THE OSCULATIONIST. 



141 



ton, near the foot of Mt Tacoma, recently 

 caught a Rocky mountain goat, which he 

 now has in a corral at his ranch. He was rid- 

 ing over a mountain trail, when his dog 

 jumped the goat, and after running a short 

 distance, it turned and fought the dog. 

 Dickson roped it, tied it up to a tree, went 

 back to his ranch and got a man to help him 

 lead it in. He reports the goat as in good 

 health and enjoying the typical billy ap- 

 petite. The animal is, however, exceedingly 

 pugnacious, and fights every living thing 

 that comes near him. 



I shot a duck last fall which I at first 

 thought was a male bluebill, but on closer 

 -examination, concluded it was a cross be- 

 tween a bluebill and a redhead. I should 

 like to know if they are at all common? 

 H. S. Noxon, Wellington, Ont. 



ANSWER. 



About 50 cross ducks are known to sci- 

 •ence. The most common is that of the mal- 

 lard and black duck. Crosses between the 

 bluebill and redhead are rare. Whenever a 

 cross duck is killed it should be sent at once 

 to a taxidermist and thence to some muse- 

 um. 



Mr. Metzger, of Union City, Pa., is op- 

 posed to the taking of birds' eggs for the 

 cabinet under any conditions. Although I 

 am opposed to excessive robbing of nests I 

 think a moderate system, for scientific pur- 

 poses, is justifiable. I always try to get eggs 

 by taking advantage of opportunities; such 

 as the old birds being killed or nest being 

 destroyed accidentally. In such cases there 

 is no destruction of bird life. 



William H. Dunham, Lodi, Mich. 



I recently saw an old merganser duck and 

 a flock of 11 young which were so tame they 

 allowed me to walk within 50 feet of them 

 and never noticed me. Let us have more 

 natural history notes; also pictures of birds 

 from Allan Brooks. 



William H. Dunham, Lodi, Mich. 



I recently mounted a white Canada por- 

 cupine, a rare animal in this section. It is 

 a perfect albino and had pink eyes. 



John Clayton, Lincoln, Me. 



I bought this specimen from Mr. Clayton 

 and shall exhibit it at the Sportsmen's show 

 in March next. — Editor. 



THE OSCULATIONIST. 



NIXON WATERMAN, IN L. A, W. BULLETIN. 



Oh, I'm Lieutenant Hobson, and I sunk the Merrimac, 

 But now I'm cruising on the land to seek the merry smack: 

 I lecture forty minutes to the multitude and then 

 Kiss everyone in sight except the children and the men: 



Grave girls, brave girls, girls who seem afraid; 



Cold girls, old girls, whose teeth are tailor-made; 



Hired girls, tired girls, short girls and tall, 



Tongue-tied and cross-eyed, I kiss 'em one and all. 



The editors are howling mad because I've got a snap, 



'Tis envy stirs 'em up and so I never care a rap; 



And if the ones who howl the most and rant and rave and scoff 



Had half a show, why, don't you know, you couldn't choke 'em off. 



Sly girls, shy girls, hasty girls and slow. 



Some who cling like everything, and some who touch and go; 



Giggling girls, wiggling girls, large girls and small, 



Thick or thin, I wade right in and kiss 'em one and all. 



I'm likely to be " fired " from the navy, so " they say," 

 But what care I, since I may kiss five hundred girls a day? 

 So long as I may press their lips I think I'd be a dunce 

 To long to face the cannon's mouth the way I did it once. 



Fat girls, flat girls, sour girls and sweet; 



Girls with beaux and pigeon-toes and No. 11 feet; 



Lithe girls, blithe girls, and girls whose looks appal 



But having faced a cannon's mouth I face 'em one and all. 



