foee'st and stream. 



263 



njurious to dogs as is supposed; indeed, it may be asked, 

 8 'it at all so? We rather inclined to the opinion that it is 

 not. and we think facts are much in our favor, for hounds, 

 pointers, and indeed all sporting dogs are notoriously given 

 to eat animal substances in the highest state of decomposi- 

 tion with an appetite and avidity that show it is a natural 

 propensity. Indeed how can it be otherwise? for in a wild 

 state a dog may be supposed to have hunted down some 

 large animal, as a sheep, goat, etc. Having satiated his 

 appetite on it, if he be of a moderate size only, he buries 

 the remainder to hide it from others, and has recourse to 

 what is left when his wants require it. Fresh and whole- 

 some flesh, well boiled and mixed in proper proportions 

 with other food, is absolutely indispensable to foxhounds, 

 and if investigated, the tainted meat supplied to them 

 would, in the majority of cases, be found to be the cause 

 of their sometimes going so suddenly out of condition. — 

 Cor. Land and Water. 



r M cfflzg^w 8 ' 



INDIAN SNAKE CHARMERS. 



DURING our .stay at the Sangov bungalow, we had a 

 visit from two SapioalloM, or serpent channel's, who at 

 the same time were ready to sell any kind of reptile. They 

 offered us a rather rare 'snake, the goulabi, or rose, whose 

 skin is dotted over with coral marks, and a nondescript 

 snake whose head and tail looked so much alike that it was 

 difficult to distinguish the difference. Finding they hall 

 no cobra capellos in their collection, I remarked the fact to 

 them, to which they replied, "What would be the use of 

 our bothering ourselves with them, when we can find them 

 just as soon as they are wanted? Would you like to have 

 one? The court yard of your bungalow ought to furnish 

 all the cobras you want, and at short notice." My curiosi- 

 ty was excited, and I challenged them to find me a cobra 

 with the ease or even in the short time they professed to be 

 able to accomplish it. N/o sooner had I said this than 

 one of the saywallahs stripped off almost all his clothes save 

 his shirt, and taking his toumril (the snake charmer's flute) 

 requested me to follow him. Back of the bungalow there 

 was a piece of ground filled with briers and stones. Tak- 

 ing his instrument he commenced producing a series of the 

 most piercing sounds, interspersed with occasional soft 

 notes, with his body bent towards the ground prying into 

 each tuft of grass, into every thicket. Almost in a moment 

 by a single glance he indicated to me where I should look. 

 and there I saw sure enough a snake just issuing from un- 

 der a stone. As quick as lightning the snake charmer let 

 his flute fall and seizing the "snake with wonderful dexter- 

 ity, tossed it into the air. and the instant it lit on the ground 

 he had it fast by the tail. After examining it for a moment 

 I found it was an inoffensive snake, a kind of viper, The 

 snake charmer then commenced his work over again, going 

 through the same musical performances. In less than a 

 second the flute was dropped, a second snake was thrown 

 up into the air, it fell, was caught again, and with the most 

 wonderful coolness the sapwallah showed me dangling from 

 his hand, the tail held fast between his fingers, a fearful 

 cobra fully three feet long. The hideous reptile twisted 

 and squirmed, but with another most clever motion, the 

 snake charmer held the reptile now behind the head, and 

 forcing open the mouth, showed me the terrible fangs, from 

 whence distilled the venom which was sudden death. I am 

 absolutely positive that there could have been no trick 

 about handling this snake, although I was well aware that 

 in ordinary cases snake charmers play with snakea that have 

 had their fangs pulled out. Presently the Hindoo took a 

 small pair of pincers and drew out the teeth of the cobra. 

 Whether through an accident or to show his indifference 

 to snake poison, the snake had bitten him, slightly it is 

 true, though the blood was flowing from one of his fingers. 

 Apparently not a bit disturbed he sucked the wound and 

 applied to It a bit of black porous stone which he assured 

 me was a perfect antidote for all snake bites. I bought the 

 piece of stone from him. On analysing it I found it was 

 nothing more than a bit of calcined bone of a remarkably 

 fine grain. After the cobra hunt, the sapwallahs com- 

 menced showing us all their various tricks. One tour de 

 fores performed by them had a striking resemblance to the 

 'famous miracle of Moses bafore Pharaoh. The juggler, 

 keeping on nothing but his shirt took a harmless snake, put 

 it before our eyes in a basket which he covered up. He 

 lift- cl the basket up into the air, chanted several certain ca- 

 balistic words, while his comrade accompanied him on the 

 tamborine. All of a sudden he took a pliant rod, swung it 

 twice or thrice around his head, then threw it at my 

 feet, where it writhed in the form of a true snake. I 

 watched him as closely as I could, making him repeat the 

 trick twice, yet it was impossible for me to discover when 

 or how he substituted the snake for the stick. The trick 

 was so cleverly performed that credulous people would 

 have readily believed that the transformation was a positive 

 one. 



I fancy the way it was done was as follows: The snake 

 charmer of course does not place the snake in the basket, 

 but allows the snake, who is trained to it, to coil around 

 his arm, which is covered bj^ the sleeve of his shirt. Now 

 the skill lies in the substitution of the snake for the stick. 

 With a single movement the juggler I suppose tosses the 

 stick behind him to his mate, while at the same time he 

 throws out the serpent concealed in his arm. I do not 

 think this calls for any more skill than the cleverness dis- 

 played by the sapwallah, when as quick as lightning he 

 caught before my eyes a cobra, tossed it up in the air, and 

 seized it as it fell by the tail. It must be remembered that 

 a cobra's head protruding from his hole does not offer a 

 place to catch hold of any larger than an inch and a half or 

 so square. I must state that the charmers who exhibited 

 before me were of the highest rank, and were venerated by 

 the native inhabitants. The two rupees I gave them amply 

 satisfied th^n for a curious series of performances which 

 lasted fully two hours. — [Translated for Forest and 

 Stream from Louis Rousselet's Travels, Tovrde Monde. \ 

 ~+*». 



— We have seen a stick of wood weighing scarcely four 

 ounces fall from a boy's arms, and striking on his toes ren- 

 der him incapable of further action for hours afterward, 

 while the same boy has slipped with a pah- of skates, aud 

 striking on his head witli sufficient force to split that article 

 open, has not only reached his feet unaided, but has given 

 the boy who laughed at him one of the most astonishing 

 whalings he ever received —P/i.n 1m >-y Hfem* 



RHYMING PROPHECIES. 



IT was a proverb in Scotland that if the deer rose dry and 

 lay down to dry on Bullion's Day, there would be an 

 early harvast. Considering the soldier-saint was the chosen 

 patron of publicans and dispensers of good liquor, it seems 

 odd that a shower falling upon St Martin's Day should be 

 supposed to indicate a twenty days' opening of heaven's 

 sluices. Martin, however, when he went in for wet, was 

 more mpderate than his uncanonised brother Swithum, 

 commonly called St. Swithin; he, as every one knows, is 

 content with nothing under f orty days ; 



Saint Swithin's Day, gin ye do rain, 

 For forty days it will remain; 

 Saint Swithin's Day, an' ye be fair, 

 For forty days 'twill rain nae mair. 



Why this should be, has been explained in this wise: 

 When the good Saxon Bishop of Winchester departed this 

 life some thousand years ago, he was, in accordance with 

 his expressed wish," buried in the churchyard, so that his 

 humble grave might be trodden by the feet of passers-by, 

 and receive the eaves-dropping from the abbey roof. Thus 

 he was permitted to rest undisturbed for a hundred years; 

 then the clergy of the diocese took it into their heads to 

 have the saint taken up, and deposited inside the cathedral ; 

 but when they set about the work, the rain came down 

 with such violence that they were compelled to desist, and 

 finding the deluge continued for forty days, interpreted it 

 to be a warning against removing SAvithin's remains, and 

 therefore contented themselves with erecting a chapel over 

 his grave. As poor robin sings : 



Whether this were so or no. 



Is more than you or I do know, 



Better it is to rise betime, 



And to make hay while sun doth shine. 



Than to believe in tales and lies 



Which idle monks and friars devise. 



Mr. Earle, however, has shown that while it is true that 

 St Swithin did leave directions that he should be buried in 

 a vile place, under the eaves-dropping, on the north side of 

 Winchester church, there was no supernatural protest 

 on his part against his relics being removed to the magnifi 

 cent shrine prepared for them in Ethel world's cathedral. 

 On the contrary, the weather was most propitious for the 

 ceremony. Whoever was at the pains of inventing the 

 story of the forty days' tempest, misapplied his imaginative 

 faculties altogether, since the phenomenon popularly asso- 

 ciated with St Swithin is as apocryphal as the story con- 

 cocted to account for it. From observations made at Green- 

 wich in the twenty years ending with 1861, it appears that 

 during that term forty days' rain was never known to fol- 

 low St Swithin's Day; while, oddly enough, the wettest 

 weather came when the saint failed to 'christen the apples.' 

 In only six instances— in 1841, 1845, 1851, 1853, 1854, and 

 1856 — did it rain at all upon the fateful day; and the forty 

 days following showed respectively twenty -three, twenty- 

 six, thirteen, eighteen, sixteen, and fourteen rainy ones. 

 On the other hand, there were twelve wet^days out of the 

 forty after the dry St Swithin of 1842, twenty-two after 

 that of 1843, twenty-nine after that of 1860, and no less than 

 thirty-one after that of 1848. Not that any evidence is 

 likely to shake the faith of believers in the ancient notion. 

 Convinced against their will, they will hold their old opin- 

 ion still, like Hone's lady friend, who, finding her favorite 

 saint's day fine, prophesied a long term of beautiful 

 weather; but when a few drops of rain fell towards evening, 

 veered round, and, was positive six weeks of wet impended. 

 Her first prophecy turned out to be correct; but the obsti- 

 nate dame would not have it so, declaring stoutly that if 

 no rain had fallen in the daytime, there certainly must 

 have been some at night. There are rainy saints beside 

 Swithin; in Belgium they pin their faith to St Grodelieve; 

 in France, to Saints Gervais and Protais, and St Medard. — 

 Chambers' Journal. 



KEEP THE LEGS AND FEET WARM. 



DURING the damp and cold season, the legs should be 

 encased in very thick knit woolen drawers, the feet 

 in thick woolen stockings, (which must be changed every 

 day,) and the shoe soles must be as broad as the feet when 

 fully spread, so that the blood shall have free passage. If 

 the feet are squeezed in the least, the circulation is checked, 

 and coldness is inevitable. This free circulation cannot be 

 secured by a loose upper with a narrow sole. If when the 

 foot stands naked on a sheet of paper it measures three and 

 a half inches, the sole must measure three and a half. 



I will suppose you have done all this faithfully, and yet 

 your feet and legs are cold. Now add more woolen, or if 

 you are to travel much in the cars, or in a sleigh, procure a 

 pair of chamois-skin or wash-leather drawers, which I have 

 found to be most satisfactory. 



I have known a number of ladies afflicted with hot and 

 aching head, and other evidence of congestion about the 

 upper parts, who were completely relieved by a pair of 

 chamois-skin drawers and broad-soled shoes. Three ladies 

 in every four suffer from some congestion in the upper part 

 of the body. It is felt in a fulness of the head, in sore 

 throat, in palpitation of the heart, torpid liver, and mmany 

 other ways. It is well known tfcat a hot foot-bath will re- 

 lieve for the time being any and all of these difficulties. 

 This bath draws the blood into the legs and feet, relieving 

 the congestion above. What the hot-bath does for an hour, 

 the broad soled shoes with thick woolen stockings, and a 

 pair of flannel drawers, with a pair of wash-leather drawers 

 added, will do permanently; of course I am speaking of 

 cold weather. No one hesitates to multiply the clothing 

 about the trunk. Why hesitate to increase the clothing 

 about the legs? As a preventive of many common affec- 

 tions about the chest, throat and head, including nasal 

 catarrh, I know nothing so effective as the dressof the 

 lower extremities which I am advocating. 



The bath is a good thing, exercise is a good thing, fric- 

 tion is a good thing, but, after all, our main dependence in 

 this climate must ever be, during the cold season, warm 

 clothing. Already we overdo this about our trunks, but 

 not one person in*ten wears clothing enough about the legg 

 and feet. — Bio Lewis in To-Day . 



—The Newbury port Herald explains that "a tinker's 

 dam" is not profanity, but simply an "enclosure made of 

 bread around the hole to be mended, that the melted solder 

 may be retained till it cools off around the bread. After 

 being subjected to this process the bread is burned and 

 spoiled, and is a fitting type of utter worthlessness " 



The Kabyles in Algeria.— The Kabyles know very 

 little of medicine. If one of them falls ill, he takes the 

 juice of some plant; if he is wounded he makes a paste of 

 sulphur, resin, and olive oil, and applies it to his wound; 

 these and a leather pouch, containing verses from the 

 Koran or certain cabalistic signs, which they wear round 

 their necks, are the only remedies that they ever think of 

 using. Their chief nourishment consists of a kind of hard 

 cake baked upon a clay plate, milk, honey, and figs soaked 

 in oil. Their luxuries are roast meat and eouscoiissou. This 

 favourite dish is made in an earthenware utensil standing 

 upon legs, which is similar to our ordinary coffee pot in 

 principle and form, although much larger in diameter. A 

 quantity of olive oil, fat, vegetables, and pieces of meat or 

 fowls seasoned with herbs aud spiees, are placed in the lower 

 half of the pot, while the couseoussou which consists of 

 grains of corn steeped in water, then crushed with a stone, 

 and finally exposed to the sun to dry, is put into the upper 

 division, which is perforated with small holes at the bot- 

 tom. The utensil is then placed over a slow fire, and the 

 steam which rises from the various ingredients in the lower 

 half of the pot gradually impregnates the couscoussov . 

 When the latter "is sufficiently cooked it is turned into a 

 wooden bowl and the meat placed on the top.— Gentleman* 

 Magazine. 



$imvey$ §a (^on{tB$enthni$. 



— ♦ — 



[We shall endeavor in this department to impart and tope to reeny 

 such information as may be of service in amateur and professional sports- 

 men. We will cheerfully answer all reasonable questions that fall within 

 the scope of this paper, designating localities for good hunting, fish 

 ing and trapping, and giving advice and instructions as to outfits, itn 

 plements, routes, distances, seasons, eopens.es, remedies, traits, specie* 

 governing rules, etc. All branches of the sporisman' s craft will receive 

 attention. Anonymous communication* not noticed.] 



D.— See Agassiz's Journal in Brazil; Ticknor «fc Field. It is fully ex- 

 plained. 



Rosenbaum, New Jersey.— Quails can be obtained by addressing C. J 

 Fox, Galatea, Saline county, Illinois. 



E. T. H., Lynn, Mass.— For full information of Umbagog and Range, 

 ly lakes, in Maine, see Forest aud Stream, Sept. 18th, page 21. 



W. S. H., Brooklyn, L. I.— "Is there any shooting at Barnegat?" Yes. 

 wild fowl; but it is very cold; on the main, fair quail shooting; near Tom's 

 river, good cock shooting. 



Cornskin, Memphis.— "Is there a man in the United States, Daley by 

 name, who makes breeeh loaders ?" Yes, Messrs. Sceoverling & Daley. - 

 No. 84 Chambers street, New York. 



Clendenning.— We can recommend no better book to you than 'Troe 

 tor's Half Hours with the Telescope." As your glass is a three inch 

 achromatic, it would just suit. 



Racine College, Wisconsin.— "When will the Forest and Stream 

 publish the reviews of the cricket clubs in the country?" Anc. We are 

 now preparing the material, and have it almost ready for the press. 



Rifleman, Lexington. Ky.— "What is the largest number of grains of 

 powder which can be shot from a rifle without unpleasant recoil?" Ans. 

 About ninety grains, which is about a half more than the regulation 

 charge . 



Grizzly.— "What is the mountain fever?" Ans. A severe cold pecu- 

 liar to the Rocky mountains, caused by exposure and over exertion, Tts 

 symptoms are flushes, fever, cold m the head, headaches and general de- 

 bility. It reduces a cast-irom mountain man to a weak and helpless in- 

 fant in a few days. It in no respect resembles the fever and ague, or 

 the fever prevalent to the Southern States. 



Cocoon, Baltimore, Md. — Some time ago we replied to a correspondent 

 in regard to the oak feeding silk worm, since which w r e have come across 

 Dr. Wallace's Prize Essay on the oak feeding silk worm. Dambyxjama 

 mai. The worm will well feed on the English and Turkey oak and all 

 other kinds. It is advisable to plant some seedling oaks to feed with 

 when they are first hatched. 



Cheval, Germantown. Pa. — In regard to your question about a naked 

 horse, or one without hair, Brehm, a strong authority, says that travelers 

 affirm that troops of hairless horses are found in a half wilA state in Af- 

 ghanistan. Occasionally some have found their way into India, and thence 

 to Europe. A race of hairless horses is said to have once existed in the 

 Crimea, and that occasionally foals show the old hairless origin. A hair- 

 less horse, a kind of lusus naturce animal, was exhibited some years ago 

 at the Crystal Palace. 



Star Fish, Philadelphia.— 'The Physallia have certainly the power of 

 stinging, those found in the waters surrounding the West Indies especi- 

 ally. Duteste says the effect on his arm when he touched one was as if he 

 had plunged it in boiling water. Mr. Bennet, an English naturalist, af- 

 firms the fact, and states from experience that the effects of the poison 

 of the Physallia are quite serious. West India negroes believe that 

 when the "galleys," as they are called, are dead aud dried that the poison 

 is as efficacious as ever; but this is nonsense. We should be pleased to 

 have your experience. 



Coot, Fordham. N. Y.— "What are the expenses for a sportsman per 

 diem on the several islands in the Chesapeake, and near the capes of Vir- 

 ginia, mentioned by you?" Ans. On Cobbs 1 and Chincoteague, $5 a day, 

 for wild fowl, and $2,50 for snipe. On Mockhorn, Hog and Fisherman's. 

 $3 a day. We have already given the route. On the Susquehanna bv 

 contract, at Nott's Island, N. O, $3 a day, a good place; at Good Ground. 

 L. L, $8, for a party of three, including live geese stools. At Raynor's' 

 West Hampton, L. I., $3 a day. None of these prices include board.' 

 but merely gunner, stools and boats . 



Fred Mather, Honeoye Falls.— Your question is partly answered 

 elsewhere. White rabbits, white mice, and white ferets are albinos, but 

 they breed true, like the pure strains. We suppose that human albinos 

 would breed true, but know of no authentic cases. Melanism is h freak 

 of nature exactly the reverse, where the exceptions are black instead of 

 white. For instance, we have seen a black red squirrel and a white one 

 from the same nest. These were in possesion of George A Boardman. 

 of Calais, Maine, a naturalist of some repute. Melanism does not occur 

 as often as Albinoism, and is rarely seen in birds, few instances having 

 been noted. 



Little.— Albinoism is common with all species of mammals and birds, 

 particularly the latter. In 1872 there was a full grown albino bull buffalo 

 killed on the plains of Western Kansas. Mnskrats, mink, otters, foxes 

 wolves, rats, mice, squirrels, and other animals, are often found in a state 

 of albinoism. Albinos are more common with some species of animals 

 than with others, especially in the red squirrel and common house mouse 

 and rat. Animals are never seen in a half state of albinoism as birds 

 often are. Blue jays have been seen with head and crest nearly white, 

 the other parts of the body having its natural coloring, A cedar bird 

 with a white tail, the yellow markings on the tail feathers being per- 

 ceivable, and quail, robins, swallows, prairie hens, grouse, marsh hawks 

 and sparrows, particularly the Passer domesticus, with their entire plum- 

 age mottled with white. Two years ago a milk white red-tailed hawk 

 (Buteo borealls) was killed on the meadows near Jersey City. Our corres- 

 pondent, J. H. Batty, the naturalist, says there is a crow with white 

 wings which is often seen feeding in the meadows near Coney Island. 

 He has often tried to shoot it, but thus far in vain. Albino birds are 

 often hatched from white eggB. The true cause of alhinoism I am unable 

 to state. 



