August 5, 1880.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



beautiful, lustrous skins, with a \ery dark stripe on the 

 back, It is also renarkable that their liver is not of the 

 ordinary dark color, but on the contrary of a light buff 



Both specimens of which I send iihotographs are 

 curiosities in their way, for, as a general rule, when tsv<:i 

 deer engage in a tight they rush at each otlier fai-i- fn 

 face, and their heads remain in this position in cas^e theij- 

 horns become entangled. Tliia is nearly always the case. 

 but here is an instance where two bucks were found side 

 by side, like a team of horses, rtrmly held together by 

 thetr horns and srill ah've. The other couple were found 

 \Wth the hack of their heads together. One of tUt- deer 

 was already dead when found and the other- w.is speedily 

 dispatched by a bullet, which saved him fr. mi a i n 

 miserable death by hunger. 



A third photograph which I likewise inclose for your 

 use might be of interest to apox-tsmen and perhaps 

 deserving to appear in your columns in the shape of a 

 wood cut. The deer was shot in the neighborhood of 

 Austin and the horns are in my collection, which can 

 boast of raanj' other curious specimens. The left beam 

 has twenty-eight and the right beam twenty-four, in aU 

 fifty-tw LI antlers. Such a deer is certainly something un- 

 pre'cedenlrd, ajid. iu Texas at least, not to be found 

 again, B. Doscu. 



^ San Antonio, Texas, May 10th, 



AFjne Deek's Head.— Our correspondent, R. S. J., of 

 Menominee, Wis. , tells us of a remarkable pan- of deer 

 antlers now in liis possession. He says : — 



"I have in my possossi.rii :i (ine buck's head with large 

 antlers; the left has live points, the right is nearly the 

 same. only a large prong separates near the head on which 

 are six points, some pointing and reaching neai'ly as far 

 as the nose, wiiile others run out nearly as far as the 

 niaia horn." 



Of 



THE STING RAY. 



Corpus Chuisti, Texas, J^me Wh. 

 Editor Forest ajid Stream:— 



Inclosed I hand you a product of our waters, which, 

 although common enough here may bo something of a 

 curiosity with you. It is the sting or thorn taken from 

 the tail of a sting ray, commonly called and spelled 

 "stiiig-er-ee." This fish is veiy plentiful in these waters 

 in the spring, summer and fall of the year, disappearing 

 in the winter. 



The firet cold weather whieh lasts long enough to put 

 much of a chUl on the \\ ater sends them to their hiding 

 place, and we see them no more until the warm days of 

 spring have made the water more congenial to tJiem. 

 They either bury in the sand, or hunt deep water during 

 the cold weather. 



Excluding the long whip-like taU, the sting ray meas- 

 ures about one-sixth more in width than in length. The 

 one from which the inclosed sting was taken measured 

 about two feet iu length exclusive of the tail, and nearly 

 two feet six inches across the back. The taU. was nearly 

 if not quite three feet in length. 



The sting was about sis inches from the body, and lay 

 flat on the tail. It is not, as many fancy, capable of being 

 i-aised in an upright position for aggressive or defensive 

 purposes, but can only do harm by the fish working its 

 tail from side t'j side, in which case any object in the way 

 is liable to get pierced. Tliis stins^ in its original condi- 

 tion is covered with n. slime whieh is very poisonous, and 

 a ly one wounded iiy one of them is in great danger from 

 lockjaw. There are several instances known here of 

 death resulting fiom tlie wound, and there are many 

 cases where the sufferer has been conflned to his bed for 

 months. This lisU i;i\('S birth to from two to eight at a 

 time. It is covti'L'd Willi a thick, strong, smooth skin, 

 outside of whicli is a coating of tough slime. It is dark 

 brown above, and white lient^th. The two eyes are on 

 top, well sunk in the head and well protected from injury. 

 The mouth is underneath and about three or four inches 

 back from the end of the nose. The gills are slits in the 

 skin similar to those of the shark, and are situated on 

 each side of the mouth, only further hack. Tiie cavity 

 for the entrails extends the ftdl length and is almi->st as 

 well protected as that of a soft turtle. 



In fact, tliis tish lool« more liUe a soft shell turtle, 

 without feet and with a riding whip attached for a tail, 

 than it does like a tisli. It is a bold and free biter, and is 

 powerful, giving to the angler fine sport. 



It is very cunning when hooked, for as soon as it is 

 tired and hnds itself Uable to be vanquished it lays itself 

 flat on the bottom, and the stranger fancies his fish is 

 gone and he has ciiptm-ed a snag instead. Nothing will 

 nfter he locates himself except a long 

 ■ ' ■ " V The mouth is very tough, and 

 Jut. The flesh is very fine 

 he introduction of steam the 

 : lilt was eaten fresh in Paris, 



„ nd lieep well out of w^ater, if placed 



in wet moss. There Is a prejudice with many against 

 eating rays on account of their liideous appearance. 



They grow to grr^at size, half a ton or mom; when of 

 this size'; l he name changes and thev are called devU fish. 

 I have seen these laigc tellows on a still morning jump 

 out of the water twenty feet and come down flat, malt- 

 ing a noise like a young cannon. These large ones are 

 never captured in this vicinity, as they can break any 

 tacltle they choose to tackle. 



The largest one I ever captured was about 100 pounds 

 weight, and was between four and five feet across tlie 

 back. The thorn on the tail measured just nine inches 

 ill length. It is not uncommon for them to have two 

 and souictiines tliree thorns on the tail. They feed on 

 small fish, crabs and shrimp. Bexak. 



move the stint,' 



p.le 



or a verv 



en til 

 ray 



g. aiidiL 

 fas tlieoi, 



a.b it 



will live Ic 



WiNTKU Store oe the Gray SQViSRmj.— Long Prairie, 

 ZHvn., Jiuieith. — Editor Forest and Stream: — In a re- 

 cent issu*' of Forest and Stre.vm "Sharp Eyes'' states 

 his belief that the gray squirrel does not laynpa store 

 of food for winter. I am inclined to believe the gray 

 sipiirrel is not such a fool as this wotild seem to make 

 htm, and will give my retisons for such bslief. lly 

 fii.ther moved into the State of Indiana forty years ago 

 and settled iu the timber, and was brought np among 

 gi' ly squurebi, and the same jnight almost be said ot the 

 ■priter. JIany a time have I watched the gray squirrel 

 ascend a liiciiory tree, and taking a nut in his mouth 

 cany it to somo hiding place and return again for an- 



other ; but 1 never followed one up to see where the 

 hiding place for his store was situated, whether in the 

 ground or in some hollow tree. My father h.as seen lliem 

 keep this up for hours, and so have 1. In winter I have 

 seen places where they have dug into the .ground in per- 

 li.iljs a dozen places around one tree, ;ind the fact tliat 

 tliose trees y\nv not all fmit-bearing trees leads to 

 the Lielief that the squirrel had buried something there 

 and knew just where to dig for it. Indeed, the most of 

 the trees around wliicli I have seen these holes were 

 hoUow elme, or soft maples, and many times far removed 

 from any nut-bearing trees of any kind. My father and 

 I felleil a huge .ash one winter in which two gray squir- 

 rels bad made their homes, and I found perhaps four or 

 live dozen of good hickory nnts in the hollow, and it 

 looks very niuch as if thej'were placed there by these 

 squirrels." With all tlieae "observations before me, you 

 can count rue in as one who believes the gray squiiTel 

 lays up his store of food for winter, A. W, S, 



Food of the Great Blue Heron.— This season I killed 

 a large blue hejtou which had two moccasin snakes in 

 him, one of which was i|uite large, over two feet long, 

 and fully an inch through : the other, a third smaller, 

 I am of the opinion tliat all of our large herons eat 

 young snakes, anri tliat this ia one reason of the remarka- 

 ble scarcity of snakes iu J-lorida ; another is, that the 

 alligators devom- every snake they can catch. 



I have known the blue heron to swallow a grown 

 mullet. Tliis last season I killed a heron, and, while 

 cai-rying him, I noticed that he was unusually heavy, and, 

 wheJi I had got home and skinned him, I noticed that 

 he was full from throat to ' stern and proceeded to ex- 

 amine him. I found a flsh, which was some four inches 

 longer than the body of the bird, and fully half as 

 heavy. How this bird captavod the fish and raised him 

 to swallow, I cannot conceive. But, since the foregoing 

 experience, I came suddenly on to a heron on the beach 

 that was buailv engaged with a, catlish some nine inches 

 long. I could" have believd dial, ho ndj,iit have swal- 

 lowed the cat, but for llie i;reat and rininidable fins. 

 He left the fish withoui. crreniony, but 1 pulled on him 

 and took his skin. Since tliat lime 1 found a fin in the 

 tlu-oat of one, so I am satisliod that liiey eat both mullet 

 and catfish. The pelican will also _t;ike in a full-grown 

 mullet with ease. The cormorant will eat more flsh than 

 a person, and it is astonishing what large fish they swal- 

 low. 



Tampa Bay, Flo., July 20th. Wm, P. Neild. 



mPSluK [Lima ri 

 It. l.;onemfl-pi( 

 one frnlden-nape 

 iVfrs. LI. Leniliao; 

 exchange; one i 

 drils (C'j/iioeqvhd!! 

 one SahcVs Amaze 



? Received at Central Park Menaoeiue job the 



i!X'? JuLV 2!th. 1860.— Two Arabian sheep (Ow'sartcs), 

 l.y Capi CorriDgc, S. S. Dessonffc : one red fox {Vvlpes 

 \;c.iiii/a by Ml-. Lawcon Valnntiuc. MuuntatnvUle.N. Y.; 



oiik; r ;;,) ri/si, (ivesented by Samuel W. Francis, Newport, 



niii-vif. 'I'n'ii nislica), prcsentcil by ih\ Morris I.ooiile; 



)ii-y,.iWiV oarifUhii.ri, ijresenteil by 



^'oats iCdijm /liicii.-), received Id 



(Cii-o'/a(;i(-(?/3 riiona); four man- 



)iic red ljioel;ctt (COHnctW rxifw) 



a iChruS'itif; 



o?/a:i)-all purchaatd. 



W. A CoNici.TS, Director. 



A White Kxsgj Bird.— The following cutting ia taken 

 from the Norwich (Coi*i.) BuUefin of July IJHh :— 



An interesting Insua naturce was discoviired on Laurel 

 Hill last week. A king bird, or • 'tyrant fly-o:Atcher." which, 

 instead ot being brown, like its kind, -nas |iure white, ex- 

 cept its wings and tail, which were iit a 

 stunned itself bv some accident and fell in l 

 Park's ;■ ■• ■ '. - ' ^'- -"•:= riHcodup and pla 



aTi 



it died. 



creg mj- hue, 

 int or .Judge 

 eil in a cage, 

 doubtless, to 



,he fai i ::■• uisectivorons, and its cap- 



;ors. r.'! - - -!:„ ! ■ ^-I'liiectious, furnished it with 

 iilier lixai. Aji oruiiliologist and taxidennist having 

 leeii rcijaHsted to stulf the bird for preservation on Satur- 

 day, readily identified its species by its head and other 

 characteristics. It is a luandsome- but singular specimen. 



A Novel Rat Catcher. — Cool Spring, iV. C, July 

 2Tth. — At my kennels to-day I killed a water snake, in 

 which I found a full-grown ijarn rat. The snake meas- 

 ured twent v-two inches in length ; head, quarter of an 



ii, ; " "1^1 1 three-quarters of an inch long. The rat 



r condition, fat, healthy and strong look- 

 ist been s^-iUowed, i" judge, as it was in 



|j.;.„ __..,.;. ''oat. preser^■ation, etc. No wounds were 



discovcveO on eitliei- reptile or rodent. A rat is '• game" 

 to the death, yucry : How could so small a snake catch 

 and swallo.v so /oi.r/e a rat, and not show signs of a con- 

 HictV Again, witli so small a " jaw " (and necessarily 

 weak, to hold Ihc ro-leni i could tlic saake have kiUed it 



in any otl 

 rendering the rat pi 



th; 



■•rle; 



und it, thereby 

 %YJuit say our naturalists!? 

 E. S. Wansamaker^ 



May not the snake have drowned his prey? 



♦ 



Deep Sea Dredging. — The United States survey 

 steamer, Blake, came into Newpoi't last Saturday, after a 

 two months' ti-ip on the Atlantic coast, where she has been 

 engaged in deep sea researclies, under direction of Prof. 

 A. Agassiz. The explorations were made between Cape 

 Hatteras and George's Banks. Five lines of sonndiags 

 were ran at right angles to the coast between these 

 points, and a great quantity of zoological material ob- 

 tained. With tlio exception of the groups to bo worked 

 up at Cambridge by Prof. Ag-osaiz himself, assisted by 

 Col. Lyman, the collection is to be turned over to the 

 same zoologists who have worked up the specimens ob- 

 tained in former years by the United States Fish Com- 

 mission on the eastern coast of North America, the crus- 

 taceans going to Prof. S. J. Smith ; the invertebrates to 

 Prof. B. A. Venill, and the fishes to Prof. G. Brown 

 Goode and Dr, J. H. Bean. 



A Cannibalistic Snake.— Mr. C. R. Shaw recently 

 killed, at Sayville, L. I., a black snake whicli was thirty- 

 nuio inches long and about as large as a man's tliumb. 

 It appeared somewhat tliicker than ic should have been, 

 and was more shiggisli in its movements than 1 ilack sniUces 

 ordinarily are, On shaking the reptile by the tail, a 

 strijied snake, which measirred nineteen inches inlength, 

 came fioni its mouth. The smaller snake had been swal- 

 lowed head first, aad was atUl alive. Neither snake was 

 in a condition to hiss. We do not ramember even tu 

 have observed a case qui&J similar to the one above mt n- 

 tioned, though it is not an uncommon thing to fhidsn.-ikes 

 with partiallj' devoured and still living frogs protrtiding 

 from their mouths. 



— » 



— Address nil communications to"Foresi and Stream 

 Puhliahing Company, New YorJc." 



A Big California Salmon from Geneva Lake.— By 

 favor of Prof. Baird we are permitted to publish the fol- 

 lowing telegram : — 



Geneva Lake, Wis., Jvlymi'k. 



Prof. Spencer F. Baird :— A California salmon weicih- 

 ingtwelvepouudsand three-fourths was taken with a hook 

 from Geneva Lake this morning. N. K, Faiebank. 



This ia an exceedingly large salmon to have been grewn 

 in fresh water, for it is not at all probable that the fish 

 ever left the deep, cool waters of this lake to follow the 

 small streams which finally lead into the Illinois River, 

 and so down the Mississippi to the ocean — a glance at the 

 map of Wisconsin and lUiuois will show this to he almost 

 impossible. You will find Geneva Ltike in AVtdworth 

 County, Wis., and even if it had been possible for the 

 fish to go down and;return it would only iiild greater inte- 

 rest to its history. This lake is a favorite siimnier resort, 

 and has been stocked with many kinds of fishes by Mk, 

 Fan-bank at his own expense. 



We hope for more information as to the sex and de- 

 velopment of ovaries, if any, in this fish, for a question 

 yet unsolved is whether the California 8;-tlmon will de- 

 lop spawn in fraeh water or not. It is known that 

 males ripen, but we do not think a case is ou record 

 where ripe eggs have been found in this flsh when con- 

 fined in fre.sh water, 



«i' 



Ek of the Connecticut Fish Comicssion.- Dr. 

 W. M. Hudson, of Hartford, one of the Fish Commis- 

 sioners, gives the following particulars concerning the 

 recent operations of the Commission. During the sorinn- 

 .18,000 young Penobscot sabnon were placed In the triln 

 utarios of Farmington River. Of land-locked «aliiiou 

 eggs '.n. 000 were hatchwl and distributed. The demand 

 for these yoimg salmon to stock ponds and streams was 

 very great, as it had become known that salmon weigh- 

 ing from two and a half to four pounds each liave bc.Mi 

 taken in Hog Pond in Lyme, in Snipsio Pond in Rr.ck- 

 ville, in long pond in Winchester, and in Twin Ltikes iu 

 SiUisbury, and in many others the young fish are known 

 to be growing and thriving finely. 



The llO.noO brook trout hatched were widely distrib- 

 uted and the supply was by no means equal to the de- 

 mand. Arraugements have been made to secure 400,000 

 young fry next spring. Dr. Hudson says that Comiec- 

 ticut has some of the finest trout brooks in the world, 

 and with projier care and attention ou the part of farm- 

 ers, and a disposition on the part of anglers to save only 

 those of six inches inlength or over, our depleted stream's 

 may soon be restocked, so that trout sbaU he a.s plenty 

 and large as thirty years since. 



A test has been made this •firing of the practicability 

 of hatching shad in the Comiecticut waters. Heretofme 

 all the hatching has been done on the natin-al ^rounda 

 at Ilolyoke Dam, but the committee on flsherics of liie 

 last Legislature expressed a desire that all tiie v.ork for 

 the year be confined to this State. The connuission em- 

 ployed Jas. Rankin — formerlvfish commissii.nci- and R. 



B. Challver, to test the matte"r if a sufficient iiuiaher of 

 spawning shad could be prociu-ed. The atteuij its were 

 'made at WethersBeld, Brockway's raich on the Connec- 

 ticut, and in the waters of Long Island Souud near the 

 mouth of the river. Tlie experiments were made under 

 adverse circumstances— a long, protracted drouth, low 

 river and higli temperature of the water. AVitii the ex 

 ception of a few thousand young shad hatched at 

 Wethersfield the operation was a failure. The shad 

 taken were found to be imni:i.ture, and auy attempt to 

 preserve them until ripe in fresh water resulted in their 

 speedy death. It was found, however, that shad t.iken 

 in salt water in the pounds could be preserved alive and 

 healthy in salt water pens for three or four wei ks. and 

 that the females eventually ripen thoroughlv. ' The 

 sharks made sad havoc with this pen, and it Was found 

 that the male shad invariably escaped through the holts 

 made by tliem, so that having three or four ripe females 

 no male could bo obtauied to test the e.vperimeut whether 

 the eggs taken and impregnated under thecircumstauces 

 would be hatched in salt water. The fisiiermen are veiy 

 sanguine that this can be dona^ but Dr. Hudson cannot 

 agree with them, as too many actual obseiwations prove 

 that the eggs need fresh water for their development and 

 the successful propagation of young fish. The fi.sherraen 

 claim that these pens can easily be protected aouiust 

 sharks by an outside netting a few iVet from tlie pen. It 

 may be a practical question whether the eggs of a shad 

 ripened in salt water in consequence of a forcible deten- 

 tion there, can be extruded into fresh water, brought for 

 the purpo8e,iimprcgnated, and theii taken up the river lo 

 hatch in the fresh water, and then develop healthy 

 young flsh. 



A Record op Hatching Brook Teout.— Council 

 Bluffs, Toira.—l send you herewith a record of some 

 la-1 M .k trout hatched during the present season for my iii- 

 mvi.lnal Use, thmkmg it may bs of some intenst to vour 

 numerous readers. It is as follows : Jan. 26lli IS'st) I 

 received of W. L. Gilbert, of Plymouth, ilag.s.. 5,000 

 brook trout spawn, which arrived here in spleuHi'd con- 

 dition, there being a loss of only sixty eggs while ir> 



