242 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



conviction. By rapid calculation, the boat would go to pieces 

 in just eighty seconds. Then where, oh, where would I be? 



It was half a mile to the landing, and deep creeks and 

 bays intervening. My friends were all hunting further east. 

 Seeing just then that he had stopped wriggling, I ventured 

 to get into the boat. I have an impression that I didn't 

 make much noise; and I also have an impression that I 

 made that half a mile in tolerably quick time, and the per- 

 spiration that streamed down my face wasn't altogether 

 caused by the heat. 



Gathering my birds together, I returned to camp to find 

 my friends engaged in skinning a deer they had just shot, 

 and planning an excursion to a neighboring lake for heron. 

 Notwithstanding my weariness, Rafter placing a pound or 

 two of venison and slap-jacks where they would benefit me 

 most, I was ready, and launched upon the lake just as the 

 sun went down. Having a trolling spoon, I drew forth 

 from their retreat several broad tailed black bass with 

 mouths like steel traps and possessed of the strength of 

 young alligators. After an hour's rowing and wading, we 

 burst through the cane-brake and emerged into a little lake, 

 upon one side of which was a longbow willow island, from 

 which scores of herons silently flew away. Concealing our- 

 selves, we waited. Soon they came; by dozens and fifties 

 the immaculate and glossy plumaged birds approached. 

 Then the firing commenced, and continued till each one was 

 satisfied and ready to return. Emerging from the canes, 

 and rowing across the lake we returned to camp laden with 

 birds nearly as large as ourselves. In the soft moonlight 

 we looked strange and ghost-like with our burdens of white. 

 Leaving the preparation of the birds till the morrow, we 

 kicked together the embers, arranged afresh the light- 

 wood knots, and soon had a delicious aroma of coffee and 

 venison enveloping us. Then to our beds of pine boughs, 

 to sleep as only tired hunters can. Such was a representa- 

 tive day at Salt Lake; one of many with varied scenes and 



incidents. Fred. Beverly. 

 _ «*•-#- 



WILD TURKEY SHOOTING. 



Hannibal, Missouri, November, 1873. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : — 



In answer to your request for an account of a hunt after 

 wild turkeys, allow me to jot dot the results of a day's 

 sport. My usual mode of hunting the turkey is by stalk- 

 ing, while there is a good tracking snow. Many ara often 

 killed in the autumn before they are fully grown, when 

 they become comparatively an easy prey to the hunter, who 

 coolly knocks them off from the trees in which they will 

 alight when frightened. They are occasionally hunted by 

 parties who, obtaining sight of a flock, watch them care- 

 fully so as not to disturb or frighten them until they go to 

 roost, and deliberately pick them off; but this hardly seems 

 to be sport. The necessary equipments for stalking are a 

 good gun, a turkey call, clothing as near the color of dead 

 leaves as possible, and some knowledge of the habits of the 

 game. 



One clear bright morning a trio fully equipped started 

 for a certain portion of the Mississippi River bottoms, some 

 three miles away, the said trio being composed of B., C, 

 and the writer. Some forty minutes' drive brought us to 

 the foot of a once cultivated field, but now abandoned to 

 weeds and undergrowth. B. and myself got down and' 

 proposed to skirt the east side of the field to see if we could 

 discover any fresh signs, agreeing to meet C. at the upper 

 end of the field, -along the west side of which he was to 

 drive, and in the mean time to keep a sharp lookout for 

 signs. 



B. and myself had been on the search but a few moments 

 when we found the trail of two turkeys that had entered 

 the field. Carefully and silently we followed the trail 

 through its devious windings, with our fingers on the trig- 

 ger, expecting at any moment to sec a body of dark glisten- 

 ing plumage rise from some tangled mass of weeds or clump 

 of brush and start away in rapid flight. We had followed 

 the trail but a short distance before it separated, and B. 

 followed one track and I the other. In a few moments B., 

 who was in a position to see the upper end of the field saw 

 a turkey fly across and alight in some tall weeds on the east 

 side. Quickly leaving the trail that he was on, he made 

 his way as silently as possible toward where the turkey 

 went down, but the wary ear of the bird soon detected the 

 noise and took to wing, but too late, for with a steady hand 

 the gun was brought to shoulder, a quick eye glanced over 

 the glistening barrels, a sharp report rang out on the clear 

 frosty air, the extended pinions were suddenly arrested, 

 and with a heavy thud one of America's grandest game 

 birds succumbed to the skill of the hunter. Supposing 

 that B. had flushed the birds that we had been following, 

 I hurried forward to where he stood, and then learned that 

 such was not the case. I also found that C, in the mean- 

 time, had reached the upper end of the field, and had seen 

 a couple of turkeys fly across it, and that he had followed 

 a trail which led into the timber on the east. As the flock 

 was scattered he had taken up his position behind a large 

 tree, and with his caller was giving an occasional "keouk" 

 1 in imitation of the note of a turkey. B. and myself soon 

 joined him, taking up our positions behind trees at a short 

 'distance, and waited quietly for the answering call of a 

 turkey. We had not long to wait before "keouk" was 

 heard, and in a moment more, with head erect, and swiftly 

 moving feet, a magnificent gobbler came into view, with 

 eye and ear on the alert to discover his missing comrade. 

 H« had hardly approached within range of C. when a mo- 



tion of some one arrested his attention, and I will here re- 

 mark that while a turkey will approach very nearly to a 

 person if he remains perfectly motionless, they are very 

 quick to discover the least movement, and also, if they 

 have the least suspicion about the call note, whenever they 

 stop to look they are very apt, in case there is a tree about, 

 to stop behind it and with just their neck and head ex- 

 tended peer cautiously ahead. The moment he discovered 

 the suspicious movement he turned to fly, and at that mo- 

 ment C. sprang from behind his tree and with a quick aim 

 fired. The turkey had spread his wings to rise, but quickly 

 closing them again as he discovered they would not obey 

 his will he darted forth into the thick brush, running the 

 gauntlet past B. and myself, who gave him a shot each, 

 although at long range. It was evident that he could not 

 fly in consequence of a hit on the wing; but he had a first- 

 class pair of legs under him, and I wish to say that the 

 hunter who thinks a turkey is his meat because he can't 

 fly has a very poor conception of their powers of locomo- 

 tion, or the ready instinct which teaches them many "ways 

 that are dark." It is then that the sportsman must possess 

 some endurance and have some practical knowledge of tur- 

 keyish tricks, and know when and where to look for him, 

 or he will assuredly come to grief, and discover (as the wri- 

 ter often has) that after a long and hot pursuit through 

 tangled weeds and underbrush that Mr. Turkey has given 

 him the slip and made good his retreat. I took up the trail 

 of the wounded gobbler, while B. and C. took up ; a fresh 

 trail which they had discovered. I followed with swift 

 and wary footsteps for about half a mile, when the trail 

 entered a mass of tall grass. Here I knew full well I might 

 at any moment see the old fellow break cover and dart 

 away. I was following cautiously, when hearing a rustle 

 behind me I turned just in time to see the broad tail of his 

 lordship sliding down from a high log and disappear among 

 the trees. My gun was quickly at my shoulder, but a pro- 

 voking snap was all the result, while the turkey was going 

 out of sight at a three minute gait. He had cunningly led 

 me into the grass, and then doubling back on his trail 

 squatted beside the log, and as soon as he thought I was 

 far enough away to give him a chance to elude me had 

 darted away. I was quickly in pursuit, and for the next 

 half mile his course did not take him to any good hiding 

 place, but it took him to a fence that skirted an old field. 

 Along beside this he travelled for several hundred yards, 

 endeavoring to find an opening to let him through; but 

 being unable to find one, and all being still, as I was too 

 far away to be heard, he carefully hid himself in a clump 

 of weeds in a fence corner. But this time his strategy was 

 unavailing. When I came up in pursuit he sprang to his 

 feet and started for tall timber. I drew a bead on him, and 

 this time, fortunately, my gun did not snap. A sudden 

 stopping of the swiftly moving feet, and a spasmodic beat- 

 ing of the snow with the broad wings, told me that my aim 

 had been true, and as I stood over that noble bird, with his 

 dark plumage glistening in the sunlight, I said to myself, 

 "Well done." Wiping the reeking perspiration from my 

 face, for the pace had been a hot one, I threw the old fel- 

 low over my shoulder and started for the wagon, and in 

 doing so passed up the west side of the field first men- 

 tioned, and there discovered that one of the turkeys of 

 which B. and myself had been in pursuit in the earlier 

 part of the day had passed through the field and taken to 

 the timber. I went to the wagon and deposited my bur- 

 den, and then concluded to return and take up the trail I 

 had abandoned, for turkeys, when in good cover, will often 

 lie quiet for half a day at a time when aware that there is 

 danger abroad, unless they are very nearly approached. I 

 had taken up the old trail, and was following it, when I 

 was met by another hunter and stopped for a moment's 

 conversation. In the meantime, B. and C, having fol- 

 lowed their turkey for a short distance and killed it, had 

 returned to the wagon, and were shouting vociferously to 

 me to return, as they were anxious for their lunch, and I 

 held the key. I reluctantly turned back, feeling atf the 

 same time that I was missing a turkey by so doing. I re- 

 marked to the party with whom I was conversing that I 

 believed there was a turkey not twenty steps away, and I 

 had not gone thirty yards on my return before I heard the 

 discharge of a gun, and turned in time to see a fine young 

 gobbler tumbling to the ground. Will I ever cease to re- 

 gret my loss ? 



We heartily ate our lunch, and took our way to the place 

 where the turkeys had first scattered. B. and myself soon 

 struck another trail, and had followed it but a little time 

 when from a fallen tree top another bird took wing. B. , 

 who was in advance, fired both barrels, the first without 

 effect, but the second did not seem to be a clear miss. With 

 careful eye I followed the turkey's course, noting its move- 

 ment and actions. When nearly out of range of my vision 

 I discovered a slight irregularity in its course. A little 

 farther on and the wings stayed their regular motion, and 

 the body plunged downward to the earth. Marking the 

 place as well as I could from such a distance, we hurried 

 forward, and were soon found by C, who had heard the 

 reports. Reaching the place as near as we could judge, 

 we commenced a careful quartering of the ground, and had 

 at last nearly given up finding the turkey when we were 

 approached by a man coming from an open field beyond 

 us. We very naturally asked the question, "Did you no- 

 tice a turkey fall in this vicinity?" He replied that he did, 

 and judged that it had fallen near to a shanty that stood a 

 little distance beyond on the skirts of the timber. A mo- 

 ment later he exclaimed, "Here is your turkey; what is left 

 of it." And sure enough, beyond a high fallen log lay the 



bird, rapidly disappearing down the rapacious maw of * 

 half starved swine of the female persuasion. It seemed 

 that she had stood nearly under the turkey as it fell, and 

 no doubt thought it a good day for her that rained such 

 food, and had fallen to with a will and about half devoured 

 it while we were searching for the place where it fell. 

 Never was the temptation to take the life of another per- 

 son's animal harder for me to resist than at that moment, 

 and as we stood gazing at that famishing old sow, whose 

 dry and wrinkled sides looked as if they would need soak- 

 ing to hold water, I suspect that the presence of a small 

 and needy looking family, coupled with the appearance of 

 two or three dirty and half starved looking faces at the 

 door and windows of the aforesaid shanty, whose prospec- 

 tive winter's meat would be taken away from them, was 

 the means of prolonging the life of the offender. But to 

 say that we were mad, and spoke not, would be to draw it 

 too mild. I claim that I am not a profane man, but for the 

 sake of the law and the commandments I trust I may not 

 often be thus tempted. Calling to a little boy who was 

 passing out of the door he came reluctantly forward. We 

 gave to him the remaining portion of the turkey, which 

 we had replevined from the aforesaid swine, and bade him 

 take it to the house. He departed with a broad grin on his 

 dirty countenance, evidently pleased with the addition to 

 the bill of fare which those remains would produce. We 

 then retraced our steps. 



Brother sportsmen, as you sit beside your cheery fire and 

 read this sketch imagine for yourselves how, after a long 

 tramp through snow and wood, you finally had your pa- 

 tience and perseverance rewarded with the capture of such 

 noble game, and then to have it retrieved in such a manner. 

 We were soon on the trail of another turkey. In a few 

 moments it broke cover from a mass of weeds and tock 

 wing. Again it happened that B. was in advance, and he 

 quickly pulled trigger, the result of which was a broken 

 wing, which brought him to the ground, and as he darted 

 away through the wood C. sent a charge of shot after him, 

 which brought him to bag. Soon after, C. and myself 

 were on another trail, and had followed it but a short time 

 when another fine gobbler rose from cover. A quick shot 

 from me through the tree tops sent him away a badly 

 wounded bird. He flew some four or Ave hundred yards 

 and lit in a fallen tree top near where the hunter happened 

 to be who had killed the one that I had first been on the 

 trail of. He very coolly walked him up and shot him. 

 This about ended the day's sport, and at the place where 

 our team was left the whole party assembled, including a 

 couple of country boys, who had driven the turkeys some 

 two or three miles before we struck them. The total count 

 was five for our party, including the one we had (in) volun 

 tarily donated, three for the country boys, and two for 

 the p*arty previously mentioned — ten in all. A good bag 

 for about a half day's sport. 



I could give you an account of many a day's tramp after 

 wild turkeys, the inventory of numbers of them being an 

 empty bag and a tired and disgusted hunter, but these are 



not the stories that sportsmen tell. Herbekt. 

 -«►♦*>. 



ON THE ELAPHURE OF CHINA. 



Smithsonian Institute, Washington, Nov. 17, '73. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : — 



My attention has been called to a paragraph under the 

 caption of "One who goes' to Menageries," in your last 

 number, requesting information respecting the "JBlaphunts 

 David/ianus;" this I am happy to be able to give. 



The animal in question is a deer larger than the stags, 

 and distinguished by its comparatively robust legs, the 

 spreading hoofs, long and bushy tail, and especially the 

 horns; these are very remarkable, and deserve extended 

 notice, especially as their structure has been apparently not 

 understood. They may be compa,red to those of the typi- 

 cal stags, so far as the main antlers (homologically speak- 

 ing) are concerned, but with the brow antlers extraordinarily 

 developed, branched, and usurping the place of the "main" 

 antlers; in other words, the several elements of the horns, 

 compared with those of ordinary deer, are reversed, the 

 direction of the growth being upwards or forwards instead 

 of backwards, so that what in most deer are the "main" 

 antlers are thrown out of axis and deflected backwards, 

 while those which correspond to the brow antlers of other 

 deer take the place of the "main" antlers, and develop 

 two to four times, according to age.* This mode of growth 

 is unexampled in any other deer, and apparently justifies 

 the generic distinction of the species from the others, as 

 M. Alphonse Milne-Edwards has proposed. The generic 

 name {Elaphurus) given by Edwards refers to the stag-like 

 characteristics (Elephas, or Elephus, being the old Greek 

 name of the stag), combined with a long tail {oura— -tail; 

 the specific name {Davidianus) has been given in honor of 

 the missionary, Mr. Armand Davis, who discovered the 

 animal. The Chinese name is Mibou, or Sze-poo-Seang (ac- 

 cording to French pronunciation Tseu-poa'-Siang). The 

 last is said by Father David to convey an allusion to the 

 combination of four characters which are elsewhere sepa- 

 rated, that is, the horns of the deer, the feet of the cow, 



*The growing antlers of the young three year old exhibit approximately 

 proportions like those of the three >ear old red deer ("spoxod"), but they 

 are much more robust, and the brow antlers relatively larger; the differ 

 ence, then, is the result of the disproportionate increase or hypertrophy 

 of the "drew" antlers, and corresponding atrophy of the '•main''' antlers. 

 —Trans. Zool. Soc, of London, vol. vii, pp. 333, 336, January, 1871. 

 Further information may be had by reference to the following authori- 

 ties:— A. Milne-Edwards, Uomptes Eendus, 4th May, 1866; Am. Sc 

 Nat., ser. 5, v, 880; Nour Arch, de Mus. II, Bull., p. 27, pi. 4, 1886; Al- 

 cock, P. Z. S., 1868, pp. 210, 530; David, P. Z. S., 1868, p. 210; Swlnhoe, 

 P. Z. S., 1888. p. 580: Selater, P. Z. 3,, 1888, p. Ml; 1S89, p, 468; PrwJc, 

 Z.S?, vii, 833, 1871. 



