466 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[JtircABY 13, 1881. 



Mr. Roberts' list includes 105 species, and liis collections 

 amounted to 125 specimens representing 55 species, certainly 

 & very fair showing for tlie length of time, about four weeks, 

 spent in examining the region. 



PrsK Gkosbeak in Minnesota.— Our correspondent, W. 

 P. M., whose note under this heading appeared in our issue 

 of December 30, wi'ites us further iu regard to the capture as 

 toUowa : 



I have since been informed by Mr. Benson that there were 

 fifteen or twenty birds in the flocls, and that he secured three 

 at one shot. 



TnE Wavx OB WnwiPEO U"Hk Snow Goose— Winni- 

 peg, December 20. — Edifor Fmnst and Stream : In 

 the article on " Om- ^'aterfawJ," ia yours of 

 the 25th ultimo, referring to AMntr rondi, Rosa' goose, 

 horned wavy, you atale as follows: "Accoujits liave 

 occasioually appeared in Fokest a?,d Stream from some of 

 our correspondents near Wiouipeg of shootiug of wavii s on 

 the lakes which dot tbat region, "it is siiid that thij.sc birds 

 are quite abuiidam in that section during the autumn and 

 that they afford good spiirt." I would say that your corres- 

 pondents have misled you in tids matter, the mistake arising 

 from the tact that only the Ansei- hyperborem, enow goose, is 

 known litno as tlm wavy. Toey appear here on their way to 

 their breeding grounds about the 15tb or 30th of May in 

 countle.ss immljers a-jd return South about the 1st of October. 

 Var. albatus, or lesser snow goose, is also often seen here, 

 but they are not common. I have never heard th'-ough any 

 reUable authority that Ross' goose or horned wavy has over 

 been seen in tliis province. n. 



How THE RuTTFED Grousb Leaves Hek Kest— £«?/;>•«?!«, 

 Mam., Jan. 2.— I saw in last week's issue Harry Woodland's 

 question concerning ruffed grouse. Now, these birds have 

 beeu my friends from boyhood and I have been after them 

 lots of time's ; and also found their nests, and to my knowl- 

 edge they always flew off. But once, I think, on coming 

 near the nest unotlier lime, the old ojic ran off. One fine 

 morning in spring I found a nest, and having some time to 

 spare, made up my mind to watch it. The nest was at the 

 foot of a pine, among some dead limbs, and a few yards from 

 an old stone wall. So one day as I was taking a walk through 

 the woods I hunted up my nest, but to my sm'prise the old 

 grouse did not gel off at once, and when I got up close the 

 bird got up and started away on foot from the nest, her wings 

 trailing and acting as though hurt. As long as I was near 

 the nest she kept wifliin a few feet of me, but when 1 had 

 followed her thirty or forty yards, she just keeping beyond 

 my reach, the noble bird took wing and started off like a sky- 

 rocket. She wasn't lame then. I wont back to the nest and 

 found it full of yellow, dowTiy little things, one or two of 

 which were dead. I took one of the little ones in my hand 

 and after looking at it to my satisfaction put it back in its 

 nest. I then went behind the old stone waU and watched. 

 It was uot very long when I saw a grouse coming along, 

 stopping to look at every few steps. Although this grouse 

 walked within a few feet of rae, 1 do not remember whether 

 it was a cook or hen. This one passed within a foot or two 

 of the nest and walked out of sight. I waited a little longer, 

 and when looking in the direction the hen grouse had flown 

 1 saw her wallting very slowly, stoppmg every little while. 

 In this way she came within a few feet of the "nest, and then 

 she seemed to forget all caution on seeing her little ones safe 

 and rushed on the nest, where she at once sell led herself, the 

 little chicks peeping and climbing all over her, making the 

 prettiest sight I ever saw. 1 went oil in another direct ion, so 

 as not to disturb them. Grouse are very scarce here now. I 

 think there have been five snared to one shot iu the right 

 way. Fbkd. O. Newdrrt. 



An Expebiknce witr King Bikds. — Like most Kew 

 England youngsters, I lived on tlie old farm, of course. 

 After the fashion of other embryo Daniel Websters I liked 

 to hunt bird's nests. At the proper season I used to know 

 the whereabouts of something like twenty-five nests. I 

 knew the niuubcr of cgg.q, their color, the kind of bird that 

 laid llioiii, aud their prol.mble time of hatching. Growing out 

 of a too great foutlness of this Inisinesa I visited these nests 

 at every opporlunily and imich ofteuer tlian tlie parent bird 

 wished a visit or than uiv n'r-m - 'is willing I should leave my 

 work. In the orcliM -.^ n ijouae a pair of khig birds 

 (2'l/ran/imcwctlincji. I i nallyto build their nests 



in the same tree and 111 I !i. :^,! i wig. In the course of a 



few years the birds and myself got up quite a familiarity. 

 Despite mj"^ frequent — nearly every day — visits 1 failed to get 

 into their good graces, and every time I scrambled up that 

 tree I vv-as saluted by^that plucky ferocity which this little Isird 

 Imows how to exhibit. At the time of which I speak there 

 had been two cgge laid. I climlied the tree quite leisurely 

 one day and noliced that the birds were busily at work in 

 theu- nest. When 1 arrived there, behold there were no eggs 

 visible, but two largo bunches of long hair, such as their 

 nests are usually lined willi. On examination I found the 

 two eggs were within, done ap nmch more nicely than 

 I could have done it with a paper bag of the pi'opcr 

 size. They did not totich Oiicli other, but were separated by 

 hair and a tew hairs tied around just above Ihem. If 1 re- 

 member correctly, 1 did not lake lliem out of their wrapper, 

 but Ihc next day 1 found them in the nest as usual. 1 

 omitted to r,ay thatiu additiou to being done up, they were 

 fastened to the nest. Now, no person had the opportunity to 

 tie thorn up so near the hou.se and nol make an outcry that 

 -we should have heard,- moreover, no person in that vicinity, 

 at least, could have done them up so neatly ; in addition to 

 all this, 1 saw the birds at work. But on the other hand I 

 am not sure that these birds have shrewdness enough to do 

 such a Job liB this. Will you, Mr. Editor, or some of the 

 knowing one.s olfer a solution? The circumstance that I 

 have related 1 am celtain of. Beq-WN Coot. 



jM/>,oini', Me. 



PiGHT WITH A Be.^ Lboi'abd.— I send you the inclosed 

 cutting from a late Boston Herald: "Nkwmakekt, N. II., 

 Deo. 0, 1880.— Waller O. Shulc and Herbert Caswell killed 

 a sea leojiard in Great Bay lato Saturday afternoon, that 

 weighed over 700 pounds. Shute first saw'it on a piece of 

 floating ice, neaily a irdle distant, in the main channel. He 

 took a small sculling t'oat aud gave chase, emptyiug the con- 

 tents of a double-bari-(illi:d sho't-gtm into its body" near the 

 neck. With open .jaws it made for the boat, tearing pieces 

 from it with its teeth, trying to overturn it. Their gun was 

 empty and they had no chance to retaliate. The water was 



crimson with gore. Shute and his companion, with an oar 

 and club, managed to keep it clear of the boat for about 

 twenty minutes, when it died through loss of blood, and was 

 towed ashore. Another was seen soon after, near by, doubt- 

 less its mate. The species is rare in these waters." Great 

 Bay is an enlargement of the Piscataqua Kivcr, near Ports- 

 mouth, and some twelve or fifteen miles from the ocean. The 

 sea leopard, or, perhaps more properly, leopard seal, given 

 by Wood as LepUinyx 'iceddeUif, is said l)y him to have been 

 taken only iu the southern hemisphere, but to have been seen 

 off the Orkney Isles. The Cyclopedia gives it as SUnorhyn- 

 chftu leopm-dimu and says it is found in the Shetland Isles. 

 These are all the authorities I have at hand and both rather 

 ancient, and for aught I Icnow it may have been frequently 

 taken along our coast of late years. Perhaps you can en- 

 lighten us on that point ? F. C. Bhown. 



Framiiigtunn, Mass. 



As our correspondent remarks, the true sea leopard is not 

 found in our waters, and from the mea.gre description given 

 m the extract quoted it is diflicult to determine to what spe- 

 cies of seal the account refers. It seems probable, however, 

 that the species referred to is either the hooded seal (C'ysto- 

 phanu crintalm) or the gray seal (JIallc/taerus grypm). The 

 former species is often found along the New England cosist, 

 the latter rarely, if ever. 



Antidote fob Snake Bites.— In looking over the " South- 

 ern MecUeal Record " since last writing you I came across an 

 article by Dr. .1. Hendree, of Aliibama, in which he gives the 

 best antidote for all rep-ilo and insect poisons " known to 

 him." The antidote 1 was ftimiliar-inth, and it struck me it 

 would not be amiss to give it to your readers. It ia the ani- 

 moniacal preparal on, "Eaii ile Luce," which should be oai'- 

 ried by every camping party visiting sections of the country 

 infested with poisonou.s auakct;. Tiie wound should be pro- 

 fusely bathed witli it and a teaapoonful given iu braudy or 

 any strong spirit every tenor fiiteen minutes. Thi.^ makes 

 au'aotive "and not di«a,greeable amm lui i julep. Dr. Hendree 

 stats the preparation is kept on hand iu the zoological gar- 

 dens of Europe, and refi rj to Prnnk Buckland's " Zooligical 

 Recreations." Some years since one of the lioopers of the 

 cobras at Regents l^ark, in a state of complete intosic^/itiou, 

 entered the cage, aud handlinii one of the serpents roughly 

 and carelessly was bitten. His intoxication and the proper 

 use of spirits, without an alkali, did nol save him, and he died 

 in a few hours. The "Eau de Luce" may be had at any 



Homo. 



Deatu of the Montreal Caoed Wooboook. — Mr. Hall's 

 woodcock was found dead iu its cage Sunday mornhig, 3d inst. 

 It appeared to be well on Saturday evening (when it was 

 seen boring for and eating worms), except thit the .skin 

 around the neck wfis much inflated. During its confinement 

 the bird had become mucli attenuated. It lived eighteen 

 days from the time it was picked up. H. R. 



Montreal, Jan. 7. 



Late Migrations— CteictojifZ, Jan. 1. — The resison that 

 snipe, woodcock and many other migratory birds, in the fall 

 season, do not obey the supposed general law which governs 

 bird migration is readily explained. Tlie lack of food is the 

 principal cause of their change of locality. As long as food 

 abounds in their favorite haunts they are loth to leave, espe- 

 cially the older birds. I once shot a Wilson snipe on Christ- 

 mas "dav while quail hunting, the thermometer tieing about 

 down ti) zero. Tlic bird was fat and undoubtedly for many 

 wi-eks had livcil on the food the warm spring furnislied, from 

 which 1 llushed him. Ilio firsi of January the year follow- 

 ing, in tlie same locality, I started a woodcock, but missed 

 the, bird, as he towered up several hundred feet and theu shot 

 ofllike a meleor toward the south. I watched for him sev- 

 eral days after in the same locality, but he never returned. 

 Dk. E. Steklino. 



Habits of Snakes. — I was speaking, a few days ago, to a 

 patient of mine (a farmer) about "suakes swallowing snakes." 

 He is a man who has had abundant opporluuiliea to observe 

 their habits, etc., and he says he has repeatedly seen black 

 snakes who had young, when alarmed, open their mouths 

 aud the little ones would run down their throats " like a 

 shot," as he expressed it. My father tells a rather curious 

 snake story that happened under his observation. One day 

 he was driving over one of our couulTy roads when he saw a 

 large girter snake that had what appeared to be four feet. 

 Afler"wat<::liing it for some time and seeing that the feet 

 moved, he killed ihe snake aud cut it open, when out hopped 

 alive toad. The snalce had swallowed it, and the toad hnd 

 scratched its feet ttuough the belly of the snake. Dock. 



A Tiny Bear.— We have received from Mr. A. B. Dodge, 



of this city, a mounted speciment of 0!:\ii-^ Am en'm/im that 

 is the smallest we have ever seen. It is a female and is about 

 as large as a .six weeks' old setter puppy. The history of 

 the specimen is given in the following note from the donor, 

 to whom we beg leave to return lhank.s U>v this unique curi- 

 osity. Mr. Uocia-e says: "1 .send herewith a specimen of 

 natural history, wldcli I trust you may lie prevailed upon to 

 accept, for the reason that it is (so far as f know) a rarity. 

 ,She is very small, and when captured was considerably small- 

 er. I had" her over two months before she died. She ia one 

 of a family of three- one male, Iwo females. I, with a party, 

 went to an island between ( 'rystal River and Honiossassa, 

 Fla., three winters ago aud killed Ihe motlier, taking away 

 the three cubs. The two I brought homo died after about a 

 mouth here. This one was mounted by Wallace. 



Beoest AnnivALS at the Fnin. 

 By pui'ohaBe— IVo common inn 



Eiipnn ZooLoaieAij G*i 



(M.n 



aqn. 



ntilgus). 



Tno'browu sapucmH (CeUiSfnIurlUuO. One white pelican (Prfe- 

 canus Iriwhi/ykyiwlms). Two American nuigiieB (I'lca mdai,u- 

 leuen ^iiM-feDhjf-i.'i. '")nu ^rceu-cheekcd patrot t. C/iri/.s-ufts ■/.•iridi- 

 (iata'U'. f.v |Min yidili'ii Ouo Esqunnaux Dog. One diamond 

 ratUcKLuil r i - 'rnim.'s .-.i/,i,.i.i;ito(.s). Ono water moceaBin (Ancis- 

 Iro'ion r-''>'ii''!'>is). uiiv I ii^r.on (Procyrtn lotor). One Vu-guiia 



deer'((?t?-ci(.5 mruinw '- T - • r,-.Vtriiled hawks {Buteo borealu). 



Ono homed grebe (/ 1 I One red-shouldered buz- 



'/,,uii(rmteoiincalus>. ■ ' .vl (. Stops osjo). One red- 



billed" tree dnok (i'l ; ■ I i.,,,i,'i:'t. One razor-biUed 



Liay paiTot 



■ ; :lijs pahis- 



. I ,■ '. I i:i(: canvaa- 



r„!iis,:' rial, 'three burn owIh (Strix fiani- 



Bof t-hhell turtle (^Aepidonectea feroz). One 



his). One i 

 (^Psiltaru^ ,; 

 trh). One A,,i 

 backed duck (l'\Uigij'a 

 mea americana). On 

 pine snake (I'iti/ophis 



Whon life in a di.tig, aud you have lost all hepe, then truat in Hop 

 Bitters. 



fi§f( i,uHme. 



THE CENTRAL FISHCULTURAL SOCIETY. 



[ci0Nn>,'UED.] 



AT the conclusion of Piof. Forties' paper Mr. Shaw pre- 

 sented the law of the State of Iowa on flshways to the 

 societj', of which the following is a copy : 



Tmj FianwAw law of iowa. 

 (Chapter 12-5.) 

 AN ACT to Provide for the fmther Enforcement of Chapters 

 80 and 188 of the Acts of the Seventeenth General Assem- 

 bly, in Relation to the Construction and Attachment of 

 Fish- Ways to DamSj, 



Be it enmUd hy the Oeneral Ammbly oJHlte State of foica : 



Sbotion 1. 'f'hat within thirty days after the passage and 

 publication of tbia ad, each clerk of the Boaid of Supervi- 

 sors, in any county in tliis State in which there is any dam 

 constructed across any stream therein, shall notify the State 

 Fish Commissioner of tlie Meight of each dam in Iiis county, 

 the width of the stream where the dam is constructed, the 

 character of the foundation upon which each dam rests, and 

 shall give to him all other information necessiirjr to convey to 

 said Commissioner an intelligent miderstandiiig of the situa- 

 tion and locaUty of each dam in said county. 



Sko. a. That within thirty days afier the leeeipi of said 

 notice, the Slate Commissioner .s"liiill ■'■ '' . ■ '■■ - ■■•■ rhe same 

 bv mail, and within Ibirtv davs from '',.. mi i -vu] Com- 

 missioner shall send throngli tlie kiiii-.; i-^i i.- mail or by 

 express, to the clerk of the said Board of Siipcivisors, plans 

 and specifications, also one model for each county to be re- 

 tained by the Auditor for reference, suitable for the construc- 

 tion of afishway for each dam reported, as aforesaid, and the 

 expenses connected there-with to be paid by the eounly re- 

 ceiving the same, and the said clerk shall, "immediately on 

 the receipt of said plans and speeificalions, cause a notice to 

 be .served in the Same manuer as required for the service of 

 original notices and returned to the Auditor for preservation; 

 which notice shall be tlireeted to the owner, agent or party in 

 charge of the dam, aud wliich shall inform said owner, agent 

 or party that model, plans and specifications arc in his omce, 

 subject to his inspection, for the construeliou of a fishway to 

 said dam, and tliat, unless he consult Ihe same and comply 

 therewitli within sixty days, the county will proceed to con- 

 struct the same, the costs and penalties therefor will be made 

 a tax lien on the entire premises on which said dam is situ- 

 ated. 



Sbo. 3. If, within sixty days after the service of said no- 

 tice, the owner, agent or party in charge shall fail to con- 

 struct and attach a fishway to such dam, as required by the 

 Commissioner, then the t.'ounty Board of Supervisors shall 

 immediately proceed to eonsti-uct aud attach the same, and 

 when so couatnicted and attached, the original cost iiud 

 twenty per cent, thereon as a penalty shall be entered upon 

 the tax books of the comity, and shall be a lien on said pro- 

 perty, to be collected iu the titmie maimer as provided by law 

 for the coUection of other taxes. 



Sec. 4. To carry out any of the provisions of this act, the 

 Comity Board of Supervisors may issue couuty waiTauts for 

 the payment of sn"h expenditures and expenses, and when 

 Ihe said taxes are paid the said w.irrauts and all accrued inter- 

 est Ihereon shall be rcfmidcd to the count.v, ami the balance, 

 after paying the ClerK: anil State Commissioner and Board of 

 Supervisors for their services and for the service of said 

 notice, shall be paid over to the Cormty Treasm-er to become 

 a part of the school fimd of iVe county.' 



Sf.o. 5 . Some one of the County B'oard of Supervisors, in 

 Ihe fir.st week in April and September of each year, shall 

 visit each dam in his county to which fishwaya are attached, 

 and retpiire the party iu charge to keep the same in good re- 

 pair, aud if he fails, or for any reason shall neglect, to repair 

 the same witliin ten days after notice so to do, the said Su- 

 pervisor shall immediately cause the needed repairs to be 

 made at the expense of the county, and the costs thereof, 

 with a penally of twenty-five per cent, added, shall become 

 a lien on the premises, and shall be collected as other taxes 

 are collected against the property. 



Sko. C. The said Clerk and Slate Fish Commissioner aud 

 Board of Supervisors shall keep an accurate and itemized ae- 

 connl of tlieir expenditures, and report the same under oath 

 to the Ctounty Board of Supervisors at any regular meeting, 

 and the s;]id Board shall thereupon allow such reasonable 

 compensation for theu services as they may consider reason- 

 able and just, to be paid out of any money in the County 

 Treasury not otherwise ajiproprialed. 



Seo. 7. Any person who shall kill, trap, ensnare, detain, 

 or in any manner niolesl the free and unmolested passage of 

 any fish within one hundred yards of any dam, or in their 

 transit through any fishway attached or beloueiug thereto, 

 shall be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon convic- 

 tion thereof shall pay a fine for each offense of not less than 

 five nor more than fifty dollars, and five dollars to the com- 

 plaining witness, together with costs of prosecution, includ- 

 ing an attorney fe - not exceeding ten dollars, and stand com- 

 mftted until "the same are fully paid ; and when said fine 

 shall be collected the same shall be paid over to the County 

 Treasurer, to become pari of school fund. 



Seo. 8. If any member of any Board of Supervisors shall, 

 by vote or act, neglect or refuse to enforce the provision.s of 

 this act, he .shall be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor, and 

 upon the complaint of any person before any Justice of the 

 Peace having jurisdiction thereof, if he he convicted he shall 

 pay a fine of not less than twenty nor more than one hundred 

 dollars and costs for each otfeuse, and when collected the same 

 shall be jiaid ovi-r to the County 'Treasurer, to become a part of 

 the school fund of the eounly. 



Sec. 9. Kotbing in this act shall be construed to repeal any 

 part of chapters "80 and 188 of the acts of the seventeenth 

 Oeneral Assembly of the Slate of Iowa. 



Seo. 10. This act being deemed of immediate importance, 

 shall take effect and be hi force from and after its publica- 

 tion in the Iowa State Register and Iowa State Leader, two 

 newspapers publislied in the city of Des Moines, Iowa. 



Approved March 25, ISSO. 



I hereby certifv that the foregoing act was published in 

 the Iowa State Regiit-er, April 1, and in the Iowa State Lead- 

 er, April 0, 1880. J. A. T. Hdll, Sec'y of Stale. 



Mr. Shaw : " There has been a question as to Ihe consti- 

 tutionality of this law by those who are not familiar with the 

 great case of the Holyoke Water-Power Company, of Massa- 

 chusetts, and to satisfy myself on this point I have written 

 the Attomey-Qeneral of our State and beg leave to submit 

 the correepondence, as followB :" 



