2 



FOEEST AND STREAM. 



As the day was breaking I was roused to go up stream 

 to look for our moose. We got into the birch cau- 

 tiously, and taking the gun I resumed my place in the bow 

 and we started siiently up stream. As we reached the spot 

 where I had shot at the moose, just at a turn of the 

 stream, the bow was headed for the shore, when suddenly 

 the canoe stopped, and Uncle Ellis said, "There's a moose 

 on the other side of the river, close to the bank; I'll paddle 

 you right onto his back." I looked over and saw the great 

 gray mass of a moose standing with its back to us, feeding 

 where the water rose nearly to its belly. The canoe was 

 paddled to within five yards of the animal, and I began to 

 think i really was to be put on its back, when uncle Ellis 

 said, "Shoot!" 80, taking a careful aim, I pulled the 

 trigger. To my intense disgust tbe cap refused to explode; 

 I cocked and pulled again with the same result. The 

 slight noise caused the moose to look around. It had not 

 scented us, and we were so quiet that the animal showed 

 no alarm. "Put on another cap," was hissed out of the 

 stern. 1 endeavored to get at them, but on tiie first move- 

 ment the moose became uneasy and moved towards tbe 

 forest. It was but a moment gaining the shore, where it 

 stopped for and instant to take a look at us, and then start- 

 ing at a long swinging trot was soon out of sight among 

 the trees. "Well, that is bad luck enough," I said, "I 

 ought to have put on a fresh cap before we started out this 

 morniug." "Yes, it is rough," answered my guide, "but 

 it was only a cow anyway, and we want bulls. I guess 

 we'll go and git the one you shot last night," and so he 

 turned the birch around and paddled across the stream. I 

 felt considerably discouraged, and in a frame of mind not 

 to be surprised on reaching the spot where the moose fell 

 the night before to find that he was not there. " Here's 

 where he was," said Uncle Ellis, "and just see how the 

 grass is ah smashed where he struggled, aud here's a lot of 

 blood, too; he is desperate hard hit; he's just gone this 

 way," and so he followed up the track. Blood was found 

 at intervals, and several places were seen where the animal 

 had lain down, but the track gradually led off into the 

 forest, and it soon became evident that the moose had been 

 able to take himself off during the night. Here was an- 

 other disappointment, but there was no use -waiting, the 

 moose had evidently gone away, and w T e were obliged re- 

 luctantly to give up the search. "It does happen so 

 sometimes," Uncle Eilib said, as he paddled towards Kineo." 

 "A moose is a mighty powerful critter, aud it will happen 

 occasionally, when they've got their death wound, that 

 they'll drag 'emseives off into the woods where you can't 

 fiud 'em aud just die there; aud sometimes, when des'prate 

 hard hit, they just gits away in spite 'ov yer, and arter a 

 while gits over it and comes out ail right agin." 



My friends were waiting for us on the wharf, and greeted 

 us with ihe question, "Where is your game? Didn't you 

 kill a moose; we heard you shoot last night, and felt certain 

 you had killed one." I was obliged to confess my bad 

 luck, but I cheered them with the information that there 

 were plenty of moose; on every side were signs of their 

 presence, So we decided to try again that evening. To 

 my regret, however, I was obliged To give up Uncle Ellis 

 for a lew days, as he had engaged to go with Church, the 

 artist, to Mt Katahdin; so I took as my guide Joe Bar- 

 rows, tne son of our landlord. Without the experience of 

 old man Ellis, Joe was very handy and obliging about 

 camp; a good canoe-man, aud understood well the habits of 

 the mighty game. Joe had a tent which he took with us, 

 and as it was decided to remain over night, we went pre- 

 pared to sleep out and took such things as were required to 

 cook our supper and breakfast. It was decided that Joe 

 aud I should go back to Tom Heegan, and George, with 

 his guide, should try a stream farther up the lake. About 

 the middle of the afternoon we started' again, and opposite 

 the mouth of Tom Heegan parted company, wishing each 

 oiher good sport during the coming evening. Joe quickly 

 paddled the canoe across to the entrance of the river, and 

 we landed and made our camp in a grove of white birch. 

 This done, Joe.proposed to start up stream, although the 

 sun had not yet set, to see, as he said, what fresh signs 

 there were. We took our respective positions, and the 

 canoe moved silently along for about twenty minutes, when 

 Joe whispered, "Thar's a bar just ahead of us on the left 

 bank, I saw his head in the bushes. The critter's eatin' 

 some offal of a moose I left thar about a week ago. Will 

 you snoot him? He han't seen us nor heard us at all." 

 "Shoot him!" I replied; "I rather think I will." "it may 

 spile your chance tor a moose," said Joe., "for the noise 

 'ill likely skeer them off if any are around." "Never mind," 

 said I, "we'll take the chances. It isn't every day one gets 

 a shot at a bear. (Jo ahead." "Well," explained Joe, 

 "the fellow is just the other side of that tall birch yonder; 

 I'll go down to it and then turn towards the shore, when 

 you can shoot." .No more was said. I kept my eye 

 lasteued ou the birch tree, and as the bow passed it I saw 

 the bear's head above tiie bushes. He was intently occu- 

 pied with his meal, and was totally unconscious of our 

 1 presence. Joe turned the boat cautiously around and 

 shoved it within five yards of the shore, when he held it 

 steady, and judging about where the animal's shoulder 

 would be, i hied. A plunge and a grunt, followed by a 

 great scratching, told that the shot had been successful. 

 As Joe still kept the boat stationary, I asked him what we 

 should do now. "Wait a bit, there may be two on 'em; 

 let's listen/' Soon sounds began to issue from the woods, 

 low and plaintive at first, buttoon rising into screeches aud 

 howls that fairly made the forest ring. "What on earth is 

 that horrible noi&e, Joe?" I asked. "That's the bear dying, 

 we must wait a while, for if there's another about he's just 

 like as not to come aud see what's the row for," so we sat 

 and waited, but in a few minutes the howls grew gradually 

 fainter, and theu ceased altogether. "You'd better load up 

 now," said Joe, "and step aslioru and see what sort of a 

 bar you've ki'ied." 1 did not altogether fancy this, but as 

 soon as 1 had loaded the gun Joe pushed the bow to the 

 shore, and said, "Jump out now, I'll wait for you here." 

 Holding on to the gun and keeping it all ready to shoot 

 anything that I mei, 1 advanced gradually into the bushes, 

 peering on every side for the bear, and expecting every 

 instant to feel his claws catch hold cf me, I soou came to 

 the spot where the offal lay, and there, to my great satis- 

 faction, saw the bear lying a little farther on sprawled out 

 in bii old well worn moo&e-paih quite dead. Calling to Joe 

 to come aud h- lp me carry him to the boat, I stood and ad- 

 nurtu ihe creature uefoie me. His black shaggy coat was 

 not no tnick as it would have been a month or so later, but 

 still in very fair condition, and his arms and paws were 

 massive. It was as much as Joe and I could do to pull the 

 brute to the river, and when we had dumped him into the 

 canoe, he took up all the central part. "I think," said Joe, 



"we had better go back to camp with this fellow, he smells 

 po strong we couldn't get within a mile of a moose, and 

 we'll throw him out on the shore and leave him for to- 

 night." So we went down to camp; there we waited for 

 the moon to rise before starting again for moose. But our 

 hunt was useless, for the noise made in killing the bear 

 prevented any moose from coming to the river. 

 [Concluded next week.] 

 , -*♦-•■ — 



For Forest and Stream . 



MALLARD SHOOTING IN THE SNOW. 



IT was near the close of one November morning that 

 Henry Elah, my truest friend and best companion in 

 ail shooting trips, called to inquire if I "would like another 

 half day's hunt before the river froze over?" 



"Are the ducks plenty?" I inquired, "I had supposed 

 the freezing of Puckaway Lake would drive them south." 



"True enough, the lake has frozen, but for this very 

 reason the mallards are actually swarming on the Fox 

 River, the only open water for miles around," answered 

 Henry, and I,"nothing loth, hastily gathered my shooting 

 accoutrements and prepared to depart for the best resort, 

 three miles away. 



"Had we not better take Neptune?" I ventured to sug- 

 gest. "Certainly," responded he, and at this moment 

 .Neptune, the spaniel, came running gaily forward, his 

 pendant silky ears shaking with his motion, and his bright 

 eyes glistening, evidently as well aware as we of what was 

 forthcoming. 



The morning though comparatively warm was cloudy, 

 and a lurking heaviness in the air was suggestive of snow, 

 but this was likely to be the last shoot of the season, and 

 we would not miss the opportunity. Keeping close to the 

 river's edge we set out at a good pace, following the devi- 

 ous windings and ever on the alert for the quick nutter or 

 hasty quack which should announce the flight of mallards. 

 For the first mile no such welcome sound greeted our ears, 

 but in the meantime a few white flakes of snow had fallen 

 and the appearance of things betokened a storm. "Now we 

 had better be cautious," I whispered, "for at this clump 

 of willows I have found ducks," and as we stepped for- 

 ward carefully toward the river bank. Nep, by some 

 strange freak of excitability, rushed ahead whiniug with 

 eagerness. Splash, splash! Flip, flap! four mallards 

 rose beyond the fringe of willows separating us from the 

 river, and were away, giving no chance for shooting. Nep 

 received a sound whipping tor his blunder, and we resumed 

 our way. Suddenly we beheld a score or more of mallards 

 coming forward on sweeping wings, and as the ducks 

 neared us we fired, I at the nearest on my right, and Henry 

 at a single duck which passed over him. Two fell, one on 

 the icy slough across the river, and the other nearly a half 

 mile aw T ay at the edge of a dense woodland bordering the 

 marsh. I fired again at the "rear guard," and had the 

 satisfaction of seeing him fall, though nearly two hundred 

 yards away, across the river. "Nep go fetch 1" and at the 

 word the faithful dog swam over and returned, laying the 

 mallard at our feet; and such a one, too, not to be com- 

 pared to the bird of {September, but heavy, strong of wing, 

 and a covering of feathers that would defy the No. 5 or b 

 pellets which had proved so deadly early in the season. 

 "It is unlucky," said Henry, "that those two should 

 fall where 'tis useless to search for them." 



Just then, our guns reloaded and ready, a black duck 

 came swiftly flying towards us, and he too fell at the re- 

 port of my companion's gun. Agreeing to take different 

 routes from here and tbus cover the ground more fully, 

 Henry taking the dog crossed the river in a canoe and 

 started down on the opposite bank, while I remained 

 several minutes watching the steady snowfall until my re- 



at this he "towered" straight upward with swift flight, 

 further and further until he became a mere speck in the tail- 

 ing flakes above. But his race was run, and from mid-air 

 the bird falls, gaining impetus as he drops, and strikes the 

 frozen marsh up the river, but on the opposite shore. Soon 

 after Henry appeared, and to him I gave the task of secur- 

 ing the mallard on his side of the stream. "A little above 

 where you are now standing, is the spot where our second 

 duck fell," said I, after, with Nep's aid he had found the 

 lost mallard shot; 'just at the foot of yonder tall tree 

 among the thick underbrush," pointing to a stretch of al- 

 most impenetrable woodland and brake. Bat the snow had 

 probably covered it, destroying the scent, and a search 

 tailed to find tne mallard, and from thence we proceeded 

 to the next bend in the river where Henry brought down a 

 fine duck, the report of his gun sounding deadened in the 

 heavy air. Almost immediately after 1 discovered about 

 three hundred >ards below six ducks alight on the wa er. 

 1 informed Henry of this new arrival, suggesting that he 

 follow and obtain a shot if possible. But, with the liberal- 

 ity characteristic of his nature, he insisted upon my enjoy- 

 ing the chance. Stealthily 1 approached the margin of the 

 stream, opened the tnnge of willows which lined the bauK, 

 aud beheld the six ducks peacefully feeding in the shallow 

 water across the stream, ft was full fifty yards though, 

 aud I stood for a moment debating in my mind the chances 

 tor sncli a shot. Unfortunate delay ! the waterfowl, taking 

 alarm, arose at the instant, but closely together, and I tired 

 with the happy lesultof bringing down two, and at the sec- 

 ond shot, tired at a single lnalFard which crossed to my 

 right; he too ft 11, but I saw with dismay that none of the 

 three were killed. One was wing tipped, one in the under- 

 growth on the farthest bank, and Ue third floating down 

 the current. A charge laid low the last, but the two former 

 were neyond the range of my gun. I called to Henry to 

 send Nep after the one in the thicket, and as he approach- 

 ed the spot among thick alders, Nep flushed the duck which 

 rose apparently unharmed, flying straight past Henry 

 away out upon the marsh, where at length it fell exhausted 

 nearly a mile away. 



Soon after my companion joined me, and stepping from 

 the canoe held up a mallard, exclaiming "Here is the fel- 

 low that fell near the tall oak tree above the bend!" "How 

 did you find him?" I enquiied. "Oh, easily enough, al- 

 though I had given him up and called the dog away, Nep 

 ran back aud surprised me bv coming from the thicket with 

 the mallard in his mouth. At first sight I only saw the 

 wings and head of the duck standing straight out from its 

 body, and 1 thought for the instant it was a monster of 

 some description, which frightened me considerably." 

 At this we both laughed heartily and soon started home- 



ward, voting our half-day's sport a fine one, although en 

 joyed in a snow storm,- and the last hunt of the season. 



Fred. 



POLLUTION OF RIVERS. 



This subject has been referred to at times in our columns 

 but it does not seem to have received the full attention 

 which it merits, either from legislatures, game protective 

 clubs, or the press. Although there are laws in many 

 States which provide heavy penalties^ for allowing deleteri- 

 ous substances to be deposited in rivers, yet there is scarcely 

 a river without a factory upon its banks, discharging H s 

 hurtful refuse into it. Mr. Fred. Mather, now in the employ 

 of the United States Fishing Commission, has been promi- 

 nent in his efforts to correct the above abuse, and deserves 

 credit therefor; but the evil remains. It is not an easy 

 matter to convict offenders under the law, not even hi 

 England, where the like efforts at protection have been 

 long and increasing. We observe that the bill entitled the 

 "Clean River Bill," has recently been brought into the 

 House of Lords by the Earl of Doncaster, with the object 

 of " making further provision against the pollution of 

 rivers hitherto free from pollution." It is evident that leir 

 islation has been defective or imperative in that country; 

 and severe measures, or better improvement of them, are 

 required. 



A clean river, or a clean part of a river, is defined to 

 mean any river, lake, pond, stream, canal', or water-course, 

 of every description, or part of a river, lake, pond, stream, 

 canal, or water-course, in which the water is not affected 

 by any extraneous polluting cause to an«h an extent as to 

 be materially deteriorated in quality. Any peiaou ^>h 

 causes to fall or flow, or knowingly permits to fall or flow, 

 or to be put or carried into any clean river or any clean 

 part of a river any polluting matter, shall be deemed to 

 have committed an offence against the Act; and may be 

 prosecuted in a County. Court by any person interested in 

 keeping such river or part of a river free from pollution. 

 The County Court may order the discontinuance of the 

 offence, under a penalty of £50 a day for every day during 

 which such order is ignored. Pollu ting matter is defined 

 to include "any matter, whether solid or liquid, which in- 

 troduced into water, alters appreciably for the worse the 

 quality of such water;" and herein says Land and Water, 

 lies the principal fault in the bill. The test for polluting 

 matter is to lie in its injuring "water,"— from any source 

 apparently; but the offence created by section 3 is only in 

 the putting of such matter into "clean rivers." It suggests 

 that " polluting water" should be defined to mean "matter, 

 whether solid or liquid, which, introduced into pure spring 

 water, alters appreciably for the worse the quality of such 

 water." 



It is worthy of more than a passing notice, that an ac- 

 tion and injunction have been obtained in one of the ruial 

 judicial districts of Long Island, in a case that was decided 

 to come under the pollution of rivers act. This we an- 

 nounced in our last issue, and we hope due honor will be 

 accorded to Judge Richard Ingraham, the presiding judge 

 in the case. The action was to restrain one Lee from per- 

 mitting a drain from his premises to corrupt the water of a 

 trout pond belonging to Edward H. Seaman, of Richwood, 

 L. I., the effect of which has been to destroy a large 

 number of trout. Under tliis ruling, others will encour- 

 aged to undertake similar prosecutions. There are hun- 

 dreds of streams which are rendered hurtful, not only to 

 the fish in them, but to the neighboring inhabitants who 

 use their waters, by the dye-stuffs, the tar oil, and refuse 

 allowed to pour into them, the water therefrom actually 

 percolating through the soil and poisoning the wells, as 

 has been ascertained. 



^ » »» ■ 



CHANGES OF COLOR IN FISH. 



* This is a subject of much interest, and deserving of 

 close study, inasmuch as fish are often described as differ- 

 ent varieties of a family, whereas they owe their supposed 

 difference purely to voluntary or involuntary changes of 

 color. Even the brook trout— known to vary in color, ac- 

 cording to waters in which they are found— often present 

 two or three distinct shades or hues in the same stream, 

 phenomena which may be accounted for on the theories 

 given in the letters addressed to the Zand and Water, Lon- 

 don., which we copy below. The same peculiarities we 

 have seen in catfish and pickerel, and other fish. We 

 hope our intelligent correspondents will at once take up 

 this matter for investigation and discussion. We quote as 

 indicated:— 



i "Regarding the change of color in fish so recently allud- 

 ed to by Mr. Wesley, it may be interesting to hear ITor. 

 Owen's remarks as stated in the first volume of his great 

 work on the 'Comparative Anatomy and Physiology ot tne 

 Vertebrates.' 'The varied, and often brilliant colors 1 01 

 fishes, are due to pigment cells at different depths ot tne 

 skin, but chiefly in the active or differentiating area. A nose 

 of silvery and golden lustre are mostly on the surface ot 

 the scales. The silvery pigment called 'argentine is an 

 article of commerce used lor the coloring of factitious 

 pearls, and offers a crystalline character under the micro- 

 scope. The blue, red, green, or other bright-colored pig- 

 ment is usually associated with tine oil, and occupies 

 areolae favoring accumulation at, or retreat * r0 ™> ^Vu* 

 perficies, and thus effecting changes in the color of the nsu, 

 harmonizing their exterior with the hue of the bottom 01 

 their haunts.' Darwin mentions some very ^^""S P*J 

 ticulars. 'The colors of the pike of the United States, 



