208 



FOREST ATSI) STREAM. 



Natural jjistorg. 



ON THE PARTIAL MIGRATION OF 

 DEER. 



IN offering some observation!* on the abovo subject, I wish 

 X to state at tho outset that I have no theory to advanee 

 or suggest. The causes which produce the movements of 

 these interesting animals, which in my native State of Maine 

 are as unerring and almost as regular as the ebbing and 

 flowing of the sea, is to the writer the profoundest of mysteries ; 

 and although a subject of resonroh and observation since 

 boyhood, and a fruitful source of conversation, inquiry and 

 wim.liT, no explanation lias ever been given which is worthy 

 of belief, and, indeed, the more intelligent hunters never 

 attempt one. The observation of a recent naturalist that, 

 1 'it is probably an exaggeration of the instinct to obtain food, " 

 may bo regarded as an iugenions guess, but there is nothing 

 in the movements of those in my own State to sanction such 

 a belief, as the regions they forsake are as well calculated to 

 furnish abundance of food as those to which tbey resort. 



That part of Maine where the deer formerly congregated 

 in the greatest abundance, and which might be termed, par 

 the "hunting grounds" of the State, is comprised 

 in the tract between the Penobsoot and the St. Croix, from 

 west to east, and from the latitude of Bangor to the forks of 

 the Mattawainkeag, from south to north, a tract nearly 100 

 miles wide by 150 long. As the migration in the fall is 

 always from west to east, the Penobscot River running the 

 entire? length of the State from north to south, and varying 

 in width from a fourth to a half mile throughout the region 

 named, oilers an almost impossablo barrier to the "eastward 

 migration of the deer on its western borders, being, if 

 open, tilled with ••anchor ice," and if frozen, partially glare 

 anil piled high with ••shelly ice," and its passage on their 

 return in May is, if possible, still more difficult, as the 

 river is then a turbulent and angry flood, swollen by the 

 in i,i from the innumerable mountains among 

 which it takes its rise, and filled with floating logs which 

 were being driven to market by the hardy lumbermen who 

 pass their winters in the forest which shadow its banks. 

 Therefore, from May to December the deer on the eastern 

 bunk of the river, as compared with those on the west, ware 

 as ten to one, while from December to May this proportion 

 was nearly reversed, so general and complete was the mi- 

 gration toward the eastern boundaries of the State. This 

 migration usually began at the close of the running season, 

 about the middle of December or a little before: but if, as 

 was sometimes the. ease, heavy snows fell in November, they 

 would take up their line of march at once. If, on the con- 

 trary, there happened an open December with not enough 

 snow to cover tire leaves till after Christmas, they did not 

 on that account delay their annual migration, but by the 

 tntdd] i the month would be in the full tide of their travel 

 "to the east." Before starting they collect in herds, varying 

 in number from three to thirty — these representing the ex- 

 tremes- usually, five to seven. One reliable hunter once 

 counted thirty-three, another thirty-two in one herd, fifteen 

 being the greatest number the writer can lay claim to ever 

 having seen in one "drove," as the hunters always call it. 

 When on their migrations they invariably traveled in paths 

 or runways, there being what might be termed "trunk lines" 

 running parallel to esi.cn other from three to six miles apart, 

 with numerous paths converging into them on both sides 

 ingthi route. These paths, from years of use both going 

 and returning, were nearly as well defined as an ordinary 

 bridlepath, being, where the earth was soft or scurfy, worn 

 down several inches; the roots which crossed them being 

 completely denuded of their bark by the sharp hoofs of the 

 passing deer. They always traveled in single file under the 

 guidance of a leader; a tierd of does being sometimes Ac- 

 companied by a buck in the first of the season, but the lat- 

 ter never acting as leader in such instances. This leader 

 would frequently travel for a whole day without onco leaving 

 the path, while its followers would diverge frequently to 

 snatch at browse without stopping in their walk. The dis- 

 tance they would travel in a day was surprising when 

 viewed in connection with the short distance they usually 

 go when feeding in their haunts; but when their extreme 

 nimbleness and celerity of movement is considered, one 

 will cease to wonder at their walking twenty miles, without 

 seoming to hurry, in a short December day. The writer 

 once struck the tracks of a drove of six deer before sunrise, 

 after a fresh fall of snow. As scarce an hour had elapsed 

 since the snow had ceased falling, and they had passed 

 since that time, it seemed natural to suppose that they 

 might be overtaken; but after following them sixteen miles 

 as rapidly as the ground would admit without apparently 

 being any nearer the game than at the start, the conclusion 

 was reached that a stern chase is indeed a long one. The 

 returning sixteen miles are well remembered as among the 

 longest ever traveled over. It was seldom that the deer 

 which summered on the banks of the Penobscot traveled 

 farther east than Union liiver. Here they would take up 

 their winter quarters, while those who had' passed the sum- 

 mer there in like manner took up their line of Inarch for the 

 Machias River. About as many left the Cnion River waters 

 as arrived there from the wcst.'eonsequently their numbers 

 were not greatly increased or diminished the year round; 

 but on the Machias the eastern limit of their migration was 

 about reached; beyond that it was straggUng and uncertain, 

 and their numbers during the winter season in the vicinity 

 of the Machias waters almost surpassed belief. Frequently 

 hunters traveling westward in their paths would meet a 

 drove on their eastward march; then, if so fortunate as to 

 shoot down the leader, the remainder of the herd would 

 bound a short distance to the left and right, and stop ap- 

 parently bewildered, frequently affording opportunities for 

 several shots. The writer, in this manner, once killed four 

 and wounded a fifth in a herd of seven, with a "double 

 shooter" muzzle-loading rifle, without moving out of his 

 tracks. But if they took the alarm before being seen, or any 

 other than the leader was shot, they would make a short 

 detour and again striKng Eheil path continue their flight 

 :i ,,. -Imosl always keeping it up for hours, rendering 



tdo lot wi itol leretood as imp! 



deer tro sd fin I : ; 



the Union River and stopped there, and those of that river 

 did in like manner with regard to the Machias; but only as 

 indicating the manner in which they shifted their ground. 

 Some would stop after traveling eight or ten miles; others, 

 winch Kan made their Way across the Penobscot, would win- 

 ter near its eastern bank, so that no section would be 

 entirely devoid of deer. As their northern limits were ap- 

 proached these migratory passages grew shorter and shorter, 

 and in the mountainous region, "in the extreme northern por- 

 tions of the State, where there have always been a few deer, 

 III .■■■.■ led altogether, the deer selecting favorable ,-■■■ ionS 

 in the sheltered ravines, and remaining in the same localities 

 the year round. 



Of their returning migration it is not so easy to speak, as 

 it took place at a time when they were out of season for the 

 hunt, and the snow, on which their movements can be so 

 easily traced, had mostly disappeared. Many of the does, 

 howeier, returned (probably by easy stages) before dropping 

 tbail fawns, as the writer has frequently caught these when 

 but a few hours old. And by the middle of June they 

 would all be back, bucks and doos, flocking on to the 

 meadows, which they visited dailvtill the latter part of July, 

 both for the sake of the green and tender grass which they 

 afforded, and to obtain the benefit of the breeze, which rids 

 them of their tormentors, the mosquitoes; and here let me 

 state that the word "meadow" in Eastern Maine is never used 

 to denote a cultivated field, or grass sown by the hand of man, 

 but always refers to those natural openings which abound 

 on the streams in that part of the State, some Of them seven 

 or eight miles in length and over a mile in width, most, if 

 not all of them, being made ages ago by beavers, and grow- 

 ing "blue joint" and other wild grasses; while those open- 

 ings, equally numerous, which have no grass but only a 

 carpeting of moss are called "bogs," which in my moose 

 sketch your compositor set up as luuj, whereof arose non- 

 sense, as, although the moose is at home in the water and 

 can easily swim two rods to a dog's one, he can hardly trot 

 "on an open bay." 



Of the total migration of caribou which took place in 1845, 

 I will, time end space, permitting, speak in a future number. 



Penobscot. 



Ban l-'mndscn, April 22/1, 1877. 

 «■» 



Winn Gekhk in Confinement.— Our correspondent, "Mac," 

 writing from Portland, Maine, says, referring to the discus- 

 sion in regard to the breeding of wild geese in confinement : 

 "Your contributors, those pro as well as eon, have both been 

 right and both been wrong; that is, they have been writing 

 at cros ['urposes, and a simple explanation of what each 

 meant by canfinemenl would at once have healed the breach. 

 I do not believe that wild geese will breed in a cage, or have 

 ever been known to do so; but it is indisputable that being 

 •pinioned' and allowed to select their own nesting place un- 

 disturbed, and in a suitable place, they breed in a domestic 

 16 i ie. In proof of this 1 wiil cite Mr. David Plumber 

 of Scnrboro, Me., a well known breeder of fancy pigeons, 

 who has for years bred wild geese on his farm in the manner 

 above indicated. And in Canada any traveler going north- 

 ward, down either shore of the St. Lawrence River from 

 Quebec, will find in the farm-yard of every third habitant 

 domesticated- wild geese, and they all say that there is no 

 trouble about their breeding after they are. three years old, 

 and provided they are allowed to choose their own nesting 



plBCe '" ~» 



Foue Canaries from Thiuse Eggs.— Henry B. Digram of 

 Kingston states that a Port Jervia canary bird has hatched 

 four birds from three eggs. The twins are smaller than the 

 others, but very lively. 



-Our correspondent, "Steuben," sends us the following 

 note from Homellsville, N. Y. : 



'•Bluebirds arrived March 10th, blackbirds 10th, gulls and 

 l due crane 9th; I got a fine red- tail hawk March 9th; robins 

 and brown thrash lP-th, pewee and cat-birds 21st, shrike 29th, 

 Wilson's snipe April ith; not much of a flight yet." 



j SeaTboot.— "Manhatttan" writes, April 20th: 

 V I think that most of the so-called sea tron I occasionally captured in 

 Long Island Sound had escaped from some of lire ponds on Long Island 

 and In Connecticut. Furman (at Mospefh) has lost, during the lost few 

 years, many thousand of young fry by tho carrying away of dams, and 

 It is probable that the piacicultural establishment at Weslport, Con- 

 necticut, and other places on the Sound shore, have had many fish 

 washed lutu tide-water by tlooda. I think It Is now pretty well settled 

 that sea trout are only the Sahno funtinalis temporarily lu juriatiug In 

 salt water. I bnve caught them often iu salt water estuaries of little 

 brooks on the Long Island shore. M. 



[There are no sea trout proper taken south of Cape Cod. 

 We have heard of an isolated specimen taken near Salem, 

 Mass., but they are not often seen south of the Bay of 

 Ftmdy. Their habitat is the Canadian coast, from Nova 

 Scotia to Labrador, up to latitude 5G degrees. The fish you 

 refer to are the Sahno fontinalls, or common Bpeckled trout. 

 Single specimens are often taken off Cape Cod and along 

 the coast southward to New York Bay, including Long 

 Island. Sea trout run in schools of thousands together, and 

 occur only during six weeks of midsummer. . Tho common 

 trout may be found in salt wator throughout eight months 

 of the year.— Ed.] 



THE CARP IN VIRGINIA. 



X Bowunq Ghees, Caroline Co.; Va. 



Editoii Forks t and Strkam. 



Iu reply to an inquirer in your paper as to the oarp In some of the 

 waters of Eastern Virginia, lam glad to say they still abonnd in the 

 Mattaponi and Paniuukey Kivers, and doubtless elsewhere, but whether 

 or not they are ofthe same species as theEuglish firdi of the same name 

 I cannot say. This fish come up the Mattapoul River early in January 

 a. luetimcs a little earlier, generally utter the first spell of very cold 

 weather. They range In leugth from one to two feet, and Weigh frjom 

 one-half to Ave pounds. Shape long and flattened; fins arranged some- 

 what HUu the mullet (freshwater); head and mouth a-e almost identical 

 with hearts and months of the latter; Ihe mouth being extremely small 

 and a sucker. They ruu very mm- the bottom, and only take food lying 

 on the bottom. They bite at hooks baited with orombs of bread or red 

 worms. In taking the bait they assume a perpendicular position, as it 

 were standing on t belr beads. Tbey. unlike most migratory fish, do not 

 ascend the stream to extreme limit before spawning, hut, when the 

 huuier take* tbt-m, merely leave the J -eper parts of the stream and de- 

 posit their spawn un its edges. After spawning most of them retm-n 

 toward salt water; oomo are found during the summer; they thrive 



In ponds, and it is beliovert.they are not destructive to other fishes' spawn 

 Asa food lish, they surpass any other we havein both delicacy of 

 flavor and abundance; and if the fish law can ho rendered effective, in a 

 few years they will have becoroo more abundant than any other of our 

 visitors, though even now during their run they constitute for many 

 their entire supply of fresh lish. As to the date of their appearance, 

 our oldest inhabitant recollect* they were first seen in our river about 

 fifty-five or sixty years ago, but does not know how or by whom Intro- 

 duced. He thinks they never go below brackish water, which, It true, 

 may account for their confinement to certain rivers. 



"Semi Occasional." 



Remarks. — There are several varieties of carp in Southern 

 waters, but they are not generally esteemed for the table. 

 It is well known that tho carp is ft nati re of Southern Europe, 

 and its first introduction into this country is claimed to have 

 been made in 1832 by Capt. Henry Robinson of a Havre 

 packet, who brought over a lot which he deposited in a pond 

 at Newburgh, on the Hudson River. Other lots, however, 

 may have been brought to other States at an earlier date, 

 perhaps as long ago as sixty years, as our correspondent 

 says. During the last decade a superior variety of German 

 curp have been brought to America and cultivated, espi eiftllj 

 iu California. There are several varieties now at Druid Hill 

 Park in Baltimore, one of which attains a maximum weight 

 of fifteen pounds. 



The observations of our correspondent are interesting and 

 of value.— Ed. P. & S. 



The .Fees: Naturae op Vermont. — R. E. R, writes from 

 Ferrisburgh, Yt., April 28th: 



Looking over the State Auditor's report of bounties paid, I note what 

 may iulerest some of your readers to know, that from August 1, 1S7J, 

 to July 80, 1S75, bounties were paid for 39 bears and 3 lynxes. From 

 July 31, 1875, to July 31, 1876, for 53 bears, 8 lynxes, and I panlhor. 

 Jumping at conclusions from the stalistics of the two years pai-t, one 

 might say that the bear product of Vermont was increasing: that some 

 lynx are missing In the chain of feline succession here, and that Ver- 

 mont is gaining importance in the world of art by prodncing more 

 great painters than formerly, or, that our State Is yearly becoming more 

 Learin. I do not know whether these conclusions would be borne out 

 by comparisons with the reports of previous years, hut if you care to 

 know I will lookup the matter. Iu these reports, -C. M. Bobbins of 

 Hancock appears to bear off the palm as champion bear-slayer. H. N. 

 Fitts of Wardsboro presents lhe Town Clerk's certificate for having 

 given the panther fits. R E, R, 



GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 

 (Anas ilisan'a.) 



Philadelphia, April, 1S77. 

 Editor Forest and Stream. 



Tii i^j beautiful duck, hi one of the most gaudy pluinaged species of its.. 

 tribe. Its head and neck are of a rich chestnut brown; around tho eye 

 and sides of the heal rnn a bread stripe of glossy green, passiDg into . 

 a bluish-black across the nape; forehead a dusky brown, and chin of * 

 tho same hue; lower portion of the neck grayish-white; breast and 

 body "f the same tint, dotted with black flakes, and white crescent in. 

 front of the bend of each wing; scapulars finely banded with black and 

 grayish-white; some of the outer scapulars and covertB are tipped.- 

 with a delicate buff; speculum broad, rich green; the wing coverts It 

 plain, grayish-brown; crissum black, with a triangular patch ol bully i 

 white on both sides; iris brown; beak dusky slate, one and one-half, 

 inches in length; feet light lead color. The female is not bo bright in 

 plumage as the male, and is rather smaller. This duck measures about, 

 fifteen inches In length, and tWe&ty-turee inches from tip to tip. They 

 arrive here about the first week in September, and remain feeding)! 

 along the shores of the Delaware until driven further south by the 

 keen winds and frost of this latitude. They are killed in great num- i 

 bersbyour sportsmen from the reeds over decoys. Thcirfood consists 

 of wild oats and seeds, aud they are considered by epicures to be one 

 of the finest flavored ducks that swim. Geo. Bocdwis, 



Taxidermist. 



Arrivals ai the Philadku-hia Zoomoical Garden for Wkek ksd- 

 ing Tt-F.sriA v.Mat Ibt.— One Bed-tailed Hawk \lluteo bormUs), YJewB 

 presented; one Striped Hyena tHytma Striata), purchased; one Klnjfi 

 Snake (Ophibolits boyUe), presented; three Hell Benders {Menoporiia attc- 1 

 ghenensis), presented; one Opossum {Didcljihys virginiana), presented} 

 two Striped Gophers (Sptrmopkitis tridecein-lineaius), presented; two* 

 Oapromys {Capromy pelorides), Say, born in garden; two Parakeet I 



■:_■■::■-.. _L-^ : ! I ■.. :■ i. . ■ : \< V. l >:/i.:;/i , : : , ■ .''■'"-'.:'' '■'-' uV W ' '" ! . j in./:,: wi i.u. I. 



Deaths.— One Green Parakeet; one&rayWolf; two Short-eared Owlsf, 

 one muskrat; one Java Nonpareil. 



Aethub E. Brown, General Supt. 



^oodland, $irm and {§ardm. 



The New \'obk Horticulturai, Society. — The regular 

 monthly meeting of this flourishing society was held May 

 1st at their rooms, 55 West Thirty-third Street. The presi- 

 dent addressed the meeting on the forthcoming exhibition 1 

 to be held at Oilmore's Garden, May B9th, 30th and 31st, day., 

 and evening, and hoped that exhibitors and menibt i . i '1 

 make this year's exhibition even a greater success than last 

 season's, and that it would be a credit to the society and to 

 the city of Now York. Quite a number of beautiful plants 

 and cut flowers were exhibited, and the growing interest iu 

 horticultural matters was well seen by the number o latffl - 

 present, and the admiration expressed at the beautiful 

 flowers presented. Mr. George Such, South Amboy, N. J., 

 had on exhibition a beautiful assortment of orchids anffl 

 azalias; Mr. Wm. Bennett, Flatbush, L, I., a very interesting 

 and well-grown group of hot-house plants and orchids in 

 bloom; Mr. John Bush, Tremont, received a certificate of 

 merit lor a well-bloomed plant of Ulrivultiria /"-.>■ ihi 



first time exhibited in New York; from Wm. A. Burgess, GlUW 

 Cove, L. I., came an immense basket of rose-blooms in more 

 than twelve sorts; from W. O. Wilson, Astoria, a ■ I 



grown fuchsias; from R. B. Parsons & Co,, Blushing, cut- 

 blooms of magnolias, including two new Japanese varieties; 

 from Isaac Buchanan, Astoria, L. I., a fine lot of eut-blooulS 

 of orchids and azalias in pots: from John Henderson, Flush- 

 ing, L. I., a fine collection of eoleus and bronzi le 

 pelargoniums, aud from Peter Henderson, Jersey City, N. J., 

 a beautiful assortment of out-blooms of Gornmn fancy pan- 

 sic-s. Notwithstanding the busy season with the fli 

 meeting was well attended and was quite an enjoyable one.. 



I) 



