506 



TOREST AND STREAM, 



[Jawtaby 28, 1882. 



also. I dismounted and concealed my horse imperfectly in 

 the .sparsely growing bushes on tie roadside and laid myself 

 aB flat as a pancake in a fence corner. Pretty soon I heard 

 the ominous sounds of the approaching enemy as his boots 

 crunched through ihe gravel. 1 laid llaiier and flatter; hut, 

 unfortunately, just as lie got opposite to me my horse kicked 

 at a fly and snorted. The enemy's attention was immediately 

 directed toward my quarter and, as 1 had raised my head up 

 a little way, he caught sight Of rue. In an instant 1 heard 

 "click— click," and BaW him cover mo with his pistol. I was 

 armed with a large Colt's revolver heavily loaded with — mud. 

 I bad previously brought this weapon into position but, at the 

 critical moment, from long disuse and want of attention, it 

 refused to ''click." My extreme terror lent me a sort of 

 fictitious courage, and I yelled out, "You are my prisoner! 

 Surrender! I" 



His reply was somewhat chilling to my nerves. He re- 

 marked, ".Not by a darn sight. Come out of that. I see 

 you've got a horse, and I want one; so briog him out or I'll 

 put a bullet through >ou." 



I managed to untie the horse and lead him out, although 

 my eyes were alti ge'her turned toward my adversary, 

 whom I now perceived to be a Confederate officer. He 

 asked, "What command do von belong to?" 1 told him. 

 "The — Miss. Regiment, Feutberslone's Brigade." I had 

 just brass anon b left after my bc ire to say. ''Well, Colonel, 

 you got the bulge on me thai time — 1 thought you were a 

 Yankee. What is your command ?" He said, "lam Major 

 Jones, of Gen. McGruder's siaff " I saluted him He said 

 further, ''1 will ride your horse to camp. Go down into the 

 swamp, there, about a mil-, and you will find my horse, 

 badly lamed He caught his right fore fool in a crack in 

 the. grape-vine bridge over Ihe Ob ekiihominy, and wrenched 

 it badly. Lead him to headquarters." Which I accordingly 

 did. 



The next day I was taken very ill with rheumatism, and. 

 after an examination of three weeks' duration, thesugeons 

 gave.me a ceriiticite of dlSCbargn BS being unfit for active 

 duly. That was in 1803. 



I went norae and sp nt ihe remaining years of Ihe war in 

 dodging i he conscripi uffi ers and pr iciicudg the art of using 

 a crutch and limping. 1 did i his with such assiduity and 

 perseverance that, tliough the leal conscript officers sus- 

 pected the genuineness Of my malady, they c uld find no 

 plausible around to impugn it. until one' night at a country 

 frolic, where there were a few < f Che " boys" on a furlough, 

 and a h use full of rus'ic beautes (beaux were at a high 

 premium), I bo f ar fortot my usual prudence as to di irk a 

 Tiitle too much " pim-top'' whisky, and, being very fond of 

 dancing, which passion, from long restraint, came onl 

 Strongly now, 1 threw aside my crutches and fairly surpassed 

 the execution of "Tam ©"■MMtntiTV witch in Alloway Kirk. 

 My crutches were left that night at the house of festivity, 

 and 1 got h me. some tour miles away, without very clear 

 recollection of th mod/un [/perandi, except some glimmering 

 impressions of a fool race which I ran against one of the. 

 " i oys," who volunteered to wager "the best 'possum dog 

 in four Stales against a durned polecat " that, he could beai 

 any man in the party to Mr. Thompson's lane. We all 

 started, and I won ihe 'possum dog. but "Lumpy" Peevy, 

 the proposer of the race, forgi I to send him over. 



The next day 1 was waited upon by three very brilliantly- 

 uniformed CTiscript offlceis, but was too unwell to get up. 

 It was not rheumatism, however, but headache from the 

 previous night's debauch. The i tlieers, seeing how I wis 

 affected, said they would call again when t was better. 

 After their departure 1 sent, my liille brother on a mule lover 

 to the scene of the previous night's festivities to get' my 

 crutches, and ihe next day, when the officers called, I was 

 Stumping around as usual, very lame. One of them observed, 

 however", that my dodge had become entirely too thin ; that 

 he had seen "Baggy" (my brother) bring home the crutches, 

 and, moreover, had -seen myself in full chase around the 

 yard afi.er a chicken, to be killed for dinner. 



Afier that, disclosure I yielded to iheir pressing invitation 

 and joined a squad bound for the conscript camp at Meridian. 

 But I took my crutches with me, and there were several 

 other pairs in my squad. 



White in camp at Meridian, it was ludicrous to witness 

 the clumsy attempts at deception by "greenies." I have 

 Been three men walking abreast, all limping in different ways, 

 and now and then one limping on the wrong foot iu the most 

 awkward efforis to appear lame. 



After remaining in ihts camp for five weeks we were dis- 

 turbed by the approach of General Sherman and his army 

 from Vicksbutg. All conscripts, paroled soldiers and other 

 troops were ordered to march to Demopolis, Alabama. I 

 was decidedly opposed to marching on foot, and so was of 

 course too lame to walk, so I was mounted on a spare mule. 

 When a few miles out from Meridian I witnessed an incident 

 which affoided me much amusement. Oapl. Hoskins, of 

 "Hoskin*' Battery," was somehow leading the horse of one 

 of his lieutenant', his batti ry being on ahead. In passing a 

 quartermaster's depot, where much confusion prevailed, "on 

 account of the hurried departure, ho saw a number of small 

 " valise" saddles, sueh as are used on "off" horses in artil- 

 lery teams, being thrown away. He secured half a dozen 

 of them and tied them on b i the horse he was leading. When 

 he came up with me it was at a place where a regiment of 

 Texas soldiers were encamped on Ihe roadside. One. of them 

 yelled put,. " Mister, mister, mister!" Oapt. Hoskins de- 

 clined to recognize the title, but being compelled at. last, 

 tliough he was sure of a " Ball," he answered, " What'll you 

 have." Texas replied: "The next time your saddle has 

 young ones, I wish you would save me one!" Hoskins 

 moved on as fast as he could, amid general applause. 



But to return to my own p .triotic adventures. That night 

 I took occasion to make a moonlight march alone, and mak 

 ing a detour southward some twenty miles, the next day l 

 marched westward, pas-dug through the country in the char- 

 acter of a scout w ho had lost his horse. I soon got another 

 one, which 1 actually lost, however, before reaching home. 

 In crossing Pear) River on a fet ry-boat the horse became 

 frightened, and got overboard, His nind foot got caught in 

 the bridle rein, and he was drowned. 



I remained at home iu comparative tranquillity until the 

 "surrender." I afterward moved to another neighborhood 

 where 1 was but little known, an i by dint of a judicious im- 

 plication of "cheek" and " brass" I soon became a "promi- 

 nent citizen." It is my chief delight, to entertain a 

 circle o! admiring frii rids by relating my heroic exploits 

 during the war, when I wai omtB lid" Of such a 



company, at " Kennesaw Mouniain," or "ordered my regi- 

 ment io deploy behind a rail fence on the turnpike, near 

 Nashville," etc. In this way 1 have acquired several titles, 

 from "Captain" up to "Colonel." 



I am now Clerk of the Court, Captain of the Militia Com- 

 pany, Double Extra Past Grand Chancellor of the Red Plume 

 Division of the Knighis of Hocus Pocub, and Superintendent 

 of a Sunday School. Besides all of this, I was Chairman of 

 the Committee on Resolutions when President Garfield was 

 shot, and my arrivals and departures are, duly announced in 

 the local paper. Likewise I once had an old plug hat of 

 very antiquated style voted to me as the most popular gentle 

 man (save the mark) at a country bazaar. Very truly your 

 friend, Mtjnoh. Stand well. 



Batumi §i?torg 



ENEMIES OF GAME BIRDS. 



FlSHKILL ON THE HUDSON, | 



Jan. 1G, 1882. j" 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



Notwithstanding the many theories of your many able and 

 interesting cot respondents, whose articles I always enjoy 

 reading, 1 cannot, bring myseif to believe that migration or 

 the grouse fly are the causes for the decrease of game, but, 

 the more I observe during my rambles through tie woods, 

 the more firm am I in my belief that birds of prey and car- 

 nivorous animals are the cause. Any day I can go for a 

 tramp in the woodlands and find in the remote corner of a 

 fence or at the footjrf a tree, the feathers ot a grouse or quail 

 that has made a repast for a hawk, owl, skunk or some other 

 of the many enemies which the game birds have. The nests 

 of the grouse and quail are also bui'l in places which, at the 

 period of ineubdiou, afford every opportunity for the prowl- 

 ing fox, weasel or skunk, not only to p.iuuce upon the old 

 bud on the nest, but to destroy the eggs or young birds. The 

 rusty-crowned lalcon or sparrow hawk is the worst on quail 

 of any bird we have, but tne red tniled buzzard and, in fact, 

 all the birds belonging to the f unruly Fulcunidm live almost 

 entir. ly on game and small lords. Not only do the hawks, 

 which are mostly uiurual birds of prey, suck to a covey of 

 quail or brood of grouse all day, but tne owls, which are noc- 

 turnal, together wilh the small carnivorous animals that do 

 their hunting at night, p.ca up urge number- while roosting 

 Hawks are V' ry abundant about here, but during Ihe last 

 year the sportsmen have shot a good many. 1 have made 

 several trips to the mountains for no other purpose than to 

 shoot hawks ami owls. W hen 1 first began my shooting 

 cueer, some twelve or fifteen years ago, 1 shot most of the 

 time in Connecticut, where ruffed grouse and quad were very 

 pleniy. I have often, wheu tramping through those forests, 

 found piles of feathers and bones of tiirds, and often, too. 

 seen a hawk go skimming along only a few incnes above the 

 ground and suddenly dart into a bunch of quail that were 

 fiuddled together in the higu grass or low underbrush, but 1 

 thought nothing of it then— game was pleuty. 1 was i ot 

 afler hawks and did not lake the trouble to shool them; and 

 tuen 1 nad at that lime a inuzzle-loauing gun, and did not 

 want to take so much trouble as to waste a charge on a worth- 

 less bird and have to reload ; and then if I were loaded with 

 flue shot for woodcock and saw a hawk peiched on some tiee 

 I could not kill hi-n, so would not shoot. But now, 1 carry 

 a few shells loaded for his especial benefit, and 1 would again 

 say, lei every spoilsman do this, and by watching the poach- 

 ers and each doing all he can, we may yet have some sport 

 with the ruffed grouse and quail. Gao, F. Aldan 



McDonald's Cobneu, N. B., Jan. 3. 



Editor Forest and Stream : 



hi answer to Mark West's query, concerning coloring of 

 ruffed grouse, 1 give the result ot my observations, which 

 have been c mfined to this Province. Of course it is only 

 necessary to give the prevailing lint, as ihe markings are the 

 same, I believe, everywhere. In the females t have noticed 

 no difference in color, they bting uniformly of a tawny red 

 on the back, with yellowish brown throat, aud quite dark 

 breast markings. The back feathers of whai we usually 

 term the young cocks are of a deeper, duller red than those 

 of '.hefeniaie; the breast markings ci early defined but pale; 

 the throat of a pale yellow, and the tail feathers entirely free 

 from red. The "old boomers,'' or gray-hacks, are of an 

 ashy gray hue, with the same markings. That they aie old 

 Cocks I have not the remotest doubt, as they are la ger, have 

 larger ruffs, and are ihe only sort that 1 have found drum- 

 ming out of season; and, furthermore, I have never heard 

 of a "gray back" grouse chick being shot in New Bruns- 

 wick. Concerning the destruction ot grouse by that dimin- 

 utive parcel of cussedness, the red squirrel, 1 believe Mr. 

 Bishop is right, for I, like him, have noticed that grouse are 

 always scarce where squirrels are plentiful, this year being a 

 notable example. The cause never dawned on my mind, 

 and I never was aware of Mr. Chicaree's bird nesting pro- 

 clivities till the summer of '76, when I visiied my old friend 

 Charlie Perkins at Woodstock. Having a bone iu my right 

 baud broken, 1 had little else to do but watch what was 

 going on in the trees which surrounded the house, and 1 soon 

 saw that the squirrels weie cleaning out the birds' nests. I 

 loaded a six-pound Richards muzzle-loader, and allowing ihe 

 forestock to rest on my right arm near the elbow, 1 placed 

 the butt to my left shoulder aud fired wiih my left hand. In 

 this way I " ground slowly, but I ground exceeding small." 

 Last summer, after stealing everything available on die farm 

 of our neighbor, Air. J. McD. Belyea, the Utile pirates pro- 

 ceeded to depopulate the pigeon-loft, and would have suc- 

 ceeded but for the family shotgun. As to the good they do, 

 they are a good mark for a small-bore rifle, and a convenient 

 sliding target, at which ihe small boy can hurl any missile he 

 listeth, thereby developing ihe muscles of his right arm, and 

 preparing him for future operations against that disturber of 

 midnight repose — the Thomas-cat. One squirrel wiU lust 

 longer as a target for stones than any other animal I know of. 



L. 1. Flowbb. 



ISkw Yoek, Jan. 12, 1882. — In a recent number I see you 

 mention that the sparrows and sharpshin hawk arc not inju- 

 rious to game birds. I have repeatedly seen both of these 

 hawks after quail, often bunting in couples. I have also 

 known the sparrow hawk to kill the English snipe. I do not 

 know anything about screech owls, excepting that one that I 

 had in c inliuement in a burn managed to get out one night 

 aud find his way into a pigeon loft where it killed six pigeons 

 and then left for p ins unknown. I think if I were a quail 1 

 woud give "Breir Screech Owl" a wide berth.— W- Hol- 

 bbkton. 



[li seems iUogical in the highest degree to charge the 

 diminution of our game buds solely to the attacks of preda- 

 tory birds and mammala. We can see no reason why these 



vermin should have so increased within the past few years as 

 to exterminate in certain localities the resident game birds. 

 There is no doubt that they do much damage, and should be 

 destroyed at every opportunity; but that they are the main 

 cause of the scarcity of gp'use and quail we do not at, all be- 

 lieve. Nevertheless, we think l hat a premium put upon their 

 headB by sportsmen's clubs would be, to a certain extent, 

 beneficial, and would have the effect, of reducing their num- 

 bers. The sparrow hawk, sharpshin and mottled owl may 

 occasionally pick up a young quail shonly after the batching, 

 but we have never seen anything to lead us to believe I hat 

 this was the case. Moreover, in a course of bird collecting, 

 extending over more years than we care to name, we have 

 never found in the stomachs of the three species mentioned 

 the remains of any bird larger than a robin. Of course, this 

 is only negative testimony, and, as such, is of no value if op- 

 posed to facts, if facts can be adduced ,• if it is a matter of 

 opinion only, each man will naturally hold to his own view ] 



PARTIAL LIST OF MAMMALS FROM SOUTHERN 

 LAKE GEORGE, N. Y. 



rriHE following list Of mammals was formed from observa- 

 JL tions taken around the south' rn end of Lake Gjorge, 

 in Warren Co. N. Y. As this p<rl of the lake is now a 

 favorite summer resort, most of the large mammals, es- 

 pecially the wilder species, have moved entirely from the 

 vicinity r , or else have retired to the more wooded section's on 

 the eastern and northern parts, where the rough mountain 

 sides afford them a safe retreat. The arrannerncnt of specieB 

 followed is that given in Jordan's Manual of Vertebrates, 

 Ed 1880. 



Fibs concolor. Linnaeus. Congar, American pmther. 

 The la t record I can find of this formidable animal being 

 Keen in this locality, was one shot by Moses Dickinson, No- 

 vember, 1852. 



Lyuxrufus. (Guide nstadt.) Raf. VVildcat. 1 can find no 

 positive record of a wildcat being si eu here for a number of 

 years, though there are reports Of 'heir having b en si en. 



Vulpes vulgaris. Fleming. Red fox, common fox. Very 

 common. A number killed every winter. 



Mustela amerUanttn Turton. Sable, pine marten. Rave. 

 More and more so each year. 



\_l'utorius vulgaris. Cuvier. Least weasel. This species 

 is probab y far les- common than the following and occurs 

 regidarly, but, I have never seen it ] 



Putmius ermineus. Cuvier. Common weasel, ermine. 

 Not uncommon. In this locality they all turn white in 

 winter. 



Putorius tison. Gapper. Mink. Common. Especially 

 al ing ihe hike .-bores. They kill great numbers of muskrats. 



Mephitis mepliilica (Shaw.) Ba.rd. Common skunk. 

 Common. They do great go d iu destroying various Insects, 

 though at times they are quite destructive among poultry, 



Lutra canadensis. Sabine. American otter. ' Seen every 

 year, especially in winter. 



Ursus amerimnus. Pallas. Black bear. Several were 

 killed through the year 1880 aud I know of at least two in 

 i881, one of which was seen swimming in the lake, and 

 ki led from one of the Steamboats. 



Procy on tutor. (L.) Storr, Raccoon. Very common. 



OUriacus virgimanus. Gray. Red deer. Rare. Still 

 quite common near the northern end of the lake. 



'V?>pcii>':- mbulatnu. Say. Little brown bat. Very 

 common. Seen every summer evening. 



AtalapJia nuechovu-ensis. (Eixlcben) Cones. Ited bat. 

 Not uncommon. 



Scalops aquatieus. (L.) Fischer. Common Mole. Not 

 uncommon. 



Condylura erUtata. (L.) Deamarest. Star-nosed Mole. 

 Specimens seen. 



Btarina brevicanda. (Say) Baird. Mole shrew. Com- 

 mon Often seen dead along the roadside. 



Sciuropterus volueelta. (Pall.) Geoff. Flying squirrel. 

 Comm n. 



Sciurus niger. Linn., var. ludoekinnus. Fox squirrel. 

 I shot a fine specimen of this species in 1872 or 1873, the 

 exact date I mislaid. M. W. W. Lockhart informs me he 

 saw one about the same time. I do not think it was an 

 escaped animal. 



Scunts carolinensis. (Authors.) Gray squirrel. Black 

 squirrel. Common. The black form was unusually com- 

 mon this past. year. 



Sciurus hudsojum Pallas. Red squirrel. Common. 



Jamias striatals. (L.) Baird. Chipmunk. Common 

 everywhere. 



Aretomys monads, (L.) Ginei. VVoodchuck. Common. 



[Castor fiber. L. Beaver. Long since passed away, 

 though some of their dams are still visible.] 



Zajms hudsonius. (Zimmermann.) Coues. Jumping 

 mouse. Not uncommon, though hard to see resembling a 

 frog wh u n jumping through the louggra^s. 



Mwt tkeumamus. Pallas. Common rat. Common, 

 Mus muse n! its L. Common mouse. Common 



/<'.;.' v ;,,, ■■'. ■. ■, '. 'pus. (Raf.; LeC. Deer mouse Com- 

 mon. Good climbers, making their homes often iu old bird- 

 nests. 



'ft rutilus Pallas. Var. Oapprei. (Vigou.) 

 t lones. Red-backed mouse. Dr. A. K. Fisher writes me 

 that he has taken this mouse at Lake George 



ripin-i.i. Ord. Mead uw U10 use, Common. 

 (L.) Cuvier- Muskrat. Common. 

 i. (L.) F. Cuvier. Porcupine. Com- 

 a habit of culling off branches of oak 

 the ground and eating the acorns. 

 t. Erxleben. Northern Hare Common. 

 Bachman. Gray rabbi . Rare. A 

 few wee to lie se-n along the plank road leading to Glenn 

 Falls. Mr. Casimer Shaw informs me he has seen ihem at 

 Thersman. Oi.ivek B. Lockhart. 



Lake George, Warren county, 3¥. Y. 



Fibtri 

 Eretm 





mon. 1 



hey have 



trees, the 

 LepUH 



Lepus 



n iiOmg to 

 yyloeticus. 



Amekioan Quail Foe Erjuopfl. -On Monday last, a 

 Forest and Stkkam reporter saw, at the store of Messrs. 

 Ghas. Reiche & Bra. in ihis city, a fine, strong lot of annul 

 one hundred and fitly qu..il (Ortyx virgimanus), which were 

 intended to be shipped to Germany This firm Ben 

 of these birds at.r 'ad for public gardens of natural history, 

 for private eolltctions aid to lie turned out on the estati s of 

 noblemen and gentlemen. Large siiipuients are also made of 

 wild turkeys, other game birds and song birds. A pair of 

 common American di er were awaiting shipment, while 

 among the arrivals were a pair of I he Got man r. io di er. The 

 ord' rs for American quail to he sent to t'urope are reported 

 to be in excess of ihe supply, and Messrs. Reiche say that 

 they are unable to fill domestic orders. 



