 
tend to make them unpopular with the virtuous and good. No advertise¬ 
ment or business notice of an immoral character will be received on any 
erms; and nothing will be admitted to any department of the paper that 
may not be read with propriety in the home circle. 
We cannot be responsible for the dereliction of the mail service, if 
money remitted to ns is lost. 
Advertisements should be sent in by Saturday of each week, if possible. 
CHARLES HALLOCK, Editor. 
WILLIAM C. HARRIS, Business Manager. 
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE COM¬ 
ING WEEK. 
Thursday, Mar 4tli.--Racing. Nashville. Tenn. Trotting: Washing¬ 
ton, D. C. Base ball: Hartford vs. New Haven, at New Haven; Chica¬ 
go vs. St. Louis, at St. Louis; Louisville ys. Cincinnati, at Cincinnati. 
Friday, May Dlh.--Racing: Nashville, Teun. Trotting: Washington, 
I). c. Pigeon match: liogardns vs. Price, Indianapolis. Rifle: Match 
for Frost medal, Yonkors It A.Kennel Club Field Trials, England. Buse 
ball: Hartford vs. Mutual, at Brooklyn. 
Saturday, May 6tb.—Racing: Nashville, Tenn. Rifle: Luther badge, 
Creedmoor. Baseball: Hartford vs. Athletic, at New Haven; New Ha¬ 
ven vs. Yale, at New Haven; Chicago vs. SL Louis, at St. Lonis; Lonia- 
ville vs. Cincinnati, at Cincinnati; Harvard va. Taunton, at Taunton, 
Muss, 
Monday, May 8th.--Racing: Lexington, Ky. Rifle matches: Schut- 
zen Park, Jersey City. International Foot Ball match: Canada vs. 
Harvard, atCambrtdge. 
Tuesday, May 9th.—Racing: Lexington, Ky. Trotting: Woodbury, 
N. J.-, Washington, D. C. Pigeon Shooting Tournament: Kcntucky 
State Sportsmen’s Association. Base ball: Chicago ve. Cincinnati, at 
Chicago: Louisville vs. St. LouIb, at St. Louis. 
Wednesday, May lOlJi.— Centennial Exhibition opens (?) Racicg: 
Lexington, Ky., and Austin, Texas. Bench Show ot Dogs: Lexington, 
Kentucky. 
Kentucky State Sportsmans Association. —The second 
annual meeting of the above organization opens on the 9th 
inst., and continues over four days, including in the pro¬ 
gramme a Dench Show of sporting dogs and a pigeon shoot¬ 
ing tournament. The Secretary of the Association, Mr. J. 
M. Taylor, writes us tirat large delegations of sportsmen 
from Memphis, Nashville and oilier parti in Tenn,, from 
St. Louis, Chicago, Louisville and Cincinnati, will be pre¬ 
sent at their meeting. The prizes are valuable, and entries 
to Bench Show are being daily received. The shooting 
will be on grounds adjoining the Association race course, 
and daily, at 3 o’clock, the shooting will cease, that all 
may attend the races, which promise to be equal, if not 
BUperio., to any former meeting. Wild pigeons are being 
received, and enougli will be provided to continue the 
meeting on Saturday, in addition to published programme. 
Booms in the hotels arc being rapidly engaged, and those 
who attend will have ns much sport as could usually be 
found in two weeks condensed into one. 
_A correspondent recommends Fort Ticonderoga, on 
Lake Champlain, as a desirable summer resort, especially 
for anglers. There is a good hotel there, and the neigh¬ 
borhood has many interesting historical associations, 
T HE fauna of a mountain district is usually more or 
less different from that of the surrounding lowlands, 
and the rule seems to hold that with increase of altitude and 
decrease of temperature a hardier and more borea! vegeta¬ 
tion will be found, accompanied with animals common to 
colder and more northern regions. But iu wild and ele¬ 
vated tracts, however abundant animal life may be, a man 
needs the skill and experience of an old woodsman to dis¬ 
cover the food, homes, and pursuits of the inhabitants of 
the forest. The nocturnal habits of most wild animals 
add to the difficulty of obtaining a knowledge of them. 
To some aspects of the animal life of this region, in winter, 
Mr. Verplanck Colvin has lately called the attention of the 
Albany Institute, in a paper upon Mount Marcy, which 
he has explored in connection with the State Survey of the 
Adirondacks. 
Mount Marcy, or Ta-ha-wus, is unquestionably the high¬ 
est mountain in this State, reaching 5,400 feet. It.rises 
sharply, and Us slopes—below the bare crest of alpine rock 
—are densely covered with a stunted evergreen forest, the 
trees decreasing in size and vigor as the altitude increases. 
The irregular plateau, like valleys north and south, and 
the little mossy nooks of level land upon Us sides, are the 
haunts j)f its wild inhabitants, the fauna of the coldest, 
the most alpine, and most desert portion of the State. On 
every side are huge mountains and forests. In this wild 
region Mr. Colvin made a careful study of all that came 
under his observation, but chiefly of the footprints, which 
he regards as the key to the history of its fauna. The 
study of trails enables one to ascertain the approximate 
altitudes at which certain wild animals exist, and by a 
careful classification one can show that within zones of 
different altitudes are found associated animals which be¬ 
long to similar zones of cold, in higher latitudes. If snow 
be the criterion, Mount Marcy has barely two true months 
of summer. The summit is often whitened with it as. late 
as the beginning of July, and the 1st of September rarely 
passes without a temporary covering of the crest with snow. 
It is safe to assume that the climatic winter of the summit 
begins at the latter portion of September, and ends in June. 
A list of the species of animals and birds observed is 
given, of which we can only make brief notes. The first 
one mentioned is the panther {Felis concoior), whose tracks 
were often seen. The panther not only fed on deer, but 
was found to pursue even rabbits. The guides believe the 
panther to be very local in its habitation, constantly return¬ 
ing to the same lair. Next in importance to the panther in 
the list of species, the trails of which were observed, is the 
gray, or Cgmida lynx {Felis canadensis). Its usual resi¬ 
dence was the swamps where it hunted for rabbits. This is 
an animal which we might expect in a high, cold region, 
for to its general distribution throughout Brilisli America, 
even to the shore of the Arctic Sea, it owes its title of 
“Canadian.” It is not recorded as having been met with 
iu the Stale more than one degree south of Mount Marcy. 
One morning on Mount Skylight the party came upon the 
fresh trail of a fisher {Mustda canadensis)—Fix. Colvin 
says it is not a fisher at all—which was also after rabbits, 
with an occasional diversion for mice. Its inhabiting these 
mountain bights directly refutes the assertion that it does 
not frequent the same elevated regions as the martin. Con¬ 
stantly ranging, it seems to have no fixed habitation, and 
generally selects the night for its travels and its depreda¬ 
tions. 
The fourth of these mountain dwellers is tile sable, the 
Mustela martes of naturalists. This beautiful and rare 
animal is abundant in the forests on the side of Mount 
Marcy- It here occupies a region of country which greatly 
resembles the semi-arctic portions of British America, and 
it is interesting to remark that no traces of it were found 
above the timber line on the open, barren sub-alpine por¬ 
tion of the mountain, in this respect maintaining the habits 
of their race, which are never found in the barren lands 
near Behring’s Straits, though abundant in the scrubby 
forests margining the open. Thus this interesting little 
animal becomes a measure in climatology, and serves to 
give ns as clear a conception of the relation of our mount¬ 
ain summits to the boreal regions of the continent, as does 
the better known arctic flora. Alas for ibe poor rabbit, as 
though not sufficiently persecuted, he finds in the sable an 
insatiable foe. Tracks of the ermine {Pu.tori.us noee-bora- 
censis), were recognized in one place, but it does uol ap¬ 
pear to be common; nor were the tracks of other weasels 
distinctly recognized. 
The persecuted hare is next mentioned. It is the widely 
distributed white or varying species {Lupus americanus), 
which is very abundant aud prolific in the Adirondacks. 
In September, 1873, Mr. Colvin tells us that he captured a 
living specimen on the summit of Whiteface Mountain at 
an altitude of 4,000 feet. It was then of an even fawn-brown 
color, and showed no sign of change. Early in November 
many already had turned entirely while, the snow having 
gained a depth of a foot. Their range upon Mount Marcy 
does not appear to extend above 5,000 feel-, while upon the 
Rocky Mountains these hares are met with 13,000 feet 
above the sea. It is observable that when on the high, 
cold peaks the hare lias changed to white, in the lowlands, 
which the snow has not yet reached, it will still be brown 
The climate controls the change of color, which is a pro¬ 
tective provision. 
The common red squirrel (Sciurus hndsonicus) was found 
at an altitude of about 4,G00 feet. The trails indicated 
that it was pursued and preyed upon by the sable. This 
squirrel there feeds on the seeds of the black spruce. 
sand rat was seen but not captured. Tracks of deer-mice 
were observed on the slopes of the mountain at all eleva¬ 
tions not exceeding about 4,000 feet; and occasionally the 
minute trail of a small shrew, supposed to be the Sorex 
Fosteri , or Forster’s shrew. In many places, as described 
by Richardson, it would leave the surface of the snow by 
descending some one of the little vertical tunnels left 
around some small sapling. This wonderful little animal 
inhabits even the desolate regions within tho arctic circle, 
as far north as lalilude 67°. Richardson remarks that ' ‘The 
power of generating heat must be very great iu this di¬ 
minutive creature to preserve its slender limbs from freez¬ 
ing when tlie temperature sinks to 40° or 50° below zero.’’ 
Mr. Colvin found that the shrews would not bear handling, 
but if untouched seemed to be able to endure the most 
severe Adirondack winters. 
Of birds, but three varieties have left their footprints on 
the snows of Mount Marcy, the raven (several of which 
were found 5,000 feet above tbe sea), the ruffed grouse, 
and the snow-birds. An occasional eagle, bawk, or owl 
was seen soaring above the mountains. One day when on 
the summit of Mount Marcy, a flock of six wild geese were 
seen flying southward. This afforded, perhaps, the firBt op¬ 
portunity of determining tb *: bight at which wild geese 
travel during their migrations. They seemed neither to 
ascend nor descend, but kept a level course, as near the 
true astronomical meridian as it seems possible that a bird 
can fly. Mr. Colvin estimated their altitude at 5,500 feet 
above the ocean level. 
The Canada jay on the approach of cold weather de¬ 
scended to the valleys, and woodpeckers were not observed 
above 8,5oo feet. Large flocks of tbe whito snow-bird (Plcc- 
Irophanes nivalis) were observed upon tbe snows around the 
summit of Mount Marcy,- and once or twice some Lapland 
longspurs. 
Insects were not much observed, hut during a thaw late 
in October, a few insects came out above timber line, 
among others a moth abundant in Alaska. In the spruce 
forests, at the foot of the mountain, many of tbe trees had 
been attacked by small beetles. These trees were the re- 
Bort of woodpeckers, who seemed to have a most active 
interest in the insects—piercing tbe bark everywhere in 
search of them, and covering the snow at the foot of the 
trees with the fragments of bark. 
Some features of this mountain fauna are conspicuous by 
their absence. 
Early explorers assert that about half a century ago the 
moose was abundant, and the caribou, or reindeer, some¬ 
times found on the upland barrens. They are not now 
found anywhere in this vicinity either in summer or winter. 
The absence of the deer is more remarkable, but this may 
be readily accounted for by the cold, barren and sterile 
character of the country, and attractions of the more in¬ 
viting lowlands abounding in rich, juicy browse. Early iu 
the winter the bear might have been expected, but not a 
single trail was seen—though within half a dozen miles in 
the lowlands their paw-writings in the snow were exceed¬ 
ingly abundant. The porcupine can have no other excuse 
for its absence than the over-abundance of the black-cat— 
its mortal enemy. The absence of the wolf may be ac¬ 
counted for by his general scarcity; the fox and raccoon 
are lovers of the warmer lowlands. The absence of the 
small gray hare is a little surprising; perhaps it may yet be 
met with. The ptarmigan, or “white partridge,” is sought 
for in vain, and probably does not exist within the State; but 
would, undoubtedly, if introduced, find a livelihood upon 
the open or barren portion of Mount Marcy in summer, 
and secure sufficient support among the small dwarf 
timber in winter. The blue jay which was noticed fre¬ 
quently at altitudes of from 1,000 to 3,500 feet did not ap¬ 
pear; nor did the cedar-bird. 
It is Tare that an opportunity is afforded for makiug such 
observations as these on the winter fauna of a remote dis¬ 
trict, and their value cannot be overestimated. 
—We were pleased to receive a call this week from Mr. 
Thos. W. Webley, of the firm of F. Webley & Sons, the 
celebrated gun makers of Birmingham, England, who are 
exhibiting, at the Centennial Exhibition at- Philadelphia, a 
large case of fine shot guns, long range rifles, and revolvers. 
The firm has recently patented in this country a double 
shot gun called the Webley-Lang, in which both hammers 
are brought to full cock by the action of the lever which 
opens the breech. Mr. Webley will bein attendance at the 
case during the first fortnight of the Exhibition, when lie 
will be pleased to give any information desired by inquir¬ 
ing sportsmen and others. 
CoAdJiNa. —Col. De Lancy Kune inaugurated the new 
era of coaching in this country on Monday last by making 
his first trip from the Brunswick to Pelham. The coach was 
filled inside and out, and indeed the outside seats are en¬ 
gaged for weeks ahead. We should like to see a coach 
started on a longer route, ou the west bank of the Hudson 
for instance, running up as far as West Point. No doubt 
if Col. Kane’s venture is as successfulas it promises, we 
shall have other coaches running in various directions. 
—The Sun says that a well-known lover of horses pro¬ 
poses, in imitation of Col. Delaneey Kane, to start a four- 
in-hand coach Horn the east side of Military Park, Newark, 
twice a week, to pass through Bloomfield, Montclair, across 
the Orange Mountains, tho return journey to be by way of 
South Orange and Roseville. 
—The inebriate constantly drinks to others’ good health, 
while he robs himself of his own. 
