MARCH 15. 1883. 1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



125 



junction or tire Androscoggin River, known as "Merry- 

 ii.i-.tin./ Ray. ' in Nuvi'inli. r 1881. 



low Goose— AnMf liypurbarmu And.-, Ohm 7a/per. 

 borisu* Ridg 591, C£ . 6&5.- -Rane Some yearaogo a flock 

 of geese of i his gpcCies alighted in Hm Nonesuch Kiver at 

 Bbgrlwo Me., ami remained there undisturbed i 

 An Immature specimen was shot at Glcnburn 

 i .linn \, October IS, 1881, f 



id its skin is in tin 



iinin.r 



,11' day, 

 'cnobscot, 



■ -J.".. 188.1. 

 lmbcrland 

 eel in the 

 rty. Geo. 



\i, i: B. Bowler, of Ba 

 shot near HbDqwelJ, Eeni 

 An adult .-I'd ■hni.-ii was 

 county, in December, I88i 

 collection c>f the Portland 

 A. Boardman. Esq., hag | 

 the region of tin- Si. Or 

 specimens above cited a 

 alfatus" {Rida 591a. ('-, ! 



230. Brant Goose— Am 

 Ridg.,595, Qs. ;nu -(',„,„ 



lisuaJij passing £ai out at sea. h§Hee-,rrdt oftCuSllol here, Ar- 

 rives ink' in April and early in May 



231. Canada Goose — Aimreanadensd'A.ail., Bemidaeam- 

 tlmsis Ki'l;;. "'ill-. ( \. 702.— .Abundant during migrations, 



probably referable 



ist,bul 



\la: 



120. 



i'-l fcorliffer in 

 Dakota Ten 



i Mai 



-I'l the 



1.1 Tl . 



:oia(l: 



mil.,: 



iind-i' 



lion 



less 

 -mil weigh! 



were "i s bright buff or 

 o- more vivid than the colora- 

 Birds of North America," with 



i Aud.. Ridg. HOI. Cs, 70?.— 

 visitor, usually ,'i- a straggler 



al). 



Kid- 



In 



arriving in num.! 

 about :, month; out 



Max . .iiid early in Jin 

 huMiimi,'' which api 

 - : > nit- '•variety" shot 



geese arc usually termed "wild | 

 species i- commonl] k :i< -\» n li".' 



the const, They v : 'm \ imn I, in 



oi plumage, Tin average weigl 

 than eight pounds each, and ten 

 I once siiui one, whose lower pa 

 ■ -ream color, the yellow be 

 .uion of Audubon's plate hi 

 which 1 made a coiaparlso] 



§82. Mallard- I 

 -Not common-. An irregu 

 associated with ducks of ot 



833. Dusky Duck— An 



.-lis. -Abundant. M:u,v b 



throughout the State, ues 

 their eggs usuallj in June. 

 Uv in Boptewbor the fa 

 large Bocks. If not drivoi 

 lake- and streams until i( 

 sorts The greater numt 

 bill their places are tak 

 which spend the entire w 

 our coasl 



The first -spring migrants arrive hen; on llieir return from 

 the South in the latter pari of March, aud the migration 

 extends well into the month of May, being at its height dur- 

 ing the earlier portion of April. Then they make a very 

 liriel halt on our coast at thi- lime, hut pass northward; the 

 departing flocks being quickly succeeded by other-, arriving 

 while the migration continues, 



The dusky duel; is generally termed "black duck" in 

 Maine aa well m- elseu here alon- the Atlantic coast, although 

 we have in great abundance the-scotera (improperly termed 

 •cools") which aie black, and the du-ky duel, is brown and 

 not black. 



The "spring ducks." or those arriving from the South, 

 may he distinguished from the "winter ducks," or those that 

 have spent tin winter on the coast oj Maine, by Uie differ* 

 eiice in density of plumage, especially of the head, Com- 

 bined with the general darker coloration of the heavier 

 plirriwgod "wiutcr ducks," as the gunners term them, 



834. Sprigtail or Pintail Duck— Amos amifa And. ; DdjOa 

 afllta, Ridg. COS, Os. 7J.0., — Not common. A few seen d'ur- 

 o i. si- aul mini migrations, but rarely in spring, Termed by 

 local gunners "ginx duck. 



•.';',:,. Gadwall Duck— Anus gCrep&ru Aud.; 0/tnvMasnmiH 

 .».',■,/„,«.« Pods;. 804, Os. 711. Verv rarer, Mr. Bdardman ha 



i August the young ducks nan 

 LUiiltes associate together, forming 

 u away, these ducks freemen! the 

 ee obliges ihem to seek other re- 

 r migrate South to pass the winter 

 i by more Northern-bred ducks. 

 iter in considerable numbers along 



pr 



39, 



shot at Searhoro. Apti 

 Crocker, of I*, Ull.ill.l. M 



238. Ainci-i, -an Widge 

 arueriaa.ua Ridg, COT, Os. 

 but never abundant. Rarely appears hi 



Two .lucks of this speed. 

 1879, by ray f i " 



Mr. In 



373. Gi 



■eii-u it 



caraliiH h/m's 



Ridg. 



Common n 



igranl 



parly in A) 



ril. a in 



ni st specii 



shavit 



Z3B. B! 



ie wins 



Hwctjvs Kit 



g. 609 



arriving ea 



1\ in 



know of 1.1 



1 a sii 



-peeies hei 

 abut one ai 



]>. ii.. 



S.-arh. 



239 Sh 



rveller 



;„,,',, Kills! 



(KIS ( 



the South 



M\ 1 



adult male 



01 Slr.'l 



Ilge 



i;r? 



1 by. 



ged Tea)' 



\—AnAs emitriatna Aud. ; Mtrnm 

 — Not. uncommon in autumn, 

 pring. 



Aud. ; NMo» 



,,v/, c v 7i.j._ 



Arrives 



all of the 



i-la 



Rarely s 

 iiumdtiv.0 

 — Comnic 



of tii 



n aft. 

 ndanl 

 And.; 



spi 



Tin la 



nn migrant 

 tibundaui. 

 occurrence of tin- 

 dili i i. I.oring. Jr. 



athc 



Me., A| 



■ Duck— Amu rtypeata And ; Spniuia ■■></■ 

 T18. — Kare. An nccasional visiior from 

 end, Jonas Bamilton, Esg., shot a fine 

 Sn-.'Uton Island. Searbor.,. Me., April 7, 1879. 

 Five ducto* of this species were shot near Portland, April 

 18, 1881, and several jnore in the same vioiuftj Cwo-days 

 later 



■;h'. Wood Dock— Ajia* sparm And.- Au vponm Ridg. 

 613, • - (19. -Abundant throughout the Slate, except 



the coast. An 



(IVI-. Tl,,-.'.: 



strongly ere n 

 duck in habits 

 Straggler, whi 



■ '.licks (it uthcl 



ducks arc the 



in Maine. 



rK 



ihi- Bp( 



spec 



i Apri:. Breed?, 



iii May, and the v 

 i ni' July, Btrictlj 

 - i- only tound on c 

 osidnallj -hot in e 

 Die wood duck- ;u 



of duck- that hire 



u hollow 

 bg birds fh 

 fresh waie, 



■ dusky 



ndantl'v 



[Tn 111' COMT.VIED. I 



Will Owls Km. Gnowa5 Onondaga, March S Ofl 

 the23dof Peotuary, while luinting crows and auowbirda, 

 my ramble, led un aiun-Hi. bank.- of whal has long been 

 known as the ''Furnace Brook," about two miles south of 

 Syracuse, V V Among tin hemlocks fringing this Btreain, 



Ulcerous. o| late, have found a ei unfurl able- r, a, sting place. 

 Ill iii:— ally nniming. these dusky birds lake thftlr lli.aiu 



,-asiward. seemingly in companies and battalion*, under the 



srnidniioc ol appointi-d l.-aih:- A- the HUH IS abuiU disap- 

 pearing i'M:i' ibc western hills, the sky is fairly darkened by 

 these same birds, on their return to the hemlock-. While 

 hunting aboul in this scughborhoodj 1 discovered uumistak- 

 abl:- ividi-iice that a cniliel had l-eeentlv occurred between 

 a cat owl and a crow. Here and there in the simw were vis- 

 ible impressions di the crow's wings when- In- had Happed 



along, and following were the imprints of the owl's wings, 

 b.n and there feathers of both, and blood upon the snow. 

 Following tin- trail a short distance. | reached the spot 

 where the ow I bad celebrated his triumph by devouring the 



greater pari of his victim. fin- several feet arolUld iw-rc 



black feathers, blood pieces of crow's skin and numerous 

 imprints of (he. owl's feci in tie snow. Doubtless the owl 

 took advantage oi theorem while sleeping among thehdhi- 



luck-, and si, tiereeh pursued him that he fell a victim to 

 beak and claw. Thf.s being my first intiniatii«i of owl feeding 

 upon i row, 1 hope to learn more about it through the columns 

 of your valuable journal.— <;. AtiiKnr K.vwt'. |\\,iiave 

 in t'wn instances known of the killing of the crow by the 



Mi 



At; 



March !i. 18S3.— Haying kept 

 snme. .f the birds in spring. ■■ 

 you the record from 1^7:1 to 

 residence Following at Ne\ 



26, robins: March 1!. bluebird 



robins. 1882— JjarCh 3, blncbii 



Hi, woodcock. 1883- March 2 

 The above record for five va 



lln; Mm have the robins ,,„,'„. 

 birds, via., in the spring Of 187! 

 .. 11 i; th< spring of 1882 led oj 



for Hi.-, birds, but when, ihese 

 •re but li-w brood.- to be found, aud 



ai.s. — Brooklinc, 



Ma.-s., 



s of the lime of arrival ol 



jserved by myseU 



I -nd 



). Mass.. 1879— F 



hrunrv 



FollDWing ai Bn 



okline. 



birds; March 6, 



rpbinS; 



8, bluebirds; Ma 



eh It! 



; Marelj.111, nihil, s 



March 



uchirds; March 4. 



robins, 



-hows that ihonh 



1 of 



us earlier than lb 



e blue- 



Tin- number of w« 



odeoek 



1 anticipate a gooi 



Season 



n opened, August 



1. there 



nd our fall flight 



wood- 



ciick was all Utter failure, a- far as number w n< concerned. 

 Me shall look for their arrival nou as soon as the weather 

 moderates, March thfts> far having been a- severely cold as 



;iii) pari nf the past w inlcr. and 'here hcins: -lib several 

 inches of snow on the ground.— C. T. I>. 



A Kt uori-..\N WiiiiixocK rjs Cmtada.,— The occurence of 

 Srr,/„i„t.r rusfiotiln 'm America is >u unusual that (-very in- 

 stance of its capture should be noted. Sportsmen should 

 be on the lookout for this species, and if they lind it lose no 

 time in reporting the matter. The Canadian Sportsman ■"1,1 

 Natwalia says: "A specimen of Ihe English woodcock 

 (H-nh.p,.,- r»*t),„l„) was shot on the 11th nil. [November] hv 

 a French Canadian at Chambly, P. Q. Color, size anil 

 Weight of the bird confuse, i the man. who carried the 

 strangerto Mr. Brock W'illctt, who knew whal it was. but 

 he became incredulous— ai we did when il wa- brought to 

 us in the flesh— thai a fat, twelve-ounce European woodcock 

 could he obtained in Canada in Xovcinber,- but its freshness 

 settled the doubl and the bird is now Stuffed, We believe 

 ileal ihi- is the I'u -1 -peciiii'-ii Shot so far inland in Canada. 

 The other record of a specinen occurring .-o far north on 

 this continent is one taken in Newfoundland in 1866." 



Dm 



mi\i- or nn: Sprdoe Grotjhb,— J&frftw 1 Wpre&t and 

 Htream: The drumming of the Canada grouse is performed 

 exactly a- 1 ha\e related it in Forest A2TO Stream — the 

 bird drumming while descending, in a very small spiral, 

 from a limb overhead, and after si rutting on 'the ground f«r 

 about two minutes. Hying tiack in tho ordinary manner. I 

 have seen them many times, in a period covering over thirty 

 years, Mr. Smith's' account is quite new- to me, and if cor- 

 'recl. shou- a very surprising difference in the drumming- 

 habits of different individuals of this species. — Pksoksi or. 



SeiMM. in ViilGTOTA.— Lecsbtii'g, Ya.. March 7. — (5l.uk 

 bii da, frogs croaking, robins, creese going north and other 

 like sign- have matte us all think of fishing. The mall 



boj - have tried the succulent sucker with sonic suecess, and 

 older folks have conspired against the bass, fool weather 

 has. however, nipped our plans in the bud. Flies called 

 here •-had ' were out by thousands, on Goose Greek three 

 weeks ago. These (lies are, 1 thiuk. Hie eaddiee Hie-, h,i\ ing 

 four wings, only two showing When at rest. (J f a delicate 

 lead color. -T. AV. 



To Kvronoi.ouisTs.— We have been requested by its au- 

 thor to call attention to Uie following circular ofinquiry 

 concerning canker-worms: 



U. !?. PKIMTMENT OF AliRIOel.TlTlE, I 

 mviKIdS UK KNTOMOI.UY. }. 



ill ,-.l I 



Wlie 



,- fre 



r >>y nanding 



alH y--<: .vlll etulfl-r 11 

 «|... will I.- iuu-ieflcil. 



Should this iin-iiliii- i-.in.- o. Hi, eau.is ,,i uin eiitouioloK'i.st 

 lam Inn with the two species, 1 would respectful!; ask of such am- 

 information they may possess tluit will thi-mv !i>tu .,i, ilie raut'e anil 

 preferred food-plants of either Respectfully, 



I.'. V, Hii.kv. KntomologiKi. 



'I'm-: SNIPE, THTj SNIPERS ANn THE Smckk.-Iii refer. ■.nee to 

 i be sniping attempt on a young man in town a week ago. we 

 learn that the voimg man from (jermaiiv was fully posted, 

 ami sold the attempt ed snipers verv nicely. He we.ilt our as 

 a poor innocent victim in disguise, aud when told 10 hold the. 

 sack three or four hours, replied, "Yaw. I vill hold it all 

 night." The -nip,-- him! (i-s then retired for a grand fusil.ide, 

 and the young man from Germany also retired to town, pa- 

 I'liimiiiS his friend ihat. hecaptineil Vigli! snipes ,,„ the road 

 son l.h of i.o-,vii. The snipe hunters on arrival in town sup- 

 posed they had scared their young German friend olf into the 



mountains or some place of shelter, but fell much r-hagrini-d 

 on tinding that lie reached town before they did, and that 

 they wasted a good deal of powder and juna exercise for 

 nothing, except to tiud ihai ihe\ were sold instead of the 

 young man from Germany.— l"W-A : u Joui-iml. 



fag m\d 



/.. iwmreiprompt attrition. .;-„„„ initio,,.* shmtld be ai- 



t,rss,;l l.nlhr /■'(..■< si ,l,„l SI ,■•■„,„ l;,hlishi,,<l Co.. ,1,1,1 ,i„ll„ 

 ,,,liri,liiiih. ill nhiisr ithsi •„,;■ f,;,,,, I),,- ()//,',•,• i„,illn:< ,1/ i„i- 



parlctoai are tiaale to delay. 



MY FIRST PANTHEiR. 



OjN'E Sunday afternoon 1 was seated i» my tent on the 

 banks of Bavou Bartholomew, some twentv-tive miles 

 below Pino Bluff," Jefferson county, Arkansas. I w,-^ ,n 

 gaged in deadening a tract of land for the purpose of open- 

 ing a plantation. My laborers bad all gone off for various 

 objects, and J was left alone K.vept my ridiug horse and 

 pack of hounds there was not a living object about the camp, 

 •even my rifle aud shotgun were not at home, having bei 

 loaned to some of the hands for still-liunting. It wasahout 

 the middle of November, and the weather though cool was 

 not disagreeable. I was employed in Studying soine til 

 ought to have been my Bible) 'low mhip maps, as 1 was 

 anxiou- io enie, sonic lands adjacent to mine, win n the son 

 of a neighbor galloped up to the lent in great exeilemeni . 



•Colon,-!, oh, Colonel! papa has got a big panther up B 

 tne on the express brake, not far from Couch.'irl Bayou, and 

 want- you to come quick and shoot ii," 



.Vow" this was breaking the canu-l s back: my gun.-: loaned 

 oul at a time when I needed them more than I ever did be- 

 fore. How provoking' no gun, and this the first opportu- 

 nity ever offered me to shoot a panther. 



"Ride to your uncle's, Sam, as fast as your horse will 

 carry you, and request him to loan me his gun. [ will saddle 

 my horse and be ready to go ou back with you. Perhaps 

 by that time some of my workmen may return audi may 

 sret my own gun." 



Itwas two njjles to Hie residence of Mr. price Copeland. 

 U>' and his brother; William Copeland. were ibc noted bcai 

 hunters ol the country. They were tin- earh plonOorBWilO 

 settled on Bayou Bartholomew, in the southeastern portion 



ol .Icll'er-oii I'ounly; had been Ihe chain carriers when I In- 

 lands were lirsl surveyed, and were now widely known for 



their hospitality. 



In a shoit time Sam returned with theguu, and win n I 

 looked at it I lost, all confidence in its shooting cmalities; yet 

 it was the oidv chauce, and T intended to kill thai panther if 

 I had to do it 'with mv case-knife. My horse was ready sad 

 died and hounds coupled to prevent llieir running after anv 

 game before I Should gel to Mr. Copclan.l: none of the 

 laborer-had sjollcn back, so 1 « a- forced io-iiout wilh the 



miserable excuse of a gun that Sam brought. It was quite 



dark when I lel'l my camps, 1 was afraid some other had 

 luck would attend me before reaching Copeland. Our 

 horses were put to full speed to keep the hounds from leav- 

 ing the road and striking the track of a deer, tnrkev. bear or 

 miier wild varmint. 



As we rode together Sam informed me "thai he and his 

 father had been oyer on the Arkansas River to Richland, a 



small countrv store sixteen miles south of 1'iue lilull'. and 

 tin.' .same di'-iance from my tract of land. On their w.-y 

 home, alter crr.ssim; (oik lint ISavou. they saw a v.-i \ large 

 panther spring out of the oyrrCss brake and cross the road. 

 Fortunately several Of their hear dogs were along, and they 

 gave pursuit. The panther ran parallel wilh the road for 

 nearly a mile, when il went up a tree on the side of the road. 

 His fid her concluded Io Stay -there and keep il up the tree, 

 until ho should go after me', and if I were not at home, to go 

 after a gun and return as soon as possible." 



Fortunately I succeeded in getting my hounds to the u-ee 

 in which the panther was crouched without their si rikinganv 

 trail. 



"1'uries and thunder and lightning, what kept you so 

 long. Sam? Did you expect me to sleep out the nig'lil and 

 you to come back 'in the momma?" exclaimed Mr I opelaud 

 u- we dashed up to him. 1 explained the cause of the delay 



and ihi- see dlosaii>|'v him. It was now s o'clock at 



night. He had -at on his 'horse under the tree uof tbiny 

 I'cct from that ferocious animal for four long mortal bonis 

 to keep it from jumping out, and hewasoncof theuiosi tir, ,i 

 and fretful men that a person could imagine While I was 

 tying mv bor-,' to pri-vent hi- running oil when I should 

 shoot. 1 'asked him how he managed to keep the panther 

 there quiet so long. ''Oh, I just cussed bin. and Ihe dogs, 

 and everything else, until he-was afraid to leap out." 



My arrival wilh so many dogs seemed to infuriate the 

 beast, 1 could hear him lashing Iik tail against his sides 

 and ihe deep angry growls, but 1 eouM not see him. His 

 color and that of the leave- were SO nearly alike thai I could 

 not make oul hi- form until Copeland took my i:un ana 

 pointed him out. I stood in front of Copehiud, who was 

 -till -a-aied on hi.- bor.-e. though he bad turned it round Io 



keep it from jumping on me when i shot, as tin.- was not 

 bis hum ing horse. [ wae perhaps some ten feet in advaa.ee 

 Of Copeland, With main misgivings as to Ihe c.-rlaintv or 

 thai gun's killing Ihe panther I fired a random shoi. Willi 

 the report I felt a rapid movement of lln- air just over my 

 bead and next angry oath- from Copeland aud'a yell to the 

 dogs i" -ei/c him. ' When 1 shot, tin- panther leaped oul of 

 tin tree, evidently with the intention of springing on Cope- 

 land, but disabled by hi; severe wounds it fell short of its ol. 

 ject and lighted oh the rump of the] horse, mo. i fear- 



fullv lacerating il wilh its [ore elawsas it struck the ground 

 aiid'ihen it bounded into the thick cover followed by all the 

 dogs. Kunninii- Some hundred vards ii mounted a small, 

 bending Bapling, and when Copeland and myself got to the 



place we saw it hanging wilh its fore feel while the hind feet 

 swung Clear I fired Hie second barrel, and by the liim- it 



fell io the ground it was seized in the dogs and Copeland 

 plunged his kiril'c io the hilt in its side behind the shoulder, 

 before ii could do much injury to u dog. 



Oh our wnv ur respective home! Copeland a-loal lie 



'•had I ever eaten any panther meat?" Replying "no," he 

 said, -it was the sweetest of all flesh he had ever eaten, and 

 if 1 was willing, h. Would come over to m.\ . eatnp ihe, lav 

 after the next da\. which would In- Tuc-day morning, tO 

 have $ regular barbecue." To this I readily consented. 

 Before separatiiiL'. near the head of the cypress krake, not 

 a mile from camp, the dogs Hushed a large flock of turk. IJ -. 

 ".NOW," said Copeland. '-vou come oul Imreearlv Io morrow 

 morning ami kill a turkoy, and perhaps vou may get a fat 



doe also. I saw a track of a bear going UH0 the cane brake 



Justus 1 crossed Coucbart, and I know where be will be to 

 morrow; Price and I will go after him. lam fully sure to 

 kill him. and then I will -how you how to c»ok panther, 

 which you will declare ihe finest eating you ever had of 

 wild animals, When you return from hunting the turkeys 



