LDkoember 8, 1SB1. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



367 



tance. While Mr. Parker made no charge for showing the 

 bird, hardly any one would allow him to leave his work 

 without compensation, and in some cases parties paid him 

 liberally. I am told that ho has taken as high as nine dollars 

 in a single day, so that his loss is not, only that of a highly 

 prized pet but a peeuuiary one as well. Mr. Parker has the 

 Sympathy of sportsmen, and I might say of everybody. It 

 has, however, been a com in >n remark that it was a wonder 

 that the bird liad never met with any mishap. It had become 

 so tame thai it would Bit on the shoulder and take bits of food 

 from the mouth of a stranger, and sometimes he was almost 

 an annoyance to Mr. Parker when about his work. Subject 

 as he was to fall a victim to some stranger at any time it 

 seems really wonderful that he should have existed so long. 

 — K. 



[We are glad to receive the above letter. It seemed hard 

 to believe in tne existence of any miscreant, wlio, knowing 

 the facts, would have Wantonly killed Mr. Parker's bird. All 

 that has been published since the bird's death has, however, 

 conveyed the impression that advantage was taken of his 

 lameness to kill the partridge. We are glad that it was not 



so*] „^_^ 



FISH AND PROG SHOWERS. 



I INDORSE fully your editorial note relative to the above. 

 What "people say" or believe has but little weight in 

 scientific reasoning. It is generally "believed" that a hair 

 from I he tail of a horse, put in water, though merely an 

 empty tube, can become endowed with life and intve con- 

 veyed to it, in some mysterious way, all the organs neces- 

 sary to the life and existence of an animal of its cDss. But 

 who has yet met with ihe man who can state that he has 

 with his own hands accomplished or brought about this 

 miraculous transformation? Tha h has himself plucked the 

 hair, and watched it as it lay inanimate on the bottom of the 

 vessel for days: thai baa seen its first wriggle, its subsequent 

 general motion or locomotion, and its first meal J No ! No ! 

 It is only another '' Barnacle Goose ' story; and how firmly 

 Ibis la1 ter WaS believed in by '-the people " at, the time I 



There is, however, more truth in the matter of " Fish and 

 Frog Showers," but here, likewise, "the people" have added 

 their proportion of the mysterious and ridiculous. If a 

 whirlwind has been known to catch up and carry heavy 

 objects for considerable distances, we can readily believe 

 that smaller and less weighty objects might in bke manner 

 be carried to very much greater distances. The red ashes of 

 volcanic districts havfi been known to have been carried off 

 many miles from their original location; so also the pollen 

 of plants. In like m inner small frogs and fishes have been 

 ao snatched up bj a circling wind, and distributed along the 

 track of the storm But such events are rare and local and 

 hardly worth discussing. They are not "showers," for they 

 do not, come from the clouds but are railiei drafts, similar to 

 saud and dust drifts. Small toads come up out of the ground 

 thickly during showers, SO do earth-worms, but these crea- 

 tures com out to meet the rain and do not come down with 

 it. In fine, sir, I am every day experiencing the little 

 dependence that is to be placed in "popular belief," which is 

 an argument as unsound as it is unscientific. 



Montreal, Nov. 28th, 1881. Hknky G. Venjuob. 



'» i ' 



SUGGESTION ABOUT ACCLIMATATION. 



The following letters explain themselves : 

 To J. M. LeMoine, Esq , President Literary and Historical 

 Society, Quebec: 



Dear Sra— As President of a Society owning an extensive 

 collection of birds as well as oa account of the efforts you 

 have made to increase and protect the game of Canada and 

 to popularize the study of Natural History, I beg to draw 

 your attention to the splendid specimen of the English 

 pheasant, black-cock and capercailzie, which I now send to 

 your rooms for exhibition. You are no doubt aware that thi 

 capercailzie is a northern species, a denizen of Norway, living 

 on the top of pines and spruces as lofty as our owu ; you are 

 no doubt also coggizmt of this fact that the Duke of Suther- 

 land and the Earl of Fyfe have succeeded in adding to the 

 Scotch fauna these magnificent birds, which are now re- 

 introduced and breed abundantly in Scotland. Will no 

 sportsman take the lead in a movement to introduce this 

 bird and naturalize hirn in Canada? Awaiting for an expres- 

 sion of your views, 



I remain, dear sir, yours respectfully, 



A. Wattkks. 

 Quebec, teh November, 1881. 



To Mb. A. Waiters. Quebec : 



Deab Sib— J have pleasure in acknowledging the reclpt 

 of your letter of this date, advising me that you have sent on 

 exhibition to our rooms sotno remarkably handsome English 

 pheasants, black-cock and capercailzie, as specimens of the 

 art of Scotch taxidermists, and asking my opinion as to the. 

 practicability of adding to our fauna, the splendid game 

 bird known as the capercailzie. It is now some time since 

 I pressed this very subject on the attention of some of my 

 sporting friends. The efforts of Col. Rhodes to introduce 

 here the European house sparrow, show what energy and 

 hard cash can do, and I trust the same success will attend the 

 Golonel's praiseworthy efforts and expenditure to add the 

 Messina quail to our Canadian moor3 and forests. 



I have a dozen of the Colonel'B Sicilian quail at present in 

 my aviary, the breeding season being over when I got, 

 them, and" am awaiting for April to let them loose, in order 

 to test Col. Rhodes' theory about this migratory species. 



The capercailzie, without being as delicate a bird to eat as 

 our ruffed grouse, from its size, would be a very welcome 

 addition to our fanua. In Canada he would find a climate, 

 haunts, food and protection similar to what he meets with 

 in the pine forests of the north— in Denmark. It is worth 

 while trying, if he can be naturalized here. I hope yet to 

 learn that some public-spirited sportsman will undertake the 

 introduction bf this noble bird, the capercailzie, and suc- 

 ceed here, as has happened iu Scotland. 



I remain, dear sir, yours most obediently, 



J. M. LeMoisjs. 

 'Rooms of the Literary and Historical Society, 

 Quebec, 'Uh November, 1881. 



With respect to the above, Colonel Rhodes, of Quebec, 



writes to the Forest and Stekam that the importation of 

 Messina quail has not been an entire success. lie has turned 

 them It ose at Quebec and at Tadousac, and they have been 

 freed at Sherbrooke and at Montreal. 



Colonel Rhodes has seen two nests of quad, with nine 

 eggs each, and one nest hatched eight young birds, which he 

 saw just as they were born, but he never saw the young 



birds again, so he coucludes that they perished in the wet 

 weather which followed. The Colonel is of opinion unless 

 Messina quail can be turned out to hatch about the same 

 time as the Canadian grouse —viz., the first week 



in June— they will not raise a brood iu Canada; and unle-s 

 young birds can be raised, migration into the country in the 

 spring need uot be expected. 



There is no doubt that these quail migrate in the autumn, 

 as they remain about the farm until the first of September. 

 The hoe birds, when accidentally killed, are full of eggs, so 

 the point appears to he to place them in a climate where the 

 young birds can grow to maturity, or to winter over a lot of 

 quaiiandturn loose, in the spring. This experiment Mr. 

 La Moine is now followbig, and we must hope he will suc- 

 ceed 



loi Rhodes is under the impression about 15,000 Mes- 

 sina quail In, led loose in the North, and that no 



person has caught or tailed one of these birds in the spring. 



%a\m Ins xnd Qitn, 



A NEW JERSEY PARTY IN THE SOUTH. 



OONOMIDKB. 



THANKSGIVING DAY proved moist iu the forenoon, 

 but ii stopped caimog about 1 p. m., and some fair 

 shooting was done. 



Friday was abetter day. Mr. Fray, of the Kitty Uawk, on 

 i Island, bagged 71 red-heads to his own gun, but 

 he was largely helped by a double battery lying to 

 west about three-quarters of a mile, and the red-heads were 

 rard him in large numbers. Capt. Bill Henrv 

 Walker and nis partner Doxie in the battery gathered 102 

 brace red-heads, and 4 brae- of wigdeons. The under- 

 signed and partner on ihe same day killed a couple of geese, 

 besides a score of c nnrnou ducks. They style everything 

 here' common, with the exception of canvas-back ami red- 

 heal. Widgeon, B] Hard, blank-duck ami teal 

 with us are considered lair ducks, but here they are of little 

 account, Some of the market men eveu refuting to shoot 

 at them, especially when the o her two are around. To Lell 

 the truth we ( h u is the subscriber) were glad to bag any of 

 the above variety. 



We had out live of Nye'swild geese decoys, but as they hall 

 not betn used for a year tney -a ere very fractious, 

 and pulling at ihetr straps continually, and when geese were 

 in toe a'., ui.-.uju.i of hoakiug and edting their teltow bipeds 

 down, like the trained geese of Bill Laue at Shin, e 

 they shut up as ught as the festive clam and were as mute- 

 After a while we took the old gander, and staked him dOWE 

 around a point out, ot sight i f his fe lows, and immediately 

 we had noise enough, and had it been as good a day as the 

 day before (they always say that, you know), we would have 

 made a big bag. 



Previous to this little arrangement of the big gander Dr. 

 EJurdetthad killed a widgeon flying over our stoolB, and it had 

 droppe.l behind uj about fifteen yards and lodged in the 

 grass. Some seventeen or eighteen geese won. ■ ■ i ap- 

 proaching to the westward when our lnv decoys Setup a 

 honking and flopping of wings that almost deafened us. 

 Ah! that is th ■ thing, they'll fetch thmi this time. The 

 1 jug line Of distended necks stretched out, and seemed to 

 he lowering to us. Now they are dropping. We'll get a shot, 

 Bute. Just then theineredsed furor among our decoys cans, d 

 mo to turn my eyes toward them, and 1 saw that they were 

 indeed in a terrible siate, their necks stretched out even with 

 the water, cackling and thrashing a xiut ic I 

 an extremity of terror. A moment mote a rush of wings 

 and a dark cloud seemed passing over onr heads. Upon 

 looking up a monstrous grey eagle was seen scon 

 our decoys. It was but. the work of a moment for the doctor 

 and your subscriber to raise, and couple of 



barrels (No. 5), and anpther one No. 2, with no perceptible 

 effect, as be only went off screaming, but as he let we 

 noticed something drop and strike the water just, outside our 

 decoys. "The scoundrel has dropped a duck," I -aid. 

 " Yes," replied the doctor, as he glanced backward, "the 

 blarsted pirate bad my duck." The thief had come in be- 

 hind us close to our backs and Scooped lip the bird. It we 

 had only seen him at it, a seven- foot bird from lip to tip 

 would, ere long, have graced the table of the Jersey City 

 Heights Gun Club. 



Saturday found the wind still in the north-east, the bay 

 low and the weather warm. Great rafts 01 wild-fowl, geese, 

 swan and ducks of various varieties lay out on the bars, A 

 south wind would fill up the b ty and drive these birds for 



ad and along the points onshore. Sly 

 gunners had arrived at Nye's, making some 30 iu ail (18 

 more arrived, we learned, on Monday evening), showing the 

 effect :.f a short "ad" of Mi 8. N., in the Forest and Stkk.m, 

 and there- was a scrabble every morning for the best p ants. 

 Nye missed it largely nrhen he allowed the Kitty Hawk Club 

 to gel pussession of Long Point and Riit.tie.nake Island. 

 Tney are really good points, and the best the Kitty Hawk 

 have here, but Nye has yet several points equally as good, 

 and better, perhaps, when colder weather comes; buthe 

 ought to have held them also. 



We heard tub rosa that some of the clubs in New York 

 were very much exercised lest some of the J C. H. boys 

 should shoot over some of theic points. Lai. them rest their 

 souls in peace, the J. C. H. don't propose to intrude them- 

 selves on any one's premises, and while your correspondent 

 was there, Major B., with E. P.. the secretary of the cub, to 

 back him, were too well posted in their duties to the club to 

 extend any invitations to foreigners, no matter what^ the 

 previous promises or indebtedness may have been. The Kitty 

 Hawk Club have laid out a large amount of money in this 

 section and further down, and they are entitled to all it is 

 worth. 



In the neighborhood of Van Slyke's are other clubskuown 

 more or less to fame. The well-known Currituck ("tub 

 (Gdn.Hanc.ick, who was a guest here, had some good shooting 

 at a point opposite us last week), " The Lighthouse Club," 

 "The Crow Island Club." " Tne Palmer Island Cub" and 

 "The Monkey Island Club," all were binning powder in 

 larger or smaller quantities, and Ihe bay ee. iced and re-echoed 

 to the 10,000 reports horn sun to sun. 



Sunday we were down at th a landing (no gunhii 

 this day) listening to Cipt. 1LII H. Walkers' Btories— rhe 

 is the big shot and best gunner in the bay, so said— when a 

 large canoe was discovered coming across the -sound. It 

 proved to contain, besides the boatman, Judee.TuflS and Mr. 

 Keeler, of Boston, members of the Monkey Island Club. 



Being Sunday they had come visitttig, also, I believo, to get 

 a little corn for baiting their canvas-back grounds. As wo 

 wished to see what of the country we could and we learned 

 that Monkey Inland was only about four miles from Jasper 

 White's, another famous shooting resort like unto Nye's, we 

 ma ie a bargain with the boatman, with the very courteous 

 consent of Messrs. Tufts en i Kecier, to take. us over with 

 them. So at ter dinner we bade good-bye to Mrs. Nye (bless 

 her dear heart " there are far worse nor she. " — if you 

 cross her) nndThos. Hall and your humbleservaut embarked. 

 We left big-hearted, as well as big-bodied, Ben Payne, Capt. 

 Johnson, Dr. Burdett aud that practical joker, Al Heritage, 

 waving their hats on the wh iff us we sped across the bay. 

 We found Messrs, Tufts and Eeeler mo«t pleasant fellow 

 voyagers. Upon reaching Monkey Island we were cor- 

 dially invited to land and visit their club house, while the 

 boatman changed our things to a lighter craft. We entered 

 the club house. Ah I what a sportsman's home was here. 

 We were introduced io the other two members of theclub, Mr. 

 Bicker and Mr. R. B. Bishop, of New York. The club has 

 but tour members, all bachelors, we believe, and men of. 

 ample means. They have an ample club h use, large gun- 

 room iu the centre, with old fashioned wood fire-place ; four 

 bedrooms at the four eeTnere. Only four persons are ever 

 allowed at ihe club at one time. If one member is sick or 

 cauuot come, he telegraphs or lets the others know somehow 

 and they cast lots who shall take a friend. They have ample 

 out-buildings, dining-room, kitchen, cellars, etc., eic., and 

 the best points for canvas-backs in the whole bay. And don't 

 they take comfort, those four jolly souls I ; lie club keep a 

 record of all their day's shooting during the season or year, 

 and it is a paying institution financially it seems. We were 

 kindly allowed to look over their last year's work. We do 

 nut lemember the number of swans, geese and canvas. backs 

 they brought to bag, but each man's count, for each day was 

 faithfully kept ; and besides the large number they sent 

 North to their friends, the number they allowed their stew- 

 ard' to send to market '.fought them $651, while their ex- 

 penses in all were but $430, having a net gain of $221 ; and 

 they Jive well too 'hey are gentlemen who, wo hope, may 

 live long to enjoy their well-deserved good Ikincs. 



We reached White's in due time, found the water here 

 away do.vn «nd very poor snooting. Several gunners were 

 on hand waiting foi a south «ind and a cold snap I o fill up 

 the bay and set the Fowl flying. Mr Sanders, Collector of 

 the Port Of Albany, with his friend, ex-Distnct Attorney for 

 AH any County, Mr. llotaliug. had been there several days, 

 but with the exception of one day, when they bagged 130 

 ducks, they had poor shooting, getting only some fifteen or 

 twenty birds each day, which is called there poor business. 

 We tried the sni] al f uind it. h. rd work. Looked 



over the several fine pom's Mr. White has when there is 

 shooting, and six o'clock Tuesday morning found us 

 bowling across the bay for Nott's Island, where we took the 

 duty tulle •'Cygnet" again for Norfolk, at which place, after 

 that tedious ride through the canal, we arrived in lime to 

 ' steamer Virginia, of the Bay Line, for Baltimore. 

 Weiegetled vety much there was no Old Dominion Line 

 boat until ihe evening of the next day, Wednesday. We 

 had half a mind to stay over in Norfolk ; but a-> the weather 

 was yet warm, and we had a box of ducks, bes.des some 

 geese and swan, that We fl i -ut I b resent to our friends, we 

 were fain to go home as soon as po 



There are tfiree desirable routes to the shooling grounds of 

 Currituck: 1. Old Dominion Line to .Norlolk, then little 

 "i ygnet" through canal and bay to Nott's Island, where if 



i nuw rd in advance John White will meet you and 

 carry you across four miles to bis place ; or go in Cygnet ten 

 miles farther to Tan Slyke's. 2. After arriving in Norfolk 

 by steamer you can take cars to Elizabeth City, then steamer 

 Harbinger, "a nice boat and very pleasant trip to coin dock 

 (Hall keeps a go d hostelry here) then across c run try six 

 mile's to Nye's. 3. Or you can go by ears to Baltimore and 

 then by Bay Line to Norfolk, or continue on ibrough the 

 State by cars to Snowden Station ana then across country 

 seventeen miles to Nye's. This trip can be math', they say, 

 from New York to Nye's in twenty-four hours, but I reckon 

 it a rather hard thing across the sand seventeen miles. 

 Many of the Currituck Club take this route. Our next ven- 

 ture shall be the Old Dominion to Norfolk, cars to Elizabeth, 

 then steamer Harbinger io Coin dock, or Canal Bridge, as it 

 is sometimes called, then for a dollar across country six 

 mi] .- t .o Nye's. The Harbinger is a pleasant boat; the living 

 : , and the Captain is said to be "one of them." May 

 we meet him next year. Jacobstaff. 

 . ■«■ . 



THE MELLOW HORN. 



THERE is nothing so sweet, soft and graceful to me, as 

 the notes of a fine fox-horn, when sounded by one who 

 knows what he is about. There is as much individuality in 

 the notes given by different h >rns as there is in the human 

 voice. This is very much the case, also, with the report of 

 shot-guns and rifles. I can tell the report in an instant of 

 any gun I ever owned. This I have done upon a wager. 

 The horns purchased from the shops are generally an 

 abomination from their inception. The best horns are home- 

 made. Procure a fine taper horn, as straight as you can get 

 it naturally ; do not have it scraped too much ; and do not 

 have the mouth-piece too sharp, nor the hole in it too large. 

 The best horns are not over ten or eleven inches long. They 

 can be heard further when squealed; are mellower and 

 sweeter every way\ 1 have found that the skin off the fore- 

 leg of a deer with the hair removed and drawn over the 

 mouth-piece, down one-third of the horn and neatly fitted, 

 keeps the horn from jarring, and is a good thing, and need 

 not ire unsightly. Hunting-dogs and horses, either of them, 

 can have a beautiful ttloss put upon their coats very quickly, 

 when not in work, and otherwise in fine condition (when ftt- 

 the bench or prize ring) if mixed with generous feed 

 quantity (combined with accurate grooming) 

 a small quantity of tiax-seerl, or better, flax-seed meal be 

 given. The latter must not be musty. R. M. Coswat. 



One-Akmeo Gunners.— Several one-armed gunners have 

 made themselves famous. Some time ago we recorded a 



ni a eon -shooting match between two single-armed men. 

 Visitors to Havre de Grace are familiar with the exploits of 

 Wm. E. Moore, who has but one arm, and is among the 

 -finest duck shots of that locality. 



Texas.— Houston, Nov. 23.— Ducks and snipe are plenti- 

 ful, quail and chicken* very scarce in this locality, but water 

 and mud make it, unpleasant sporting. Out of twenty-three 

 t his month about nineteen of tbemhave been rainy. — 

 Wasdekee. 



