FOREST AND STREAM. 



311 



distribution of homing pigeons to the several garrisons, but 

 our offer did not meet with adequate response; we there- 

 fore return to the subject, and shall be happy to offer prizes 

 for pigeon flying in our great military garrisons, provided a 

 committee of officers interested in the subject will aid us 

 with their assistance or suggestions. 



[It would be exceedingly interesting if some of our 

 efficers on the Pacific frontier should try and communicate 

 with friends in the Atlantic coast by means of carrier 

 pigeons. The extent of our country would allow of the 

 homing instincts of these beautiful birds to be better tried 

 than almost anywhere else. — Ed.] 



Jpfi> fennel 



— ♦ " 



INSTINCT IN YOUNG POINTERS. 



» 



Editor Forest and Stream : — 



In the last number of Forest and Stream is a remark- 

 able instance of the above trait, taken from Land and 

 Water. [See note below]. I can give you one from my own 

 experience perhaps equally remarkable. 



Twenty-five years ago, or more, then living in Chicago, I 

 raised a brace of pointer puppies which, from the good qual- 

 ties of their parents, promised well. They were trained to 

 obedience, would fetch, and go to heel, but at six months 

 old had never seen living game. When at that age I took 

 them one day early in August in my buggy a few miles 

 south of the city, where I expected to find a covey of 

 grouse. It was then an open prairie, though now covered 

 with streets and houses. While putting up my horse in the 

 tavern shed, the dogs slipped away, and betook themselves 

 to the prairie. I followed, but at first could see nothing of 

 them. Looking carefully about, on nearer approach I saw 

 their heads above the long grass a few hundred yards away, 

 apparently standing on birds, but as they had never been 

 in the field before, I could hardly think it possible. But 

 sure enough, when I came up there was Don, pointing as 

 steadily as an old dog, and Hal at a few paces behind back- 

 ing him. Their point was as station as that of their sire 

 (Phil), who would have stood on birds while his portrait 

 was painted; nor did they move till I walked before them 

 and put up a covey of half grown grouse. Then Don, who 

 was high couraged and obstinate, started in pursuit, but 

 dropped to the word "Down!" a's did his more docile 

 brother Hal. This was a remarkable manifestation of an 

 instinct handed down through a long line of well-bred and 

 well-trained ancestors. It could be nothing else, as these 

 young dogs had never received any instruction or training, 

 and had never seen or smelled living game before. 



The next month I took out these dogs in company with 

 their sire, and they seemed to hunt about as well as the old 

 dog, who was one of the best in the State. Like him, they 

 were liver colored, with a white spot on the chest, but their 

 dispositions were wholly unlike. Don was high spirited 

 and stubborn, requiring frequent correction, while Hal was 

 timid, and needed encouragement. We hunted them that 

 season, and they turned out to be the best brace of dogs I 

 ever saw. 



Next summer, the usual senseless panic about mad dogs 

 taking place in the city, the police were ordered to strew 

 poison about the streets, and both Don and Hal, escaping 

 one night from their kennel, were poisoned. Had they 

 lived they would, I think, have proved equal to their 

 6ire (Phil), who performed in his day all the remarkable 

 feats recorded of pointers— such as pointing birds while 

 bringing a dead one in his mouth, and coming to a point 

 on the top of a fence, the scent having struck his nose as 

 he mounted it. I have also seen him, when grouse were 

 running before him and would not stop, deliberately back 

 out from his point, and taking a circuit meet and bring 

 them to a stand. He was also ? good retriever, and though 

 not fond of the water would plunge in and bring out game 

 if there was no other way of getting it. 



Being a great favorite with his master, he was allowed to 

 live in the store, and so well did he understand the mean- 

 ing of language that if his master asked him in the most 

 common tone of voice, "Want to go hunting, Phil?" he 

 would spring to his feet and rush about barking in great 

 excitement till the wagon was brought to the door, when he 

 would jump in and coil himself away under the seat. In 

 his younger days no amount of work was too much for 

 him in the field, and he preferred to go to it on foot, and 

 would trot along the road under the horse's belly, where he 

 knew he was safe from the attack of hostile dogs. He 

 would fight savagely when he saw fit to do so, and often 

 came home wounded, when he would go to his master whin- 

 ing to have his wounds dressed, clearly understanding the 

 process, and never wincing at the pain of the operation. 

 Being known as the best dog in the town, he was frequently 

 stolen, but never remained long away, coming home travel 

 soiled and weary, with a rope round his neck, which he had 

 gnawed off and escaped. He was so fond of the sport that 

 he would go out with almost any one who carried a gun, 

 but if his temporary master proved to be a bad shot he 

 would leave him with contempt. His qualities were in- 

 herited by his descendants, many of whom may be recog- 

 nized in northern Illinois by their resemblance to him. 



S. C. Clarke. 



Note.— The instance here referred to was first printed in 

 Forest and Stream, and thence transferred to the col- 

 umns of Land and Water, which gave us credit. It was 

 printed in a letter from our Jackson, Mississippi, correspon- 

 dent. We thank Mr. Clarke for these additional very inter- 

 esting incidents. — [Ed. 



—We notice in the Field that quite a number of fatal ac- 

 cidents have occurred in dogs from the use of santonine as 

 * method for curing worms. Though we have ourselves 



seen santonine given to dogs, and without ill effects, we have 

 been chary of recommending it. The paralellism between 

 human beings and dogs, as to their power of taking medi- 

 cines, is not always the same, and santonine is not the only 

 medicine which has this different power on animals. Re- 

 cent cases are cited in the Field where a quantity of santo- 

 nine, one to two grains, having been administered, resulted 

 in the death of valuable puppies. We should therefore ad- 

 vise our readers|not to use santonine for their dogs. In for- 

 mer numbers of the Forest and Stream will be found 

 several simple and harmless medicines. The best remedy, 

 we think, is turpentine, strengthened with a drop or so of 

 worm seed oil, mixed with castor oil. We have just had a 

 puppy cured of worms, at least for the present, by using 

 this method. It is quite probable that the pests will return 

 again, when we will redose him. Some cases of the hurt- 

 ful use of carbolic acid are also mentioned when used for 

 mange. We believe when carbolic acid is employed with 

 care, well diluted with water, made quite weak, and thor- 

 oughly mixed mechanically with the water, it can do no 

 harm even to a puppy. After all, a good salve of lard and 

 flour of sulphur almost always cures ordinary mange, 

 though we have no objection to using carbolic acid in a 

 weak solution well agitated. Will some of our numerous 



canophilic friends give us their experience? 

 -+++■ 



Champion Pointer Dog "Belle." — The engraving of 



this remarkable dog, the champion of England for 1873, 



the winner of the great Bala Field trials, for all aged 



pointers and setters, beating Mr. Macdona's Ranger, Mr. 



Llewellen's Countess and Flax, Mr. Slatter's Rob Roy, &c. , 



&c, with pedigree, and points made in the trial appended, 



sent by mail. Price, $1. Discount to the trade. Forest 



and Stream Publishing Co., 103 Fulton street, N. Y. 



— A farmer at Augusta, G-a. , lately discovered that his 

 dog was in the habit of milking a fine cow. 



wgzzniqs. 



"ONE TOUCH OF NATURE." 



A LARK'S song dropped from hoavon, 

 A rose's breath at noon; 

 A still, sweet stream that flows and flowi 

 Beneath a still, sweet moon: 



A little way-side flower 



Plucked from the grasses, thus— 

 A eonnd, a breath, a glance— and yet 



What is it they bring to us ? 



For the world grows far too wise, 



And wisdom is but grief; 

 Much thought makes but a weary way, 



And question, unbelief. 



Thank God for the bird's song, 



And for the flower's breath I 

 Thank God for any voice to wake 



The old sweet hymn of faith ! 



For a world grown all too wise, 



(Or is it not wise enough?) 

 Thank God for anything that makes 

 The path lees dark and rough ! 



Ina D. CooiiBmiTH— Overland. 

 ■»♦♦- ■ 



THE BERMUDAS. 



THE soil of Bermuda is most fertile. It produces year 

 after year, without the high manuring or long rests of 

 other soils. The seaweed or kelp that everywhere floats 

 into its bays and coves is the common fertilizer. It is the 

 flotsam and jetsam of the waves, which all the planters 

 have free access to, without tithe or toll. Two kinds of 

 potato, the sweet and the white, and two crops of each can 

 be grown each year. The delicate white potato that comes 

 to us in the early spring from the Bermudas lacks the fac- 

 ulty which Mr. Toots valued so highly in his wife. It can- 

 not repeat cr reproduce itself. It is the poorest of propa- 

 gators, and every year the common Mercers, or other pota- 

 toes of Ohio or Illinois, are sent to Bermuda to be planted, 

 and in a few months com« back to us the pink and thin- 

 skinned delicacies so much affected by the New York pal- 

 ate. The growing of vegetables for the markets of the 

 United States is fast becoming the chief business of Ber- 

 muda. A few of the onions from there find their way to 

 the West Indies, and the bulk of the arrowroot goes to 

 London. But with these exceptions, the garden produce 

 comes this way, and in the spring, before our home mar- 

 kets send their supplies, the streets and wharves of the 

 Bermuda towns are wakened from their usual dulness, and 

 are crowded and bustling, and the supreme energy and ef- 

 fort of the year are displayed in packing, forwarding, and- 

 shipping their potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and other deli 

 cacies to New York and other ports on the Atlantic sea- 

 board. 



It must be understood that it is not always calm and- 

 smooth weather in Bermuda. The winds have the islands 

 almost as much at their mercy as a ship at sea, and there 

 are frequent breezes too strong for any but the best boats 

 to venture out in, and occasional storms and hurricanes that 

 carry havoc and destruction in their track. But the char- 

 acteristic of the climate is its softness, and the nights as 

 well as the days can, with few exceptions, be enjoyed "in 

 the open" with safety and comfort. 



The visitor to Bermuda who seeks the pleasures and ex- 

 citements of cities will be disappointed. If he does not 

 enjoy boating and fishing; if he tires soon of the same 

 walks and rides; if he does not need the compensations of 

 warmth and convalescence ; if his nature be altogether busy 

 and restive, and not given to meditative moods, then, prob- 

 ably his days will be tedious. There are no operas or the- 

 atres, none of the contrivances of larger cities for helping 

 or improving time. The place is small, simple, and unpre- 

 tentious; the people are kind, hospitable, and unaffected in 

 their tastes and habits. Good and sufficient food can al- 

 ways be had, and clean and comfortable lodging, at prices 

 that need not alarm people of moderate means.— The Sani- 

 twncnx 



MONKEYS ON THE GOLD COAST. 



+ — — 



I HAVE as yet scarcely made mention of the numerous 

 species of monkey and ape which are to be found on 

 the Guinea coast. Truth to tell, I have an invincible re- 

 pugnance to shooting these poor creatures. Their gestures 

 are so human, and their distress and amazement when 

 wounded so touching, that I can scarcely dissociate their 

 destruction from murder. It is true that I have on one or 

 two occasions shot them— once or twice because we were 

 reduced to seek them as food, and their slaughter became a 

 matter of absolute need. This happened up the Porto Novo 



Lagoon, near Lagos, where H. M. S. had unfortunately 



grounded on a sand-bank, and the people of the neighbor- 

 ing villages, being both poor and unfriendly to us, could 

 not or would not supply us with fresh provisions. I am not 

 aware of the species of monkey we killed and ate; it was of 

 about the size of the Diana monkey, and rather like it, al- 

 though by no means so beautiful as that handsomest of the 

 Simise. They were generally to be found from dawn to 

 seven o'clock a. m. up the palm trees (Eliasguineensis), de- 

 vouring the rich nuts; and they certainly appeared to thrive 

 upon them, for no rabbit had ever tenderer or more succu- 

 lent flesh than these little rascals. They were usually 

 stewed or curried, and were excellent to those who could 

 overcome their prejudice; and those whose stomachs were 

 too squeamish were few in number, as a lengthened course 

 of "salt horse," as Jack calls it, rarely fails to render any 

 fresh meat a welcome addition to the table. The last mon- 

 key I shot was, I regret to say, for "sport;" and I vowed I 

 never would shoot another wantonly. I was wandering 

 about in a sort of little grove near Lagos, when in the tall 

 trees above me I saw a large troop, headed by a very 

 patriarch, with a long white beard and whiskers. I could 

 not resist trying an "Eley" at him, and shot him through 

 the liody. Ashe fell at my feet I shall never forget the 

 mingled expression of mild reproach and agony that he 

 turned upon me, as he sat with one hand supporting his 

 side over the wound. I confess to having felt a very Cain ; 

 and as, in mercy to the poor animal, I procured a heavy 

 stake to knock him over the head and end his sufferings, 

 my feelings were of a most painful nature — the more so as 

 he was difficult to kill, being a powerfur brute. No! I 

 never will again kill a monkey for sport! 



I except from this the tyrant of the Gaboon forests, the 

 terrible gorilla, as it appears to be a task attended with con- 

 siderable danger to hunt him out and attack him, and there 

 seems to be more fair play in the matter. The huge and 

 savage mandril, too, which is found in the countries border- 

 ing the Volta, and the gigantic ursine baboon, would doubt- 

 less be formidable enemies to tackle ; and I have heard 

 many tales of their ferocity from the natives, whe appear 

 to dread them. The latter animal, I have been informed, 

 being solitary, is not uncommonly captured alive with the 

 aid of dogs, who distract his attention from the hunters. I 

 saw an immense female, I should say over four feet in 

 height, in an iron-barred room at Cape Coast. They had 

 attempted to secure her, having borrowed an iron chain 

 from the prison, such as refractory prisoners wear for se- 

 curity; but she snapped it like a carrot. — The Field. 



» ■ 



[We shall endeavor in this department to impart and hope to receive 

 such information as may be of service to amateur and professional sporU- 

 men. We will cheerfully arisicer all reasonable questions that fall within, 

 the scope of this paper, designating localitits for good hunting, fish- 

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

 plements, routes, distances, seasons, expenses, remedies, traits, species 

 governing rules, etc. All branches of the sportsman's craft will recti** 

 attention. Anonymous Communications not Noticed. 



♦ 

 W. H. H., Hartford, Conn.— We can procure you the setter pup you 

 want, rrice $25. 



J. G. A., New York.— See instructions "Moccasins" in Forest and 

 Stream Nov. 20. Any good bootmaker. 



Yolo, Philadelphia. — The whole question of using hair triggers was 

 explained in an editorial of this paper, Nov. 12. 



D. L. Bodge, Bald Mountain.— The address of F. Wesson's Breech- 

 loading Rifle is "F. Wesson, Worcester, Mass." Peabody Bifie manu- 

 factured by the Providence Arm Co., Providence, R. I. 



W. H., Boston, Mass.— What would you deliver in Boston a flrst-class 

 setter dog for; a young, staunch, steady animal for ruffed grouse and 

 woodcock shooting in New England cover? Ans. For $80. 



W. M. H., New York.— The astronomical telescope, with books on 

 astronomy, you can procure by writing to E. H. Madison, 546 Fulton 

 street, Brooklyn. 



India Rubber, Germantown, Pa.— The decoys you speak of will not 

 last any length of time. They require constant painting. See Forest 

 and Stream, Dec. 11, under "Shot Gun and Rifle." 



R. S. N, Salem, Mass.— The weight of the Jack curlew is correct. His 

 bill measured llj- in., his legs 9J- in., and the body, with the head and 

 legs cut off, weighed 2 lbs. 11 oz. I call it the great solitary Jack 

 Curlew. c. B. 



Greeny.— 1st. Does a pin fire shoot as well as a central fire gun? Ans. 

 No. 2d. What size bore is best for general use (excluding duck shoot- 

 ing) ? Ans. No. 12 . 3d. Does a muzzle loader shoot stronger than a 

 breech-loader? Ans. No. 4th. Can metal shells be used in pin fire guns? 

 Ans. Mechanically, yes; ordinarily.no. 



J. S. K., Paterson, N. J.— Where can I go with a good chance of see- 

 ing and killing a bear? Ans. We don't know anything about the killing, 

 but if you wish to see a bear, take H. R. R. for Kingston, which connects 

 with the Rondout R. R. for Shokan, distance 17 miles; thence by private 

 conveyance to Watson Hollow; ask to seeC. Akert, the bear hunter, 

 he will put you through, and most likely the bear also. 



W. A. B., Harvard University.- In regard to the weight of lions and 

 tigers when kept in meuageries, we are of the opinion that they are 

 mostly thinner than their brothers who range freely in the country. We 

 are sure of having seen somewhere this fact stated, and that in a state of 

 nature a tiger would weigh fully one-fourth heavier than when in cap- 

 tivity. Of course the nature of the felidae is changed in the narrow 

 boxes we are forced to confine them in. The question of having open 

 space for them was agitated in England, but was abandoned. 



De H. X.,Haitford, Conn.— The method of capturing monkeys by 

 making them drunk is frequently cited. In Mansfield Parkyn's travels 

 in Abysinia it io stated that the plan adopted by the Arabs of Taka, it 

 to take large jars of the common country beer, sweetened with dates 

 drugged with the juiee of the oshcher {aselepias arborea), and to leave 

 them in the neighborhood of where the monkeys come to drink. The 

 monkeys drink largely and soon fall asleep, and are taken senseless by 

 the Arabs, We may state, however, that Parkyn's book, to us, has al- 

 ways partaken of the mythical character. Facts of this character, though 

 very probable, are not positively reliable. 



Newcomb.— We are glad you are so guileless as not to know what a 

 "set line" is. It is a poacher's contrivance, but is most useful to the 

 sportsman at times, when fish can be caught in no other way. It is 

 merely a stout cod line from 100 to 1,080 feet in length, to which short 

 lines are attached at intervals of twenty feet or so, baited, and made to 

 reach within three or four feet of the bottom. It is stretched across'the 

 entrance to coves and bights to which fish resort. It is supported bv 

 buoys. When a sufficient time has elapsed for the desired fish to hook 

 themselves, it is overrun and the catch taken off, the hooka reb&ited and 

 the whole set again. Live minnows «■• the beat bait ' 



