FOREST AMD STREAM. 



field H becomes necessary for two persons to enterit at once, and then 

 one goes away while the other remains. Why? Because, as I said 

 before, crows cannot count, and, in fancied security, they fly down to 

 the rich feast, and And, nlas. too late, that their mathematical educa- 

 tion has been unfortunately neglected. 



Among the most carious of my little feathered acquaintances ia a bird 

 of Northern birth. He is widely known among you by the name of 

 bobolink ; he is known In the South under the name of ''rice blrd.'r 

 Some stragglers with flaming epauletn haunt our mill ponds, and mate 

 the summer air full of music with their long-drawn cadences as they 

 swing from some pendant bough. They are known In the South as the 

 "swamp blackbird," and when the darkies shoot Into a flock of rtce 

 birds and kill the crimson-shouldered ones, they call them " officers.'. 

 The rice birds are curious in that they develop something of the crow 

 habit of measuring distances. While In Pennsylvania or Delaware, 

 they are known, I believe, as " reed birds." They are then unsophis- 

 ticated and fall of confidence In mm, for who would think of shooting 

 B bobolink? They tall by thousands in those StateB and in the Caro- 

 Unas, until they acquire a good education, at least as to the range of 

 No. 10 shot. They are called blackbirds in Georgia, and even those 

 who ought to know better are deceived Into oalllng them blackbirds, 

 because a few of those birds are found in every large flock. They post 

 sentinels on some tall tree near by, and then fly down by twenties and 

 thirties, until they have all collected upon the same feeding-grounds. 

 They become very poor jast before their migration to the North, and 

 are scarcely eatable. They have a very singular habit, which t have 

 never noticed iu any other Bong bird— a habit of flying up ami down 

 like woodpeckers— if it is not a misnomer to call them song birds. Tet 

 it Is true ; for, well do we know that when the sweet spring shall have 

 buret the ley fetters of the stern winter king, that from the top of 

 flaunting rag weed, or from branch tree swaying In the summer air, 

 the ringing music of the gentle bobolluk will be heard from Massachu- 

 setts to the vine-clad hills of New Jersey. And right welcome will he 

 be, I trow, to those who live In those Hyperborean regions, for lie is the 

 representative of summer. He has been off on his Southern tour, and 

 now settles down to business— the business of rearing young bobolinks 

 10 become the prey ot Pennsylvanian and Southern epicures. 



There is another bird which you gentlemen of the North never see In 

 their lull perfection— the robin. ThlB gay little bird never, to my 

 knowledge, builds in the South. That it breeds by many thousands in 

 Kentucky I well know, for they are fonnd In that State (the young 

 birds) aboat the time of the ripening of May cherries, fully able to fly 

 and take their share of the dainty fruit. They are very fine eating, 

 qhlefly because they are young birds ; but to find them in their full 

 perfection— fat, tender and juicy— you must come south. They feed, 

 at this season of the year chiefly upon the berries of the black gum, or 

 the berries of the China tree, and become robust, burgher-llke citizens, 

 with large corporations. Bat poor robin often pays full dear for Mb 

 gluttony ; for after gorging himself to repletion with China berries, he 

 beeomeB drunk, and falls an eaBy prey to the Juvenile darkies, who lie 

 in wait for him when he falls. Whether tne intoxicating properties of 

 the China berry lies in the seeds, or in some alcoholic fermentation 

 which the juice Inclosed in the skins may have undergone, I am un- 

 able to say. 1 know that the birda are not poisoned, for they recover 

 from the effects of their debauch in a few hours, and again look upon 

 the China berry and rejoice in another symposium. They can be killed 

 by hundreds, for they are gluttonous feeders, and look with great Indiff- 

 erence upon their slaughtered companions. 



Of all the birds that I have named the Jay is the only one that breeds 

 among us. An occasional woodpecker, forgetful of hiB family tradi- 

 tions, or seduced by pleasant surroundings, will establish himself and 

 rear a small family. But the crow, the bobolink and robin redbreast, 

 all fly back to their Northern homes on the appioaohof spring. No 

 one who has ever traveled through our vast pine forests in the sommer 

 can help noticing the almost ntter absence of bird life in their silent, 

 sombre shades. I attribute this to the absence of Insects and worms : 

 I know no other canse. St. Clair. 



NOTES ON THE CARIBOU. 



EDITOR FOEESX AND STREAM : 



ThlB interesting animal has three marked peculiarities, which dis- 

 tinguish it from lis cousins, the moose and deer— the prevalence of 

 horns on the head of the females, the disposition to remain in herds, 

 or rather fnmilieB, throughout the year, and the total absence of any 

 propensity to "yard." To these might b» added, perhaps, a fourth— 

 the ability to either trot or bound, according to the state of the snow 

 or character of the ground, and to keep up either gait for an almost in- 

 definite length of time. Its trot, when viewed at right angleB to the 

 animal's course, Is, to a true sportsman, a soul Inspiring Bight. There 

 la a BpringlueBs and appearance of absolute freedom In It, as if the 

 creature spurned the earth it trod on, and could, if it choae, mount 

 into space. When viewed from behind it has an awkward appearance, 

 the animal lilting its hind legs in a manner difficult to describe. 



The caribou's roving propensities render stlll-huntlDg it the most 

 uncertain of all pursuits, the hunter often patiently nnwlndlDg the 

 net-work uf tracks where the herd had been feeding for a few days, for 

 hours, only to And at the conclusion that it had departed for another 

 field of operations, perhaps twenty miles away. When the animal ia 

 moving there Is very little dallying between the pointB ; a convenient 

 twig is sometimes plucked, or a tempting bunch of moss hastily swal- 

 lowed, but It la a hopeless task to attempt to overtake them if they 

 have a few hours' advantage in the start. One of their favorite bogs 

 presents a curious spectacle when covered, with two or three feet of 

 snow, alter a visit from a family of caribou. It is completely honey- 

 combed with innumerable pits, which they shovel out with their broad 

 fore-feet with the greatest facility, and the snvfaca of the snow is cov- 

 ered with moss which they tear out in tutta, and from which they select 

 a small portion, leaving the remainder to be scattered over the snow 

 by the wind. The whole ground looks as though an army of laborers 

 had been at work with spadcB. 



It la not to be Inferred that all the females bear antlers. In my ex- 

 perience, antlered does have been the exception rather than the rule ; 

 alia they are sufficiently common not to excite surprise. When pres- 

 ent the horns are much smaller than I hose of the male, mostly without 

 prongs, and frequently unequally developed. The antlers of the male 

 resemble those ot the e)K In their general formation, except that the 

 ends are palmated instead of pointed. Each family has a leader— In- 

 variably the strongest and ablest male. When from old age or any 

 other cause, he Is unable to maintain his supremacy, and is dtfeated 

 by an ambitious rival, eager to gain the leadership, he Is at once Igno- 

 minlouBly expelled, and never thereafter re-enters the hsrd, bat alwayB 

 remains In their vicinity, hardly ever coming nearer than a quarter of 

 a mile, and sometimes remains a day or two on the old feeding-ground 

 after the herd has left it. 



These individuals are ao exceedingly watchful and wary as to render 

 BtlU-huntlng them successfully an almost hopeless task. It Is very 

 Beldom that all conditions are favorable for catching caribou on snow- 

 shoes Whan the snow is sufficiently Arm to give good footing, then 

 It will also bear the caribou, whose immense feet and ability to lay 

 down their hinder legs from tne gambrel joint, like a rabbit, enables 

 them to shuffle off on a crust which win hardly bear a dog. And when 

 the snow la deep and soft, they relieve each other regularly, the leader 

 when exhausted stepping to one side and falling in the^rear, the next 



fating the lead, and so on, in regular succession. When overtaken by 

 dogs they go to each other's assistance, and woo to the luckless canine 

 who has the hardihood to attack a herd of caribou. I have Been several 

 which paid deurly for their temerity. The only time when they can be 

 said to be completely at the mercy of the hunter 1b when the snow 

 being very deep and light, a hall and rain storm comes on, freezing on 

 the surface as It falls, and forming a " glass cruBt." Then they are 

 completely helpless, and may be slaughtered at leisure ; but this does 

 not occur once In a decade, and many years' observation has satisfied 

 the writer that they need no protective enactments, butara abundantly 

 able to take care of themselves, and will increase and multiply ia spite 

 of all the men, dogs and guns that can be brought to bear upon them. 

 The flesh 'of the caribou is somewhat coarse and dry, is seldom fat or In 

 very poor condition, has a crisp, mossy flavor, seldom offensive to "city 

 Chaps," while the peculiar flavor of " moose meat " can bs tolerated by 

 about one in four of those unaeenstomed to its use. Penobscot. 



DOMESTICATION OF QUAIL. 



Stanford, Ky., March l, 1ST'.'. 

 Editor Forest and Stream : 



Within the past few months I wrote yon an account of the domesti- 

 cation of quail in our county by a family whoso assurances, to the 

 writer, need no corroboration. So far as I have heard expressions 

 from Individuals who have never seen it, the domestication of qnall is 

 pronounced an absurdity— an impossibility; but I have Been It within 

 the last ten days, though I have had no doubt as to the facts furnished 

 Forest and Stream upon the authority of my friend, Frank Howard, 

 whose mother succeeded In her first attempt at their domestication. 

 I spent the night of the soth ultimo at Col. Howard's, fifteen miles 

 southeast of this place, and after dark was conducted by the light of a 

 lantern to the hen-house, where I saw the surviving brace of cock 

 quails comfortably and contentedly perched upon the roost erected for 

 the chickens. They were in the midst of the bantams, beBlde the 

 parent hen. At 7 o'clock next morning, after the chickens had flown 

 from their roost and were feeding about the yard, the quallB remained. 

 What sportsman ever thought of a quail roosting elsewhere than on 

 the ground? Mrs. Howard told me that she sot the hen in a box, out 

 of which the little fellows were unable to dart before they had become 

 accustomed to her presence and attentions, and had learned the lan- 

 guage of their foster-mother. Afterward they were no more trouble 

 than the ordinary barn-yard fowls. Three of the five raised to fall 

 growth were seized and carried off by hawks, the family thinks, sb 

 Mrs. H. witnessed the carrying off of the third by a villainous blue- 

 winged hawk— next to foxes, the greatest destroyer of oar quails. 

 Mrs. IT. did Dot deny that tears involuntarily followed a realization of 

 her pet's unhappy fate. It is her intention to attempt raiBing one or 

 more broods the following Beason, If successful in procuring eggs, and 

 she hopes to find the nest of a partridge, as a flock frequents the farm. 

 I have been promised a report of progress, aDd the readers ot Forest 

 and Stream may expect to be advised, Deo volente. Col. Howard is 

 connected with the firm of E. L. White & Co., of Louisville, Ky,, and 

 his genial countenance Is as familiar to the frequenters of Main street 

 as Is the Custom House to importers. Any skeptical reader can have 

 the foregoing verified by Interviewing the Colonel. J. T. Bonos. 



THE FISHER AND THE "BLACK CAT." 



EDITOR FOREST AND STREAM : 



Your correspondent, " S ," in his entertaining story, published in 

 your issue of the 13th lust., speaks of a fall grown fisher In Michigan 

 as weighing only twenty pounds, while those In Maine weigh forty 

 pounds. The hunters and tiappers of the latter State, as a general rule, 

 speak of two varieties— the fisher and the black cat, the latter usually 

 weighing about twenty pounds, and the former about thir'y pounds. 

 The smaller animal is much the darker in color, there being usually 

 a considerable admixture of dark gray about the fore-shouldera and 

 neck or the fisher. They also travel very differently, the black cat 

 showing only two feet in its Jumps, precisely like the weasel and mink, 

 While the fisher invariably shows three— the rear and forward track 

 being iu the line of Its course, and the middle one placed two or three 

 Inches outward, alternately to the right and left. Their skins are fre- 

 quently quoted separately on the fur lists, one bringing a third more 

 than the other ; but notwithstanding all the points of difference, as 

 I never In my life saw a female flsner, nor a male black cat, I have 

 naturally come to the conclusion that they are merely male and female 

 of the same species. Some trappers strenuously combat this idea, 

 while others are disposed to admit its troth, but I think Investigation 

 will prove it to be correct. In regard to the 8^-lb. animal Bpoken of, 

 no such a variety exists either in Maine or Canada, and it is probably 

 a mistake or a misprint of one writer's works, copied by others. As 

 is its name, which "S." thinks such a mlBuomer, there la ample 

 on that it should bear it. It Is not a water animal in the sense that 

 otter and mink are, it la true ; but when the smaller trout streams are 

 shrunken by drought that their Inhabitants are forced to collect In 

 the deepest pools, It la then that the Usher Is exceedingly active and 

 destructive, almost as much so as the animals named above. Luckily, 

 they are not very plentiful, owing to the facility with which they are 

 trapped, advantage being taken of their well-known habit of always 

 sing streams or roads at certain points, and when these become 

 known to trappers, a well-baited trap in the immediate vlclutty is snre, 

 sooner or later, to intercept them. Penobscot. 



Arrivals at the Philadelphia Zoological Garden for tee Week 

 Ending May 3.— One water suake, Tropidonatus leberin; one linnet; 

 one brown snake, Storeria dekayi; two bald eagles, Balicetus leueo- 

 a'phahm; two great blue herons, Ardex hcrodias; one black snake, 

 Basoanion constrictor ; one hog-nosed snake, JJeterodon paLyrhinos ; 

 one corn snake, Coluber guttalus; one garter snake, hutcenia sirtalU; 

 one chain snike, Ophibolus getuhw, var.; one gray squirrel, Scmrm 

 carolinensis, all presented; one loon, Colymbus torguatus, purchased; 

 one little brown bat, Vesperlilio sulnUatus, captured In garden. 



Animals Received at Central Pake Menagerie for Week End- 

 Ino Mat 4.— One thrush, TtUriiU tawfetfs, nab. Europe; one one-col- 

 ored BOlltafre, MvadfUt ifntotor, hab. Central America, presented by 

 Mr. John Sutherland. N. T. City; ono Florida gallinule, Qallinvla 

 I reseated by Mr. Chis. Cashman, N. Y. City; two polar 

 . rus mwrlilmus, placed on exhibition; one collared peccary, 

 , i, « -u ; two brown capuchin monkeyB, Cebus fattultus ; one 

 bonnet monkey, Macacus raditttus; six bulltluubes, Pi/rrlutlii rubU-ilta> 

 all purchased. W. A. Conkun, Director. „ 



—We have received a copy of a book, "All about ■Wash- 

 ington Territory, published at Seattle, Wash. Ter., by ML 

 Choir. Price, $1. We are informed by the publisher that 

 he answers all letters of special inquiry about that country, 

 reliably, free of charge, to all subscribers. 



"A Week in Lapland" does not deal with a certain country 

 in Europe. It ia descriptive of a six days' go-as-you-please 

 match at Gilmore's Garden. 



BOSTON DOG SHOW, 



Boston, May 6, 1879. 

 'pHE Second Annual Hog Show of the Massachusetts Kennel 

 Club opened at the Muaio Hal!, in this city, this morning, un- 

 der the moBt nattering auspices, There were 528 enteries and the 

 list comprises very many celebrities. The interest in the show 

 appears to he widespread, and the prospects are that the ehow 

 will be a finanoial success. Many prominent breeders and sports- 

 men are present from various parts of the country. The judging 

 is being dona in public iu Bumatoad Hall, underneath the main 

 hall. No suoh judging ring has ever before been seen, as the 

 hall ia almost circular in shape with seats rising tier above tier, ao 

 that a large audience can be present and witness the judging. 

 The gentlemen filling these responsible and usually thankless 

 positions are : For the sporting classes— Mr. Chas. H. Raymond, 

 of MorriB Plains, N. J.; Dr. Wm. Jarvia, of Ciaremont, N. H,, and 

 Maj.Jno. M.Taylor, of Lexington, Ky. For non-Bporting, Mr. 

 Jaa. B. England, of Philadelphia. The judging waa commenced 

 about noou, and we give below the list of awards made up to the 

 time of sending this dispatch. All of the open classes have filled 

 well, but the champions are not nnmorous, there being only Mr. 

 Smith's brace, Leicester and Paris, tn the English Better dogs and 

 the same gentleman's Dart, with Mr. Foraaith's Di in the bitch 

 class. In the champion Ir'iBh setter classes there are 9 entries, 

 but of these Elcho, Berkely, Loo II. and Duck are not competing. 

 Of obampion Gordon setters there are 4, and of pointers 7. To be 

 iu a champion class at this ehow, however, a dog must have won 

 two first prizes or have competed in a champion class. The fol- 

 lowing is an abBtraot of the number of entries in each of the open 

 classes : 



Imported English setters, dogs 15, bitches 17, puppies 6 ; native 

 English setters, dogs 40, bitches 20, puppies 20 ; imported Irish 

 setters, dogs 15, bitohos 7, puppies 9 ; native Irish setters, dogs 

 14, bitcheB 7, puppies 5 ; Gordon setters, dogs 16, bitches 11, pup- 

 pies 10 ; pointers, dogs over 55 lba., 14, bitches 8; under 55 lba, 

 dogs 10, bitches 11 ; pointer puppies 10 ; Chesapeake Bay dogs 2 ; 

 Irish water spaniels, 8 •, other retrievlog water spaniels, 5 ; cocker 

 spaniels, 9 ; other field spaniels, 7 ; foxhounds, 11 ; beagles, 4 ; 

 fox terriers, 18 ; greyhounds, 2 ; Scotch deerhounds, S ; mastiffs, 

 8 ; St. Bernards, 36 ; Newfoundlands, 4 ; Ulin, 2 ; coach dogs, 5 ; 

 colliee, 17 ; bull dogs, 8 ; bull terriers, 17 ; pugs, 11 ; black and 

 tan terriers, 4 ; Skye terriers, 4; rough-haired terriers, 2 ; Dandie 

 Dinmonts, 1 ; Yorkshire terriers, 17 ; toys, 1 ; Blenheim, King 

 Charles or Japanese, 9 ; Italian greyhounds, 8 ; miscellaneous, 6 ; 

 trick dogs, 3 ; yard-broken dogs, 16. 



For the special prizea there are 161 entrieB. Among the princi- 

 pal exhibitors are Mr. L. H.Smith, of Strathroy, Canada, who has 

 Leicester, Paris and Dart ; the St. Louis Kennel Club with the 

 pointers Bow, Faust and Clytie ; the Toledo Kennol Clab with a 

 kennel of Gordons headed by Grouse ; the Baltimore Kennel Club 

 with Derg and other red Irish setters, etc., elo. The entries in 

 the English setter classes are, aa a rule, very fair ; bo arj the 

 pointers and Gordons. The Irish softer classes do not contain 

 many fine specimens, although there are some very handsome 

 puppies exhibited. Some of the non-sporting classes are very 

 good, but the judging of these did not commence until evening. 



The following awards wore made this afternoon: Champion 

 English Setters— DogB, Paris, L. It. Smith ; bitches, Dart, same 

 owner. Imported English Setters— Dogs, fiiat. Dash III., Har- 

 vard Kennel Club ; second, Coin, J. E. Long ; v. h. c, Boyal 

 Duke, H. S. and 8. C. Magraw; h. c, Hamlet, Harvard Kennel 

 Clnb; Lelaps, F. Sumner; c, Warwick, H. C. GanBe. Bitohes — 

 firBt, Oouutess II., Harvard Kennel Club; second, Ollie, H. W. 

 Gaueo: v. h. c, Belle, H, W. Ganeo ; h. 0., Boae, 3. N, Dodge; 

 Vesper, H. J. Terry; c., Gipsey Girl, A. D. White. Puppies— 

 first, Nix, W. E. Sessions. Native English Setters— Dogs, first, 

 Ray, E, Orgill; second, Fred, A. W. Gore; v. h. c, Daniel Web- 

 ster, G. A. Thayer; h. o., Grouse, D. P. Waters; o„ Jocko, E. 

 King. Bitohes— first, Mell, L. F. Whitman; seoond, Abbey, E. C. 

 LaMontagne; v. h. 0., Bessie, H. B. Richmond; h. c, Fannie, B. 

 Elliot; c, Freeze, P. S. Roberts. Puppies— first, Beacon, Balti- 

 more Kennel Club, h. c, Blast, H. W- Ganeo; c, Gipsey, A. W. 

 Gore. 



ENTRIES. 

 Division A.— English Setters. 



Class 1 — Champion English Setter Dogs — Leioestsr and Paris, 

 L H Smith, Strathroy, Out ; Lark, P H Morris, New York. 



Class 2— Champion English Setter Bitches— Dart, L H Smith, 

 Strathroy, Ont ; Di, Fred AForsaith, Kittery, Me. 



Class 3— Imported English Setter Dogs, or their progeny of the 

 first generation — Drake, Dash III. and Hamlet, Harvard Kennel 

 Club, Cambridge, Mass ; Wagner, Frank L Barnes, Auburndale, 

 Mass ! Royal Duke, H S & S C Magraw, Colors, Md , LeUps, 

 Franklin Sumner, Milton, Mass ; Pontiac, John C HieginB, Dela- 

 ware (Jitv, Dal; Jake, Capt A L Emerson . York, Mo ; Penn, Irwin 

 k Waddell, Topeka, Kim ; Frank 11, Lineoln & Hallyar, Warron, 

 Mass ; Thunder, J J Snellenhurg, New Brighton. Bonn; Banger, 

 A E Godeffroy, Guymard, N Y: Coin, John E Long, Detroit, Mich; 

 Warwick, H W Gause, Wilmington, Del; Star, JohnALoring, 

 Boston. 



Class 4-Imported English Setter Bitches, or their progeny of 

 the flcst feneration— Countess U., Harvard Kennel Club, Cam- 

 bridge, Mass ; Pearl, Isaac Fiske, Worcester, Mass ; Cornelia, L 

 s-huster Jr, Philadelphia ; Nell, Paul Temple, Boston ; Zol), A W 

 Cuanman, South Braintrse, Mass : Gipsy Girl, A D White, Bos- 

 ton ; Bute, It F Donne, Bostou ; Petrel and Petrel It., John C 

 Higgins. Delaware Citv, Del ; Mollie, H M Quimbv, Worcester, 

 Maes ; Pearl, I, H Smith. Strathroy, Ont ; Rose, J N Dodge. De- 

 troit, Mich; Peeress, J J Snelleiiburg, New Brighton, Penn ; 

 Bbcebo, John A Loving, Boston ; Belle and Ollie, H W Gause, 

 Wilmington, Del; Vesper, 11 J Terry, Palmer, Mass. 



ClasB 5— Imported English Setter Puppies, under 12 monthB— 

 Gladstone II, Isaac Fiske, Worcester, Mass; Countess Bill and 

 Count Dan II., John C Higgins, Delaware City, Del; Nix, Waldo 

 E Sessions, Worcester, Mass; Fanny, Aleer Marsh, Boston; Wasp, 

 W Tallman. Providence, R 1. 



Class 6— Native English Setter Dogs— Royal Ben, T T Sawyer 

 Jr, Boston; Duke, Edwin N. Haines, Lynn, Mass; Fred. Avery 

 W Gore, Boston; Dandy, Allia Hardy, Brooklina, Mass ; Ned, W 

 S Draper, Boston : Daniel Webster, Georgo A Thayer, Boston ; 

 Buff, John J O'Brien, Boston; Mars, S Kneeland Jr, Boston; Rex, 

 Charles W Copeland Boston: Tort, N L Lafrennre, BoBton ; Don, 

 David O Ives, Salem, Msbs: Spy, J F Head, Boston; Sancho. 

 Frank Fallon, Boston ; Beppo, J D Williama, Boston ; Marquis, 

 Franklin Nouree, Lawrence, Mass ; Dash, Isaac W Thrasher, Fall 



