1)bceilibbe9,1880.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



B65 



\v;is one that wo were told waa suggested by the Preeidcntof 

 lb(- Ckit). 



The dogs as a rule turned up in fine condition, but there 

 were two of the youngsters afflicted in a manner that rule No. 

 C was drawn up specially to cover. No man haa a right to 

 present any dog in a mangy condition, and it is a breach of 

 c-fitract -with every owner present if the dog is allowed to 



Mi largest draft from any one Kennel was that from the 

 ■ififleld. owned by Mr. W. H. Moore, of Philadelphia, in 

 ciiirgv; o£ Mr. Wanmaker, of Ooolspring, N. 0. Lass 

 I ' I iiiwrie, Kaleigh, Luna May, Count Fred and La Guy were 

 all on hand, who with Countess Bang, constitute the 

 strength of the kennel this season so far as preparation for 

 field trial events is concerned. Mr. Mooro was singularly un- 

 roitimate in having but three of the lot in running order. 

 C jiuite.<!3 Bang a superb small pointer bitoh who was entered 

 --'' '•^'ocennee, and in tine order there, came in season on her 

 1 and had to be left at home. Both Luna May and 

 J I F'red were taken sick two days before the opening of 

 iii-idala from exposure from travelling from Vincennea. 

 The former, a fine hitch of rare excellence and perfectly 

 iraii'ed is one of the best field dogs in Mr. Moore's kennels, 

 and Count Fi'td wlio was winner at Patoka last year in 

 Puppy slakes, and also second with Lincoln iu braces ui same 

 trials waa a stand-by whose loss was keenly felt, Raleigh, 

 art we have noticed in our report, was just over a severe at- 

 tack of rheumatism so that out of the draft of six superior 

 (lii^^s only one half, and not those that were considered the 

 hiil for the Kobin's Island ground were left to run. 



ThL'ir was a deal of luck in running oil the heal?, and in 

 scverfil instances dogs of grand ability were cut down by dogs 

 of lt83 merit, As shown in our report Ulad.?tone 

 won first; Dashing Monarch second, and the judges awarded 

 Sensation third, and Ole&came in for, fourth place under the 

 rules. 



At a meeting of the Eastern Field Trials Club held at Mc- 

 Nish'S Hotel, New Suffolk, L. I., during the trials it was de- 

 teTiUiued to secure tJie privilege of the purchase of Kobin's 

 Island from the owners. This was done, and a three mont^' 

 refusal waa secured. 



P'^ fyortHtnHn ^oumt 



NOTES ON DEER HUNTING IN CANADA. 



TJKE Aiiierieun readers of Fouest and Stbe^vm, as a rule, 

 (io not npix'sir to hunt much in Eastern OnlfU'io, at any 

 !:iio f'jv its larger game, judging from the columns of the 

 I IJiiper, iiouada are not allowed to be used or are not used 

 ly great extent in the more settled States of the ueigUbor- 

 L^L'public for the purpose of running deer. I may be pnr- 

 ii.ii, therefore, if in the following notes, I pai-ticidarize 

 more than is probably necessary, uud I may add, that although 

 nuiuiug deer with dogs ha.s a. tendency to exlerniinate deer, or 

 at least, to drive tliem to other lesorts, yet while it lusts the 

 fmi is fast iUid furious. Who would "en joy fos hunting if 

 the music of the dogs were wanting ? though of course, the 

 excitement of the ride lends often pleasure to the sport. 



In Ontario deer hunting with hounds for the sportsman 

 is the rule, for the jiot-huuter the exception ; although pot- 

 hunters from your side of the line fornierl}- Ijrought dogs 

 over here and rarried off numbers of deer." Now that the 

 Legislaturo has stepped in, the sportsman has a clear field. 

 On my trip this year we were fortunate in having located 

 ourselves where we were in no danger from dog poisoners, 

 who flourish in some seolions, and we were not even troubled, 

 as some are, by the "natives," on hearing our dogs betaking 

 themselves to the runways and killing our deer ahead of the 



honnds. 



ijrLithe.r and niyaelf, with a couple of men who thor- 



;. uuflerslood hunting-, and seven dogs, put in a very 



n I 1 1 ine oi it for iibout ten days near the head waters of our 



Oanaflian Mississippi, and managed to bag fourteen head, 



which is considered about the average brought in by those 



who were out this year. 



After a two day's drive over the most infernal road that 

 statute labor was ever performed upon we arrived at a liun- 

 ber shanty, tJieJirst, by the way, tliai i had ever seen. 8o 

 we gazed upon that shaiity and poked our noses into every 

 coruer thereof, and the result i.s that we now know that a 

 lumber shanty is a log Imilding with a large hole in the roof 

 through which the smoke of an immense fire finds its way or 

 not, as the case may be and thi: wind may decide. Around 

 the sides are the ■•hunks," or tieds, or whatever yon like to 

 call them, and iu lh«.se shanties as many as tlurty men live 

 and sleep— if Uiey cau— for I fancy thej- are ofteu'troubledin 

 their dreams with thmgs just as annoying as the pomt of 

 Shakespeare's "bare bodkin" would be, realizing to the full 

 the ex]3reasiou " p.icked like herrings in a barrel " and living 

 on pork, beans and bread (the latter leaked in the ashes and 

 very good) -without butter during the whole winter. As I am 

 pariiai to butter wo moved on and reached our headquarters 

 ou the shore of the lake at dusk. At daybreak otir plan gen- 

 erally w^as to send a man into the bush with two seta of dogs 

 in order that we might have two chases in the morning, and 

 again after lunch have two more, as some of the dcer° were 

 very likely to run to other lakes than the one we -were watch- 

 ing. As soon as the first pair of dogs "start" the man 

 loosens the others and they stait in tlieir turn, provided they 

 cau find a ti-ack, and the mim hm-rica back to the lake to help 

 watch. As we coniri always depend on our dogs "water- 

 ing" the deer somewhere, wo rarely waldicd the rmiways, 

 Tr- fliP event of any of yom- readers not fully tmderatauding 



mi ■•runways," 1 may .say that the red deer have regu- 

 '.uns'' or paths by which, when they are chased by dogs, 



make their way to the lakes where they have been ac- 

 ■ iied to drink. Hmning on runways is probably better 



, hau huntiug on the lake.s. as you generally hear and 

 , ore of the hiuil aud frequently get more chances t« 

 snoot. 



Last "Wednesday, fifteen miles from here, I went out for a 

 runway limit, bringing two dogs along with me, aud much to 

 my disgust the deer took the water almost at once, although 



not tiU he had been flred at and missed by the men with the 

 dogs. In the afternoon of the same day wo ran two more, 

 which were both missed, much to our disgust, while I had 

 not the luck even to see the "deers," as the himters call 

 them, all day. Old Charlie, my best dog, when last seen was 

 within tliirty yjirds of the fawm be waa running, though of 

 course he -would never eateh it. 



To resume what I -svaa saying about hunting on the lake. 

 On the Monday after we arrived I had been watching for 

 about three hours where by the well-known crash of the 

 bushes in my rear I was put ou the qui vlve, and in a few 

 seconds a nice buck jumped Htcrally over my head into tlie 

 lalce. Of course a fallen tree under which I lay hid me from 

 the deer. After looking around to see if any'danger threat- 

 ened, he struck boldly out into the lake. Thus tlie fun lio- 

 gan as my boat into whicli 1 had by this time thrown myself 

 waa tossmg wildly in a heavy sea. I pumped cartridgesat the 

 buck for some lime before he got his e^up de grace. By this 

 time the dogs had come to the shore, and were rewarded 

 -with a taste of the blood, and as one of them was a pup it 

 did him a great deal of good. We got another deer that day, 

 and kept on at that rate till we left. One day we put into 

 the lake, three separate "chases," hut killed none of them on 

 account of the lugh wind which caused them to "skulk the 

 shore," as it is called : that is, they strike, out along the shore 

 for a couple of hundred yards and' then land, and are oil for 

 good, as they are rarely "shot when they try this plan of es- 

 caping. 



There is no better sport than to sit on the shore of a lake 

 listeumg to the bajing of tiie hoimds, every moment expect- 

 ing them to "bring in" their deer, now coming straight to- 

 wiU'd you, and then off almost out of hcai^ing. I tell you one 

 is kept iu a delightful fever of excitement ; but ou -windy and 

 rainy days there is the other side of the picture, as frequent- 

 ly you can't hear the dogs, and you may have to remain for 

 five or six hours wet -without and dry within, without a drop 

 of " the crature " to put a little warmth into the cockles of 

 j'our heart, or anywhere else about your half frozen person, 

 andyou have got to stay there till you receive a signal to go, 

 for it is a point of honor "never to give up the ship" when 

 watchmg for deer. Ye gods .' I would jiLst say that if any- 

 one wants to hunt deer at the proper time — tiie first week 

 in November— he -will find sport, but -will have to have the 

 patience of Job, with a fair share of endurance and cheerful- 

 ness under discouraging circumstances ; for the very time he 

 leaves his post, may be the time the dogs -will put in the deer 

 and he had belter had been the piper who played before 

 Moses, and have lieen "dead and buried and embalmed be- 

 foj-e Romulus and Remus were suckled" than the man he is, 

 for he may look out for squalls when he rotunis to camp if 

 the deer lias gone in at the place deserted by him. 



The two men who were -svith us were almost as good as 

 Indians in the woods, and, as is no rare thing with an old 

 deer hunter, could take a track, and by carefully notmg the 

 different sizes and the general direction the deer seemed to be 

 taking, follow it till "started." Tlus is useful, as very few 

 dogs can take a track more than a day old, and some dogs' 

 are so keen of scent that they -will work a-svay at an old track 

 for haif a day, and in the end malce nothing of it, for deer 

 travel so far when they move about that it might bo a long 

 time before the dog could reach the fresh scent. For this 

 reason some prefer a dog which is not too finely bred, since 

 it is not worth while wasting time over an old trail, since while 

 a very keen scented dog is wasting time one not bred qiute so 

 fine would pass on and take a fresher track. I am getting 

 lazy, and what is perhaps ■«'-orse, prosy, so I -will just say that 

 this paper has been w-ritten solely for the pmi^ose of s'tiniu- 

 lating the interest of the readers of Foxiest akb Stbeam so 

 that they may also give their ideas and experiences on deer 

 hunting : for duokhimting, etc., is all very well, but anyone 

 who has hunted deer with dogs a few times -will do" as I 

 have, put aside bis double barrer and fishing rod and take 

 to the rifle. Wo only shot one partridge, and that from the 

 wagon with a ball during this fall's trip, and although lake 

 trout — magiuflceut fellows twenty inches long — might be 

 eatight in dozens where we were I never put in a line. 



Perth, Ontario. Riplb. 



OUR WATERFOWL. 



QiierquMula crecm. English Teal. In the male the head 

 is sUghtly crested, and is bright chestnut, -«ith a broad glossy 

 green band on each side, becoming black and meeting on the 

 nape of the neck behind ; lireast and tmder parts white, the 

 former marked with circular black spots ; upper parts and 

 sides waved -Ruth black, and whitish; under tail coverts, 

 black ; speculum, green ; the long scapular feathers are black 

 externally, and creamy white inlemaUy ; bill, black ; feet, 

 brownish ; weight, about ten ounces. In the female Uie col- 

 oration is very plain, and the bird resembles somewhat the 

 female pintail duck. 



This is a European species ' accidental on tho Atlantic 

 coast. 



Qiwrguedula caraUnermii. Greenwinged Teal Resembles 

 the preceding species, but has a conspicuous white crescent 

 on the side of the body, just in front of the bend of the wing; 

 scapulars, plain. Female resembles that of Q. ereaa. 



The green wing ia so abundant and well known thr-oughout 

 the country that it seems almost superfluous to speak of it at 

 length. Almost everywhere it is highly esteemed as a table 

 bird, and its gentle and unsuspicious nature causes it too 

 often to fall a prey to the wiles of the small boy as well as to 

 those of the more mature gunner. 



The greenwing is a hardy bu-d, and tisually remains with 

 us until the advent of really cold weather. It breeds in con- 

 siderable numbers in Montana, where, during the summer of 

 of 1875, wo found along the mountain streams many females 

 ■with newli'-hatched young. 



Quj'rqwdula dffcora. Bluewuaged Tea). Male with head 

 aud neck dark slate color, almost black on the crown, wiiJi 

 metallic reflections ; a -^N-hite crescent in front of the eye ; 

 under parts, yello\vi8h brown, thickly siwtted ■mth black ; 

 upper parts, barred with black, almost to the exclusion of 

 the bro-wn; scapulars, striped -with tawny; wing coverts, 



sky blue ; speculum white, green tipped ; bill, black ; feet, 

 I ypllowi.sh In-own. Feraalo pliiner, without head markingki, 

 fan may he known fj^om ,-iny nxeeiti, the female of the n«st 

 .species by the wing uiarl-iinus. Size of preceding. . 



The liluowinged teal apiiears to lie confined to that portion 

 of North America east of the Piocky Mountains, being re- 

 placed to the westward of that range by the succeeding speciea. 

 Throughout the country which it inhabits, however, it is u 

 well-known bird, and, especially early in the season, afforda 

 good shooting. It shuns cold weather, and usually disap- 

 pears soon after the first frost. It is a gentle little bird, aud 

 is usually very easily approached. When flying, both this 

 aud the preceding species often crowd quite close together, 

 and a single di,scharge -will sometimes bring to tho ground a 

 dozen individuals out of a flock. 



Qwrgvedula cyanoptera. Cimiamon Teal. Male, with head, 

 neck and under parts, rich purplish chestnut, becoming 

 darker on cro-wuj chin and imder tail coverts changing to 

 black on the belly ; wings as in Q. dincorn. Female difficult 

 to distinguish from the female of that species Init liflually 

 darker and with some traces of chestnut. Somewhat larger 

 than the last, and ■with bill a little longer. 



The cimiamon teal is a South Americiui species which has 

 only -(vithtn a few years been ascertained to occur in any 

 numbers in the United States. It is very abundant in Cali- 

 fornia, and is found from the Pacific coast east to the Rocky 

 Mountaius. It also occurs occasionally and as a straggler in 

 some of the Gulf States, having been reported from Loiusiaua 

 by Pilate, and from Florida by Maynord. It breeds in con- 

 siderable uumhers in the Rocky Mountains, whence -we have 

 obtained lx)th eggs and skins. 



SpiUula dypmta, Shoveller, Spoonbill. Bill greatly ex- 

 panded in front, being tw^ice as wide at tip as at base and 

 with numerous and prominent laminte. The male has the 

 head and neck green, the breast white, sides aud belly cheal- 

 nut. Wing coverts, blue ; speculum, green ; scapulars, some 

 blue and others black ; all with white stripes ; bill, black ; feet, 

 red. Female colored much like the female mallard but always 

 to be known by the bill aud the blue -wing markings. Bill in 

 female and young, yellowisii bro-vvn. 



Tlie shoveller is abundant almost everywhere though per- 

 haps less so in New England than elsewhere. It is an excel- 

 lent table bird and affords good shooting in many places, 

 being, like the little teal, rather an unsuspicious bird. It 

 breeds in considerable numbers in the region west of the 

 Missouri River, where during the migrations it is fomid in 

 considerable numbers. It has also been found breeding ui 

 /Vloska. We have found shovellers abmidant in California 

 and have had fine shooting at them in that State. 



Ai-xsponsa. Wood Duck. Crested. Head with green and 

 purple reflections, witli parallel, curved, supercihary and post- 

 ocular white stripes. Throat and upper fore-neck white, 

 sending out two short stripes, one below and behind the eye,' 

 aud one below the back of the head. Breast, rich, purplish 

 chestnut; marked in front with arrow-shaped white spots. 

 Lower parts, white; sides, gray, waved with black, and barred 

 behind with blackand white. Upper part.s black, with glossy 

 reflections. Bill, red and while ; feet, brown. Female, loss 

 brightly colored, the head gray. This most beautiful of all 

 om- ducks is very geuerally distributed throughout Norfli 

 America. We have seen it in Nebraska, and it has been re- 

 corded by Dr. Hayden'sexpeditionsfromHeart River, Dakota, 

 and other trans-Missouri localities, it is especially note- 

 worthy, in addition to the beauty of its plumage, for its habit 

 of nesting in hollow trees. Tho yotmg either drop from the 

 neat to the water or are carrisd to it by tho mother in her 

 bill. 



The woodduck does not decoy well, and is perhaps most 

 often shot by jumping it from creeks ajid pond holes. In 

 many sections they are killed by paddling up to them on the 

 mirrow, -winding creeks in which they feed, aud shooting them 

 as they rise from tho water. 



SNAXES. 



I SCARCELY know of an animal that crawls the earth, or 

 cleaves the an-, or swims the sea towm^d ^vhich I instinc- 

 tively cherish a greater repugnance, and for which, at thesame 

 time, I sliow iiiore consideration than the snake. Let a lot 

 of boys encounter a snake in their rambles, and however 

 good natured and accommodating he may show a disposition 

 to be, by turning "tail to," he is a lucky snake if ho escape* 

 a merciless visitation of cobble stones upon his head. 



The best of saints do not seem to have grace enough to 

 permit a snake to enjoy, unmolested, the pursuit of happi- 

 ness. People generally can't leave a snake alone, though to 

 my miud it is the easiest thing in the world. If. on a bright 

 day, a snake sees fit to crawl out of some dark cavern or 

 nasty marsh to sun himself on the roadside, it ia pronounced 

 trespass worthy of capital punishment, and the weapon near- 

 est to hand, be it club, fence-rail, stone, or what not, is seized 

 for the miequal and deadly fray. 



For one, I never stop to hnterviQ-n- a snake with stones or 

 sticks, or to molest him in anywise. If I'm in his waj- I get 

 out of it. If he's in my way I allow him to enjoy it, he, 

 beuig the weaker animal of' the fivo is entitled to the courte'- 

 sy. I always accord to him the right of way, even though I 

 have to go across lots home sometimes. If "he lifts Ida head 

 and hisses forth his complaint, 1 sa}-, "Yes, you're right 

 every man's hand ia against you but one, thai's mine." ' 



Khetoriciaua, who love to" indulge in fignro.~ eif speech, 

 talk about "the milk of humtm kindness." Whv, for the 

 snake, my cup is always brimful of tliis milk. Ho enjoyg 

 it; he likes to feed upon it just as nmch a-s your cats and 

 dogs and pigs do. Now let me be understood, for 1 would 

 not have anybody to think of me as strutting about on great, 

 tall BtUts, diadainfully loosing dowa ob the rest of mankind,' 



