Sept. 27, 1883.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



163 



ll was one of the impromptu, wholesome woodland din- 

 in i> that are remembered through life, wliile the memory of 

 more pretentious [easts bavi 



"Gone, like the tenants that left without warning, 

 Down (■<•• Ikm k entry of Time." 



After dinner 1 guggOBto4 Hmt we spend an hour or so 

 smoking, lounging on the browse, and waiting for the wind 

 lo go li'Wii with tile sun, and we did. There was no hurry, 

 We had nil the lime (here was, and the evening was almost 

 Certain to be line, wilh a full moon. So we possessed our 

 souls in patience, and took turns smoking the only pipe we 

 had between tis. 



"When the sun was wry low. .in, I wild winds bound within their cell,'' 

 we pulled over the remaining three miles of the now placid 

 Fourth, and T stopped at the fool to land at my old camp of 

 three years Bgo, while Lovcland rowed to Feme's camp on 

 Third Lake. 



At Third Lake I found him, and he urged me to take a 

 seat in his boat to the Forge House, just for sociability; but 

 J declined. 1 wanted to visit a little with old acquaintances, 

 and also I had a fancy for taking in the lower three lakes b) r 

 moonlight once more: fori Inula presentiment that I was 

 likely to fko over them no more. 



And when the moon rose, orange red and large and full, 

 J paddled, very quietly and a little sadly, over the Third, by 

 thfl Eagle's Nest, across the Second, by Ike Slickuey camp 

 anil over the First, and so down by the Indian Rock and 

 down the chaunel until I made the lights of the Forge House. 

 I landed at die hoathousc, tied iu. and at 8:i50 o'clock the 

 Sairy-was resting bv the maple tree where my canoes have 

 so often found a. safe resting place. 



It bad been a part of my programme to take in about two 

 weeks of deer hunting on the branches of Moose River; 

 Wherefore I had left the old hair-triggered nail-driving muz- 

 zle-loader at the Forge House in charge of Charley Barrett. 



For Ihe first twenty-one days after leaving" the Forge 

 House for Paul Smith's I had nineteen rainv days, and all 

 cold. This, willi an accident that nearly paralyzed my right 

 arm, made the cruise a slow affair. And it was not strange 

 that I found my vacation of six weeks all gone. But 1 still 

 lingered, stealing one more week. I had been just one 

 month crossoig the Wilderness and returning. It was as well 

 so. I was not running on time. I stopped wherever and 

 whenever 1 found objects ot interest, or saw a chance to 

 pick up useful knowledge of the noted North Woods. Anil 

 now my time was up. 



On the morning ol August 24, I picked up the Sairy at 

 5 A. 31. and started for the last day's cruise I shall probably 

 make iu her. By way of the still water and Jones's camp, it 

 is twenty miles to Moo-e River Tannery. And the route is 

 not what it was three, or even two years ago. It has fallen 

 into disuse. The bridge at the old Arnold place has suc- 

 cumbed In lime, anuii'oA blocks the course, a dismal looking 

 wreck. Huge trees have fallen across the stream, and re- 

 main as they fi II. And there are two ugly Hood-jams, thai 

 are so many terror* tri a light canoe. Cautiously and slowly 

 I worked by all these, and then there was the Little Ripids. 

 Two years ago 1 padolcd the Nipper up these rapids, and 

 uever'took on uniil t reached the Forge House lauding. It 

 was no: so now. He gate at the foot of First Like was 

 raised, and a black and while torrent was rushing and roar- 

 i„„ ovcr ti u . ragged sandstone boulders, looking a trifle 



dangerous tor such a lighl craft. While I was hanging on 

 at the head of the rapids, back-paddling, and making up my 

 mind whether to "shoot" them or carry around, bite decided 

 the quest ion. One of these colorless boulders caught the 



W ol the canoe, whirled her broadside on, and Ihe next 



instant 1 wassbooriug the rapids, stern foremost. I think it 

 was not live seconds until I was safely by the rocks, and on 

 the level, foamy current below. One bump and a jump on 

 a rock that nearlv throw me out, aud I was calmly floating 

 on deep, clear water. 



Feeling a little faint I headed down stream, and paddled 

 leisurely to Jones's camp, thinking what a neat adventure it 

 would have been bad I been capsized, and the canoe gone 

 down the river without me. Aye. But you see, she couldn't 

 do it. The double-blatled paddle was tied to her ribbing 

 with six feet of strong I rolling line. 1 uever let go of the 

 paddle in an upset, I bang to the paddle. Paddle holds 

 the canoe. See? 



Jones's camp was deserted and desolate. A lively red 

 squirrel was Ihe only live thing in sight or bearing, lie had 

 wired bis way into Jones's horse barn, and was living at free 

 quarters. 1 was glad of it. I hope he will eat up ten 

 bushels of chop stuff and oats, and call in bis sisters, his 

 eousirs and his aunts. For Eri Jones flatly declined to ••put 

 me on*' to tlie hiding-place of his camp key, 1 stood about 

 OHC eh.inee iu fifty of needing it. But if I did need it. I 

 should need it badly. Luckily, it would have been of no use. 



I i . >b a half hour's rest, nibbled a bread crust, and tied 

 in for a lost long carry of nine miles. Up aud down, rocks, 

 fallen I ices and mud holes, brush and briars, slippery cordu- 

 roys and slimy logs, It was a wearisome carry, but I made 

 it.' I had started at 5 A. M. : 1 sighted the tanneryal UP.M. 



Declining the oiler of a friend to "set" me across, I took 

 Ottt, launched, and ferried myself over, landed in the tan- 

 nery ooze, drew the Sairy up into the fresh, green grass, 

 wiiied her frail siding clean", and "tied in" neatly aud care- 

 fully. Then, amid ihe questions and congratulations of a 

 dozen good-natured friends, 1 mounted heron my head for 

 a in-- r short c irry to the hotel, and walked wearily up to the 

 hospitabji door of the JIoqsb River Souse. 1 laid her down 

 BBt Fulrj JB Hi! Sllttiy porch, as a mother would a tired 

 infant, an I the cruise of the Sail v Gump was undid. 



I have little i Li tdd T had cruised her, by paddle and 



carry, 118 miles on the outward trip, and, by a different 

 route, 14s miles on the return. She has been a surprise to 

 on-. It required care and caution to get into or out of such 

 a light, limber, boat, But, once seated fairly, she was steady 

 ,i whale-bod. iler builder thought her too small and 

 light foi a working boat, lie was a trifle mi-iai,en. 1 would 

 a j sdotl take her to float a d --r or ham: ; mm ■ ii- h, as auy 

 eanoe 1 hnve ever owned; but her ■ irrying capacity is, of 



course, small She "trims" beat at 140 lbs. Savilolhs'. at 

 the seat, and 15 lbs. at each stern. 



At another time and place 1 shall have more to say on the 

 open canoe and double blade. But my outing is over for 

 this year. 1 have brought the Sairy home Without . n efiedl 

 in her frail siding. She sits lightly on a shelf, where 1 can 

 rest my eyes on her, as 



"I turn and raise the load, 



With wearji shoulders bending; 



And take the old, well-beaten roud, 



That leads unto the ending." 



Nrssaiuk. 

 P. 8. — To the oft recurring question of niv friends, "What 



luck fishing and hunting?" 1 answer I have, not been fish- 

 ing and hunting. 1 fished a little, incidentally! hunted not 

 at all. Tti those who assume thai 1 have been straggling 

 and cruising through the Northern Wilderness for six weeks, 

 that I may say 1 have cruised the I'mlmst wot king cedar 

 canoe ever built. 1 can only say they are badly mistaken. 1 

 dou't know that she is the lightest, and there are scores of 

 canoeists wiio can handle her as well Or better than her pres- 

 ent owner. The few who call me a "canoe crank," ami 

 "hobby rider'' come nearer the mark, I think myself it 

 is a hobby— but a mighty pleasant one to ride. ' X. 



[Mr. Rush ton sends us a letter received from "ISfessinuk," 

 from which we quote: To-day 1 send you back the Baity 

 Gamp. She is of no furl her use to me. There is not a 

 lake in Tioga county, and 1 am not going to rattle her over 

 the stones of Fine Creek. She has astonished me, she will 

 be more of a surprise to you. Remember the advice you 

 gave me about bracing, etc. Remember yo , said you 

 "would not warrant her for tin hour; she may go to pieces 

 like an egg shell. " That's what you said ; she don't go to 

 pieces worth a cent. I have snagged her, rocked her, got 

 her on to spruce knots, aud been rattled down rapids stern 

 foremost; and 1 send her hack, as tight and staunch as the 

 day 1 took her at Boonville. There are more than a hun- 

 dred cuts, scratches, and abrasions on her thin siding, there 

 are red and green blotches on her strips, Irom contact with 

 amateur boats, and longer streaks of bine, from collision 

 with Hie regulation guide boat, but she does not leak a drop. 

 I once said in Forest and Stream:, I was trying to find 

 out just how light a canoe it took to drown a man. I never 

 shall know. The Sairy Gamp has only ducked me once 

 in a six weeks cruise, and that by my own carelessness. 1 

 shall have somethine: to sa} T iu the near future on light ennoe- 

 •ug-] 



fj^aiurfil ]§i$tortJ. 



NOVA SCOTIA SUMMER NOTES. 



\ LTHOUGH the season is pretty far advanced for hot 

 JT3L weather in our northern latitude, yet the thermometer 

 still regis 1 ers a high degree of temperature. Our summer 

 has certainly been remarkable for its continued dryness. 

 Prom the 15th of June to the 10th of September, a period 

 of 94 days, rain only fell on 10 days at Watervtlle, in 

 the valley of Cornwallis. Of course this drought had its 

 effect upon vegetable as well as animal life. At the end of 

 August, the. birch trees, as well as several others, showed 

 signs of premature decay of foliage, several leaves having 

 turned quite yellow. The -first week of September, the red 

 maple in several places had sprays turned crimson, while 

 the small shrubs on dry banks were dressed iu complete au- 

 tumn dress. As a natural result, our fruit crops have been 

 below the average, and the fruit itself, generally speaking, 

 smaller in size than usual. The apple trees, which bore tin 

 abundance of blossom, also formed into fruit, but the early 

 drought of the summer caused at least three parts to wither 

 anil fall. To add to the I rouble, insect life, especially cater- 

 pillars, of various species of Nbdvidce, belonging to well- 

 known destructive genera, have occurred in great numbers. 

 This abundance of 'insect life i have always observed to be 

 the rule during the summers succeet ling winters when the 

 snow has lain continually deep throughout the winter with- 

 out thawing, in which condition it acts as a perfect shelter 

 to the hybernating forms beneath. A broken winter, alter- 

 nate freeze and thaw, is always destructive to insect life, 

 and, of course, in this case, beneficial to the farmer and gar- 

 dener. Some birds have been verv abundant this summer — 

 The purple grackle (Q. riurparms) has occurred iu large 

 flocks, composed of old ancl youmr. visiting our gardens 

 about the end of August, The gold finch (C. triilk) must 

 have bred in immense numbers in this neighborhood, for, 

 during July and August, they were to be seen and heard 

 everywhere. The partridge (A m 7 ;/j..V/m;) is also far more 

 numerous than usual. J. Matthew Jokes. 



DOMESTICATED ELK. 



Hot Suxbhou Sphings, Col., Sept, 10, 1883. 



Edihr Forest aivi stream: 



1 had intended months ago to give you some further facts 

 respecting some elk that, are kept here, and of which T have 

 once or twice before spoken through your columns, but have 

 never until to-day secured all of the data 1 wanted to use 

 These elk belong" to Win. J. Thompson, and were caught 

 when young calves, five years ago last spring; one bull aud 

 two cows. The first year the hull had no horns. The sec- 

 ond year, spikes, twenty-two inches long, which were 

 dropped May 22. The third year bis antlers measured 

 twenty -nine and thirty-one and one-quarter inches respec- 

 tively; had five points upon each and were dropped April 8 

 and 4. The fourth year they measured thirty-six inches, had 

 five points each, and were dropped April 20.' The fifth year 

 they were thirty-nine inches in length, had only four points 

 each, and were shed March 80. By August 15 his antlers 

 for the sixth year had attained then growth, and a week 

 later he had rubbed oft' nearly all the velvet, leaving only 

 shreds and patches and bloody streaks. They are believed 

 to measure not less than four and one-half feet, and have 

 eight points each. 



At four years of age one of the cows dropped a calf, which 

 is now a yearling past; imsafinc pair of spike horns, and 

 would weigh probably 300 pounds. At rive years each cow 

 had one calf, on or about May 8, during a severe and pro 

 tiacti-d storm of rain aud snow", which chilled them both to 

 death. Ad these calves were males, aud Mr. Thompson, 

 who is an old hunter, claims that the male elk comes singly 

 and the female in pairs. These adult elk, are estimated to 

 weigh, the hull 700 pounds, one of the cows 550 pounds, and 

 the other 500 to 525 pounds, They have all their lives been 

 confined in a very close and insufficient pasture, without any 

 chance for a choice of food, and a scanty supply of any kind". 

 They have to eat what they can get, anil consequently have 

 not had a fair show to come up to the average. One do nea 

 tic cow could not have subsisted iu the pasture provided for 

 these three (now four) elk. The horns dropped by this bull 

 elk arc all preserved, and I have been particular as to their 

 size, number of points and date of shedding, becau e of the 

 much mooted questions Of their loss aud replacement, and 

 the significance of the points. Manv argue thai each year 

 adds a point, aid that "their number consequently indicates 

 the age of the animal in yeais. Such is not the ca* e, in this 

 instance at least. 



These elk frequently get out of their pasture and roam 

 about the neighborhood. Ordinarily they are easily driven 

 back by a man or two on horseback" but "sometimes" the bull 



becomes angry aud charges the horsemen, when the hunt is 

 reversed and becomes Yeiy lively. A few days ago theycame 

 feeding along down the river and at length entered the stream 

 opposite a camp in the edge of town, when the campers 

 opened fire upon them at about foil v yards, Half n dozen 

 shots were fired and the yearling calf slightly wounded. The 

 others escaped untouched. At the last of April, this year, a 

 hand of elk estimated at 150 was feeding about two miles 

 from this place. On the third of May a party of meat hunters 

 from Grand Lake got among them and fired from forty to 

 fifty shots into the herd, getting eight animals and wounding 

 no one knows how many. At first it was intended to prose- 

 cute them under the game law, but for sympathy foi their 

 families and neighbors who it was pleaded were out of meat 

 and Very hungry, it, was given up. The threat caused a 

 good deal of uneasiness among hunters and others, and since 

 that time there has beeu very little abuse of game in this 

 neighborhood except by one" party. A warrant was sworn 

 out For him; when tbe'constable went to serve it he drew a 

 pistol, resisted arrest, and defied the officer. Rut he quit 

 hunting and soon after, before the sitting of the district court, 

 disappeared from tin: county. Now that the close season is 

 over, hunting parties are pouring into the Park, but 1 do not 

 hear of much game being killed. In fact, amateur sportsmen 

 are not very destructive of lame game, aud the guides they 

 pick in.) are growing smart enough, for their pwh interest in 

 the future, to keep them away from the best game resorts. 

 A very finely equipped party of English sportsmen passed 

 here yesterday. It is claimed by many that since the Indians 

 quit hunting in these regions, now five years, the game has 

 grown more plentiful. W. N. B. 



THE WHITE-WINGED GULL. 

 Lam Leuamierus. 



Adult: Lenorth to end nf t, 



li-iWu-e inches more; extent 

 parent angle of feathers, l.S 

 middle toe. 2.,), its claw, n. 

 2 lbs. 



lull 



ii Via 



length to end of winps. 

 i lcusth of bill from ap- 

 93; m.m is, 8.e of less; 

 urn, 17.3: weight, about 



, 1.8 t 



IMIE plumage is close, blended, and similar in character to 

 i. that of the common silverv gull, Wings, long, pointed. 

 Primaries tapering, the first longest, seeoud but slightly 

 shorter, the rest rapidly graduated. Secondaries, broad, 

 rounded. Tail, moderately long, even, of twelve rounded 

 feathers. 



Adult: Bill, gamboge yellow, with a red band around the 

 mandible near its tip. Edges of eyelids and angle of month, 

 orange red. Iris, very pale yellow. Feet, pale flesh color. 

 Claws, grayish brown. 



The whole plumage is pure white, except tfie mantle and 

 primaries, which are light gullbiue. The tips of primaries 

 and secondaries are white, as also their shafts. 



Young iu winter: B'U, yellowish brown, shading to horn 

 black for terminal third. Iris, brown. Edges of eyelids 

 orange. Feet brownish flesh color. Claw , brownish black. 

 The plumage is mottled brownish gray, usually much lighter 

 than that of the young silvery gull, and palest upon the 

 throat. Tie: feathf" rs of the lower parts are wdiite under- 

 neath. Externally the brownish gray markings appear as 

 longitudinal streaks upon the head aiid neck, and au trans- 

 verse markings upon the body, the wing coverts and tail 

 coverts. The tail feathers are dusky, slightly and irregu- 

 larly mottled. The primaries are pale, dusky gray above, 

 the shafts nearly while. The secondaries and inner prima- 

 ries are slightly mottled. The primaries anil their shafts 

 are white underneath, 



Intermediate; winter: Bill, mouth, eyelids and feet simi- 

 lar to those of adult. Head and neck more or less streaked 

 with brownish gray, body, tail and tail coverts slightly dusky 

 or white. Mantle 'usually gull-blue. The primaries above 

 similar to mantle, paler," dusky, shading to' white at tips. 

 Secondaries similar, and in this stage the primaries and sec- 

 ondaries aic sometimes nearly or quite devoid of the bluish 

 color of perfect maturity. There is a phase of plumage in 

 which the outer primaries are marked with blackish ash or 

 sooty gray color iu a manner that gives them an appearance 

 such as might be ascribed to a faded or "washed out" wing 

 of an adult silvery gull. But these ashy markings do not 

 extend along the whole width of the inner web as does the 

 black upon the primaries of the sil very gull, and except upon 

 the first primary this rusty color usually appears upon the 

 inner web merely as a bar across it near "the tip, without ex- 

 tending back along the shaft. 



Upon the first primary above the sooty color extends 

 along the outer web from lis base, until terminating in a 

 clearly defined line about two inches from the tip. "From 

 near this terminal line the same color, of a much paler sham-. 

 extends back along the inner web 'm a band of about 0,25 inch 

 width, adjoining the shaft, and shading toward its base, 

 where the web is pale gull-blue. The tip of the first primary 

 is immaculate white, or has only the indication of a dusky 

 bar. 



On the second primary there is little or no ash color 

 upon the inner web along ihe shaft. On the outer web this 

 color terminates uearerthe tip than upon the lirst pnm n , 

 and shades off toward the base of the feather, sometimes 

 gradually and sometimes extending but a short di- 1 m 



A-ooty bar acrpas one or both webs near the tip serves to 

 form a rounded white spot oovoringtue apex of the primary. 



Upon the third and fourth primaries the bar is more 

 strongly defined across both webs, aud the ashy coloration 

 ll a the shaft upon ihe outer web extjtids anteriorly, with 

 or without interruption, for but a short distance. 



The fifth primary sometimes has a well-defined bar across 

 its tip. aud sometimes no appearance of an ashy coloration 

 is semi on this primary. 



The tips of the ouler primaries are so broadly white that 

 the blue of the body of these feathers usually" shades into 

 the white before reaching the ashy liars. 



The shafts of the primaries above partake of the color of 

 the webs, but are white below. 



The secondaries are of the gull-blue color of the back and 

 mantle, -with a broad band of white, an inch or more in 

 width, extcudinu across their tips, as upon the adult. 



In the "Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club" of 

 April, 1883, there was announced, upon the authority of Mr. 

 Win. Brewster, the capture of two specimens of the "glau- 

 cous-win-ted mill ( /. </ «i iilmieoitnciis)," on tlie Atlantic coast 

 of Forth America ("Bay of Fundy"). 



One of these specimens was shown to me by my friend 

 Mr. Harry Merrill, to whom 1 remarked at the time that I 

 believed the bird to be of a species common on this coast 

 and well known to me. I also expressed the impression 

 I hat I had seen specimens with precisely similar peculiari- 

 ties of coloration. 



