166 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Match 20. 1883. 



" Yi s. and that is the Inst," stud the Major. "It is these 

 clusters of large leaves, springine right front the ground as 

 described, which point tiie course. Their edges point to 

 the north and .south, and their sides face to the cast and 

 v.-.-si Thj s is not so with all of them, and perhaps not with 



any of them exactly; so lhat it yon depend Upon any single 



leaf yon would surely be misled. This is H>eir condition 

 approximately, all or nearly nil varying somewhat to the 

 right or left of the true course, But let one error correct 

 another and take the average, and the true north and BtiUth 

 are pointed on1 exactly. 1 speak of what! know, fori 

 have often set my compass and studied carefully duster 

 after cluster of these leaves, and of both kinds, and always 

 with the sante result. Tt is not necessary to study minutely 

 every leaf in order to determine the 'right course. The 

 moment the eye rests upon a cluster of leaves il almost in- 

 tuitively calculates the average and determines the coutse, 



"I COUld tell you some in..- ■ 'I ,i! i.ries Of the result- 

 from observing these plants, but I have told enough for one 

 and so we will declare school dismissed." 



As the .Major arose from his seat and turned awav he saw 

 me writing on a barrelhead just behind him, where 1 had 

 taken down every word he had said. 



■■ ■ \ chiefs amaug von tattin' notes. 

 And faith Ua'llprent it.' • 



"And faith he will, Major, with unit' leave. aid [Jit 

 scribe. "It was too good to lose, II wsts throwing pearls 

 before swine." 



"Not so, my friend," rejoined the Major. • 'There is sure 

 to be some one or more among those boys thai has it in him 

 to make his murk in the world, and what I say may whet 

 his appetite to seek for more knowledge. You ask my 

 leave and then do as you like. You tire a pesky set after 

 all. If a man has a little .vakc at night and then talks in 

 leep you will have every word of it in the paper the 

 next, morning. At any rate leave out those big things I said 

 in the fore part of my talk. 1 had to put them in to get the 

 boys' attention." 



"No, no. Major," Said Ihe reporter, "that would spoil it. 

 Those were exaggerations, and so understood by everybody: 

 as when we say 'a million,' w-c are simply understood to 

 mean a great many: or 'as high as the sky.' we simply 

 menu very blgh, When you told how you Were handi- 

 capped by the masasaugers, you only told that they are 

 very plemy and ugly, and strike at everything " K ' r come- 

 within their reach, and either from the form of their fangs 

 or vieiousness they arc apt to hang on when thev do bile 

 Now this 1 well know to be true, i ouce had a pointer dog 



who was ranging through the prairie Ml a a I >pe, when 



lie suddenly reared up and threw up his head violently, and 

 up went a masasauger more than lour feet into the air. 

 He had bitten the dog in the cheek when he was on the run. 

 and it took a violent jerk 10 throw him off. And then, 

 too, was proved the efficacy of that rattlesnake weed 

 Which did you such good .service on thai trying occasion. I 

 took in the dog and drove to a cabin about half a mile away, 

 dug some of thai root which grew within a hundred feet of 

 the house, bruised it and steeped it in milk, and drenched 

 the dog with a pint of it. and bound the rest onto the wound 

 as a poultice. By this time the head was swollen large 

 enough for two heads, and very soon the dog was in a 

 comatose stale, and so continued for ten hours, when 1 went 

 to bed never expect tog to see that dog again alive. \V lien 

 1 looked out of Ihe window the next morning I was rejoiced 

 to see the dog running about apparently as well asever and 

 he never after showed any evil effects from thai bite, Bo 

 you see you were only 'telling simple truths, though in 

 strong language, no doubt, lint. Major, 1 do think if was 

 rather hard on the boys to have to Chew the roots for that 

 big poultice. Certainly if there were any doruocks about 

 there with which they could Lave bruised them," 



"Not so," said the Major. "By mixing the root with 

 humau saliva its efficacy was vastly increased. Have you 

 yet to learn i hat human 'saliva has wonderful remedial effects 

 in certain conditions, while it is actually poisonous in others. 

 It may be taken into the stomach not only with impunity, 

 but is absolutely essential to the healthy action of that organ, 

 ■while it is poisonous if taken into the circulation : sueli is the 

 case also with the virus of a rattlesnake. You my suck the 

 poison from the wound made by the rattlesnake with perfect 

 impunity, if there be no raw place in the mouth, and indeed 

 that is the best thing to do, if it can bedone quickly, Human 

 saliva counteracts or neutralizes other poisons 'similar to 

 itself. Hence it is that it so quickly relieves the pain of a 

 mosquito Int.' or even a bee sting, it i.- an excellent remedy 

 for all cutaneous irritation, and still it is hurtful if it gets 

 into the circulation. 1 have heard of several cases where 

 most serious consequences have resulted from Iranian bites. 

 as if a virulent poisou hud been introduced into the blood, 

 indeed, microseopists lately tell us that blood globules 

 undergo precisely the same change when brought in contact 

 with human saliva that they do when touched by the virus 

 of tin; viper. 1 expect it will not be long before the scientists 

 will prove us all to be only an improved breed of vipers, and 

 that our bites should be equally avoided. 1 think I have 

 seen people wdio are not much' improved in the breeding 

 either. " 



"Thank you. Major," 1 said, "I now see why you made 

 the boys chew that root poultice. As to the gallinipper 

 hairpins, if that was an exaggeration it only amounted" to 

 the statement that they hit ve fearful long and .stout hills, 

 which i;- undeniably true. You made ihem pretty large, to 

 he sure, when you made fish bait of them, but " 



"Stop there.'" cried Ihe Major, "that, was true in fact, for 

 .Tim Boal tlid catch a tine yellow porch in Gratiot Lake with 

 one for bait, and we could really have caught a whole 

 mess of tbem only we would have liail to bait tin i .. i ■ . 

 fame, which made it too slow for them when they were 

 ready to almost jump out of water at any thing. 



"As for that old sow, I admit 1 made her rather thin 

 when I forced her through a three-inch space, but till that 

 breed were mighty thin and slab sided, i know 1 made her 

 l.eltei snake hunter I ban they would average, but every- 

 body knows they went for them as if they both hated aiid 

 loved them. 



"1 don't know of any thing else that I have said that needs 

 any explanation or quaitlicat ion, so I will bid you a good 

 day. hoping that you may live long and prosper.'" 



Swow BnJT'rJXGB in aTuee.— Not to be outdone by "Tax- 

 idermist," in your issue of March H, I want to report what 1 

 saw last evening. On Monday last we led a Called about a 

 foot of snow, and since then snow buntings have been more 

 plenty than at any time during the winter. Wanting some 

 specimens, 1 went out on Wednesday, but succeeded in get- 

 ting only two good ones. After business hours yesterday I 

 (vent qYBT tie' same giouml and did not see a bird until 1 



had got inside the city limits, when 1 saw a flock of fifteen 

 biros, and cm getting bear them I saw I hev were horned 

 larks, Not wanting any, T thought I would see how near 1 

 could gel to them and watch them. When wdthiu about 

 four rods, on looking beyond them 1 saw a flock ol 300 or 

 300 birds, and as I hey seemed to be more restless than the 

 larks. 1 concluded they were huntings. I passed the larks 

 without disturbing Ihem. and when yvithiu good gunshot 

 they took wing, and 1 (ired one charge of No. 12 shot among 

 them, killing one and winging another. After securing 

 them, I saw that the larks had flown about fifteen or twenty 

 rods and alighted again, 1 retraced my steps |„ tnkeiinothe'r 

 look nt them, when to my surprise 1 saw the buntings re- 

 turn and alight among them. I shot among I hem as they 

 got up. killing one lark, one bunting and winging another. 

 The larks Hew from inc. while the huntings passed by me, 

 '■!"■ in'.' tin ,i n et. and, to my great surprise, •_• II alighting 

 in it large elm tree about four' rods from the street. After 

 securing the two dead birds I took after the winged bunt- 

 ing, and before I had overtaken it, it hud reached the fence, 

 passing under i|, into the street. 'While I was getting over 

 the fence 1 saw one of the larks alight by the side of the 

 wounded bunting (probably taking it for Its mate that 1 had 

 killed la ml then on the rail of the fence, and remained there 

 until I had secured and pi kfl awav- the bunting. A 

 team passing, it flew to a cross fence about four rods from 

 me. and 1 turned awav, thinking that [ had unm.auinglv 

 severed a pair that had come to stay and rear a family: hut 

 as there were fifteen in the flock, there must have been one 

 without a mate, and T tried to console myself by thinking 

 that in some respects birds are like human beings, As I 

 passed to the opposite side of the street, and near the tree 

 where the buntings had alighted, two meadow larks flew out 

 of it and over the street in front of me. and they were the 

 first of the season, I do not know that it is uncommon for 

 snow buntings to alight in trees, but I have never seen or 

 heard of their doing so before. 1 was much surprised win u 

 "Taxidermist" reported the homed lark doing so, but now 

 ! ,h, not doubt it— J. L. 1). (Loekport, N. Y., March 33). 



fag mjd 



GAME RESORTS.— We are 

 irulinn such notes of ih'xirc'bh 



Meadow Lakk as Winter Resident.— I read with great 

 pleasure Mr. Enty's chapter on "Our Winter Birds," in .your 



last number, and through your columns would like to ask 

 that gentleman whether he has ever noticed the lark us a 

 winter resident? My attention was drawn to this bird dur- 

 ing the winter of "Mi and '77, at Which time i was teaching 

 school in the Blue Ridge Mountains (Adams county. Pa.). 

 On Christmas day of that year 1 went rabbit shooting, and 

 tt hi I. ' i ' tssing a rather marshy apotof land flushed a meadow 

 lark, which 1 killed: and as the report sounded, a woodcock 

 flushed, which I killed with mv other barrel. The lark, a id 

 likewise the cock, were the heaviest and largest birds of the 

 two species that lever saw, and oh, ve gods! such delicate 

 and juicy mtjrSE Is never crossed M&'sKn-fl palate, Whik 

 narratiug this fact to the stage driver from Gettysburg, i 

 made the remark that though I had read of winter woodcock, 

 1 had never seen or heard of a winter meadow lark. This 

 gentleman fold me that he knew of several large flocks living 

 the year around in the meadows around Gettysburg. The 

 following winter I taught at the Pennsylvania training 

 school for feeble-minded children at Media, Pa., and here, 

 on our own grounds, J saw proof of this fact in two large 

 flocks which remained all that winter with us. becoming 

 very tame during the cold weather: we fed them the whole 

 winter. Just about a month ago, while crossing the fields, 

 in our county and near the city, my young setter flushed a 

 lark, which 1 have since seen several times in the same field. 

 If rny memory serves me, the authorities, at least those to 

 which I have had access, give the lark as a migrating bird. 

 and from the foots stated above 1 should think differently. 

 Another point, the bird I sliot in "76 was a male, which 1 

 proved by dissection, and two which 1 shot from the flocks 

 at Media were also males: this would seem to give strength 

 to the theory 1 once heard, that it is only the females which 

 migrate. Mind you, Mr, Editor, I am 'doing no more that, 

 write what 1 have seen or heard, and cannot make a dog- 

 matic assertion one way or the other. 1 can only hope others 

 will give some observations on the bird which, if not hunted 

 as game, is at least interesting as an ornithological study, 

 and the bird which I have no doubt others beside myself 

 used as a target when taking their first lessons in wing- 

 shooting.— MF.rurus (Baltimore. March 23). 



Tnfi Ptarmigan Wtntkr.— Last autumn (1883) we 



had published in the Quebec GhronMe a letter relative to the 

 probable recurrence of the willow grouse or ptarmigan (X. 

 admit And. I this winter. The prediction or surmise has 

 proved correct as the following clipping from the Ottawa 

 of March 2 Will Show': "it was rcpoi led to-day by a 

 fanner from the neighborhood of Pembroke that ptarmigan 

 had been seen in the vicinity of the town. It is curious that 

 if such be the case, none irave been observed in other locali- 

 ties generally visited by this polar bird during the severe 

 Winter .south of the Arctic latitudes." Some weeks ago 

 another notice of the recurrence of the ptarmigan appeared 

 in OHO of the Manitoba papers and was copied in the Mon- 

 treal Witness, Of late years this bird has been very scarce 

 and report- have been received at some of the Hudson Bay 

 outposts, stating that Indian families, wdiose sustenance de- 

 pended almost entirely on these birds, were in a starving 

 condition. When the snowfall is very heavy in the north 

 the birds appear to perish in large numbers— "not from colli. 

 hut owing to thcwillow brush being covered up. During 

 such winters, there is a large migration southward of the 

 ptarmigans, and numbers are killed by hunters and lumber- 

 men to the northward of the 8t. Lawrence and Ottawa 

 river-. Some twenty years ago we have seen the birds 

 brought into our markets at Montreal and Quebec in large 

 numbers, but since then they have almost completely disap- 

 peared. This, then, has been a "ptarmigan winter.'" and a 

 eold and. -evere one too it has been. — H. G. V. (Montreal, 

 March 3). 



Flew Against the House.— Xo less than four woodcock 

 i:.,i metdt itii to the same tnannner, i. «., flying against 

 the house, and the last fellow tried il while we \vere all sit- 

 ting On the piazza one tine summer evening, "'twixt day- 

 light and dark"— Zip bang! and poor little longbill was 

 struggling his life away on the gravel walk at oul feet, J 

 gathered him in. and 1 have him mounted: and a tine bird 

 be is. The bill was uninjured, but the top of his head was 

 literally smashed to pieces. The house stands on au 

 elevation, and is painted a buff color, which may account 

 for these frequent casualties. It is also located at Bay 

 Ridge, L. I., on the line, of flight of the migration, which 

 would seem tO have something 1o do wilh il. as three of the 

 victims were found late in autumn. — Diet, 



always glad to >vcrii-i> for pub- 



• rmmj>. resorts ax may be of help 



Will not mi 



spondentsfOKofvs loith such ad 



SMOKE MEMORIES. 



PIPE TtlF, SECOND — A POT SHOT SPOILED. 

 "A peaceful pipe the shepherd plays." 



THREE o'clock on the morning of July 4 each year 

 always found the "royal four" at the "Water Hole 5 ' on 

 the Hag Harbor turnpike. First, a cast, was made by the 

 dogs on the east side and then we commenced the real work 

 on the west side of the pike toward the brick kilns (gone for 

 more than forty years). I have shot through almost every 

 kind of cover for summer birds, but save a small swamp at 

 Moutauk nothing could compare with this cover. We had 

 to crawl through and beneath the densest tangle of hull 

 brier and wild rose, getting our shot., not through" skill, but 

 by intuition, luck, or whatever you might call it, for it was 

 impossible to put the gun to shoulder for a sight. Birds 

 were plenty^, but rarely left this dense cover. However, we 

 usually got a dozen birds and thought ourselves paid for all 

 trouble. 



One time we had a New York chap wilh its who could out- 

 shoot Daniel Boom? (let him tell it). We worked the bull brier 

 gully, a- well called it. but ournevy friend had not made a shot. 

 Tins was nothing against him, for we old chaps, who knew 

 the whole racket, sometime were in the Fame plight w lieu 

 Wt In": g " through the thicket, or at least we hadn't a bird 

 and perhap- had made several shots. 



After picking up a few birds at several places Furlle.ralieh.I, 

 the party divided for a short time to meet at a vervJikelv place 

 which would require the four to work in a thorough 'man- 

 ner. The New York gentleman and the writer 'were to 

 follow a drain through a short meadow to where it met a 

 brook and await arrival of our friends, who took both dogs 

 for some difficult ground close by. 



The trysling place was lovely.' Some large willow trees 

 -"'' " bort distance from the bank of the brook and the 

 cattle had made a wallow or resting place under their cool 

 shade. The other- side of the brook was a thicket of wild 

 rose and a few alders. Where we halted a little knoll topped 

 with a clump of bushes gave us cool shade with a delightful 

 view through this vista of willows, brook and rose bushes. 

 We both enjoyed it, and while awaiting our friends lit oitf 

 pipes and Chatted of the sport so far and prospects for the 

 remainder of the day. 



A- we talked we. spied two woodcock under ihe shade of 

 the willows, and motionless silently watched them. I never 

 before had such an opportunity to study their natural move- 

 ments, and I know my companion never had, for he asked 

 me what kind of birds they were. They could not have 

 been thirty feet from us, and we, lying upon the bank as we 

 did, were not perceived so long as we remained motionless. 

 For a full quarter of an hour we watched these birds bore, 

 eat, plume themselves and meditate. How pretty they were 

 —graceful, stately, moderate in their meal! It seemed to 

 me that they heard the worm ere thev thrust their beaks 

 down for the dainty morsel, for each yvould place his or her 

 head on one side, quite near the ground, as he or she moved 

 along, and suddenly turn and thrust the long beak into the 

 soft earth, but I noticed not always successfully. 



A sound from my companion caused me to look toward 

 him, and none too soon — the pot-hunter had quietly laised 

 his gun and was drawing sight upon our pretty neighbors. 

 intending to pot them where thev stood. I threw up his 

 gnu as be fired; of course our little birds were saved, but 

 there was nothing too bad for me to be called for spoiliug 

 his shot. I had to threaten to pot him, and while our wordy 

 war was in progress our companions came up, and after 

 hearing the story, were so indignant that Mr. New Yorker 

 was then and there invited to leave our company, as we 

 considered ourselves gentlemen, and not pot-hunters. We 

 always considered, in our little club, that a man wh shi i 8 

 game bin! sitting was not fit company for us, and we did 

 not hesitate to say so. 



A true sportsman does not go out for meat; that is of sec- 

 ondary importance with him, I had rather spend a day in 

 the woods and fields, coming home with ail empty hag, 

 happy if I have been able, as on that day, to come fa& to 

 face with nature. I have been into a nut forest for Squir- 

 rels, finding them plentiful, and come awaj without a shot, 

 for I was well paid to sit. still and watch "them ./ ufiaim • '. 

 I didn't want meat. Whether I should carry this feeling so 

 far as to sit still and watch a grizzly who was watchint 

 I can't say. Perhaps he, might, want meat. Retotolds. 



Boston, Mass. _ 



WINTER AT INDIAN LAKE. 



of spring than January 

 i fully four feet deep on 

 ud hardest winter known 



IT is March 19 and no more 

 20. It is cold and the su 

 the level. It has been the long 

 for many years past. The great amount of .-now has given 

 crust hunters great advantage over the dei r, and I am afraid 

 that thev have been killed to Some extent in some parts of 

 the Adirondaeks. In this part of Hamilton county, I think, 

 they have not been killed to any amount ; I have heard of 

 only two within fifteen or twenty miles from mv place of 

 business. As 1 do bii.-ines.- with all the lumber camps in 

 this section, 1 have had good opportunity to get information. 

 I have heard of several being killed in Esses county and 

 some in the Etiquette Lake region . 



Ruffed grouse must, have perished to some extent this 

 winter; the great body of snow has crusted over several 

 times, and you kuow their habits in the winter, and as they 

 were not very plenty last fail owing to the cold rains of last 

 spring, the next year's crop will be small. I never knew 

 this noble bird to "be more plenty than early last spring. In 

 roaming through the woods 1 noticed covey after c ty, 

 thinking at the same time what sport I would bit 

 months later in season, but I was very much disappointed 

 when in September I wrote to some friends in the city to 

 come and join rue in the sport to find that the many flocks 

 of ten and fifteen birds in the spring were reduced to* the old 

 birds and from one to three hall'-grown chickens in each 

 tlock. Out of the two hundred that' I shot during the sea- 

 son, not more than seventy-five were young birds. My 

 usual number of these lards for the season is from three 

 hundred to three hundred and fifty, and about fifty wood- 



iCli 



ich ate getting more plenty every year in this sec- 

 tion. 1 shot about twice as many last season us the season 



