[ArecsT 17, 1888. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



48 



THE FLORIDA 



Editor Eon 



In my hiiste to answer vour correal 

 the Florida worm-snake "lie inquired 

 say iliat. h i- nol a true scrpcnl at all, 

 which, so i fins Im <-n i 



Bufccordiug to Professor Baird, who 

 calling if /. .- "•'■. JhriddMim 

 da. cmgrgi . lerraueoti 



showers, hem ■" its vernacular nam 

 Prof. Cope prop . •■! o substitute th 

 /■ for thai ol / . '■ ■-'. ■■<■■ and 1 b 

 appropriate, and now holds 



This curious sp ■; .."■ i- nol to I"- .1 

 commonly known as the "worm" 

 Western, Northern u-id Southern i 

 Si ites w lich '■ 



ehxisctts the species round is Q >■ not* 

 ;uk1 Mississippi, '.'. ■■'■■.'■ u&, and in U 



THUNDER WORM." 



undent, S., regarding 

 about, 1 neglected to 



but v lizard u I — snake, 



i.iiid in Florida onlv. 



described the species, 

 ii is common i ji Flori- 



•elreate after thunder 

 --"Thunder AYorm." 



; mime is clearly more 



ufouuded with what is 

 ;nttke of the Eastern, 

 jettons of the United 

 iu Masisa- 

 Ui, in Southern Illinois 

 wouyi and Kansas. C. 



fag m\A 0at(. 



Ojcisas gljBiASQSfS.— Set table ofopSAMaaons. far -game am&fish 

 in t&ra ■if.l'ihi 20. 



GAME iN SEASON IN AUGUST. 



THE fiiUtnving -schedule exhibits the game now in season. (Also, 

 l» parentheses, seasons which open' during tlie month |: 



Dakota .An- I".. ero! 

 snipe, curlew, plover). 

 Dcdawtire^Woodcock. 

 Dlstciet of Columbia— v 



railed grouse: <A.ug. : 

 Georgif-Wil.i'iiiicev. ., 



Now Brunswick— WBodcock. vihl- 



e-uvl. stupe. 

 New Hampsliiiv Woodcock, plo- 



is the "Middle Firing Place," and the "Lower Firing Place" 

 is at the foot of the grass and immediately above the perpen- 

 dicular elilT. Now the island is covered, and the elilT-s round 

 aooul it swarm with "murrs." The birds arc unceasingly 

 rising from the clitts and bland and alighting again, ami" in 

 their living oDserve a System of regularity— fl/mg out about 

 a quarter of a mile from the island iu black clouds, circling 

 around, and on their return to the island, or while finishing 

 the circle described by each Might, flying over the grassy- 

 slope I have described. If it 'be calm the" hirds deweribe 

 thcif circle, but only a few on the return, comparatively, 



pat 



anna, irom proceedings ot 



Sciences of Philadelphia, 1S61 



"The specific charaeten •■. er 



tic nostril pints immediately p 



line arc an oblong llonlal. bio: 



irregularly pentagonal vertical, 

 I. . ■■' bet\i een two small occi 

 each side of the vertical. Four 

 the lost three times the i.,-. : 

 from thai of the other side by 

 and bounded above by a trans\ 

 is pierced by the uostri] above 

 in a Series lii-biiel the m 

 much the longest. Superior u 

 siil.-. the anterior pair longest 

 bular, eecii ramus, six. Tni'eri 

 svmphv.-. al. oni pair gonial*. ( 

 >■•■!.. .. plates, small, ' 



V 



taldinalsc 

 tuberculo 

 dirtj v hi 

 To thi 

 feiorida 1 



Me-s:;elC 



[I isa i 

 are to the 

 jfegardmg 



about tile 



ntic, three- pai 



the Academy of IViiural 

 . page 75, 



b as follows: A broad crescgn- 

 aslcrior to this on the median 

 idea than long, and a, large 



with tta posterior angle pro 



pitiil; three small plates on 

 superior labials, on each side, 

 he third. The first separated 

 a trapezoid inferior rostral, 

 -ersely elliptical nasal, which 

 iisccr.ur. Threeloralplat.es 

 1 above the labials, the first 

 [axillary teeth, live on each 

 : iutei maxillary one;inaudi- 

 or labials, three or four; one 

 me memo-labial on oacl> side. 

 r, about twelve iu number. 

 IS of ;■!'• ■anal plates in a lougi- 

 upoii tiie tail, all more or less 

 the two basal ones. Color 



it the "ihuu.lcr worm" of 



of \ 



1 public, and 1 

 labits. that Die 

 1 have long h: 

 permit! ) to publish a paper, wh 

 delusions icg.uMin;; \incricnii 

 we may be alllcto dispose of 

 Olher tike fable:,. II. 



t:.\I:'!LU Sr.V -:s NATIONAL JleSKCJ 



Reptiles." In this, 



the "hoop snake" i 



a Y.Miiue . ;:. c. 



Popular 

 perhaps 

 ivtli. and 

 D, K. 



, Wasluiiirtoii, D. C, August, 1E5«. 



Trtfc GrAS^ijn-Bou. — An.-fin, Tex. — I notice a coiuinunica- 

 tiou from "Byrne" in vour issue of July '..'; on 'The Mfousters 

 of White River; Ark.,'" and your editorial comments lliereo 

 Regarding the identity of this fish, in May last 1 sent t 

 Prof. Baird several "gasper-gou,' and tinflerdati of .iulvi 

 he writes mo thai "one ui them is still afire inouraquariiini 

 ami is an object of great inter : Prof. Baird calls the f)^ 



J mhl„li,„. <j,-i. /,.■,/••».« —J •' [Iu the note! 



rteon refer* 

 we said thai we were in doubt what risk bore this name, bit 

 thought it likely to be Am/,' caltn ol SitptoiilvnottM ffrunnu M 

 It has provad to baihij lattar, tor Anibk/eUr/iawl JIaploidav.otv 

 Bre tlic same. This adds another to tho local names of thi 

 fell Wm'charef: "shcepshead/'tlMal Lakes and Lake Chan 

 plain; ".eiiite pffl ; .pi; ■•giuntei" an 



Jor la;t 



fish no 

 reporte 



iims. Texas and Loitisiana. 'I'be 

 oo tough to cut. but the llesh is 

 otlurwatei-s.] 



■ul'ix*, liorn iii tl.i: 



PUBLISHER'S DEPARTMENT. 



•iwid p( i lie 



ira, curb iii 



about iii 

 poems." 



We nnisi 

 billon an 



ile-n." i 



IS, grousei. 

 lelope, mniinlaln 

 it, sage grouse; 



i.lul.v 



Wisconsin -Wo.xteoek: lAug. Vo, 



Wyoming — Buffalo, elk, antelope, 

 mountain sheep and goat, deer, 

 pUtnuigiui; piniKited, sat^e uial 

 sjuirp tail grouse; (Aug. lQ.ruiTed 

 grouse, wildfowl, plover, curlew, 

 snipe). 



e Ko' 



DSjTRKAMyClied- 



RAMBLES THROUGH NEWFOUNDLAND. 



I'AUT iH i: 1,1 .. 



(""tAPE St. .Marv'.-. vou will see. by looking at the map of 

 Newfoundland, "is the ternrimrfiou of the strip of land 

 wliic'n sep:irates Placetilia l.iav from the Bay of St. ylarv's. 

 Turninir this cape to the south, one mile di'stanf. stands an 

 island, known locally as the ••L'.rrd Island." This island is 

 del tolled from the mainland, distant about forty yards Irom 



tw it- side.-. It is about -WO feet high, and three of its 



sides are smooth, perpendicular rock walls, like the iron- 

 bound cliffs of the mainland. The fourth -idc is sloping. 

 and from the base up to the summit there are alternating 

 rock shelves and slopes which are covered with wild grasses', 

 ivy and moss. How the Separation Of the island from the 

 mainland came about it i- impossible to tell, for the floor of 

 the chasm which separates both is solid rock, level as if 

 shaped bv human hands, while the walls of tooth cliff and 



island aie. clean CUl as if from the chisel. Uoiind about ihe 

 base of the island runs a wide, rock platform, which slopes 

 seaward and descends info the mwfic depths of tile Wild 

 ocean. A wilder, grander spol 1 have never seen. 



Butlhecbiel attraction lies not .n the imk.-d majesU OJ 

 the towering rocky walls, or the thunder of the ocean in its 

 fury Lashing itself -agarnsl theh-base. When the surly storms 

 of ihe late autumn come on, myriads of the numerous 

 species of si a birds that feed around the naked headlands 

 through the summer months, seek food and abettor from the 

 tempests, in the numberless qniel nooks am: cove, h, the 

 mai v Ivivs which indent the island . oasi all along. Iu the 



lift] wh 



summits ballici 



headland 

 i a do 



• birds ii 



1 ha\ 



tin 





l' a skill', living among Hi 

 i begin to repair lb ■: skill', i 

 n« gear in orderr" and he 



the folk 



thi sails, and 



ic knows be will so in bare 

 come" is told with jny I mm 

 other. It is generally lirst 

 it the Cape to flic people in 

 i Golden Hay. and so passed 



The "murs," so called, belong to the 

 comprise the razor-bill (Aim tqrdft) or 

 cajly hailed, the common guillemot (l'n 

 andlurr," a.s the people call them. S 

 the latter pari ol March, but usually th 

 of April, the murr wings its way now. 

 fishing the while from 



alcicke-Auks. and 

 •tinker," as it is lo- 



iwanl the Bird [aland 



within miles of ihe laid 

 me anywhere within o 

 Kin.ing the entire high 





In tlie evening 

 id. nor will the be 

 aril Of the aided 



outside of lin- 



ed th. 



lighting 

 re— and 



; fui; a Dec,.— Tin- tnniuiae and manly spc 

 a Ids dogs, Lut there are tmui.v gunuers wtio ;.r 



••liiu if thai Should miss fir. -. what then «" persisted Ins companion. 

 "If rlitt-t failed, wliy— deuce, take it, I'd wfiale my dug \" —Tiirontn 



no eilort 

 him to tl 

 asf-ep. ii 



hiindn 



—the wl 



ole iiiMia 





lid spi'e: 



ds like di 



ii-- 



•iiclin- 



ar inland 



and 



Is Of tb 

 en dawn 



lusands. 

 and sum 



Th 



mud and 

 the island, circling far inland and around the light- 



variablv 



myself. 



irv top of the cliff on an April morning, seen the 



- arise, circle around as I have described for about 



id tiuslly settle upon the lop and shelves of the 



ind 1 bav 



h 



takes pin 

 from the 



black mi 



an hour, 



island, and in the crevices; on the tops of the pinnacles, ami 



along the shelves of the dill's and crags adjoining, as a 



swarm of bees settles npon i ad covcraa tree. 



Once settled upon the island. Ihe spoil, commences. Ly- 

 iug to the southwest, of the island and toward the promon- 

 tory known as false Cape, the cliff slopes, and alternates 

 between -teen, irrass-coven il descents and shelves like bug. 

 stair-steps, under perpendicular abutments of rock, down to 

 bin thirty or fori y feel of the rock platform below . which 



below 

 vou I'ri 



ver the slope. Thereforo the condition of "successful 

 hooting sought by the sportsman is. that there be a strong 

 breeze df northwest, westerly, or southwesterly winds. 

 Thee winds each presses the birds in Hying well iii over the 

 slope, and in the local langue.g« the birds' are then auid lo 

 "fly well." Therefore, with a good breeze of one of the 

 winds indicated, the sportsman takes Ms seat at the Upper 

 Firing Place. The noise of the birds' wings upon the gale 

 as they press toward the island is inconceivable, unless to 

 bird who has heard it. The strong wind not alone makes 

 the hirds fly well in, but makes them fly low, also, so that 

 rarely does the sportsman lose a bird he sh.iot-.. When Ihe 

 wind is not strong, position is taken at the Middle Firing 

 Place, where a bird frequently is lost by fallitm over the 

 , calm day it is newessary to fire from the 

 d here vou are well off if vou s'et one bird 

 •on kill. They fall on the. rock platform 

 nnoyin:: to look down, as your head pains 

 tcess of your firing, to see a score or 80 of 

 .... birds lying upon the unapproachable, rock; but more 

 annoying still is it to see a small boat put off from otie of the 

 numbers of large fishing craft at anchor outside, pull in under 

 the island, and coolly pick up every bird you lose. 



I; was -at these firing places that I learned what 1 know of 

 I'm- art of shooting. I have sat I here for three, four and five 

 hours firing continually, and only ceasing when obliged to do 

 so by sheer headache as the result of my firing. Among the 

 local spoilsmen, many of whom still fire out of flint muskets, 

 lo kill a bird for every two shots on an average is considered 

 eood work, but before I was long on the slope I could do 

 very much better than this. 



When I was about seventeen years old 1 remember I bad 

 a very desirable and neat single barrel. The birds "flew 

 poorl'v." and a number of the fishermen who lived in the 

 a Ijaccnt coves were there with theif flint muskets. They do 

 nut care lo waste ammiinilion. so they rarely go to the lower 

 firing place, waiting for a slray bird to fly higher up. But I 

 belook me lo the 'lower firing place, and out of some sixty 

 shots I think 1 only missed two or three. "How the young 

 beggar hits 'em. doesn't he?" I could hear them say up ai aire 

 in .-. is after each crack a bird fell. I had likewise a pretty 

 good dog, and he was on the alert after each bird fell, so that 

 1 got I think nearlv thirty birds before thev rolled over the 

 cliff. 



1 have frequently seen as many 08 sixty in a pile before me 

 after two hours' shooting, when the wind blew and the hirds 

 Mew well. I have, I must confess, killed the birds fre- 

 quently tor Ihe delightful pastime, and in very wantonness. 



Qfl.e,-day, I remember, in the middle of April, thecaplainof 

 a vessel engaged in coasting was on his return to St. Johns, 

 the capital, ami in passing the eape it occurred to him that 

 he would go and shoot some "murrs" to take lo the eily 

 with him. He brought a good stock of ammunition and an 

 exquisite little double barrel. When he reached the firing 

 -! ipe I. as v, a.- my wont, for days at a time during the early 



i had been indulging in miscellaneous shooting, for it 

 must be remembered that "murrs'' are not the only inhab- 

 itants of this island and its vicinity. Cormorants by thous- 

 ands had taken up their abodes, in" kilter years, on the wide 

 -helves in the adjoining crags: and on tlie top of the island 



was a patch ol il 

 itants— numbering 

 linn to these a- mat 

 sea gull built their 

 of birds of what 8] 

 1 had amused rays 

 frayed an incl 



false 



! his 



,-rly lb. 



lace" si 

 its Ion; 



of tin 

 sporlsmai 



■liffispcp, 

 ■apshisha: 



idicular. It is on Ibis slope that 



Near the top of the slope, 

 on one of the shelves mentioned, is the "Upper firing 



Place;" midway between ibis and the lower part of the slope 



ailed "shags" bv the inliab- 

 .eihaps six ,„■ seven hundred. In addi- 

 y as hah a do/en different species Of 

 ii>l.- about here iu summer, and flocks 

 ucies I do not know inhabit ther; also. 

 If picking oil' any cormorant that be 

 over the laud in flying from 

 .•a up lo his crag) or down again, or around to the 

 cape, where a large community of his brethren 

 nel the boldest peaks, overlooking the ocean, during 

 ummer. 1 had also brought down a number of gulls, 

 aallv the species locally known as the "tieklar.e," prop- 

 ittiwake gull (/iW/ Iruktliiht*). This seehis i.. be 

 lish creature, whose chief fault is its fatal cuiios- 

 •rever the sportsman is firing I hero is the "tick- 

 to be, wheeling and circling about in dozens, will, 

 latc-colored back and pinions, and yellow legs 

 ami luak. singing eternally, and lo confuse the strongest 

 head, "Little too late," "Little too late." No parrot that 1 

 have ever heard can articulate anything SO plainly asiau 

 Ihe ■•ticklace" these words. The stranger standing among 

 these. wild otags- might, if he were superstitious at all, and 

 not knowing the cause, think that the myriad repetition of 

 th,- w.nds "Little too late," in the air, and up ihe crag-. 

 and down by Hie st a. were the wild words of mountain 

 elves or some- Other genii dwelling in Ibis lonely and savage 

 spOt. Prighten them with a gun-shot and they cry out 

 "Little toi- hue:" lire at one — and miss it — and il cries out 

 ■ I.inle too late," so thai many a time I havesecn the sporta- 

 ui.in put up bis gun. and as the garrulous bird cried "Little 

 reply as ho fired aud brought, down the curious 

 You're time enough." 



i digressing, not like Ihe author of Childe Haroldc, 

 iu my story lo niorali/.e. but to state the many scenes 1 have 

 .-c .n and which press iu upon me as 1 write, like old and 

 dear acquaintances. When the captain reachedthe slope the 

 -hots now ami again told him some one was there, aud he 

 found me surrounded by several cormorants, three or four 

 different speci's of gull—|hc "saddle back," (l.ai-ii* nuir/iins) 

 ihe arctic skau, (>>,;<■/>, .niuijiaragitmia) the "blue gull" or 

 herring gull 1 think (l.<iru* anjuitntii*) and the "licklaee"— 

 ami of lie- -ticklace'" variety nol Lees than twenty, a f.-v. 

 "murrs" and "tinkers," making in all about lll'ly birds. 

 The captain was astounded at my luck, aud then told me he 

 warned to kill a lot of murrs to bring to St. Johns. I con- 

 ducted him to the upper tiring place and told him to blaze 

 away. The birds flew well, for a strong breeze blew front 

 the northwest. The captaiu, indeed, did hegiu to blaze 

 , iv. a\, but he s ( t oui a ith this fatal error. lie thought by 

 filing blankly at the cloud of birds that, flew iu an unceas- 

 ing sireani, possibly forty birds over his head at once, to- 

 ward- iheisiand. that he couldn't miss hitting a bird or two. 

 Indeed Iu- though! before he fired that he could perhaps lake 

 down a half a dozen at a shot, and thought I saw a contemp- 

 tuous smile on his lip when 1 said, "Captaiu, if you get one 



too bile. 



babbler, 



Hul I « 



