Jotte 14, 1883.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



383 



more for a watch-dog than anything else, After going 

 twelve miles up the valley we readied Hie Santa Ynez Moun- 

 tains, and Im-l'.-hi Hie ascent.. We lightened the load for the 

 mules by getting out and walking up the steep places. 

 Wild cherry or plum trees grow abundantly by the road- 

 side, and their sweet find was \L;ry refreshing. When 

 plentifully pari aken of. this truil sometimes intoxicates a 

 persons. The day being warm, we toiled slowly up the 

 mountain. Several times we eame upon the trail of a huge 

 rattler or oilier snake, which had lazily dragged itself across 

 the dusty road, and after two hours' hard climbing, Wti 

 readied tie' Summit, The view alone well repaid us for Hie 

 exertion. Range upon range of brush and timber covered 

 mountains stretched hel'orc us for miles. Three thousand 

 feet below, across a. deep eahou. the road in it? serpentine 

 windings now disappears in some glen, and Iheu reappears 

 further on. until if is lost to sight in Hie distance. Fifteen 

 miles away is the grand Pacific, its various currents plainly 

 visible; some of dazzling brightness from Hie sun shining 

 upon them, and others of a deep blue color. In the air 

 above are a number of vultures that would measure from 

 eight to ten feet across the wings, lazily wheeling about in 

 large circles Everything is quiet. Even the birds are 

 silent from the heat. A general air of laziness pervades the 

 scene. One almost imagines he could live forever on noth- 

 ing but climate and l.his." enchanting view. Bui we art soon 

 roughly aroused from our reverie \v (he voiee of Prank 

 telling us to "come on, and not keep us waiting all day!" 

 We reluctantly leave the spot, and getting in the wagon be- 

 gin the descent. On making a sharp curve We ran over a 

 rattlesnake, and it being onlv crippled, we couldn't resist 

 Hie temptation to gel out and end its earthly career, thus 

 adding its nine rattles to our eolleelion. the largest of which 

 consists of fourteen rallies ami a button. 



We ate our lunch in a sliadv recess near (he roud, where a 

 cold spring of pure water bubbles up, and bv two o'clock 

 reached the loot of the mountain. About five o'oloek we 

 came to the ranch of Mr. Gyros Marshall and decided to 

 camp there for, the night. jMr. M. being an indefatigable 

 worker, we were r-omewhat surprised to gee himself and 

 wife dressed in their bi'st clothes, reading the Bible and 

 other good books on the front porch, but, a.-, we touud out 

 later, tbev were keeping Monday for Sunday, and were hor- 

 rified when we informed them of their mistake. 



We were on the road by daylight the next morning, and 

 camped about eighteen miles up the Santa Ynez River at a 

 beautiful spot. We were kept awake that night by the coy- 

 otes, and it being moonlight we endeavored to get a shot at 

 them, but were unsuccessful Before the sun had risen 

 next morning we noiselessly dressed, and leaving our 1 wo 

 companions to their slumbers, hastily rigged our Ashing 

 tackle and stole down to the river a' few "feet away. The 

 river is not. more Hiau thirty yards wide at any place, but 

 it is very clear and contains lots of trout. We jnade a cast 

 and immediately fell a tug, and then a rush, and presently 

 landed a fine one that would weigh a pound aud a half. In 

 a few minutes twenty-three were in our creel, averaging a 

 pound or more iu weight, and iu a few minutes more a num- 

 ber of them were in the frying pan. The savory odor that 

 greeted the nostrils of Jim and Frank on awakening, caused 

 them to den their clothes in haste. After a breakfast of fried 

 trout, camp biscuit aud coffee with condensed milk, we 

 made our plans for the day. We were all going to hunt. 

 Jim started out one way aud Frank another, 'while we 

 slayer] a few minutes to fix up things around camp. Just 

 beiore leaving we happened to look across Die river and saw 

 a large coyote trotting along. He was about 15u yards 

 away, and taking good aim we blazed away. A little .spot 

 of dust raised beyond him, aud the fuel was made apparent 

 thai we were not Dr. Carver or some other fatuous shot. We 

 concluded not to shoot aguin, for when we got ready the 

 coyote was about half a mile away. When he heard the 

 shot he started, and all that could be seen of him was a 

 grayish streak. 



Before we got fairly started from camp we heard Frank 

 fire six or seven shots in rapid succession, and soon he came 

 running to camp alter Dave to help him in capturing two 

 bucks he had wounded. Dave took the truck of the one 

 that had gone toward the river, but after going half a mile 

 lost the track, and appeared much at fault. We assisted 

 him, and finally he found it again and soon eame upon the 

 deer. Me was'a vigorous two-year-old buck, with one hind 

 leg broken, but be was well rested and the tight was truly 

 exciting. Tin deer would si rike most forcibly w ith bis for: 

 (Vol, but the dog would watch bis chance, and sieze him 

 by the throat, choking him down, when, loosening his hold 

 from exhaustion, the tight would beam again with renewed 

 fury. But it was evident that the dog" would prove the 

 victor, and calling him off we shot the deer through the 

 head. After trying in vain to drag him to camp, we lufhg 

 him in a tree aud started after the other one. On arriving 

 at the spot where if was shot we put. Dave on the track, and 

 in a few minutes we saw him ascending the ridge to the 

 west of us. We followed, and a long and toilsome trip it 

 -was. Dave occasionally returned to us to see that every- 

 thing was right, and then would take up the trail again. 

 We continued on over mountains and across canon for at 

 least six miles, when we heard Dave haying. We increased 

 our pace to a run. aud found that he had come upon a three 

 or four year-old buck, with one foreleg broken. Every- 

 thing showed that the battle had been severe, but Dave had 

 conquered, and the deer was now' at his mercy. After rest- 

 ing about twenty minutes we pushed the buck witt our 

 fool, when he jumped up straight nearly six feet and started 

 down the mountain, bounding over brush and rocks al a 

 rapid rate, but by the time he had gone two hundred yards 

 Dave had him again, and he was soon dispatched, We had 

 followed the deer fully six miles, and were uow two miles 

 from camp, as tired and footsore as can well be imagined 

 We hung the buck and hobbled back to camp, gave Dave 

 an early dinner and washed him in the river, be' being cov- 

 ered with blood from his recent encounters, dim returned 

 with a few quail as the result of his. skill. 



The next day we found a. bee tree near camp and Jim 

 rode one of the mules eight miles to borrow an axe to cut 

 the tree down, as well as to ask permission to do the same of 

 Mr. Moore, the proprietor of the ranch on which we ramped. 

 The name of the ranch was Tequepis ,(Ta,ka -pis) a Spanish 

 word, the meaning of which I do not know. On Jim re- 

 turning with the axe we proceeded to cut the tree, and 

 although it was rio easy task, secured about ten gallons of 

 honey dear as crystal, and left a great deal beside Every 

 available utensil was filled, and for some limeit was about 

 the stickiest camp that a person could well imagine. On the 

 following day, we moved our camp a few miles up the river. 

 While driving at a sharp trot we came upon a young buck 

 feeding by the roadside. He didn't seem to see us until we. 



wer.- opposite him, and we were so near that we could 

 quite touih him with the whip. Be ran about 

 two hundred yards and stopped, looking at us, as if won- 

 dering who we were. He had probably never >",.,-, (|, e l,^. 

 before. As we bad plenty of fresh meat we didn't bother him 

 Going on a few miles further we came upon a hunter': 

 CflMu. The occupant had not seen the face of n While man 

 for three months aud was overjoyed to see us. and gave a 

 Hie privilege Of Using anything of his that we cared to. II 

 '"» specimeuofa backwoodsman, standing full six 

 feet, straight as an arrow aud a line shot. Surrounded by 

 his dogs, horses and chickens he leads a secluded life. lie 

 had about thirty deer skins, and pressed us to accept all (he 

 "jcrkey" we wanled. He informed us 1 hat he came from 

 Hew Orleans in i860, and since then had led the life of a 

 hunter and trapper. His prejudice agaiusl the breech loader 

 is so strong that he would not allow one the space it look up, 

 and so he uses (be muzzle loader entirely, hardly looking at 

 our Winchesters. 



We pushed on two or three miles further and camped 

 Not having any fish for supper, Jim and the writer went to 

 the rivei and saw in one pool what we estimated to be at 

 least, a thousand troul, and iu (he shallow water we caught 

 enough with our hands for two or three meals. Nice, large 

 ones. too. We killed a rattlesnake that day that measured 

 four feet in length and twelve inches in circumference. It 

 was the largest we had ever seen and had eleven rattles. 

 The next morning we saw three deer feeding on the moun- 

 tain about four hundred yards away, while we were eating 

 breakfast. Frank took ' Ids rifle, and by making a detour 

 succeeded in bringing one down. I went to his assistance, 

 while Jim went after a couple of coyotes he saw some dis- 

 tance away. When I readied Frank I saw that he had 

 killed one of the largest bucks I had ever seen. The bullet 

 went iu one ear and came out of the other, killing the deer 

 instantly, Frank declared that he had killed it at fully 27.3 

 yards. We disputed the matter with him, until we stepped 

 the distance oft and it was just 15a paces With difficulty 

 we dragged the deer down Hie mountain and then went to 

 camp and hitched the mules to the wagon to bring (he deer 

 to camp, but he was so large that we could not lift him into 

 the wagon, even after the entrails were removed, and we 

 were not very- weak, either. By culling the head off we 

 finally got him into IK wee r by very hard lifting, end 

 started for the camp. If Nasi could have seen US tugging 

 away at that deer he might have enriched Baroefi with a 

 cartoon that would have added to his fame. After return- 

 ing to camp it was hard work to hang him high enough to 

 dress, but, after much trouble succeeded in doing so. He 

 was u idoubtedly the largest deer we ever saw, and his wide 

 brandling antlers probably grace the walls of Frank's room 

 at the present moment. Jim returned alter we bad accom- 

 plished all the hard work, minus a covote. but with a lynx 

 he had killed. Its color was white an J yellow, and it was 

 eighteen inches tall and twenty-nine inches long. We saw a 

 large bear track that day that measured nine by fourteen 

 inches. Its large size was caused probably by the hind foot 

 stepping in the track made by the front foot. 



.No bears were seen by us on that trip, though numerous 

 tracks were noticed. The writer killed only one deer, and 

 that was a small one. We killed a great many quail, they 

 beiug very plentiful, some docks that I have seen numbering 

 thousands. When a Hock of that, size take wing the noise 

 made resembles distant thunder. In some places farmers 

 have to guard their young grain from their depredations. 

 Trout were abundant "almost' everywhere in the streams. 

 We saw many deer that we did not shoot al, because we had 

 plenty of trash meal. One herd contained thirteen, all 

 grown cues. Although we saw no bears on this trip, we 

 did on others, and in the future may describe how we were 

 treed bv an old clubfoot. Typo. 



F,u 



-V. Net). 



FROM A SPORTSMAN'S NOTEBOOK. 



J EVER could understand why all compass needles are. 

 not of such form as to designate, at a glance, (he nortli 



IN 



pole. 



Most, of the pocket compasses have, the needle pointed 

 alike at both ends, one end being polished, and the other, 

 the north, left blue. 



Supposing a fellow-, having failed to notice this difference, 

 should become lost and "completely turned around,'' of 

 what Use would the compass be to him? Of eourse no old 

 fiuuter would be caught m any such foolish scrape, but the 

 tenderfoot might. If the t. f.'wcre a scientific man, ur one 

 who happened to remember all the points in the natural 

 philosophy of his schooldays, he could easily prove to him- 

 self which was the north pole of the needle as follows: Set 

 the compass on a level spot on the ground, hold the gun 

 nearly vertical, with the muzzle at one end of the needle out- 

 side the case of the compass, he would find that one end was 

 violently repelled; this is the north pole. In the Southern 

 Hemisphere he would have similar effects with the south 

 pole, or blank end of the needle. Any mass of iron, set on 

 end, would answer the same purpose as (he. ride barrel. 

 This effect is supposed to be due, partially, to the "magnetic 

 moment" of the iron, and also to the natural polarity due to 

 the earth's influence, a subject of prolonged study by Sir W. 

 S. Harris, who published a report for the. use of iron ships*. 

 * * * # # 



Last Sunday I watched the movements of a crow-black- 



bird in my door yard. He w; 



plainly. He would hop aim 

 and peer slea.dily for a mome 

 picks he would bring out an 

 put his foot on aud pidl in 

 Finally he found what appea 

 pulled lo pieces, but, 1 could 

 any of it or not. but he kept 

 or thighs, and, perhaps, so] 

 Then he f 



only about twenty feel from 

 glass I could, see 'everything 

 id and tip his head to one side 

 t id the sod, then with a few 

 ogle worm. This he would 

 two, and syvallow the parts. 

 ed to be a May bug. This he 

 ot 1 ell whether he "swallowed 

 ■hat appeared to be the legs 



other parts in his mouth, 



ml would lay down tin 

 had eaten the worm. 'This lie ] 

 vays picking up the pieces of bug 

 .-ay with. I suppose these were fir 



pieces 

 seated 



which 

 hi is for 



of bug until he 

 several times, a I 

 he finally flew ai 

 his young. 



Talking about flshiug, I did some funny work nu- 

 ll was during the war/ I was on tbeOulf, bound I'm 

 west I 'ess. mouths of the Mississippi, from Brazas d 

 ago. TheliltJc schooner was .sailing al 

 when we noticed some large fish acting very strangely. One 

 was much larger than the rest. I should think, as f remem- 

 ber it, some five or six feet long. This one kept directly 

 under ihe boat, except when she came out to chase away 

 five or six smaller ones, perhaps thirty inches long, She 



slowly, 



would drive them further than we could see in the beautiful 

 elearwater, but returned to take' station under the boat, to 



be soon followed by the smaller one., ,,, hidi would linger 

 just under and alongside the rail. We had a dolphin line 

 over the stern, with a rag attached to the large hook. 1 

 took this hook and bound it lo the end of a pole, with the 

 stout cord still attached to the book, and carried up the 

 pole, as a measure of safety. With this rig I sal On Ihe rail 

 'midships, aud by divers, jerks aed twitches Unaliv booked 

 one of the tish near the fail. With the help of the captain 

 I succeeded in hauling him aboard. 



These Rfjll were called by the. cap. lain of (be schooner 

 "alhicore," as near as 1 can remember, and he said he never 

 saw one caught . and laughed at. the idea of my attempting 

 it. After one was caught he took a lively interest in the 

 matter, found au old spear-bead in the hold,' which we sock- 

 eted on to the same polo, and succeeded in spearing another 

 fish, when Ihe rest, suddenly disappeared. 



That day we had a fish dinner, 1 was hungry; bad been 

 living for some days on army rations, bacon'" s.molhered iu 

 onions, which f detest. My mouth wafer,-- a.-, t write of it, 



I hare "fed" at some high toned tables, with all He .a. 



of sauces, bu( no tish ever lasted half as good. This, isn't 

 much of a fish story, compared with your "Joltings from 

 Jersey" and others, but Ihe Statements are cold facts. 



Would like to know whether I have ihe con-eel, name for 

 this fish; he was dark blue. I think, on Ihe back and light 

 beneath. 



We afterward speared a dolphin, the "Kinu of ihe Sea." 



He was the most beautiful fish lever saw, 'the "rain ,\ 



tinted" sides of the "speckled beauties" being wav off in 

 comparison. I remember thai the top part, of (he dolphin's 

 head struck me at Ihe lime ;ls being of the most, perfect lines 

 for clearing the wafer; that is from the iiiuuth up. Turn 

 him on his back and the top ot his head would make a model! 

 for the prow of a clipper. Am I light or is my memory at 

 fault'.' 



Iu cooking the dolphin the old superstition of fluffing a 

 piece of silver in the pan with the tish was followed, aud as 

 the silver was not discolored we ate the fish. 



quoted 

 )dy of 



the 



Speaking of explosives, Ihe Srli'iifi/h' An, 

 from the London Observer: ' 'An explosive 

 unstable chemical composition, which, -when its eln 

 equilibrium is disturbed, violently expands in bulk. 

 Gun cotton may be held in the li'ugers and bumf hi 

 detonator be attached lo it, and if. 'be clapped i, ,:,.,,, 

 palms of the hands, it will blow a man to piece;- •■ * * 

 Chloride and nitrogen will explode with terrific violence if 

 the bottle containing it be tapped •■■ ith a feather. * * * 

 Explosives may be roughly divided inlo combinations Which 

 are purely chemical and those lhat are chemical and quasi- 

 mechanical. .Nil ro-glyceriue is purely chemical, All purely 

 chemical compounds decompose spontaneously aud group 

 themselves inlo sub-couibinal ions of a freacheious nature, 

 •"• Nilro-glyccrine can be carried about safely, but if 

 kept for any length of time it passes through internal changes 

 Which render it unsafe." 



I suppose black powder to be a simple ne e hanical mix- 

 ture, and if kept dry can be kept for centuries unchanged. 

 now is it about wood powder? Probably the boys had 

 better use it. if at all. of fresh manufacture, and before it 

 may have "gump, d itself into combinations of a freacheious 

 nature. It is pretty powder to use. for rnaiiv occasions. 

 and it is to be hoped it is as safe RS il is declared to he by 

 the manufacturers. Mehi . tin 



CbKVBLANb, Ohio. 



J|#/w/a/ JJji§U>rg. 



ANOMALIES IN BIRD-LIFE. 



IHAVi: spent most of the preseut spring at Northford 

 Conn., a little village located seven miles northeast of 

 Long Island Sound, just above New- Haven Thursday 

 morning, April 28, as I was walking there ,„. w Farm River 

 a man named Dunk lee told me- he had just seen a -white 

 robin. thinking lie possibly was niis'akcn, I hurried on in 

 pursuit ot the curiosity. I found that Dunkleo was right- it 

 was a genuine red-breasted robin [TimUm .... ..... , , ,,| 



as lame as a chicken. It permitted me to cum,. ;!;.,, ,; v 

 or six feel of it, aud even ruy nearer apprQai I acta I med i 

 no serious alarm. Its head and breast, had the u-mal color 

 and markings of a male robin, but every other portion of it 

 was perfectly snow white. Flight, size, "chirrup " every- 

 thing, except the strange coloring, proved unmistakably that 

 it was a robm. 



This and several similar instances already narrated lend 

 me to suspect that some species of birds occasionally co- 

 habit with other species, Many ornithologists will smi'le at 

 this, while, others, perhaps, will think it over and reason 

 that il is not altogether impossible. When it is once con- 

 sidered that, with the exception of a mere handful of v i- 

 entists, the habits and peculiarities of birds are not generally 

 observed, and that new facts are constantly ooruimAo light 

 equally as strange as my theory, those deeply interested in 

 things ornithological certainly must concede thai what. I 

 have said is wort by of a second thought. Iu support of my 

 theory, one instance has come under m*- personal observa- 

 tion which 1 must give now for the consideration of others. 

 A Baltimore oriole (Irknis b,dti,„i„v) nested in mv door-yard 

 lasl summer that differed from all other orioles that lever 

 saw or heard of, in this respect: after singing its ,e. i 

 song it would rattle off the whole beautiful jargon of song, 

 common to the catbird | Galeosdopteu caroltintfuitt), 6ven to the 

 spiteful cat yawl that gives Ihe catbird its common name.' 

 Optical illusion, delusion, or other absurdity may be argued, 

 but I know better; the bird was near my study windows all 

 ummer long, anil I saw and heard it nearly every day. It 

 s possible, and barely possible, (hat the oriole had learned 

 imitate the catbird's song, but, I doubt it. Il would be no 

 nore absurd to argue that au eagle might, under certain cir- 

 cumstances, learn the coo of thedove. Scientists accept the 

 term hybrid, or mongrel, iu describing monstrosities m ihe 

 "quadruped kingdom," and I am at a loss to understand why 

 they reject its appli.aliou to birds. It is possible lhat thor- 

 ough investigation may some day set aside the fanciful and 

 pretty theories thai now exist, respecting "bird-virtue." 



Cflw Vakoerpobl. 

 KiYBuvruat, N,Y.,Mayli, 1888. 



[Thai hybrids between different closely allied species do 

 occasionally occur among birds is well established, but, that 

 such occurrences arc rare is very certain, and that such 

 hybrids are fertile ! iiU i ■ s, and produce young like themselves 



