March 9, 1882-.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



107 



their countenance with strong traits of their murderer, the 

 cat; and birds in Ibis respect are, perhaps, better physiogno- 

 mists than man.'' The above opens, to me, at least, one new 

 Supposition: What if the owl could sing? 



Upon our approaching the cage he would erect all his 

 feathers, jowel hi j ear tufts and head, swing bis body from 

 aide to side, winking his large eyes, and repeatedly snap his 

 bill together, producing a loud cracking noise, alternating the 

 fits of snapping with a hissing noise, produced by expelling 

 his breath suddenly. He also had a habit, which I do not 

 find mentioned in the books, and which I have never observed 

 in the great horned owl (Bubo vfiyt'iiiunm), of which species 

 I have had two in confinement, and that is, when going 

 through the above-mentioned defensive maneuvers, he would 

 often Stretch out one of his wings to its fullest extent back- 

 ward and downward, as a bird" does when stretching its 

 wing. It is bard to imagine a much more grotesque object 

 thail our little friend when engaged in warning us away from 

 his cage in the above-described manner. When sitting on the 

 perch In his cage he always sat at one end, bringing his body 

 against the side of the cage in the same way that he would sit 

 in a tree, doubtless thinking he could be less easily discovered 

 if close to one side. 1 often allowed him to fly about the 

 room at night, and his flight was as soft and noisless as fall- 

 ing snow. Frequent haudling caused him to become very 

 tame, and be would sit on my shoulder or a stick while I 

 walked about the room. In alighting, after a flight, be would, 

 i i b Lck was toward us, either turn around with a sudden 

 jump or turn his bead, which he could do to an alarming ex- 

 tent. After a time, owing, I suppose, to teasing, he got cross, 

 and Would fight a stick or your hand when thrust into the 

 cage. In so doing he usually struck out with one foot, fast- 

 ening his claws in the object, and, at the same time, deliver- 

 ing a vigorous bite, followed by a twist, calculated to tear off 

 a piece, of the tormentor. In the cage were two swinging 

 perches, to which he took a great fancy, spending most of bis 

 time on them. I am at a loss to account for this preference, 

 as I supposed an owl never indulged in anything so festive 

 as a swing. Having to be absent from home for some time, 

 and fearing my pet might not receive as good care during my 

 absence, I killed and mounted him. Lie now holds a con- 

 spicuous place in my collection beside, one of his fellows in 

 the gray plumage. E. B. Geeason. 



SPRING NOTES. 



Bay BrriGE, L. I., Feb. 19, 1882.— While out gunning on 

 Thursday (16th) I observed several bluebirds (Sia&a s/Jilis) 

 and two" flocks of cedar birds {Ampelis garrulus) hovering 

 around the top of a cedar tree. Among the branches of a 

 weeping willow near by were congregated a small flock of 

 tree sparrows (SpieeHa monticdla); also two pair of ducks 

 were seen winging their way to the far north. I was 

 informed by a. friend, whom I met later in the day, that he 

 had seen a few meadow larks at a friend's place, where he 

 had been visiting. Have also heard the song sparrow, but 

 have not seen any yet. — A. L. Townsend. 



New London, Conn., Feb. 27, 1882.— I have recently 

 observed here a number of birds that spend the summer with 

 us, asfollows: Feb. 14th, robins; 15th, redwinged blackbirds; 

 25th. two red linnets, robins, redwinged blackbirds; 26th, 

 robins and a. whitethi-oated sparrow. Yellow birds, song 

 sparrows, flickers, redheaded woodpeckers, bluebirds, larks, 

 kingfishers, etc., have been seen around all winter. I shot 

 a goshawk the oilier day that was eating a full grown white 

 leghorn hen. Is not this hawk a rather rare bird in this 

 section? Sharp-shinned, sparrow, cooper's hawks are more 

 plentiful this winter than I ever knew of before. — B. 0. 8. 

 [The goshawk is not especially rare in Connecticut. Years 

 ago, when we were accustomed to collect birds in that State, 

 we usually killed half a dozen of this species every year.] 



New Haven, Feb. 27.— In going into the country to-day 

 with another party we saw a large flock of redwinged black- 

 birds. Is this not an unusually early time for this species of 

 bird to put in an appearance in this latitude? Redheaded 

 woodpeckers have been here all winter. Robins and blue- 

 birds have been here for several days past. — L. E. M. [We 

 have found redwinged blackbirds* in the vicinity of New 

 Haven in every month of the year.] 



Wet.i.lsyile, N. Y, March 2, 1882.— Robins and bluebirds 

 appeared for the first time this spring last Saturday. Purple 

 finches are quite plenty. A few flocks of pigeons have 

 lately passed over on their way north. — E. W. B. 



Eljiira. N. Y., Feb. 21. — While driving in the country to- 

 day I observed a flock of bluebirds (Sialia nuiMs). The 

 weather is cold and wintry; ground covered with snow and 

 the mercury indicated but' 12 degrees above zero this A. M. 

 This isthe earliest arrival of bluebirds coining to my notice 

 during five years f >f observation. — E. B. Gleason. 



Watertown, N. Y.. March 2, 44 deg. lat. — The bluebird 

 arrived in this section to-day, and is the only spring arrival 

 proper, as yet. The waxwing and goldfinch evidently re- 

 main hereabouts when the winters are open. For several 

 seasons (he bluebird has arrived in advance, of robins and 

 Bparr&WS, and is entitled to distinction as "the first bird of 

 spring." Black RiVi r is nobly at its task, the bearing away 

 of snow water from the North woods. The trouter can 

 reasonably expect an early opportunity. — J. Quay. 



Newport, R. I., March 1. — Hundreds of brant were seen 

 here Feb. 28 in the upper bay. Is not this early for 

 them?— X- 



Suoi;e Lark Breeding in New Yore.— We take the 

 following note from Mr. Cbas. A. Greeu's report of the com- 

 mittee on ornithology of the Western New York Horticul- 

 tural Society. He says: "H. T. Jones, of Rochester, N. Y., 

 reports to me as follows: 'With many others, I have been 

 interested in watching the nesting habits of the shore lark, 

 (Erciuophila nifiiittii) a species which has only recently been 

 known in our State. It is a native of the Rocky Mountain 

 section. I found the first, nest and eggs recorded in this 

 State in 1876. The nest was small, composed of grasses and 

 dried sticks (small ones) placed in a hollow in the ground in 

 the nursery row. There were four eggs, differing but slightly 

 from those received from Utah. The shore lark has become 

 more common, but I have been unsuccessful in securing an- 

 other nest until the past .summer, when, in hoeing between 

 small peach seedlings in June, I found a second nest, con- 

 taining four eggs. Not being positive, I watched the female 

 go on the nest, thus establishing the identity beyond doul it. 

 The nest was placed on the ground in a clump of weeds, 

 and partly shaded by the peach seedlings. Both of these 

 nests were found upon land frequently cultivated, within 

 gunshot of a dwelling, showing that this bird has confidence 

 in human kindness. Like the night hawk, nursery fields 

 seem to be its favorite nesting place.' " 



Hedgehogs not Porcupines. — Lincoln. Me.., Feb. 27 — 

 Editor Ibfeit (end Streaffr— In your issue of Feb. 16, I read an in- 

 teresting article on ' 'Hibernation of Animals" by C. F. Holder. 

 Among the, animals he enumerates as remaining dormant 

 during the winter is the hedgehog. I don't question his 

 statement that thev are sound sleepers, but I think he must 

 be mistaken in regard to their hibernating, at least I have 

 frequently seen them during the .winter months, particularly 

 on moonlight nights when feeding upon the bark of hemlock 

 trees, for which they appear to have a particular liking. They 

 will bite the "boughs" from the limbs in getting to the most 

 tender bark (I presume this) and I have seen the snow under 

 the trees where they have been feeding, completely carpeted 

 with them. Have seen regularly beaten paths in the snow, 

 where they have t raveled" from* one group of hemlocks to 

 another. 'Have seen them in these paths during day time, 

 but this is an exception, as I have most commonly seen them 

 nights as before alluded to.— F. 0. P. [Our correspondent has 

 fallen into an error for which local nomenclature is to blame. 

 In certain portions, if not the whole, of New England, the 

 Canada porcupine is wrongly called the hedgehog.^ The 

 animal referred to in the .article on "Hibernation of Animals" 

 is the true hedgehog, (Erinaa-m Eoropwiti) which is not 

 found on this continent. ' The porcupine and the hedgehog 

 have scarcely anything in common except their prickly 

 armature, and if any one will compare specimens of the two 

 animals, he will see that even these are widely different. The 

 porcupine belongs to the order Roilentla, which includes the 

 beavers, squirrels, and hares, and the hedgehog to the Imcc- 

 tlvara, with the shrews and moles.] 



Habits oe Woodpeckers.— An extract from the report 

 of the committee on ornithology of the Western New York 

 Horticultural Society, delivered by Mr. Chas. A. Green, 

 chairman, at Rochester, N. Y., is of interest in connection 

 with observations recently printed in the Forest and 

 Stream. It is as follows: The redheaded woodpecker is 

 classed among migrating birds, but I have often seen him in 

 protected positions during winter in this vicinity. On the 

 26th of December I heard a familiar drumming in the 

 orchard, and on searching found Master Redcap pecking 

 away as though for dear life, at the juncture of a decayed 

 limb. I drew quite close, but he was not alarmed, but kept 

 his eyes on me, at the same time drilling away like a steam 

 pile driver. He has followed the specialty of dislodging 

 insects so long he might, learn their whereabouts and direct, 

 bis beak, though blinded— a rebuke to men who are jacks of 

 all trades, but master of none. He is an active, solitary 

 bird, reminding one of those energetic people who are too 

 busy to visit, or gossip about their neighbors. He sometimes 

 has a companion, but seldom lets her interrupt business. 

 Aside from insects, he rivals the boys in searching for and stor- 

 ing nuts; acorns, chestnuts and beechnuts are his delight, and 

 woe to the intruding robber, he he squirrel or brother, who 

 dares to test the wares in bis storehouses— the stumps aud 

 hollows of trees. By way of dessert he is not averse to a ripe 

 harvest apple or peach, and when cherries ripen he drops 

 other diet in proportion to the quantity and quality of 

 cherries to be bad for the picking. Master Redhead is not 

 so commonly seen as of old, which I regret, for all our wood- 

 peckers are good friends. 



The Emperor Goose in Iowa. — Algma, Iowa, Jan. 20. — 

 Eiitov Forest and Stream: I noticed several communications 

 in your paper in reference to the snow goose and the blue 

 goose, and although many writers have claimed that they are 

 the same bird, yetT have'never considered them so, and have 

 always looked" upon them as two distinct species. They 

 differ in shape and color. Their bills and legs are not the 

 same color, and I never considered the blue goose as good 

 eating as the snow goose. We have large flights of these 

 birds in Northwestern Iowa sometime in September or Octo- 

 ber, and the weather is often quite warm when they come 

 down from the north. They go to the same lakes and feed 

 in the same fields as the white-fronted and Hutchins geese. 

 Last spring we had quite a little flight of the snow and blue 

 geese, and I shot an emperor goose that came to a field where 

 I was shooting, with a flock of snow geese. It is a splendid 

 bird, and the only one I have ever seen in Iowa. I mounted 

 it and have it in my collection." — J. G. Smith. 



jf*# m\d 



Dotngs oe a Captive Owe.— Lockport, N. Y., Feb. 27. 1882. 

 — The captive great horned owl, of which I wrote you last 

 week, is doing well. A large brahma rooster was put in the 

 cage with him a few days ago. The owl paid no attention 

 to him, and after a while the rooster got upon the perch 

 beside him and commenced making acquaintance by picking 

 at his owlship's eyes. The latter did not specially object to 

 this, but finally closed the eye next to the rooster, and as 

 owls "love darkness rather than light," and roosters quiet 

 dow n as da rkness approaches, brahmasnuggled up to Bubo aud 

 all went lovely during the night, and also for the next two 

 days and nights. But the fourth night the owl's appetite was 

 too great, and the next morning he was quietly sitting on 

 what remained of brahma. It was clearly a case of mis- 

 placed confidence on the part of that rooster. On Saturday 

 the owl was given an English sparrow and he made only one 

 mouthful of It. I think that a good way to dispose of the 

 little nuisance.— J. L. D. 



Lake Mottegan, N. Y. — In the. early part of the season 

 woodcock were quite plenty and quite a number were shot. 

 •Quail are scarce ; none have been shot worthy of mention. 

 Ruffed grouse are almost entirely swept away from the sports- 

 man anil dog. But a few years ago a sportsman could go 

 out for a short time and bag a half dozen with ease, but now 

 they have left us. Gray scpuirrels are found in the woods in 

 large numbers, I shot "twenty-seven during the month of 

 October. — Lorsella : 



Rare Winter Birds.— Mr. James McCormick, of Syra 

 cuse, N. Y.. writes us: "I did kill three English snipe and 

 one rail on the 9th of January, this year. The president of 

 the Onondago Sportsman's Club, as well as others, saw them. 

 They were killed on a small marsh on the west side of 

 Onondago Lake, near the blast furnace, where - a stream of 

 warm water is constantly running from it, and spreads over 

 the marsh, which affords good feed. The birds were all in 

 tine condition, — Javiks, McCormick." 



Taunton, Mass., March 4, 1882.— Bluebirds, robins, 

 marsh quails aDd golden-winged woodpeckers are here, but 

 act as if they wish they had not come. The markets here 

 contain quite a number of ducks and prairie chicken. I 

 have seen a large number of common yellow birds or gold- 

 finches at different times this winter. — John C. Cahoon. 



HOW TO CHOOSE A GUN. 



TN buying their guns, sportsmen should consider carefully 

 . what sort of game they are likely to shoot the most, and 

 choose accordingly. This is the first thing to be thought of, 

 the price and quality is a secondary affair, which can be set- 

 tled later. 



When the shooting is of such a character that the gun has 

 to be carried around very little, it, is just as well to get a large 

 size, so that the heavier loads used will do no more damage 

 to the game. For geese and ducks from a point or sneak-box. 

 the greatest shoulder-guns that can be handled are single- 

 barrel four-bores, weighing about eighteen pounds. These 

 are full-choked and carry in the cartridge ten to twelve 

 drachms of powder, with three ounces of shot tin top. They 

 will occasionally kill over a hundred yards off, aud are such 

 powerful shooters, that good shots under that distance, can 

 kill single birds sitting nearly every time. The barrels are 

 forty -four inches or more long, and although they cannot; be 

 aimed so quickly as a short gun, stay without "wobbling" 

 when once sighted at an object. Some of these have elevat- 

 ing rear sights for long range, but I think they would prove 

 to be more troublesome than useful. Another good heavy 

 gun for those that prefer a double-barrel, is an eight-bore 

 weighing fourteen pounds or under; all over this are too 

 clumsy to shoot, easilv. as they are not so well balanced as a 

 single barrel, The charge is eight drachms of powder, two 

 ounces of shot, B for geese, No. 4 to 6 for ducks, accord- 

 ing to the kind. Of the two guns just mentioned, I think 

 that under most circumstances the four-bore is to be pref erred. 

 It is almost as destructive in flocks as both barrels of the 

 other, besides having a greater range. Both of these kind of 

 guns are rather expensive to buy, and can generally be made 

 only to a special order. They should be bored for close shoot- 

 ing" to do away with the trouble of wire and thread-wound 

 cartridges so often used in cylinder, breech aud muzzle-load- 

 ing guns. 



When ducks are jumped in lakes by boats and shot over 

 decoys in the rivers', something that is ligb'crand more easily 

 handled must be used. A ten-pound ten-bore, such as pro- 

 fessional trap-shooters generally have, is the 'most suitable. 

 weapon; it wdl do for shooting "the larger kinds of bay snips 

 at the seashore, as well as occasional duck shooting there. 

 The charge for this should be live drachms of powder, one 

 ounce and a half of shot. At pigeons and glass balls it has 

 been the favorite for some time with Americans. In Eng- 

 land, however, they have guns from two to three pounds 

 lighter, because many of the clubs handicap or bar out those 

 over a certain weight. For trap-shooting, I think that light 

 guns should be chosen always by persons who are not strong 

 or well developed physically, because the quickness they ac- 

 quire with handling these pieces, more than compensates for 

 the heavier loads they are able to use in the other. 



What most people need that go shooting, however, is a gun 

 for the field, one that will do for quails, snipe, woodcock, 

 grouse, etc., which is not too heavy to be carried all day 

 easily and yet will kill the game. An eight-pound, twelve- 

 bore' suits exactly for this. It takes three drachms and a half 

 of powder, with an ounce and one-eighth of shot in the cart- 

 ridges comfortably, giving but little recoil. This is for people 

 of ordinary physique; of course those who are not. capable of 

 much endurance, can choose still lighter. There are other 

 kinds of game which are killed so easily, that the smallest 

 charges are large enough to shoot them with. Such are 

 woodcocks and rail. A gun made on purpose for these birds 

 should be a sixteen, or possibly a twenty-gauge. In the 

 former case it would weigh from six to seven pounds, and in 

 the latter from five to six. One of the neatest, rail guns used 

 below Philadelphia ""last season, was a Scott's hammerless 

 twenty-bore. It suited the kind of work exactly, taking just 

 about'the right charge for the birds. These small guns are 

 very useful to taxidermists, but for any of the larger game 

 birds it is of no account, whatever its advocates in England — 

 w r ho are getting to be quite numerous now — say to the con- 

 trary. 4 



In purchasing a gun the fit at the cheek and shoulder is a very 

 important matter, as well as the length of stock, all of course 

 depending on the kind of man. Some tall men do not take 

 much drop at the stock, because they may have high shoul- 

 ders or short neck, but they do take a"long"stock nearly every 

 time to accommodate their length of arms. The best way to 

 find out if you do not know what measurement you take, in 

 guns, is to "try some in a gun store untd one is picked, up 

 which suits, then measure it and make a note at the time for 

 future convenience. Always gel a gun with a pistol grip, it 

 gives the hand a firmer hold around the stock, as well as en- 

 abling the. gun to be handled easily. Patent fore-ends are use- 

 ful things, but some of them are so made that they weaken 

 the hinge on which the barrel swings. The best action I 

 know of is the top snap lever, it is always before the eye and 

 a glance will tell whether it is securely locked or not; it does 

 not get in the way of the hands when loading the gun, or is 

 not so liable to break the spring, as other styles. 



Guns of any good maker that are made now come from 

 the factory already choke-bored, so it is not necessary to 

 send them to a gunsmith to be rcbored for a desired pattern, 

 as was formerly the case. It is always better to have a gun 

 made such a pattern as you wish when it is manufactured, 

 because any further boring is sometimes apt to injure the 

 .shooting, as often as improve it. Many gunsmiths do not 

 thoroughly understand choking a gun properly, and their at- 

 tempts to try it only succeed in spoiling the barrels altogether, 

 requiring a new pair to be put in to get good shooting from. 



There are several kinds of choke-boring practiced by the 

 trade, among them the jug or full choke, the modified and 

 the taper choke. The first consists of a chamber cut out by 

 an expanding bit near the muzzle of the gun; its shooting is 

 very irregular, however, and should never be applied to light 

 guns, on account of the danger of bursting. Taper chokes 

 arc a system of boring adapted to guns with a thin barrel. 

 Modified chokes are always bored with a square bit, and are 

 of several different styles;* one of the best is perfectly straight 

 on the barrel except u" slight contraction at the muzzle. Many 

 persons recommend a cylinder bore for ordinary field-shoot- 

 ing, claiming that the pattern it gives is sufficient at tho 

 ranges the birds are generally shot. I think a choke bore is 

 preferable, though, because the charge can be made to scatter 

 at will by fixing the cartridges, and yet when wanted to, it 

 will carry well "at long range. It is true that concentrators 

 can be used in a cylinder bore, but they are troublesome to 

 load, can be used only in guns with a certain shape chamber, 

 and are often irregular in their results. In regard to choos- 

 ing between American and English guns, they both have 

 their advantages, hut with ordinary grades — under one hun- 



