124 



FOREST AND STREAM 



was equally comprehensible, isfhewhite spotneareci the 

 surface Ol the water ike black one joined it, and like a flash 

 the broad wingsfleti out and the course was averted. Slow- 

 ly the robber bore r.fl' his ill-gotten booty. Meanwhile the 

 other a idle. Baffled in her first attacl 



returned to the charge, and, with au angry screech and a 

 rush of her broad pinions, plus again dashed at the osprey. 

 She was evidently taking her revenge. A few scattering 

 feathers floating through the air proclaimed her victory; 

 and, with a grand swing, file rejoinedliei mate who was 

 bearing oft the unlawfully gained spoils. The poor hawk, 

 with tattered plumage and discordant cries, slowly and sadly 

 made his way toward the forest, and soon all the actors in 



this grand aerial drama were lost to view. 



On a calm summer morning our lake presents one of the 

 finest views that can well he imagined. Everything seems 

 so peaceful and calm that one feels lie could lay himself down 

 on the Bandy Shore and »»«* i. .,•„,,,,.,. * 8 (he ;. un r . mes over 

 liua-aaa glitters on the surface at Hie placid 

 waters, scarcely rippled by the gentle morning breeze which 

 is hardly felt, t.lic- solemn silence, broken only by the far-oflj 

 lonely cry of the loon, makes itself fell, aud the mind of the 

 poor mortal goes up in a prayer of adoration and thanks- 

 giving to the M.t)St High. It is a beauty that can be felt, not 

 expressed. The solemn, pine-clad mountains, the deep 

 shadows in the lake, the perfect quiet, the impression of 

 majesty and power, the awful stillness, the wreaths of mist 

 on the lake tinted with the beams of the morning sun. the 

 tall pine on yonder point, with gilded head gracefully bowed 

 as the sunbeams kissed his brow. What wonder that those 

 in Eastern clime bend in mute adoration as their Deity lifts 

 his gorgeous crest above the horizon. 



But our lake has another aspect. Not long since the day 

 was hot. The glare of the August sun was almost insupport- 

 able. The placid waters, reflecting the torrid rays of the 

 summer sun, drive all life to the forest shades. The gor- 

 geous monarch of the heavens rolled on, and all nature, 

 oppressed with his glory, was mute. A deathly silence per- 

 vaded everything. Anon the glorious sun sunk to his even- 

 ing rest. The insect buzz began to charm the ear. The 

 dreaminess of nature seemed to pass away. The pine leaves 

 murmured. The evening breeze fanned the cheek. The 

 sky lost its brazen hue. One by one the stars peeped out 

 and the twilight thickened. Presently a dark spot, "no 

 bigger than a man's hand," came over the mountain from 

 the south. Slowly it grew and gradually it widened out 

 until the heavens were overspread. A darkness "to be felt" 

 came gradually on. A low sigh passed through the tree 

 tops, a gentle bend, then all was quiet as before. The dark- 

 ness increased. A deep sigh came over the lake. Budderily 

 a lurid blaze lit, up the sky, bringing out every leaf and crag 

 as clearly defined as if painted on the eye. A low mutter in 

 the far distance ; then a deathlike stillness. The pine boughs 

 drooped. The waves on the pebbly strand ceased to mur- 

 mur. A wailing cry, as of some lost spirit, came across the 

 lake. Then all was still. The durkness grew intense. Sud- 

 denly a bliuding flash, n zig-zag bolt of fire, a blaze, a crash, 

 and a tall monarch of the forest, went down. The deep, 

 low roll of the far-off tli under stole gradually on the ear! 

 Flash after flash gleamed in the horizon, a deathlike black- 

 ness between. The silence was painful. Then came again 

 a broad glare. The clouds above seemed to writhe in agony. 

 Fitful gusts tore among the tree-tops. Then stillness, as of 

 death. Then glare on glare. Then inky darkness. And 

 now the pent-up voice of the storm broke over the lake. The 

 tall pines bowed their haughty crests. The lake was lashed 

 into a foam. The white caps danced, tipped with the golden 

 splendor. Then pealed forth the deep-toned thunder. The 

 reverberations from the thousand hills kept up the grand 

 and awful roll. Flash after Hash lit up the heavens. 

 Hither and yon danced the gorgeous bolts. Pandemonium 

 seemed let loose. The air was lull of fire. The unceasing 

 crash of the thunder shook the earth. The spirit of the 

 storm rode triumphant in his wrath. The flash of the light- 

 ning aud the roll of the thunder were incessant. Then broke 

 forth the deluge, and " the waters covered the earth." 

 Gradually the heavy rain slackened, the lightning flashes oc- 

 curred at longer intervals, and the thunder peah grew less 

 violent. Slowly and majestically the storm moved on. Even 

 the rain fell more and more lightly, and, ere Jong, only in 

 drops, dying away in a slight drizzle. As the heavy clouds 

 passed over, the moon stole out for a, moment through the 

 rifts. The thunder rumbled in the distance. The light- 

 ning flashed forth with but an occasional gleam. It grew 

 lighter and brighter. Soon the only sounds heard were the 

 pattering of the drip from the pities and a faint ripple on the 

 beach. The clouds passed away. The moon shone out with 

 renewed brilliancy. The air was clear, pure and cool. The 

 quiet beauty of the lake returned. The white tenia gleamed 

 against the dark background of pines, and a peaceful quiet 

 pervaded all nature. 



For many days past the forest fires have been traversing 

 the mountains." Through 1 he negligence of some heedless 

 persons the dry, heavy grass and thick brush took fire and 

 gradually spread itself, until fanned into activity it went 

 roaring through the forest aud up the mountain sides. For 

 many nights the summits of the mountains have been in a 

 blaze, and the lake has seemed to be bordered with volcanoes 

 in full blast. The effect is very fine, but the destruction of 

 timber has been immense. An area of probably a hundred 

 square miles has been burned over. I was riding home a 

 few evenings ago, and, as 1 came out upon a small prairie 

 some six miles from camp, the darkness "came down and the 

 tires on the distant mountains became exceedingly distinct. 

 Presently a tall dead tree caught tire and burst into a beauti- 

 lazi whili the flames shot up into the heavens, re- 

 sembling a gigantic torch. It was so brilliant that the fires 

 among the brushwoo imparatively deadened. 



Foi awhile the I night flames shot on high, and "then the tree 

 fell will) a crash— 9 deep boom, heard even at the distance I 

 was— and the flying embers closed the display with a little 

 glory. The whole scene was one of the most exquisite I 

 ever witnessed. Not long since the tires crept down within 

 a few miles of our camp. One. day 1 had been out Willi a 

 couple of friends shooting prairie chickens some ten miles 

 distant, and when we returned it was quite, dark. After 

 riding a few miles through the woods we found the fire had 

 crossed our path, and we were obliged to ride through it or 

 pass the night in the forest. The woods were full of smoke, 

 which rolled, curling up in high volumes, wreathing itself 

 iu fantastic forms, while the lire, having burned off the 

 undergi I irept up the trees and out on the branches, 



until pillars of flame were frequent and arms of fire were 

 stretching iu every direction. The heat was intense aud the 

 smoke blinding , wo could not see twenty feet ahead. Our 

 horses were wild with fright,- and at first wo could hardly 

 force them forward ; but soon becoming accustomed to the 



glare, and perhaps influenced somewhat by that fascination 



1 nil nises horses to rush into flames, we passed on at a 

 gallop. The only danger was from falling trees or branches; 

 but, providentially, none fell while we were passing. The 

 belt of fire was shout a mile wide, and, as •■• e dashed through, 



presented one of the most weird and grand spectacles I ever 

 beheld. We must have looked like a baud of robber-fiends 

 as we dashed on with our guns on our shoulders and our 

 figures gleaming red in the firelight. The ride was very ex- 

 citing, and I would not have missed it on any account. 

 There was just enough danger to give it zest, and we en- 

 joyed the dash amazingly. Monmouth. 



.— *», — . 



For Forest and Stream and Roil and Gun. 

 A MORNING WITH THE TURKEYS, 



^ \ X 7 ELL. boys, is it to be turkeys or no turkeys in the 

 VV morning?" 



The foregoing important motion was laid before a commit- 

 tee of three somewhat sleepy individuals by our host, Tom 

 Snapshot, as we knocked the ashes out of the last of many 

 " last pipes " into the dying embers of what had once been a 

 roaring old Virginia log fire. Woodhall was au immense and 

 venerable pile, and in former days, lying as it did, and does 

 now, far from cities, villages or railroads, enjoyed a great 

 reputation for the rural hospitality characteristic of those 

 times. This night its very chimneys rocked in the winter 

 wind that swept from the distant ranges of the Blue Ridge, 

 the gutter spoutings leaped in their rivets and gave out un- 

 earthly groans and cries. The Venetian shutters slammed 

 and banged, till the whole structure trembled again. The 

 windows rattled as only Virginia windows can rattle ; the 

 topped locust trees iu the yard waved their meagre branches 

 to the sky, where the moon in her first quarter seemed to be 

 rushing wildly through a stormy ocean of clouds. Borne on 

 the wind in fitful gusts came the sullen roar of the Roanoke 

 River, swollen with melting snows, rolling and raging past 

 the ruins of bridges ; past gutted lowlands ,- past islands, rent 

 and torn by its waters in the great freshet two months before. 

 A year or two ago, quail, though not much hunted, were, 

 however, still in season during January, and in the course of 

 the day in question, while following a scattered covey into 

 the woods, five wily gobblers had been flushed and scattered. 

 Hence the point of the remark with which this paper opens. 



I am bold enough to confess a lukewarmness for turkey 

 hunting. I use the expression "bold" advisedly; for how 

 many sportsmen — and yet more would-be sportsmen— are 

 there who are ready to admit that they are not enthusiastic 

 about everything that savors of fur and feathers, more so, 

 perhaps, among Englishmen than Americans? Americans 

 are too matter-of-fact for this unaccountable eccentricity to 

 be very common, and the social eclat of sport is not so all- 

 powerful on this side yet as to infuse all its followers with a 

 nervous anxiety to be, at any rate, thought enthusiastic on 

 occasions that in reality bore them. As I before hinted at, 

 we were not by any means "death "on turkeys. However, 

 as the week was to be devoted to shooting, the stern sense of 

 duty common to the Anglo-Saxon on such weighty occasions, 

 urged us not to throw away a chance, and the decision was 

 given in favor of a campaign against the turkeys, an hour 

 before daylight on the following morning being fixed, with a 

 groan, as the time for starting, 



At a very uncomfortable hour, and in a very uncomfortable 

 manner, Tom, who is one of those dear creatures full of ani- 

 mal spirits who thinks nothing of emptying a bucketfull of 

 cold water over you in the morning, just to show there is no 

 ill-feeling, roused us effectually. 



Why should I dwell on that miserable hour before servants 

 move on wintry mornings? 



Who— I care not how aident a sportsman he may be— who, I 

 say, does not shudder when he calls it to mind ? The tugging 

 on of boots still wet from the previous day's expedition; 

 the toddy tumblers like a broken covey scattered over the 

 room ; the chairs standing in grim mockery round the ashes 

 of a dead lire j the stealthy footfall of your companions in 

 misery creaking up the stairs and through the silent corridors. 

 There was as yet but such n slight tinge of day in the east 

 as the most practiced early riser could alone decipher, as we 

 blindly followed our leader over level stubbles, floundered 

 through miry corn fields, where the uugathered blades of 

 fodder rattled dismally against the dried up stalks, scrubbed 

 our faces against lonely persimmon bushes, dropped helplessly 

 into treacherous ditches till the cold water oozed over the 

 tops of our boots,— in short, went through most of those pleas- 

 ing experiences that fall to the lot of sportsmen who turn 

 night into day. 



At length as the first rays of light spread over the outer 

 world, we entered the gloom of pine forests that covered the 

 land for miles in every direction, and a ten minutes cautious 

 advance brought us to an old field in the neighborhood of our 

 previous day's encounter with the gobblers. Tom had the 

 "call," and after throwing up hasty "blinds" and settling 

 ourselves as comfortably as circumstances would permit a 

 hundred or so yards apart, the clear tuk-tuk with the proud 

 ascending trill, with which the stateliest of game birds calls 

 its fellows, rang through the silent woods. 



Again and again from Tom's persuasive throat those im- 

 ploring notes pierced the gradually lifting gloom; again and 

 again ware our ears strained for the wished-for res] 

 in vain. The only sounds that greeted them were the insult- 

 ing jeers of a flock of crows who mocked at us from the dead 

 liinbs of a monster oak. 



A red fox stole by within ten yards of me, and the. tempta- 

 tion to become a vulpecide was for the moment strong, but 1 

 contented myself With making a mental note Of him for Col. 

 B. aud his hounds, and let bira pass. All was dreary, cold 

 and miserable. The dead of winter had laid its iron hand on 

 everything, and the sad dripping woods seemed hardly to be 

 the same as those through which, in the glorious sunny days 

 of the Indian summer, the joyous ring of our barrels had dealt 

 out death to the sot B of quail. There, in the 



ash " before mo, the water, still unthawed, held the sad 

 colored weeds and the leafless alders in iron bonds. As the 

 light grew I recognized it as the spot where the first wood- 

 cock of the season, dashing out of what was then a tangled 

 chaos of vegetation, hud just, shown himself for an instant too 

 long at the cud of my barrels in the sunlight of an October 

 evening. But hark! Tom is answered, and from away in the 

 wilderness of pine stems comes the long-looked-for tuk-tuk. 

 Once more his call, two hundred yards to my right, becomes 

 eloquent as he converses with the now advancing turkey. 

 Nearer and nearer comes the prey, and now not one, but two 

 or three, join in the " confab." "Cold feet are forgotten, and 

 with numbed fingers I grasp my trusty weapon as two black 



objects come slowly into view. Not for me, however, was 

 the honor (if there "is any in shooting a tin 1 

 this day reserved. Whether by chance, or whether the. keen 

 suspicions of these wariest of birds were aroused by any 

 movement, I know not, but certain it is thai at this moment 

 they appeared to ah to move 



steadily forward to their doom at other hands. 



The other two guns had apparently moved to tbo same 

 blind, for a couple of shots almost simultaneously 

 whether for good or bad, our morning's work was done. On 

 going forward, 1 had the satisfaction of finding i 

 lying dead at Tom's feet, proving, as we had thou- 

 be, gobblers, and also, as every turkey that I ever heard of 

 being killed in this part of the world, " real whah-i. 

 lar busters," "the two biggest turkeys as ever I seed 



FlKOWOOD. 



4i$!l §ultn^ 



Fifth Annual Report of the State Fish 

 Commissioners of Minnesota, for the 

 Year 1878. 



The, Fish Commissioners of Minnesota have, during the past 

 year, been very successful in their work of hatching aud dis- 

 tributing fish, and have also secured a much enlarge 

 for the production of the future. The water accommodations 

 at Wiliowbrook have been doubled, and various other irn 

 provements will render the work of the present year of much 

 greater magnitude. The total number of fry distributed was 

 230,350. There were received 40,000 eggs of lake trout, 

 Which, owing to a mortality, dwindled down to only 3,500 fish 

 fit to be planted. There are now in the. trough some 60,000 

 eggs which promise well. With the land-locked salmon eggs 

 the result was equally discouraging, but 8,000 surviving out of 

 a shipment from Grand Lake Stream, Me., of 5.5,000. The 

 brook trout is a favorite in the demands for fry, and gives 

 great satisfaction, thriving well in waters where it has 

 never been known before. The distribution to different 

 counties the past year was 88,200 fry, and there are now ou 

 hand in the hatching troughs 600,000 eggs, besides 3 700 

 breeders three years old, 1,700 two years old and i.imoone 

 year old. 



Although a careful inquiry has been made into all the 

 rumored occurrences of shad in the upper Mississippi, the 

 Commissioners have failed to find the true alosa, all the sped- 

 mens submitted to them proving to be thread shad, gizzard 

 shad or herrings. A liberal supply of shad fry has been 

 promised by Tj. S. Com. Baird for the Great River the com- 

 ing year. 



A lot of 200,000 whitefish eggs have been received from 

 Northfield, Mich., and are to be planted at once. There are 

 also in the hatchery some 300,000 eggs of the Madison Lakes 

 whitefish. There have been distributed of the California 

 salmon hatched last year 113,600, leaving now in the ponds 

 25,000. There are also about 300,000 young fry recently 

 hatched from the eggs received in October last. 



Thirteenth Annual Report of the Massa- 

 chusetts Commlssoners on Inland Fish- 

 eries, for the Year Ending September 

 SO, 187S 



THE Report of the Massachusetts Commissioners for 1878 

 is now before us. Much improve I has been .made 



in the facilities afforded the fish for free passage up the rivers 

 of the Commonwealth, and by continued efforts in this direc- 

 tion the artifical obstructions will in lime be remedied. 



The importance of cultivating the a'lewife, not merely for 

 their own consumption but as food for attracting to Massa- 

 chusetts waters the larger and more valuable fish of the deep 

 sea, has been repeatedly urged by the Commissioners ; and in 

 the present report the same recommendations are repeated. 

 The returns from inland fisheries show the total catch of ale- 

 wives to have been about 4,700,000, a number which would 

 be materially increased if the unreturued catches were added. 

 With this increase of the alewive fishery there has been a cor- 

 responding improvement iu the bay and shore fisheries, and 

 it is suggested that it might lie a matter of economy for the 

 United States to co-operate with the Slates in slocking with 

 migratory fishes all the rivers and streams leading to the sea. 

 This would do much to restore the shore fisheries to what. 

 they were sixty years ago. 



The returns of the Connecticut and Merrimack River 

 an increase of shad over the catch of last year. The M 

 mack wid be stocked by a and 



New Hampshire, but theC mmisi despair 



of accomplishing anything in the Conne 

 equitable arrangement can be made whereby the rights ol 

 State may be respected by Conned 



From Grand Lake Stream, Me., there were received last 

 season 270,000 land-locked salmon eggs, from which 'J 

 healthy youcg salmon were hatched ami distributed among 

 some thirty ponds, whence favorable reports of their con- 

 dition have been received. There will be about SOU, ODD fry 

 ready for distribution next May. 



Two hundred thousand spawn of Gl 

 received laBt -year from tin i sioners, which 



were hatched with a loss of ten pi l urned 



into the Ipswich, Nashua, North, Saugus, iiridgewater, Mer- 

 rimack and Fcmigewasset. Tl 



were seen in considerable numbe en they 



disappeared. The last re] ivi ng. 



ston Stone's assertion, contained in his report published by 

 the United States Commission, that the California :■_ 

 spawn but once and Ihen die, has had the effect of bringing 

 out several communications from observers familiar with the 

 habits of the fish, all of which go to disprove Mr. Sti 

 theory. The most full and explicit of these replies, addressed 



