184 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Ansa B, 1888. 



cation that made such unity of purpose and such union of 

 effort in the accomplishment? The position of the old 

 beaver above Ihe tree indicated leadership, but no order, by 

 word or sign, was given: all seemed to know what to do, and 

 just bow and when to do it, 



The felling of a tree across a stream and building a dam 



against it, is one thing; Foiling a. tree so it should uot val y 

 a foot from a given line, the Old dam, showed an engineering; 

 skill you may possess, but which 1 should hesitate to assume. 

 We must define instinct as directing a few tilings without, 

 forethought or previous knowledge, and repeating the same 

 methods ever afterward, The bee builds the same cells, of 

 the siimc material forever. The first and the last, nest of the 

 bird are precisely alike, and animals who dig holes in the 

 earth have each a fashion peculiar to itself, which does uot 

 vary; even the acquisitiveness of the ground squirrel is np 



thought for the morrow, since be hoards in the spring With 

 all the industry of autumn. 



But the beaver goes far beyond this. Instinct is over 

 lapped by reason until separation is impossible, and all divis 

 siou limefi are obliterated. He selects with engineering skill 

 the site for a dam, then builds of such material asis.it bund 

 and of such shape as the exigencies require, varying both as 

 circumstances indicate; and Conducting all will,';' I, ■■ 

 Intelligence that treads closer upon Ihe heels of humanity 

 than that of any other creature living, Why, an animal sb 

 Senile, so harmless, Bliould bo loft outside the pale of civil- 

 ized life, denied human association by clumsy form and un- 

 seemly personal habits, is one of the mysteries in nature not 

 yet solved, but such is the fact. To him the sup of civil- 

 ization is simply and inevitably annihilation. 



What we need is more of this wild native life. An auimal 

 in captivity with, perhaps, every condition of free life vio- 

 lated; say a bear Chained, or one with a halter about his 

 neck and beaten into submission, must both be poor subjects 

 for the study of nalwral history to say the least; an ox draw- 

 ing a plow would bfl better. And now thai nun of high in 

 tellectual taste and culture fly more and more to the wilds 

 of nature for summer recreation, may we not, hope and ex- 

 pect more of that inner life in nature Found just in propor- 

 tion as the tracks of men are less frequent. 



B. HORSFORD. 



SPKlNliFIRU). Mass. 



SNAKE NOTES. 



I noticed in your recent issues, a letter on the breeding and 

 habits of snakes. I can stive some dgbi on the subject 



from personal observation. One day last August my brother 

 and I were fishing along the rocky bank of BigFIatrock 

 Creek, the southeast fork of White River, We beard a 

 little rustling in the leaves and weeds in front, and al our 

 right, and 1 got up to see what was the matter, and there 

 we saw a large black snake doing his host to Swallow a 

 water snake half as long as himself, and had it half way 

 down when we first saw him. My brother and I got some 

 rocks, and before long he disgorged his prey in a rathei 

 dilapidated condition, but not dead " Mo doubt the latter was 

 thankful to us for our timely interference, for he was going 

 flown a long "black tunnel to anbi her country. We meas- 

 ured the black snake and found him to be seven feet, in 

 length and the water snake three feet six inches: and tie 

 latter was larger in the largest place than the black snake 

 was arouud his neck or throat, and when first seen was 

 swallowed down past the largest part of his body, head 

 downward. On another occasion, earlier in the year, I 

 killed a black snake, and. thinking it large, i opened it and 

 found nine young snakes in it, some "twelve or thirteen 

 inches long and about as large as a penholder, and all alive, 

 and I considered I did good work in killing ten snakes in 

 a day. II.vmmeui.ess. 



ilREENiiria!, Iud., March lft, 11*83. 



in your issue of March 1, under the heading. "Breeding 

 of the Rattlesnake," "E. 8." says -'He knows that the rattle- 

 snake is propagated from the egg." Anolher writer sets 

 aside the egg theory by saying "That his brother and others 

 saw a female rattlesnake delivered of nine small snakes — 

 eight alive, one dead." 



I have had some experience with rartlesuakes, or "canary 

 birds." as we call them, during some liftcen summer vaca- 

 tions in Pike county, Penn. Last August, in returning 

 from a trip after berries, and neariug home, on the track of 

 the Erie branch to Ilawley, 1 espied a flue "rattler" milking 

 an afternoon meal on the grease from the ear axles. As his 

 bead was in flue position near the rail, a well-directed stone 

 killed him. I carefully carried him Lome, having only to 

 cross I lit- l,aokawaxen, and a-, lie was such a beauty, and 

 wishing to preserve the skin as well as secure the oil, I 

 carefully skinned it, after cutting off the head and consign- 

 ing it to the tire, when, to my Surprise, on opening the 

 snake 1 found fifteen eggs, resembling a pecan nut in size 

 and shape. About two weeks previous to this a snake was 

 opened at this same yard containing nine full-sized eggs. 

 Now if snakes are not propagated from the egg, what were 

 these til I ecu eggs tor? I have three line skins and rattles 

 from Pike county in ray cabinet, and will take pleasure in 

 showing them to any one interested in "rattlers." 



C. H. Stti.es. 



i,:i;i I.KXI.NUT..N Ave.. N. Y. 



[That snakes can swallow animals much larger through 

 than they thciusclvcr arc is a well-known fact. As for the 

 eggs of the rattlesnake, we would suggest to our correspond- 

 ents that there is nothing necessarily inconsistent in the 

 differing views expressed by them, for many Snakes are 

 known ty be ovo viviparous, i. e. , the eggs are hatched within 

 the mother. Let them remember the "ancient truth, Omnia 

 it nir, ■ ■■'■ i(y< : 



Mew ,lt,nsi;v WruTEB BraDs.— Noticing that this week's 

 Forest as d Btream has observations on "our winter birds, 

 I will send you a list, of thosi I have observed and procured 

 (with a few' exceptions) during the past, three winter mouths: 

 Bed-shouldered hawk, marsh hawk, sparrow hawk, sharp 

 shinned hawk, barred owl, mottled red and gray owl, 

 downy woodpecker, yellow-bellied woodpecker, hairy wood- 

 pecker, common crow, blue jay. "Bob White," robin, 

 meadow lark, bluebird, white-bellied nuthatch, tufted tit- 

 mouse, black-capped chickadee, ruby-crowned kinglet, pine 

 grosbeak, purple finch, song sparrow, snowbird, tree spar- 

 row, goldfinch (vellow bird). English sparrow, white-throated 

 sparrow, redpoll linnet. The robin mad.: his first appear- 

 ance during the last few days of February. Bluebirds are 

 with us all winter. The pine grosbeaks were seen the latter 

 part of December; bagged two feraaios.— Ol.o Turkey, 

 (Long Hill, N J., March 15, 1883). 



THE BIRDS OF MAINE. 



With Annotations of their Comparative Abundance, 



Dates of Migration, BreedlnR Habits, etc. 



BY EVERETT BMITH 



341. Great BcftUp Duck— JPuMgulo. maritaAMd., Cs. 730; 



Fttli.r miinki. Ridg. 614.— Common during migrations; 

 Sometime abundant in autumn. 



242. Little Scaup Duck— Fuliyubi nnmlokks Aud,: Fulix 

 affint •.-Ridg, 615; FtUiynhi njint* Cs. 721 .-Found here dur- 



248. "Kingncck Duck— MUgula ruiUovgucs Aud.; Fulix 

 Mttarti Ridg. 016; Fuliu'ila eolbin's Cs. 722— Uncommon. 

 Mr, Boardruan reports this species as having been known to 

 breed near Princeton. Me., where "adults with youna were 

 seen, and eggs have been taken near St. Stephen. Mew 

 Brunswick. But these cases may have been exceptional 

 ones The species is of uncommon and irregular occurrence 

 elsewhere throughout the State. There was one shot, at 

 Scarboro, Me,, .Mav 1, 1870. A number were shot, in 

 Cumberland county in the spring of 1882, an unusual occur- 

 rence. Of this number two males were shot al, the mouth of 

 Ihe Presumpecot River. March 81, 1883. Three ,,i il.i:: 

 Species were shot at Great Pond, Cape Elizabeth, in April; 

 one was brought to market, from Cray. April 1). and Several 

 others were shot near Portland in April. 



244. Ruddy Duck— Fuliyubi rubiiUi Aud.; Fri.snuitum 

 rubiibi Ridg. 634, Cs. 741.— Not uncommon during autumn 

 migrations. This singular little duck, with its broad bill 

 and large feet, seemingly out of proportion to a body 

 scarcely larger than that of a teal duck, and a stiff tail 

 which appears. as if the feathers had been scraped with a 

 knife, is of an exceedingly unsuspicious uature, and easily 

 shot wherever found. 



245. Redhead Duck — Fuliyubi fffrina And.; .Ft/ii/ia 

 '«'',"'<■' Ridg. 818; Fittit/iihtftriiiii <>itt<ri<:ni,i Cs. 72'd.— 

 Uncommon, an irregular visitant. 



246. Canvasback Ducfc— Fnlk,„l„ ■mll.vm rianu And.; 

 .Ftbyiu Mllisneria Ridg. 617; FuHyubi mllisiierin Cs. 724.— 

 Uncommon; an irregular visitant. In October. 1874, there 

 were procured two ducks by a shot into a llock of fowl in 

 Casco Bay, near Portland. 'One of these proved to be a 

 canvas-back duck, and the other a redhead duck. 1 have 

 Shot the latter species at, Scarooro, and have seen at, various 

 times a number of cauvas-back ducks which were shot in 

 Maine. A pair, male and female, were shot at Great, Pond 

 Cape Elizabeth, Nov. 1, 1880. 



247. Golden-eyed Duck— Fuliyubi danyubt Aud.; (Jinn 

 ijnhi pluuciviii iiiinricnmi Kidg. 020: Ckinyiibi, ybnidum Cs 

 735. — AbUJldant. A few breed in the interior and northern 

 part of the State. Abundant in the estuaries and bays along 

 the coast throughout the winter. Locally termed "whistler," 

 on account of the loud whistling produced by the wings of 

 this species when in rapid flight. 



248. Iceland Golden-eved Duck— Clinu/iila ubiadka 

 Ridg. bill, Cs. 726.— Uncommon, except on the eastern 

 portion of the eoasr. where it is commonly found in winter, 

 and is probably there a regular visitor' Adults may lie 

 easily disliiigufshcd from the preceding named species, by 

 the. form of the bill and the white patches on cheeks of 

 males differing from that of the common golden-eyed ducks 

 or "whistlers." 



249. Bufue-head Duck— FvMgate albsota And. ; Ctant/tila 

 tilbcfihi Ridg. 621, Cs. 727; Common. Arrives early in 

 April. Autumn migrations in November and extending 

 into Deccmher. Occasionally a few remain on the coast 

 throughout the winter. 



2,10-'.' Long-tailed 1 >ui'k— lOiiiyulu yhu-Udu Aud. -, Ihmkbt 

 ybid<iU* Ridg. 628, Cs. 728.— Very abundant along the coast, 

 None breed here. Locally termed "old squaw. " Its cry is 

 well expressed by <'.,,;, ,/■,,', the name applied tO the bird by 

 the Miemac Indians of Canada. Many tlucksof this species 

 remain along our coast throughout, the entire winter; but the 

 greater portion of the vast numbers of migrants pass to the 

 south. During April and early May thousands arrive at 

 Saco Bay, where they are detained by the superior attrac- 

 tions of an abundance of their favorite* food, the little crus- 

 taceans, commonly known as "sand-fleas." which are easily 

 obtained by the ducks in this broad shoal bay with its 

 smooth sand bottom. Here the old squaws remain until the 

 third week of May, when they have acquired the perfect 

 plumage of spring, and have become very fat. Unlike 

 others of our sea ducks they appear to be polygamous. At 

 the time of their departure for their nesting "places in the 

 far northern region there occurs a great assembly of all the 

 birds of the species in the ha\, and during the latter part 

 of each day, flock after flock will rise from the water and 

 qirclfl about, frequently ascending 60 high that, a flock of a 

 thousand or more iS nearly lost to view, appearing to the 

 unaided vision as a faiut cloud of moving dust. Thesi evo- 

 iii in i. e sometime prolonged for several days, as if the 

 birds were training themselves for their intended long Bight 

 in the upper air. Occasionally a flock of many hundreds 

 will make a trial trip inland of a half hour's duration, or 

 even for a longer time, and return again to the bay. At 

 such times thcTjirds are especially active during the dusk of 

 evening. It is then that a flock returning high in, the ail 

 from an inland trip will act their wings upon approaching 

 the shore, and descend at an angle of forty-five degrees with 

 such velocity as to produce a roaring sound to be heard a 

 longdistance, especially when the flock is a very large one. 

 and the descent is commenced from an altitude of many 

 hundred yards, 



The final departure is almost invariably made late in the 

 day, or after sunset, and the birds take a course pearly north 

 over the land. But few are to be seen the third day after 

 the departure of the foremost flocks of this great assembly, 

 excepting the usual number of birds which tire barren or in- 

 capable of the long journey;. Such of these ns are not cap- 

 tured by fish or seals remain here throughout the summer, 

 and moult in July. 



No other species of ducks mingle with the long-tailed 

 ducks in their migration. Indeed none of their asso- 

 ciates upon the bay would be capable of sustaining the 

 speed of this species^ the flight of which exceeds in rapidity 

 that of any other duck known here. On account of their 

 rapid flight", small size, and great tenacity of life, they are 

 the most difficult, to kill of all Our ducks, and hence afford 

 excellent sport to all who are fond of fowl shooting. 

 They readily come to decoys in May, and no means of 

 shoitiug in 'vogue will drive them away, except that, of 

 sidling to them on their feeding places; a method effectual 

 in causing them to abandon the vicinity where practiced. 



251. Labrador Duck— Fulk/uki labrurtora Aud. ; Ciimpto- 

 heuuiH b'hnukmui Ridg. 624, Cs. 789.— Extremely rare. 

 Mr. Boardmau has obtained several specimens in the course 



of many years. The species was not uncommon on Ihe 

 New England coast in winter fifty years ago, and prnhablv 

 is nol yet extinct. A single specimen, a female, was shot 

 in the Bay of Fundv, near Grand Metian Island, in April. 

 1871. by Mr. S. F, Ohcyncy, who is well known to Eastern 

 bird collectors. Since that date, a specimen has been killed in 

 Michigan, at Delhi Mill, April 17, 1872, and its skin pre- 

 served in the collection of Mr. A. B. Covert, of Anu Arbor, 

 Mich., the fact having been reported In FOSEfii \sn 

 Stream. 



It is quite probable that a very few ducks of this species 

 yet visit our coast in winter. Should any be shot here' they 

 would be likely to fall into the hands of fishermen only, and 

 ini'i ■■■ i^i .I i,'i 1 and unreported. This species might be con- 

 founded with the "old squaws" by gunners who arc not 

 observant of the differences of the birds they shoot. 



EC! i. Harlequin _ Dr.rk— Fkk/:.!-: ir.h-:c; :.» Aud Hk 

 /rimik'i.-- minidus Kidg. 622. Cs. 736. — Not very common. 

 but of regular occurrence along the coast in winter, fre- 

 quenting the outermost islands and ledges. Locally termed 

 by the fishermen and others "lords and ladies," tO desig- 

 ■ i hi sexes which are unlike in plumage. That of t lie- 

 male is rich and variegated, anil the term "lord" is not inap- 

 [iroprialc as re-raids the costume of this bird, but the female 

 is a very plainly dressed "lady."' 



These ducks are very active, expert divers, and gi icrafll 

 wary; and as their haunts are. not easily accessible but few 

 oi the birds are shot. 



an;;. Rider Duck— FOimla mdtHnsim Aria.; AmmteHa 

 ■in all iwinw rfremeri Ridg. 627a; Cs. 734.— Abundant through- 

 out the winter along the coast. A few yet breed in Maine. 

 Locally termed "sea-ducks." or "sea-ducks and drakes" by 

 gunners and fishermen. Although some of the closely 

 allied species of scoters are frequently found on our lakes, 

 the eider ducks confine themselves exclusively to the coast. 

 These are the largest ducks known on the At'ianlic coast of 

 America, the adult males acquiring a weight of more than 

 live pounds each, the females weighing about a pound less. 



Their food here consists of shellfish, usually procured 

 from ledges, aud sometime in ten fathoms of water. Thev 

 arrive fiom the North late in October and in November, and 

 depart early in April for their breeding places. They are 

 generally mated before this departure, and while migrating 

 in the spring may be seen flying in long lines, the drakes 

 and ducks in regular alternation, the former being easily 

 distinguished from the uniformly dark-colored females by 

 their white backs and fore parts, conspicuous at a long dis- 

 tance. 



In the autumn migration, however, the flocks present a 

 different appearance, and the sexes* are not then generally 

 mixed in flocks composed of adult birds. When migrating 

 they usually fly low over the water, and far enough from Ihe 

 shore to clear all headlands without much altering their 

 course. Vast numbers, however, flv across the land at the 

 head of the Bay of Funday. When" thus passing over the 

 land, if frightened by a great noise, they will swoop 

 down Close to the earth and sometime alfoid a near shot. 



While snipe shooting on the Tautrauiar marshes 1 once 

 brought a huge flock down hy shouting and discharging one 

 barrel of my gun, aud when they swooped I shot one with 

 the other barrel, which was loaded with No. 9 shot. Their 

 strong bones and dense plumage render them as difficult to 

 kill as Canada geese. Occasionally . they come in contact 

 with telegraph wires, aud such an instance occurred near 

 Afonctou Junction in New Brunswick, whereby a dozen 

 from one (lock were left dead or crippled on tin- giound. 

 The weather was thick, and the flock, frightened suddenly 

 by shouts, swooped down at a place where- there were many 

 wires. 



Although many eider ducks are annually shot on our 

 eoast by fishermen gunners, bid, few others trouble them. 

 The sport is usually" cold, rough, and oftentimes dangerous. 

 except during the autumn migration. Yet there are sportsmen 

 who are not deterred by the exposure and danger of winter 

 shooting 01] this coast, and a knowledge of tliehabits of Ihe 

 birds enables one to kill many of these ducks, although Ihcv 

 are many and usually frequent the most inaccessible "places. 



The cider duck lays a complement of five pale green eggs 

 Winch are deposited usually during the month of June and 

 July. The nest is composed of down which the duck plucks 

 from its lower parts for this purpose. Sometime the nest 

 is placed upon the bare rocky shore, sometime on the turf of 

 a grass grown island, and at other times on Ihe ground 

 within a dense spruce swamp. When the duck leaves tne 

 nest voluntarily she covers the eggs entirely with the clown 

 composing the border of the nest. After the first egg has 

 been laid, each succeeding one is deposited al an interval of a 

 day or two, until the set is completed. Often each egg may 

 be numbered in the order laid, by a comparison with the 

 others in the same nest. The egg's quickly become soiled b\ 

 contact with the body of the bird, and an egg two days in 

 the nest appears darker than one just laid. Washing with 

 water will not, restore the shade, but it may be restored by 

 scraping the eggs. More than five eggs are rarely found 

 in a nest, and in the isolated instances of more than six hav- 

 ing been found in one nest, it is probable that 

 they were laid by two ducks, as ducks of this species 

 breed in communities. The males do nol assisl in the in- 

 cubation, but, at this time associate together iu Hocks, aud 

 their plumage is moulted before that of the females. 



These large and hardy ducks would prove of great value 

 if domestic-iied, and perhaps could be cross-bred with do 

 mestic ducks to advantage. Their feathers and down are 

 valuable and their rtesh^ naturally of good quality, could 

 be much improved by a diet of grain. The eggs are of fine 

 flavor, and very large. 



For main- years a a-reat business was carried on by vessels 

 sailing from "Halifax, Nova Scotia, and returning from the 

 northern lueedimr places of seafowl with cargoes of fresh 

 ee-us. The eggs r.f the eider ducks were most sought, on 

 account of their superior quality. The ordinary note of the 

 eider duck is a genuine quack, not unlike that of the mallard, 

 and quite different, from any of the cries of thescoter ducks. 

 Although rarely found on fresh waters, or even in the 

 mouthsof tidal "rivers, salt water is not essential to then- 

 existence. They will readily eat. giaiu, and indeed anything 

 that the omnivorous domestic duck will eat. although in a 

 wild state the eider ducks subsist chiefly upon shellfish, such 

 OS mnaselsi, etc The readiness with Which this species 

 becomes domesticated may be illustialed bV the incident 

 below related, concerning an eider duck which undoubtedly 

 had been raised or kept in captivity. 



One summer evening, at dusk, an cider duck was observed 

 with a pair of domestic ducks in the dooryard upon one of 

 the inhabited islands of the Bay of Fundv. An attempt was 

 made to decoy the ducks into a pen, but, the eider duck flew 

 to the shore, about a hundred yards distant from the house. 



