April 6, 1883.] 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



185 



At daybreak Ihe next morning T again observed the duck in 

 the dnorvard. A trail of COin was now laid extending into 

 (l pen. and the tame docks fed along the line, followed by 

 tlie stranger, until all three were within the inelosure and 

 captivity. 



The owner of die premises had at various times hatched 

 and raised eider ducks, hul none within I wo years, and he 

 did not remember the loss of any at n previous lime. After 

 !K>WC days.' confinement, during : which il was well led on 

 corn, 'he eider duck was released, tt continued to eome 

 to the house al night when the domestic ducks returned 

 from flic hay, where they spent each day, and became so 

 tame as to' suffer a near approach without immediately 

 taking to flight. One day. while we were on an excursion 

 in a small boat and three' miles from home, this duck ap- 

 peared and Hew about us. coming to a familiar call repeal 

 edlv within twciifv yards of the boat. 



This duck probably had been reared in captivity, aud 

 perhaps had that season suffered H destruction of its nest 

 and eggs, and therefore sought Ihe nearest mate in the barn- 

 yard drake, which passed each day about the shores, and 

 returned home at night. An eider duck will not lay its eggs 

 a second lime in a nest once robbed, but seeks a new nesting 

 place. 



In the domestication of these cider ducks there is an opcu 

 field for poultry fanciers, arid one that might be filled to 

 future profit by this improvement of our domestic varieties. 



254. King Eider Duck— FvliguJa speektbilh Aud.; Suiiui- 

 t,_ri> spectaktta Ridg, 62W, Cs. 736. — Not very common. 

 Probably some visit our coast each winter, but never in 

 abundance. The haunts of this species are more northern 

 than those of the common eider ducks. The king eider 

 ducks appear io he much less wary than those of the other 

 species. 1 once saw some king ducks in July, near a locality 

 where the common cider ducks were breeding, but the plu- 

 mage of these ducks was immature and 1 failed to find any 

 breeding place of this species. 



Quite a number of kins' ducks were shot in Caseo Bay near 

 Portland during the spring of 1875. and also of 1876, but all 

 of these were immature birds, and 1 have not known of any 

 adults in perfect plumage taken on our coast. 



The females of i his species much resemble in form and 

 plumaae the females of the common eider duck, except that 

 they are of smaller size than the latter, 



But the male king eider duck may be easily identified even 

 before maturity, by the form of' its hill, which has an 

 abrupt rise on the upper mandible near the base, making the 

 outline of the hill quite unlike the lather uniform slope of 

 the upper mandible of the bill of the common eider duck. 



The eyes of Hie king eider duck are yellow, those of this 

 common species are brown. In size, it is about one fourth 

 less than the more common species known here. Although 

 a coast duck, ihe king eider sometime strays inland. In 

 the Forest and Stream of March H, 1877, the capture of a 

 specimen near Syracuse, N. Y., was reported; and in the 

 same journal was'reported (December 85. 1879) the capture 

 of eleven in Niagara River, Nov. 22. 1879. These tetter 

 probably came from the North, via the St. Lawrence River 



355. 'Velvet Scoter, White winged Scoter— Fuligukt 

 liMfli And.; MeUmettu. advHinr, Ridg. 632; (Fihmin. fuxra 

 Cs. 738. — Abundant during migrations, and some remain on 

 our coast throughout the winter. This is the largest of our 

 scoters, all of which are locally termed "coots." Many 

 flocks of this species annually' take their departure from 

 Saeo Bay, during the month of May, and fly northward 

 high in 'the air over the land. A. few of the other (wo 

 species of scoters known here likewise migrate home in the 

 spring over the land, to their breeding places, the lakes in 

 the far north. Unlike the eider ducks, the scoters do not 

 breed on the coast, although a few remain here throughout 

 the summer, and I have observed some here at that time 

 which apparently were mated. 



256. Surf Scoter, Patch heud Beolbr—Fuk'i/ula pvspiett- 



lata Aud. ; Pe 

 ttpicilletta Cs. 

 termed "pate 

 the next nam 

 •357. Amei 

 And.; (Mem 

 migr 

 specie 



>iettu perspkilhrla Ridg 633: (Kkmiu per- 

 . — Abundant during migration,-.. Locally 

 ead coot." The immature birds of this and 





oots. 



This 



Ut ctmencana 



—Abundant 

 r-bill coot," 

 Maine lakes 



.mallest, aud fastest 

 n here. 

 dei -Mr 



of the 



ommon on 

 during the October migration. It is the 

 living of the three species of scoters km 

 ' 258. Buff -breasted Merganser, Ooos 

 (/Miser Aud., Cs. 713; Mergvx me r</<t riser nmcrieateris Ridg. 

 686.— Common during migrations; arrives from the South 

 in March and April. Occasionally some remain on the coast 

 throughout the whiter. A few regularly breed in the in- 

 terior' and eastern portions of the State. Largest of the 

 mergansers, and locally known as the goosander or greater 

 sheldrake. Apparently its haunts are more northern than 

 those of the next two species. 



'259. Red-breasted Merganser — Meryus serratur Aud.; 

 Ridg. 687, Cs. 744. — Abundant, during migrations. Arrives 

 from the South in April and May. Breeds commonly 

 throughout the State. Lays from fwt Ive to eighteen eggs in 

 June, 'aud the young can fly well in August. Much the most 

 abundant species of merganser in Maine, Locally bnownas 

 the common sheldrake. 



360. Hooded Merganser — Meryiis eiikvikitno And., Cs. 

 745; Ij>phfidyn>n cucvlMus Uidg. 688, — Common, but never 

 abundant during spring and autumn migrations. Arrives 

 in March and April. Probably a few breed here. Locally 

 known as the "little sheldrake" or "hooded sheldrake." 



FAMTUr Sm.in.K: (!.\nseth. 



361. Gnmwt-Sula Mmma Aud,; Ridg. 650: Oft. 1&6. 

 Not very common, and now rarely taken on our eoast, A 

 few yeuis since one was picked up on the land at Scarboro 

 after a severe storm. As the ganuets do not breed here, and 

 do not often come very near the shore, but fewareeaptured 

 No other species of gannet is known on the. coast of Maine. 



FwillA I.KAi i i.ui 1 : t'ORMOEAKTS. 



m I wmorant-P/»i/<-'< /•'«•,.,-,/, ''"'*" Aud., Ridg. 643, 

 sf during migration's. 

 —PfotiqtroGorax ilttophutt 

 ndaut daring migrations 

 re locally termed "shago" 

 t Of Maine, although 



and was seen there repeatedly by many persons, but was 

 not, captured. 



365. Frigate Pelican— '/'•"/< yptskts ai/ni/os And,. Ridg. 639, 

 Cs. 761.— A rare straggler from the South. Mr. Ruthven Dunne 

 has recorded (Bulletim N. O. C, Jan. 1879) the occurrence 

 ,f this species on ihe coasl of Nova Scotia. Mr. Andrew 

 DoeVUS, of Halifax, N. B,, procured the specimen, which 

 i "shot outside of Halifax harbor. October 16, 1876." 

 As this bird passed from the. South along the coast to the 

 e'asl of Maine, it, may perhaps be mentioned here quite as 

 properly as oilier coast stragglers. 



[to be continued.] 



MocKiN(4 Bird in Massachusetts,— While out with my 

 gun to day, 1 had the rare good fortune to secure a specimen 

 of the mockingbird (A/iiiius /loli/f/lottus). 1 was returning 

 home, and as f had to pass very near a small snipe meadow, 

 1 thought 1 would look along the edge and see if 1 could 

 not find a snipe. 1 had hunted it over thoroughly without 

 success, and was starting for home, when I observed a bird 

 fly over a river near by and alight on the other side. As the 

 bird looked strange to me, 1 determined to get it if possible. 

 I walked back nearly half a mile to a bridge, crossed the 

 river, aud walked back on the other side. Before 1 reached 

 the place where the bird alighted. 1 saw it, in company with 

 some sparrows. It was wild and would not let approach 

 near enough to shoot it with small shot. When I got withiu 

 about thirty-five yards I fired, and had the satisfaction of 

 seeing the bird drop inlo the water. I pulled it out, wet and 

 dripping, but otherwise very good. Upon skinning 1 found 

 it to he an adult female. Its crop was completely filled with 

 bugs, flies, and other small insects. This is the first I ever 

 knew to he seen or taken here. Mr. Samuels, in his "Birds 

 of New England," says: "This bird is so exceedingly rare 

 in New England, that it can scarcely he regarded otherwise 

 than as an accidental visitor; aud Massachusetts is certainly 

 its northern limit." Dr. Elliott Coues, in his "New Eng- 

 land Bird Life," says: "The mocking-bird is practically 

 restricted in its northward extension to the Carolinian 

 Fauna, and has but once been observed beyond Massachusetts, 

 where, as also in Connecticut and in Rhode Island, it is a 

 rare, summer resident— if, indeed it be of more than casual 

 occurrence." He also says; "According to Allen, writing 

 in 1864, it has been known to breed in Springfield, Mass., 

 several times within five years, aud two pairs nested there 

 in I860." — John C. Catioon (Taunton, Mass., March 26. 



1,4 :; 



sted Cormora; 

 Cs. 751.— Ah 

 !. The cormorants 

 None breed on tl: 

 here throughou! 



summer. These are 

 together in flocks and 



ich night to roost. 



Snow Buntings and Meadow Labks. — Hartford, Conn. 

 —Editor Forest end Stream: "J. L. D." Is rather surprised 

 to learn that snow buntings will alight in trees. I have 

 noticed them in trees in New Hampshire, Vermont and 

 Maine very often. "Medicus" will find meadow larks dur- 

 ing the winter mouths in Connecticut Valley as far norlh as 

 Northampton, Mass,, but not as numerous as in the fall of 

 the year. Game has wintered well here (in the market), as 

 we "have quail, grouse, pigeon, venison. The game laws 

 are not enforced here, as woodcock shooting began in July, 

 the law not beiue: off until October.— Flick Emok, 



Meadow Lark as Winter Resident. — Philadelphia 

 March 31.— Noticing "Medicus^" interesting communica- 

 tion in your last week's issue relative to the wintering of the 

 meadow lark in Pennsylvania, and noting his having killed 

 one near Media. Pa., recalls the time, not seven years ago. 

 when the then open fields around West Philadelphia, to the 

 writer's knowledge, were the resorts of a large flock of these 

 birds, especially in very cold weather and when snow lay on 

 the ground. Even now they can lie found every winter in 

 the stump fields on the line of the Baltimore pike just be- 

 yond the county line. Both male and female bird's quite 

 often remain with us all winter, at least used to.— Homo. 



Aud.. Kidg 



along tbe cot 



by fishermen 



some remain here throughout the 



chiefly immature birds, which keep 



habitually resort to the same ledues e 



Family Pki.kc \nih i,: Pelicans. 

 264. White Pelican— i\-?/e,„„/ S amcrieaiiun Aud.; Pelc- 

 emiUi eri/thror/i yneft u 8 Ridg. 640; I\l> :,j/!»« isor/iyr/tt/itrht/x 

 Cs. 748.- A rare straggler from the South. This species has 

 been taken in the. Bay of Fundy, and Mi-. Boardman informs 

 me that one frequented the St. Croix River one autumn, 



§ mnp girt glhUvpu^. 



OLD Bill Lane, of Shinnceook Bay, is never at a loss for 

 an answer, fine night, after a cold day on the bay, 

 when more whisky had been slaughtered than ducks, we 

 all sat around the stove and vied with one another in relat- 

 ing personal experiences in field and "mash." The yarns 

 grew more and more improbable, till the climax came from 

 Doctor M. , of Brooklyn. The good Doctor isof an imaginative 

 turn, hut too much bad luck or bad rum had made him dis- 

 regardfu) of the fact. At last, he said: "I was out shooting 

 one day and struck a bunch of quail. It was in the old 

 muzzle-loader days. My dog had come to a point. I 

 flashed the birds and drew on them, but my cap snapped. 

 What was my surprise when a bird fell. 1 walkedup, 

 picked it up and it was stone dead' Now how do you ac- 

 count for that, Air. Lane'.'" 



Bill looked at, him with a sly twinkle in his blue eye, 

 changed his foot, thrust his hands deeper into his pockets, 

 and said: "Wa'ai. now, 1 shouldn't like- to account for that, 

 Doctor M." There were no more stories told that night. 



TnE.lEDCE. 



f## m\& 



GAME RESORTS,— We are. always c/lad to receive for pub- 

 lication such notes of desirable qame resorts as nan/ be of help 

 to the readers of Forest anh Stream, Witt cot 'our corre- 

 spondents fa vor us with such advice," 



Have you beard of the wedding of 8., one of Long 



Island's best-known •■sports"? Devoted from infancy to 

 dog and gun. A good fellow, but a, bit wild; untamed," per- 

 haps. He was married the other day; aud for the first time 

 since childhood entered a church. He tells the story himself: 

 "Presently 1 saw the parson motioning to mo with his 

 book. J couldn't understand it, and looked inquiringly at 

 him. Again he raised it to his chin aud brought if down- 

 ward Still I couldn't make it out. At last he whispered, 

 'Down charge, closel' Then 1 knelt; and that was what 

 he wanted." The Jedue. 



Scene — Caroline county, Maryland: sun two hours high. 

 Yours truly out "squirre'lin'," armed With a long rifle, passes 

 through a cornfield in which are two "culled gemin" in- 

 dustriously engaged in husking corn. The usual ' Tlowsre- 

 you" is exchanged and work suspended for a minute exam- 

 ination of the rifle. Darkey .No. 1 takes it, aims at several 

 cornstalks, says: "Yes, tolerbul good gun, mostes long es 

 ole Uncle Ros's'es do." "Why," said I, "is his any longer?" 

 "Oh! bressyer, yes, child; why, he was out squi'rrelin' one 

 moruin' en' seen ei squeril on er big gum. Uncle Ross 

 puts up en busts a cap on 'iin, but, she doane go; lays her 

 down, looked rather bar'l en seed ther charge comin', puts 

 her up agin quick en killed ther squeril dead." 



Darkey No. 3 now chimes in, and sa_ys: "Saved oleUncle 

 Ross er right smart er trouble do ef he'd pulled trigger fore 

 he left home." H, L, 



Brooklyn, I.odk Island. 



FARMER VS. SPORTSMAN. 



IF we are to continue to roam at will with dog and gun 

 through the covers, or follow unmolested the trout 

 brooks that course, through the meadows of the farmer, it 

 would be wise to slop aud consider, and see if we cannot do 

 something to remove the prejudice that, exists toward our 

 class. It is not pleasant to ride a dozen miles to a, splendid 

 cover that you enjoyed shooting in last year, and find posted 

 the notice "No shooting on these premises," or to journey 

 to a tine trout brook you have fished with good success for 

 years, and while still sitting in your wagon read on a board 

 posted where the brook crosses the road, "'No fishing al- 

 lowed." 



1 fear, however, that shooters and fishermen are very 

 largely responsible for this state of things. Mark you, I do 

 not say sportsmen, for to my mind a true sportsman must be 

 a gentleman, not necessarily wealthy or highly educated, 

 but a large-hearted, whole-souled fellow, who would scorn 

 to do a mean act. If all who use the rod and gun were of 

 this class there would be little trouble, and the grounds of 

 the farmer would very rarely be found posted. But unfor- 

 tunately there are some who belong to the shooting and fish- 

 ing fraternity who conduct themselves as though they 

 thought the farmers, on whose grounds they were trespass- 

 ing, had no rights which they were bound to respect. I 

 have seen a man deliberately tumble, the top of a wall down 

 because he was too lazy to climb over it, and I have repeat- 

 edly seen where a rod of wall had been literally torn down 

 to fake out a rabbit. I have also seen the tall grass that had 

 been ruthlessly trampled down when it was about fit to cut, 

 and because of these things the sportsman must suffer. 



Farmers as a class are not mean or stingy ; quite the 

 reverse, as many of us can testify. 'When I was about a 

 dozen years old my father gave me a gun and fishing-rod 

 to use, "and for more than thirty years I have used them 

 faithfully. Not the same old twenty-gauga muzzle-loader, 

 or the same old twenty-fool rod; they have long been laid 

 aside for others of improved pattern. But for more than 

 thirty years I have used the rod and gun. I have indulged 

 in this recreation in all the New England States, and during 

 all this time I think I have never been ordered off from a 

 farmer's domain but three times, and only twice in my own 

 State. On these occasions I simply obeyed and indulged 

 in no abuse. In one of the cases the owner was a New- 

 Yorker who spent his summers on his farm, and 1 was 

 aware that shooters had been ordered oil', but as the land 

 was not "posted" and the cover a favorable one, 1 concluded 

 to take my chances. The report of my gun soon brought 

 the hired man, who delivered his message, and I quietly left. 

 Not long after I was out shooting with a friend, and toward 

 night, after a very successful shoot, 1 arranged with my 

 friend to look through a piece of cover, while 1 diove the 

 horse around to the one where I had been ordered off, and 

 where he should meet me. 1 found the owner at home and 

 asked the privilege of looking through the cover. He met 

 me pleasantly enough, but pioceeded to state his grievance. 

 He said that's brood of partridges had been hatched and 

 reared there, and he had hoped to get one for his wife, who 

 was very fond of them; but that as soon as the law was off 

 the hunters from the, city came there and killed them all, 

 aud he didn't get one; (hut he cared nothing for the wood- 

 cock, and had no objection to my hunting, but that if I 

 killed a partridge he wished 1 would give it to him for his 

 wife. 1 hunted, out the cover, killed a, partridge, gave it to 

 him, and the pleasure he manifested on receiving it paid me 

 well. I have hunted the cover the past ten years, have 

 killed lots of birds there, and have never thought that I 

 paid dearly for the privilege, 



Another ease happened last fall at one of our best covers 

 for flight woodcock, which is situated about four miles from 

 the city. Two members of our club had just commenced 

 to shoot there one morning when the owner came out of hia 

 house and commenced a torrent of abuse as soon as he was 

 within heating, atid kept it up until he got up to my friendS., 

 whom he ordered off m language more forcible than elegant. 

 Now, my friend S. is a gentleman, and nothing would "have 

 induced him to indulge in such language himself; beside he 

 had just flushed a woodcock and had him marked down, 

 and was, therefore, very anxious to remain. So he began 

 to reason with the man, told him that he would do him no 

 harm, thai he only wished to hunt Ihe hill over for wood- 

 cock, "and now," said S., "1 have just flushed one and he 

 is right behind that bunch of alders: you take my gun and 

 shoot him while I go round and put him up." The fight 

 wasallout of the farmer, aud he replied, "I can't shoot 

 any thine;; let me scare him up for you." And so he did, 

 and S. killed the woodcock, and if is needless to add that 

 he and his frieDd hunted the cover as loug as they pleased. 

 The farmer's excuse for the attack was that somebody not 

 loug before had shot at his cows out of "eusseduess." and, 

 therefore, he was down on till hunters. Now, if my friend 

 had replied to the man in like manner what would have 

 been the result? If not blows, at least a disagreeable 

 quarrel, and he would not have hunted the cover, beside 

 the. farmer would have retained the same opinion of hunt 

 era; whereas he learned that a hunter could be a gentleman 

 and he no doubt returned to his house heartily ashamed of 

 himself 1 firmly believe that it sportsmen would only 

 learn not lo "go off at half cock" when farmers approach 

 them in a coarse, boisterous manner and order them'off ; but 

 instead would show them that, a sportsman is a gentleman, 

 they could generally so arrange matters as to he allowed to 

 remain, and in most cases would be invited to come again. 



1 am aware that, there is another side to the question, and 

 that there are mean men among farmers. Of course there 

 are; and that is true of every class. There are farmers who 

 think, or pretend to think, they own the game; they don't 

 want it themselves, neither will they allow you on their 

 premises: they think a sportsman is a loafer; they hate a 

 dog; etc. Not much can be done for these men; nothing 

 would induce them to think differently. They would be 

 glad if they could induce I heir neighbors lo think and act 

 as they do in these matters, but they cannot; they haven't 

 much influence anyway, aud, best of all, this class of men 

 is not large. All therein to be done if we fall into their 

 hands aud they order us off is to go. and it will do no good 

 to tell them what you think of them. Such men are gener- 



