928 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
day. The spring rains washed out the dam twice, car¬ 
rying all the larger trout in the stream into Lake Pepin. 
It is supposed that they struck the current which runs 
near tho shore, and went up to help stock Rush River, 
Wis. Walter Porter Manton. 
Boston, Nov. 24 ih, 1870. 
King Ducks on the Niagara.— Buffalo, N. Y.— Buf¬ 
falo gunners on the Niagara River in late fall make use 
of small steam-yachts on their sporting excursions, since 
the strong, four-mile current of the river renders small 
lioats unsuitable for long trips. A party of live bagged 
on the 22d of Nov. eleven specimens of the Icing duck 
(Somaterin speetabiUs) in immature plumage. These 
birds are strangers on the Niagara, and their specific iden¬ 
tify puzzled therefore their' captors, who encountered 
them in small docks of from four to five specimens. 
They were by no means shy, and allowed the steamer to 
approach within leas than twenty yards, when they would 
readily dive, to reappear at a long distance. Tho fierce 
storm winch raged the day previous along the lower lakes 
accounts for their adventitious occurrence, and they have 
followed undoubtedly tlie course of the St. Lawrence 
River to Lake Ontario, whence they made a short cut 
towards Lake Erie. There are also now on the river as 
permanent winter residents a few scattered flocks of the 
common Merganser intermixed with some blue bills and 
whistlers. 
Quail and Partridge. —A correspondent has written 
asking whether tbere exists no difference between a quail 
and a partridge, stating that Philadelphia ruarketmen 
affirm that they are one and the same bird. The ques¬ 
tion, as put to us, is a difficult one to answer, for we are 
ignorant to what birds our correspondent refers under 
these names. If he speaks of North American species, we 
must answer that the quail of the Northern and Western 
States is the partridge of the South. The bird called part¬ 
ridge in the Northeast and pheasant in the South and 
West is neither a partridge nor a pheasant, but a true 
grouse. 
The quail ( Cotvmir) and the partridge (Pcrdix) (of 
Europe) are t wo entirely different birds, and unlike any 
North American speoies, though belonging to the family 
Perdicidce, in which our Boh White, the California quail, 
and soveral Southwestern species are placed by ornithol¬ 
ogists. __ 
ffn* ipnncl 
A FEW WORDS ABOUT SPAYING. 
though both ovaries had been completely removed. There 
was undoubtedly present in this instance of a supple¬ 
mentary ovary (the ovarium succedaneum, as it is called).” 
Tho plaster, if used, can be removed by the third or 
fourth day; silk or silver sutures, or stitches, as soon as 
they become loose, or a drop of matter is seen where 
they pierce the skin. If earbolized catgut stiches are 
used, the internal portion usually becomes absorbed ; for 
which reason they are to be preferred, as they thus take 
care of themselves. Cobweb, 
APPROVED DOG KENNELS. 
To tho many who are interested in, and who breed fine 
dogs, I would like to suggest that a most convenient ken¬ 
nel and yard can be built for a reasonable amount, after 
the following plan, which I confess is not original, but 
borrowed from that prince of sportsmen, Gen. W. B. 
Shattuc, of Cincinnati. I recently visited his home in 
Madisonville, Ohio (a suburb of'Cincinnati), to purchase 
his brace of champion Irish water Bpaniels, Barney and 
Judy, and I am happy to say they now belong to the 
Valparaiso Kennel Club; price paid $400. Barney and 
Judy are elegant. Judy', I understand, came over in bad 
condition, and when received by you from tho steamer 
was not very highly thought of; but were you to see 
her now, with her elegant new coat and splendid flesh, 
you would say she was simply perfection. Gen. Shattuc 
has a splendid house and beautiful grounds, some eight 
or ten acres, beautifully laid out by an artistic lendscape 
gardener, His kennels are so convenient I could not re¬ 
sist the temptation to let all interested use his plan if 
they desire to do so. Suoh a kennel will easily accomo¬ 
date ton to fourteen dogs, and not crowd. The ground 
BY COBWEB, 
T HE stiniulous which liaB been given to canine mat¬ 
ters by the various bench show's and field trials in 
tills country, besides improving the various breeds and 
cl lock ing to a greater or less extent the indiscriminate 
breeding of former years, has caused the owners of valua¬ 
ble brood bitches to seek a means by which their stock 
should not become too common, and by which they could 
partially, at least, control them particular strains. 
This was found in the operation of spaying, or re¬ 
moval of the ovaries ; and the demand for information 
respecting it was promptly met by articles by “South 
Fork” and other writers in Forest and Stream, and a 
very practicle article by “Mohican” in the Country, 
June, 1st, 1878. . . 
It is not my purpose at this time to give in detail the 
manner of performing this operation, hut simply to offer 
a few practical hints respecting it, derived from my own 
experience. ' , . 
Make the incision just below the navel, or belly, button 
(umbilicAis) in the median lino ; no other place is as good. 
The cut at the side is awkward to make and does not heal 
so readily. . 
Make the incision only large enough to admit the index 
finger ; this gives ample room to find the ovaries, and 
there will then be little danger of protrusion of the gut, 
or a hernia following the operation, provided care is 
taken that the stiches go completely through the entire 
thickness of the abdominal walls; this is most important 
to insure a firm and lasting union of the wound—a com¬ 
mon error being to include merely the skin in the stitch. 
If enough stiches are used to completely close the in¬ 
cision, plaster will not be required ; but, if thought expe¬ 
dient to use it, it should be made of dextrine and spread 
upon kid. This kind of plaster iB the only one, in my ex¬ 
perience, which will remain upon a hairy surface, the 
warmth of the body causing it to adhere, while the com¬ 
mon surgeon’s adhesive plaster, being comprised of lith¬ 
arge and oil, is readily softened by tho animal heat, and 
drops off or slips. , , , 
The dextrine plaster, m my hands, has cured a very 
persistent case of external canker of the ear ; such a case 
as it would often be recommended to round the ears, 
and then probably to no purpose. 
In your “Answers to Correspondents,” for November 
30Ui I N79, the following question and answer appear: 
Query “I have heard it said that a bitch would get 
in heat, even after being spayed. Is there any truth in 
the assertion? Ans. No; not if tlie spaying had been 
properly done, and the ovaries removed.’ 
Of course, if tlie ovaries were removed, she would not 
become pregnant. But spaying does not always prevent 
the bleeding; particularly if before the operation she liad 
already “ come in ” once or more times, or was about to 
do so just before the operation. 
The following case is one to the point. Over a year ago 
received the following letter from a friend :— 
“ My reputation is now at stake, and I wish to ask you a 
question. Could a bitch, properly spayed, about nine 
months old, come in heat in two or three weeks after the 
operation, receive the dog and have pups?” 
Of coiuse, the opinion was given, which time proved 
correct, that there would be no pups. Such would not 
have been the case, however, had there been an extra or 
supplementary ovary, as in the following instance, re¬ 
lated liy Dr. T. Gaillard Thomas, of New York, in the 
New York Medical Record for December 0, 1879 :— 
“ <1 bitch, which had been spayed, continued to cestru- 
ate just the same as before * * * * After a time she 
became pregnant, and gave birtli to pups al- 
Gate ~ 
/ [ Gatt ,_ 
The yards a, h, r, and d, are about2x4 rods each; tho rooms each 
fi.\8 Icet, which are neatly roofed and well ventilated. The fence 
Is of pickets 311u. wide and 7 leot High, Hi In. space. 
should be covered with gravel, aud earthen vessels used 
to feed and water in. 1 would like to mention Gen. 
Shattuo’s recent addition to his kennel — the splendid 
smooth-coated St. Bernard bitch Brunie. She is per¬ 
fectly marked, according to tho “Gazetteer" and other 
authority. Her condition when received from New York 
—where she was left bv Rev. Macdona, who imported 
her—was simply frightful; but to-day, just four weeks 
since her arrival at Gen. S.’s, Blie is in perfect condition, 
and I understand he only used the remedies found in 
Hallock’s “ Gazetteer,” and he could not say enough in 
praise of the book. It is his intention to breed Brunie 
to imported Marco. I hope he will do so. Thorstein, his 
crack red Irish setter, is more beautiful than ever, and is 
under perfect control. There can he no better broken 
dog than Thor, and certainly none more loveable. 
It is my intention to breed Barney and Judy and break 
the whelps in our wild rice marshes ; for I believe, if 
taken early, they can he taught anything, and I certainly 
never saw a dog love water a3 well as these. 
W. H. Holabikd. 
Bi-pedal Dogs—Is their Peculiarity Transmitted? 
—Editor Forest and Stream :—An article in your paper 
of Dec. 4 th, upon Bi-pedal Dogs, reminds me of one or two 
1 facts within my own knowledge. 
Several years ago I had a few sheep upon a farm in 
charge of a tenant. One of the ewes dropped a lamb one 
cold night in February, and before it was found both of 
its hind legs were so frozen up to the hams tliat when I 
saw it a few days afterwards they were hanging by tho 
sinews, which I had cut, of course. This lamb had 
learned to walk upon its fore legs, its hinder parts ele¬ 
vated in the air, and followed its dam about the rough 
barn yard over the com stalks which were thrown there 
for feed . It was as active as any of tho other lambs. We 
kept it with the othev sheep until it was old enough for 
spring lamb, when it was killed, and found to be fat and 
healthy. 1 afterwards regretted killin g it. It suckled 
from a sitting position—a posture I have never noticed 
any other sheep to take. 
In the article named, you speak of a short-tailed dog 
transmitting the peculiarity to a third generation. Some 
years ago I knew a very fine and intelligent black rat ter¬ 
rier with a caudal stump not over an inch in length. The 
owner had procured her in Buffalo, and told me her dam 
was also “ stump-tailed," as he expressed it, and had 
bean brought from England, and that he had been told 
by the owner it belonged to a naturally short-tailed breed. 
I procured one of her first litter of pups, which were all 
short-tailed, and as it happened, all females. In due 
time I bred mine to a black and tan of ordinary appear¬ 
ance and build, and her first litter of two were both long 
tailed. Her next litter had two short-tailed pups and one 
with a tail of about three inches long. The third and last 
litter was three, one of which had no tail at all; one a tail 
of about one aud a half inches long, and the third, now in 
my possession, a tail of ordinary length. So that in tills 
case, I know of the third generation with this peculiarity, 
and have no doubt about the fourth. If jny informant 
had been correctly informed as to the breed, as to which 
he, of course, knew nothing, the defect had been trans¬ 
mitted for many generations. O. O. H. 
Squirrel Dogs. — Elizdbethtoimi, Ky., Dec. \Zth .—In 
your answers to correspondents, you carelessly say, in 
answer to a Martinsville, Ind., correspondent about squir¬ 
rel dogs, that, “ Unless a dog can climb a tree, we do not 
see how one can he used in squirrel shooting.” Now that 
sounds as if written by a man who never hunted squir¬ 
rels, as we hunt them in the woods of this country, 
where the underbrush is so thick you cannot see fifty 
yards ahead of you. Therefore I take it upon myself, to 
enlighten both you and your correspondent upon tlie sub¬ 
ject. In the first place I wifi say, it is necessary to have 
a dog to “ tree " tlie squirrel to show you where the ani¬ 
mal may be looked for ; for, if you depend upon your 
only power (vision), you may walk tlie woods over and 
never “bag a bunny.” I once owned the best squirrel 
dog I ever saw. She was a black and tan terrier of full 
size, and active as a cat. Her mode of procedure was, if 
the wood was open, to stand on the fence, or on some 
high log, and scan the wood with her never failing eyes, 
and, if a squirrel was in view, to run him to a tree, or to 
go to the tree he was in, and then to watch me. If I did 
not respond, she gave a few, quick, sharp barks, and ran 
up the trae as far ns she could, so that, after hearing her, 
I might see her. If the wood was thick, she would bark 
as soon as the squirrel was treed. She was a very valua¬ 
ble dog for tlie purpose, and was self-learned. The only 
training she got was being allowed to go along when I 
went hunting. No particular breed of dogs is indicated ; 
but I think one that has a fair degree of intelligence and 
don’t bark too much, is best. I have seen common curs 
do well; in fact, have seen squirrels hunted with setters 
and pointers, they treeing and barking as welt as any 
dog; but I think a smart black and tan ratter the best 
of all. M. 
[In treeing squirrels, any fice or whiffet makes a good 
dog; but we have often thought that a cocker spaniel 
would serve better than any other. The question to 
which you refer, was not answered from the Kennel De¬ 
partment of this paper, and the answer ought not to 
stand. We thank our correspondent for calling our at¬ 
tention thereto, as well as for his comments.—Editor 
Forest and Stream.] 
An Outrage.— Owego, Dec. 8th.—Editor Forest and 
Stream :—Last Thursday night, or early on Friday morn¬ 
ing, some low, mean, unprincipled wretch entered the 
premises where my dogs were kept, and threw poisoned 
meat into the kennel. About 7 A.M., Mrs. Hill, a neigh¬ 
bor, seeing something unusual at the kennel, looked in 
and saw Zipp, my red Irish setter, lying.dead, and Tony, 
as she supposed, dying. She ran to tho house and gave 
the alarm, and they succeeded in saving Tony. My dogs 
were at my brother’s, in Corning, and were kept in a yard 
and not allowed to run in the street or trouble any one ; 
and I cannot think of any reason for poisoning'them. 
Zipp was a grand bitch out of York and Nora, and I never 
expect to own her like again. Mr. Quist, a neighbor and 
brother sportsman, rendered valuable assistance, and I 
feel under many obligations to him. H. B. Stoll, 
The English Miner and His Dog.— The dog is man’s 
friend all the world over, and never a more beloved 
companion than among the humbler classes. An 
English contemporary has a very interesting sketch of 
the North of England miners and coke burners, whose 
labor is exhaustive, unpleasant and often dangerous. 
Thera was a happy era, in the Franco-Prussian War 
times, when the iron and coal interests were active, when 
the coal mine workers decorated themselves with heavy 
gold chainB and fed their dogs on sirloin steaks. But 
it is not so now :— 
Times have changed, and with none more than the pit¬ 
man, the coke drawer, and the ironmaster. Mines are 
closed, ovens are cold, and grass grows in the deserted 
ironworks. Geordie’s principal occupation nowadays is 
to play ball or marbles, and to whistle for better times. 
Taking him on the whole he is’nt a bad sort of fellow, 
and quite as good as his neighbor. His work (when lie 
has any) is heavy, and the risk great. We who owe so 
much to his labors for our personal comfort and the 
working of our machinery, should notjbegrudge him his 
wages. It is not child’s play handling the pick under¬ 
ground or working before a coke oven ; but such as it is, 
thousands of sturdy fellows would be glad to be busy at it 
to-day. The story of ’Geordie’s life is soon told. The 
colliery village is adjacent to the pit. The houses— 
which are not all models—are. owned by the mine owners, 
and stand back to hack. For the most part-.they arc—or 
rather they used to be—well furnished, neat and bright, 
The womenfolk are not a sight to turn a man's head 
from. You will find as buxom, pretty and blythesome 
specimens of the fair sex among tlie miners’ wives and 
daughters as anywhere in England. In many cases there 
is a bit of well-tended garden, and generally a brilliant 
set of window plants. - Then there is the dog. Tlie 
miner’s fondness for his dog is made a subjoct of many a 
jest, at which none laugh heartier than himself. Geordie 
is met on Sunday morning, trundling a wheelbarrow and 
looking the picture of misery. Questioned about his 
trouble, he replies that it is a crushing one. It is not 
that his favorite child is dead, nor that his wife is sick : 
these afflictions he could bear, but he has lost liis dog, 
and in his terrible wretchedness he trundles out the 
wheelbarrow for company, for he sayB “ a chap looks so 
fond wiwout his dawg.” Since the miner has lost his 
work the canine companion has been missing, but not so 
long as there was a penny to pay for a license. ‘Where 
all the dogs have gone to is a mystery only known to 
those great mystery-men, the makers of sausages and 
meat-pies. The miner is fond, too, of gambling. Fond, 
did we say ? it is a passion, the strength of which cannot 
be estimated by dwellers in the southern counties. The 
newspapers which supply him with his politics had far 
better come out minus the latest news from Afghan than 
the latest sporting. In fair comparison London is 
nothing to Newcastle on a great boat-race day. Tyneside 
