Hovbmbkr35, 1880.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



327 



Deer are very plenty iiU over that part of the Adirondacks. 

 I hunted them -with dogs, with several others, a week ago last 

 Saturday, and we got three deer among us that day. The 

 dogs were put out across the river directly opposite the Blue 

 Moimtain House. The next (hy, Sunday, one of our party 

 who went down to Spring Give, tlu-cc miles hflnw, heard 

 some dogs liiu-king in tlie woods iieross llie river and wont 

 out to see what; tlifv were at. lit- found tlieni around a 

 large buck, who wtia figlaing them. Having his rilie along 

 he "sent a Ijall tliroughhim a\id ended the fight. It was the 

 largest and liimili-oniesl deer I ever saw, and would weigh 

 300 lbs. or over. He Imd eleven prongs on his horns, five on 

 one and six on tlie otlier, and a line blue coat of liair. It 

 was supposed lliat thii dog, wbicli waF. a strange one, bad 

 driveu liim nver from tbe Kast liraneb, .some ten milesaway, 

 and one of awr ■}<""-• '■""■'".^ ti> liis help, had headed him off, 

 and be l)eini;: il lit. 



Apartyof?i .iitlemen, with guidesaud dogs, 



came on to til' ' li ■ ■. (-ek of August, and hunted live 



dogs and kiUed live deer, .jne each day tliey hunted. Three 

 of them were shot withm eighty rods of uiy camp, near In- 

 dian Rocii. Two of them were large bucKs, and tbe hcivd 

 and horns of one tbey sent borne to he momited. 



There is a tract of eountry lietween IWidtUe and West 

 Branch of the St. Regis, and running soulli to I lie Great 

 Windfall, some twenty-live miles long" by twelve to fifteen 

 wideor n)or(', wliicb is now about the 0]il\- yart of llic Adi- 

 I'ondacks where Die steaiiilioLit arid i'ljueurd eoaciies liave not 

 reached or tlie whistle rjf tlie ieieoniotive. been lieard. This 

 is an unbroken wilderness, wifli not a dwelling-house on 

 it south of Blue ilountain, and wilJiiu it are many ponds 

 and streams which are as full of trout as they ■were fifty 

 years ago, and several that don't know a hook cast into their 

 waters from one year's (?nd to another. 



One large stream, some three or fooi- niUes west of Blue 

 Mountain, has only been visited liytlirce persons thissummer 

 and never in the tisldng season Ijy more than half a dozen 

 diflerent ones. There is no signs of a path or road to it. 

 One of the party told nie lie found everything just as nalui-e 

 made it there — not a stick cut or any sign ot a human being 

 there. He told that in the deep holes where the streani ran 

 through a beaver meadow that the water was alive with 

 trout, and that be bail three Hies on his leader, and often 

 had a trout on each at one time.- He said tbey were ail 

 nearly large brook treiul, and sumc lie ciingbt would weigh 

 a. pound. Tliere are many other streams within that tract 

 of country of the same kind. One large stream formed by 

 the outlets of Long and Wolf ponds, has a rough road into il 

 from Blue Mountain, and there is a very good log siianty at 

 Wolf Pond, wliieb is only a sliort di.sUmce from the river. 

 This streiiiii likes ils li.se "frnm Long Pond, and then Wolf 

 Pond onrk-t ((inie;; in, winch makes quite a river. It 

 empties inio liie west branch of tbe St. Regis some ten to 

 twelve mi le-s weyt of Weill Pond. It is mostly after taking 

 in Wolf Pond outlet still water, with oeca.sional rapids, 

 down which a boat can run by di-awing over the rapids. Il 

 ruas through a heavy timbered countr}' until near its mouth, 

 where there is a "beaver meadow and a rough shanty. 

 where settlers below come to cut the wild gra,ss for fodder. I 

 went over this stream, eir |)urt of it, and found the Irout- 

 flshiug all one <'ould wish for, and many of large size. They 

 will run from one-qmirier to two pornids in weight many of 

 tliem. Very t'-"; '.ii-ii '!■"■ -'I'eain iif any time, owing to the 

 difficulty e.f"-, ' ', _ ;:! ' :■!.-, aMil Clin iping ou till, etc. , 1 uto 

 it. llis.'i-iM :i'. ■".' : ';lue jMount^iin Hou.se lo where 

 the trail strike:- ; .t A\ -If I'nnd. A horse with a sled is the 

 best way to get one's traps in, and by ^valking yoiu'self or 

 going on horseback one could go In very well. I went in 

 that way and bad no difHculty m getting along. Mr. Phelps, 

 of the Blue Mountain House, has horses and a suitable sled, 

 wagons, etc., also tents and camping outfit. 



There are mniiy oilier Htieanis similar to those I have de- 

 scribed. All this region is Iml ver}' little frequented — no 

 doubt less than any otlier portion of the Adirondacks that is 

 anywhere near as extensive. Game of all kinds is found 

 anywhere in this part of tbe State, andean I believe, by what 

 I havi Mil. rnv,,.'lf and learned from others, be found 

 therein II I im i.Uan in any otlier locality, and nothing 

 prevciiii.- 1 1 III: lj:in I know of now. I shall with a friend 

 pitch my e;ii!i|) next season in its eeutre. Partridge or ruf- 

 fled grouse are plenty all over this eonnty wherever there 

 is one acre of woods, w bieli will lie a. largi^ share of il. Around 

 Blue Mountain, go in any direction you may, you are sure 

 to scare up a tlock of thein. Anitios Ojtoaok. 



OUR WATERFOWL. 



III. 



AN SEE ALBLETtONS GAMBELI. White-ftontetl 

 Goose; Prairie Brant ; Speckle-bellj', Bill, red; feet, 

 orange, with white claws; general color, grayish brown, 

 darkest above, paler below, especially on f orebreast ; all the 

 feathers with paler edges ; forehead, lineal sides of biU and 

 chin, upper and lower tail coverts, white ; many bhick 

 feathers on lower breast and belly ; length, about ;37 inches. 



The wliile-iVontcd goose is not p.specially abundant on the 

 AfSanlic eojist, and seldom comes under the observation of 

 our Eastern guuue-rs. They are not often seen e.vposed for 



ill in our markets, and those which are seen there come, for 

 I iii most part, from the AVest. In the Western States tbey 

 arc much more abundant, and are found in considerable num- 

 bers during their migrations in the Mississippi A'alley. They 

 are, however, by far the most abundant on the Pacific Coast, 

 where they piuss the winter, and afford great sport to the 

 ■-mnners of California, Oregon and Washington Territory. 

 A favorite method of hunting them on the coast, as described 

 by Dr. Coiies, is by means of a stalking ox. He says: "A 

 bullock is taught to feed quietly along toward a flock, the 

 gunner meanwhile keepiog himself screened from the bird's 

 view by the body of the animal until within range. Though 

 1 liave not myself witnessed thi& mode of hunting, I should 

 jud.ge ihe gunners killed a great many geese, since they talk 

 of its ■ ruining geese' after a double discharge of the tremen- 

 dous guns they ai'e in the habit of using." 



This species is said by Dr. Richardson to breed north of 

 the sixty-seventh parallel in the wooded districts, and from 

 there to the Arctic Ocean. Mr. Dall found it breeding in 

 gi'eat abundance on the Yukon River. 



The American bird is regarded by ornithologists as a variety 

 of the white-fronted goose of Europe, which, however, it so 

 closely resembles tliat it could not be distinguished from it 

 bj' the unpracticed eye. A slightly longer bill in the Ameri- 

 can form is the only definite character assigned as distmctivc. 

 Amer ?iyperborem. Snow Goose: White Brant. Bill and 

 feel pink, the toothed border of the former very prominent; 

 color, white, except the primaries of the wing, which are 

 lipped with black ; the head and neck often washed with rust 

 color ; young said to be •' dull bluish or pale lead colored on 

 the head or upper parts of the body ;" length, about aO 

 inches. 



Variety albatm differs only in being somewhat smaller, 

 measuring about 35 inches in length. 



The snow goose, during its migrations, Is genorally dis 

 Iributed throughout the United States, though less abundant 

 on the Atlantic coast than farther westward. Like the pre- 

 ceding s|.iecies it is most abundant on the Pacific coast, but 

 have found it in considerable numbers in the Rocky 

 Mountains and on the plains. Many are killed in the Mis- 

 .sissippi Valley, and a few arc sometimes taken on the Lakes. 

 It is a most excellent table liirrl, far more delicate and juicy 

 than the Canada goose. 



The distribution of the lesser snow goose, var. albatua, ap- 

 pears to be much the same with that of the .snow goose prop- 

 er, but it is perhaps less freciuently taken on the Atlantic 

 coast than A. hypurlimvm. Wo have in om' possession a 

 specimen taken some years ago on Long Island. When 

 killed it was in company w itii a tioek of the common brant 

 {Braiita hcriu'da), and excited much interest uniong tlic local 

 gunners, who were disposed to regard it as an albino brant. 



Anser ruxdi. Ross' Goose; Horned Wavy. ''Bill .studded 

 at the base with numerous elevated papilke ;" exactly like 

 the snow goose in color, but much smaller ; less than two 

 feet in length, and weighing little moie than a mallard duck. 

 Very little is known about flic habits of this little goose. 

 It is the most boreal in its luibits of any of our species, and 

 only enters the United Stales in small numbers during the 

 winter. It has been taken at San Francisco, and it may 

 enter the Missouri River eoimtiy, tint to the sportsmen of 

 Ibis country it is an unknown bird. Accounts have occa- 

 sionally appeared in Fokest and Stiujam, from .some of our 

 correspondents near Winnipeg, of th» shooting of wavies on 

 the little lakes which dot that regieai. It is said that these 

 birds are quite abundant in thai seeiioii -during the lautumit, 

 and that they atTord good sport. 



Anaer afruk'nci-ii". Blue Goose; Bald Branl, Head, 

 neck, upper tail coverts and most of the under parts, white; 

 upper plumage, generally ashy or slaty gray, vailed with 

 brown ; size of the .snow goose, which it closely resembles in 

 form. 



The blue goose, which was for a long time regarded as the 

 young of the snow goose, is now considered a perfectly uood 

 species. It has much the same distribution as .4. hi/]in-boi-(u.i, 

 and, like it, is perhaps most abundant on the Paeific coast. 

 It is not uncommon, however, in the Western Slates, and 

 we have seen numerous flocl« of this species in the Rocky 

 Mountains. 



PhilaoU canajiea. Painted Goose; Emperor. "Wavy; 

 bluish gray, with lavender or lilac tinting, and sharp, black 

 crescentic marks; head, nape and tail, wliite, former often 

 washed with amber yellow; tlu-oal, black, white sp«ckled ; 

 quills varied with black and while ; " length, over '& inches. 

 This species is peculiar to Alaska and the Northwest eijast. 

 We have never seen it, and take the above description from 

 Coues' Key. Little has been written about it, and its Ivtlbits 

 seem to be comparatively unknown. 



Theremainiug Neirth American geese ai'e all included iuthe 

 genus BcaaUi, and ai'e not likely lu be confounded with any 

 of those which have gone before, even by the least oliaervaut. 

 Birds tielonging to the genua -I/!-si>r have the bill and feet 

 pale or bright colored, and the plumage white or miicl) 

 varied in color : while those which fall within tlie .genus 

 Brantu have the bill and feet black, and the head and neck 

 black with white spaces, the general color of the body being 

 gray. Tlie common wild goose (Brnnki canudaw'n) is a 

 typical example, and one which is knowm to every reader. 



Branta mnridensi'i. Canada Goose ; Gray Goo.se ; Com- 

 mon Wild Goose. Tail ot 18 feathers ; head and neck, black, 

 with a broad white cheek patch on each side; upper parts, 

 smoky bro\vn ; tail, black, its upper covei-ts white, lower 

 parts ashy .gray, sometimes almost white, becoming paler on 

 belly ; about three feet in length. Variety Imieopnrci'a re- 

 sembles the above, but where the black of the neck ends 

 there is a broad collar of white. Under parts somewhat 

 darker than in the Canada goose, to which it is about equal 

 in size. Variety hvtchinxii — Smaller than either of the 

 above; tail of 10 feathers ; about two and one-half feet long. 

 The Canada goose is found everj-where throughout North 

 America, and breeds in many sections of the United States. 

 There is some reason for believing that within the last ten 

 years pairs of- these birds have nested in Connecticut, though 

 these may have been wounded ones which did not have 

 strength to accompany their companions to the North. We 

 have found them breeding in considerable numbers on the 

 Upper Missouri, the North Platte and on other streams in the 

 West, 



I app. 



ili( North- 



1 ilmost 



in i! ml OH 



iht we have 



During the migrations they are everywhere more or less 

 abundant, and their loud honking as they pass over high in 

 air is a somid familiar to the ear of almost every one. The 

 Iiabils of the wild goose diu-ing the migratioBS are pretty well 

 Itiiown to all sportsmen, and the bird is universally acknowl- 

 edged to be as wary and cunning as almost any game bird 

 with which w e have to dO 



The \anet\ / w 

 west t oust whiU 



cveiyuhiu Tin htti i is ^ ud to 1h 

 the Pacific coast m wmtei On the AtUntu 

 often heard gunners speak of a ^oose smaller than the Can- 

 ada, which appears a little earlier in the fall md ) little 

 later in spring than the common form, and which they 

 termed the Southern goose. Tliis is veiy probalily h tUdiindi. 

 Audubon speaks of a bird mentioned by Maine gunners and 

 termed by them Winter or FU.ght Goose, which was probably 

 the same. 



Bronia lemopgis. Barnacle Goose. Forehead, sides of 

 head, throat and tail coverts, white ; wing coverts and inter- 

 scapulars, bluish gray ; under parts, .gi-ayish white ; else- 

 where, black or blackish : length, iiliout 38 inches. 



The barnacle goose is a European species, the capture of 

 whidiin America has only been recorded three or torn- times. 

 It will readily be distinguished from any others ot our geese, 

 and sportsmen would do well to keep a sharp lookout for it, 

 and if they .should be fortunate enough to bring one to bag, 

 they should at once record il, and see that the specimen is 

 preserved. 



Branta bendeki. Brant Goose. Head and neck, black; 

 a few touches on the side of the neck, and the upper tail 

 coverts, white ; above, smoky brown : below, paler, whiten- 

 ing tow'ard the tail. Variety iil!-/n'mn.-< resembles the above, 

 but the black of the lower neck extends further backward 

 over the breast. The white neck patches are also larger. 



The brant is generally dispersed over the northern part of 

 the United States during the migrations, the common brant 

 being the ordinary form met with in the East, while var. 

 niffiirans is much the most abundant on the Pacific coast. 



IJendroci/giKifulva, Fulvous Tree Duck ; Cornfield Duck. 

 " Pale cinnamon or yellowish brown, d.arker on the crown; 

 the nape with a Ijlaek line along : bend of wing, chocalate 

 brown ; rest of wing, rump and tall, black, its upper and 

 under coverts white ; scapulars and forebnck dark, with pale 

 cinnamon edgings; bill and feet, blackish;" length about 

 30 inches. 



As already remarked, the birds of tliis genus are not com- 



mon except along 

 the bill is longer 1, 

 have the tibia li:ii 

 joint. In other w 

 mouly but iniproi; 



I bordei 



In thi 



Souths 



le head, iiiid the letrs:,re very loii-aud 

 .some dislimee aliove the tibio-tarsal 

 ihe leg is iiare above what is corn- 

 eal led thekuee. 

 Demlrucj/yna uutumnKUs. Autumnal Tree Duck. -Black- 

 ish brown ; crown, most of neck and fore part of breast, 

 middle of back and scapulars,- reddish chocolate : a patch on 

 the wiug, white ; bill and legs, rod. 

 Merely crosses our Southern border into Texas. 

 [to be costistted, I 



TuK National Academy of Science. — The fall meeting of 



the National Academy of Science was held last week in this 

 city, the session lasting from Tuesday to Friday. The meet- 

 ing, which was Largely attended, was presided over by Pro- 

 fessor M'lrch, Professor AV. B. Rogers, the President, being 

 prevented liy ill-health from being present. 



A nunilier of interesting papers were read, most of them, 

 however, on physical subjects. Prof. Alexander Agassiz, 

 gave a most interesting account of the cruise of the Bla.ke, 

 and the conclusions reached from his dredging operations. 

 The following absti-act from his remarks appears In the 

 T!nm : 



After giving some tletails r(*|iftctin,y; the previous cruises 

 of the Blake .and the points intended to tie olucielaled by the 

 several expeditions. Professor Aeassiz said the results obtained 

 had shown that the deep se;i fimua extended to a limit con- 

 siderably luLrher than was formerly supposed — namely, lo a 

 ile]jlliof about -150 faUioms. At" about this depth lay the 

 outermost limit of unollier belt of animal life which he 

 should style ilie conlinental fauna, and which extended from 

 a rle|,i:h of about 4-i0 feet to one of 150 fathoms. To ob- 

 serve exaetly the eounection a.nd relation of these 

 i-.mmv. to each oilier was one of the purposes of the cruise 

 of the Biake last summer. The eoasl of Soul h Carolina 

 was selected as a base of operations, :-iiid the region to be ex- 

 amined was laid out in regular sections. The first proce- 

 dure was to nin a line south of Capie Hatteras in an easterly 



bird at Cape 

 eleiMh of about 150 

 ss the Gulf Stream, 

 sliore a cri-enter depth 

 .' 1" ■ 



direction, aiKilher north of Haltei 

 Mav. Each of these lines be'r.'in at 

 fatiinms, and extended eoniplelely ae 

 Foradistjuice of 1.50 miles from ihe 

 than 1.^0 fal horns of water did , . 



braced in Ihe survey, and there was \TTy little variation from 

 a L'eneral averarre, tlins sliowins that the Ooilf Siream coursj* 

 nloiii; an immen.se plateau, wliieh was proliahly the ori.ginal 

 limit of the continent. The breadth of this gigantic .sub- 

 marine plain was from 120 lo 1.10 miles. Off tlie coast of 

 South Carolina, at a depth of about 100 fathoms, the maraiTi 

 of an abrupt and very rapid declivity was found, and then 

 for some distance a "deep submarine valley. After this in- 

 terval was crossed the ascent was e.qually abrupt. The ex- 

 ternal margin of the stream has not yet been determined, but 

 its .general topographical relations are now pretty well under- 

 stood. 



Prof. A.easslz next described the external margin of this 

 va.st submarine plateau and its extreme fertility in aniin' ' 

 life. For a distance of ninety miles off the South Cai'olina 

 shore our submarine explorers never carried a depth of more 

 than 350 to 375 fathoms ; but when the outer edge was once 



