Aphit, 2(1 1882.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



226 



cl deer hanging in the light of the 

 camp-lire, and another skin by the side of it And my 

 woods-lore tells me that we have a -whole deer and pad oi 



another. 



As I round the corneT of the shanty I am greeted 

 welcoming la-'WJioop, and noisy tongues explaip the death of 

 the hncfc, and how it happens that the party below got our 



doe, and the best we could get was one hindquarter, and the 

 skin. When, having my nip of bourbon and pot of hot 

 coffee, 1 commence to dress and lit my grouse Cor breakfast 

 text morning, I am greeted with a storm of derision. 

 "Say, why don't yon go for chipmunks?" "Look here; 1 

 know a place when; yo' can (urn over slumps, an' ketch any 

 amount of medder-molos," etc.. etc 



Notwithstanding the camp rigging, I usually manage to 

 : roasted grouse for supper, and another— packed in a 

 casing of bine clay and roasted all night under the 

 tire— for breakfast the next morning. Of course I am a pot- 

 hunter. Yt'rhum Sap. NESsvirK. 



P. S. — I note that "R. E. E. " refers to me in Forest Akd 

 Stream of April 6, He speak-: well, and to the point. Tree- 

 ing dogs are scarce; not the 'waller" whiffet that runs 

 through a thicket yelping and whining, to drive the birds 

 tip, or the better blooded/ cocker, who hunts much after the' 

 sane' fashion, but the wonderfully sagacious— aye, gifted 

 dog, that can flush a strong, wary old cock, and," although 

 the bird raises a ridge and scales "down the opposite side to a 

 dense thicket— lost to sight of course — will go straight to the 

 tree without showing doubt or hesitation in marking his 



fame. Not every time, but on at least five birds out of ten. 

 t is another of the many mysteries. I shall understand it 

 when I understand how my young hound, never having been 

 a mile from where he was born, found his way back, fn the 

 night, over seventy miles of tortuous land route to Cayuga, 

 whence be had been brought in a box car, with no possible 

 chance of seeing a mile of the route or catching the compass 

 points. The start was made at supper time, 6 P. M. Next 

 morning at 7 o'clock, sore, and with bleeding feet, be was 

 at home again. I shall understand it when I understand 

 how a sucking pig — never having been outside the pen where 

 he was born— rinds bis way back unerringly from the 

 thicket a mile away, whither he had been carried in a close 

 hag and dumped by way of experiment. Or when I know 

 where the wild geese go, and how the young find theu- way 

 — as they do— from near the North pole to the open waters 

 of the South, and back again, unerringly. Or the carrier 

 pigeon, and the bee, find their way — carry them as you may 

 — the one to his cute, the other to his hive". 



There are more things in heaven ami earth than are dreamed 

 of in poor philosophy. 



By the way, "R. E. E." must have been afield time and 

 again with ■'true sportsmen." Has he generally noticed a 

 disposition on their part to be considerate and humane; to 

 let up when they had a reasonable amount of game, or did 

 they exhibit greed and eagerness to "bag" the last possible 

 bird? I know more than one old forest loafer whom I have 

 seen clip the beads of a pair of grouse with the hair-triggered 

 rifle, and then glide silently away, leaving several birds sit- 

 ting in easy range, and these men are "called pot -hunter;,. 

 They are certainly fair hunters — and humane. 



If "R. E. R." can find a sound, resonant log, on high 

 land, where a strong old cock grouse drums, be may bear the 

 '•muffled thunder" much more than a mile; and our obser- 

 vations seem to agree pretty well. My hand to him. N. 



THINGS IN GENERAL. 



W1T11 AN ILLUSTRATIVE STORY OE TWO. 



AMONG all those who have written upon the subject 

 of spots in the barrels of guns, Dr. Volney has, to my 

 mind, come nearer "hitting the" nail on the bead" than all 

 others. If 1 understood him correctly, he rejects the idea 

 that the best way to keep a gun bright is to keep it dirty, 

 and holds that the unconsumed powder which adheres to the 

 barrels ahsorha the moisture from the atmosphere, and thus 

 furnishes food for corrosion. 1 regard this as really too clear 

 a proposition for argument, requiring only to be' stated to 

 command acquiescence. Now, I must be pardoned for the 

 indulgence of some doubt, whether any gun can be found 

 entirely free from what is sometimes called "honeycomb," 

 which has been left foul for days after shooting] Some 

 gentlemen who have at rived at the age when their vision 

 requires the aid of lenses, may not be able with the naked 

 eye to sec these spots, tail 1 venture to assert that in every 

 case where the stain is made I can hold the barrels toward 

 the light, and with my glasses discover them plainly. I now 

 own a tine' ToHey gun with Damascus barrels, which has 

 the plague-spots "in abundance, notwithstanding all the care 

 I have been able to bestow. With my naked eye all looks 

 bright, but when my spectacles are brought' to my aid a 

 very different condition of things is exhibited. A year or 

 two ago I was the owner of a first-class gun made by the 

 Webley's, which has kept as bright on the inside "as a' new- 

 pin. " This was done by "eternal vigilance." Having occa- 

 sion to visit Washington City, and to remain there for some 

 time in the discharge of a public duty, and not having the 

 leisure to spend half my time in hunting and attending 

 shooting matches —assume pufciK empby:"::. do— I left mj 

 gun at home. A friend, who believed in the theory that 

 dirt was a rust preventive, was about to take a trip to 

 Arkansas, and wanted a gun for duck-shooting. As mine was 

 a full choke 1 lent it to him, but requested him to treat it 

 according to my views and not his own— clean it at the close 

 of every shooting and then watch it to see that it remained 

 clean. When I returned home arid sow my gun, 1 found 

 that he had forgotten, on several occasions, to observe my 

 suggestions, and the spots had appeared. All i cap say i's 

 that if leaving the gun foul is the best plan for keeping it 

 bright, it presents a remarkable exception in nature, and can 

 nearly be classed as among the miracles, i advise every 

 man who has a gun for which he cares anything, to keep it 

 clia^nd thus cry tc orcsi rv Us interior br'ghtiie;:- and not 

 to kali: alone to tak .1'. Suppose some of these 



persons who believe in the dirt argument take one of their 

 fine razors, smear it over with the contents of a gun ban-el 

 after shooting, and lay it away. If the same thing will 

 keep the gun from rusting it will have a like effect upon the 

 razor. Would lie risk it? Not if the razor was a good one. 

 Some time ago, a writer in the Forest and" Stream 

 contended that buck horns were not more frequently 

 found, because they were edten by the animal alter h 

 been moulted! Why, even a dog' whose molar teeth were 

 made for crushing hard substances would, "by instinct, turn 

 aside" from so iiiimastieable a morsel. A. rat finds it hard 

 enough. I venture to assert that before a buck could get 

 his uorng into his stomach, a new set would grow out again, 



arid he would be so lean that even "the vultures would turn 

 away and sicken at so Foul a prey." 



Why, this writer could not have been ih earnest. He must 

 have been engaged in what is called in the "Georgia Scenes" 

 (a book, by the way, which contains as much genial humor 

 as any I have ever seen) "A Lincoln Rehearsal. 1 ' In that re- 

 hearsal, a bully was heard in the Luis lies near the side of the 

 wood, cursing what appeared to be a fallen antagonist, and 

 congratulating himself on the achievement of tearing out bis 

 eyes. The kind-bearled gentleman who was passing by, 

 stopped, went out to the scene of war, and remonstrated 

 with the brutal wretch for maiming a fellow-being. He got 

 tins f.:a- Ins pams. Stranger lent kick until yen are cpar- 

 red. Thar ain't nobody char, and hain't bin, neither, I was 

 just seeing how Ieoutd a- font." 



In your last number (Feb. 9) I see a remarkably well writ- 

 ten and sensible artic.le?by "H.G.P. ." on loading 'for game. I 

 do not concur with him in all his views, however, and 

 especially in regard to the proper weight of gun. and the 

 case with which they may be carried. I arn in pretty fair 

 physical condilon— that is my health is good— and I should 

 be loth to take a gun during'a long day's shooting, which 

 weighed so much as eight pounds. I weigh 180. " For the 

 game which we have a gun weighing from <>£ to 11 pounds 

 has been found pretty effective. If I wanted to hunt 'deer. I 

 would prefer an eight pound, ftdl choke— for I should expect 

 my horse to carry that nearly all the time. But when I go 

 into the field on foot, in the pursuit of what we call part- 

 ridges, and expect to have a walk of miles, over rocky lulls 

 or muddy valleys, seven pounds of gun, forty or fifty shells, 

 and what game I can get, is quite as heavy a. burden as I 

 choose to undergo. I use, mainly, a 12-bore Y\ estly Eicbards, 

 which is cylinder, and with it I can kill every bird, under 

 thirty yards, when I hold it right, ami often get them at longer 

 range. For general shooting, on the wing. I prefer the 

 cylinder to the choke bore. The former allows a little more 

 margin. In cover, chokes are not desirable. In an open 

 field; I would rather use a choke— but as that sort of shoot- 

 ing cannot always be had. it is better to fry the other bore. 



"H. G.F's." loads are all right, as I think, for those who 

 use somewhat heavy guns. As I prefer the lighter ones, 3 

 drachms of Eagle Duck, No. 2, is all I use for a 12, and .2+ 

 for No. 16. In the former. I put in from 1 to t&oz. shot, and 

 in the latter -j- to loz., always using two wads on the gun- 

 powder. Early in the season, 9's~ and 10's will kill birds 

 well enough, but from December until the close of the sea- 

 son, 7's and 8 T s are far better. I have a friend, who "has a 

 lean and hungry look"— and bis feats at, the table show that 

 he is what be seems to be— who weighs perhaps 120 pounds, 

 at least he would indicate that much avoirdupois, like Ean- 

 sey Sniffle, "in blackberry time," who uses a Scott, 10, 

 weighing (3| pounds, and he often shoots 2| drachms of gun- 

 powder. If one pound of gun for every twenty' pounds weight 

 of man is the standard, my friend Mud. should sell out and get 

 him a six-pounder. "H. G. P." thinks a man shotdd be able 

 to take at least that much load, without inconvenience. 

 Doubtless most men can — but there is so much difference in 

 the muscular development of men, that no rule on the sub- 

 ject can lie prescribed. As I never shot rail, I cannot say 

 with confidence what sort of weapon and charge is most 

 suitable. But if these birds fly as I hear, I would prefer a 

 20-bore cylinder 26 to 2S inches king.with 2 drachms powder, 

 and -Joz. No. 12 or even smaller shot. With that charge. I 

 should think the bird would be killed dead, at twenty yards. 

 But then "H. G. P's." article, is so good, in the main, that I 

 much prefer to commend than tocriticise. I heartily in- 

 dorse bis closing sentence, in advocacy of a universal and 

 sensible standard of weights and measures. 



I read "N. A. T. 's" letter from Palestine, Texas, upon the 

 " divining-rod" question, with much pleasure. He wields a 

 facile pen, and is to be congratulated upon his easy and 

 chaste >ryle. Now, like him, I have never been able "to see 

 what particular influence running water had upon the posi- 

 tion of a forked stick, either of hazel, apple, or any other 

 wood, held in the hands of a man. But it may be that such 

 is the fact, though never "dreamt of in my' philosophy." 

 Still, with all proper respect, I regard the whole thing as an 

 unmitigated humbug, or ridiculous pretense. It has its ad- 

 vocates and believers, as thousands of other things have 

 which do not exist at all, or concerning which there is no re- 

 cognition of the differences between the propter and {h&post. 

 In most sections of the country there is a water-bearing 

 stratum within a hundred feet of the surface of the earth, 

 and a well sunk anywhere will afford a supply of water. 

 But if I wished to find an underground stream, 1 would place 

 quite as much confidence in whistling Yankee Doodle, or 

 Dixie, as in any brigand's divining rod." Many people surely 

 believe that soap-making can only succeed well when the 

 moon is crescent. To me this is sheer nonsense. But you 

 may offer to these persons the best proof of the fallacy of 

 the idea, by making the article every day during a harvest 

 month, and you will get for answer that what you make on 

 the increase is of better quality. Inasmuch as 'you have no 

 means of deciding, the question, the delusion still holds its 

 place. 



And now, Messrs. Editors, I will end this mosaic article by 

 relating an anecdote, which a legal friend of mine told his 

 sporting associates, while they were sitting around the camp- 

 fire, after a toilsome but successful day's hunt. A case was 



pendingin the Superior Court of the county of , "hisHonor. 



Richard M. John, present and presiding. ' The defendant was 

 represented by one of the distinguished lawyers of the' State 

 who once held a seat in the Senate of the United States. He 

 bad reasons for desiring a continuance, but the plaintiff 

 urged a trial. One of the defendant's witnesses was named 

 Sarah Mooney. She was •' called, and failed." The coun- 

 sel insisted that he could not safely come to trial without 

 that witness. But the Judge decided that he must "try." 

 Then Judge S., the defendant's lawyer, with a twinkle of 

 humor in his eye. said to the court! " Your Honor, il is 

 hard to force the defendant to trial without Sarah Moonev" 

 (ceremony). At this the bar and the more intelligent of the 

 auditors laughed, and the Court, not quick of apprehension, 

 thinking that something good had been said, but what it was 

 he did not comprehend, Allowed a faint smile to light up his 

 stolid countenance. After the adjournment of the court, 

 some lawyer explained the joke to the judge, and then seeing 

 the "pint," he laughed too. It afforded him much amuse- 

 ment for the balance of the circuit, and he treasured it up as 

 one of "the uncos that be saw and beard," with which he 

 would regale his family on his return home. After the 

 courts had closed, he started to , where he lived, and in- 

 dulged in many a laugh on the dreary road which be 

 had to travel. " At length his lovely cot appeared to view." 

 he drove up, alighted from his buggy, entered tie.' gat 



ted his good Wife, and then the memory of the joke at 



coming to his mind, he indulged in a beany laugh, The madam 



inquired what had put him in such jolly humor. When, 

 after the paroxysm had passed, be narrated the story, fn - 

 quently being interrupted by his oWTl merriment. When 

 got to the remark of Judge S.. he quoted it; " four Honor, 

 it is hard to force the" defendant to trial without Marjf 

 Mooney." And then he gave full vent to laughter. Mrs. a. 

 did not see the joke, and "called his attention lo the fact thr.i 

 there was nothing to laugh at in that. After thinking for a. 

 moment, he said. " Well Sally, I don't see that there is rnysek' 

 — but if you had just beard B. say it, you would have nearl r 

 died with laugbt'er." And then he 'fairly roared with trio 

 joys of memory. And we enjoyed the story, and concluded 

 that as it was a good ending' place, we would go to sleep 

 without further Mary Mooney. \Yells. 



SOMETHING ABOUT BUZZARDS. 



"YI^'HAT Southern scene would be complete without them 2 

 T T Like a shark, they always have an appetite, and though 

 they often give out at a* feast, 'tis simply because they cannot 

 help it — no more room — stuffed right up to the eyes, the" 

 cannot hold more, and will sit stupidly gorged and 'blink ao 

 you, scarce exerting themselves to let you pass. You ma- 

 feel like kicking them, butdon't. Rememberwhat Colt r 

 said about "seventy and two * * * all well defined" - * : " 

 and pass on. If the "black beggars' " stomachs were on it 

 scale with their appetites, there would be no bounds to the;.- 

 voracity. However, when carrion is scarce they often roo- £ 

 supperless, and in the fall you may see them squatting o l 

 the cornstacks in the fields' craning' then ugly necks. andWOd 

 betide, the poor field mouse who ventures within gulping dis- 

 tance, Down South they respect them as useful members i ' 

 the Street Cleaning Department. The buzzards we have bat I 

 in this department have been found equally voracious (sorn: 

 of them) though not quite so thorough in "their work. But, 

 we are digressing. 



The laugh was turned on me at one time on account of a 

 "darned old stinker." as they call them. Living North, I 

 had not been accustomed to seeing these great birds flying 

 about, making themselves thoroughly at home, and totally 

 ignoring the presence of man, gum or no gun, and one flay 

 blazed away at one of the raw T -headed chaps as he flopped 

 overhead. The result was all I could have wished for, an I 

 — I hate buzzards! A day or two afterward the r)if> <nl frrri'?'* 

 of the hotrsehold with whom I was stopping, and who had 

 been an unobserved spectator of my discomfiture, lost his put 

 cat, and refused to be comforted. Being a comparative 

 stranger, I did not like to extend too much sympathy, but 

 when at the fable some one remarked that "little pussy might, 

 have been stolen," I ventured to say thai I did not believe i:, 

 as no one would be mean enough to steal such a nice little 

 cat, etc. The little wretch, stifling his sobs, replied: -Edic 

 buddy mean enuf to shoot buzzucCwu'd steal a oat . " A gen - 

 ral smile, followed by most uncomfortable silence, during 

 which my Maryland biscuit seemed to fairly double its fjint v 

 hardness, testified to the appreciation of young hopeful's sa - 

 casm. I hate buzzards. 



Once in the air, however, the buzzard is transformed from 

 a loathsome_ scavenger to a most graceful creature. With 

 outspread wings he glides gently about, now circling round 

 and round, now stretching" far "away over the tops of the- 

 grand old forest trees, almost brushing them as he sails 

 along; again he takes a dive down over that grain field, and 

 just as you think to see him dash among it he throws out Ida 

 broad, fan-like tail with a quick flirt, checks bis descent and 

 scales off, while the nodding ears on the stalks below give a . 

 quick response to the swirl and rush of air set in motion li- 

 the rapidity of his movement. During all these maneuver's 

 those broad wings have flapped but one or two strokes at the. 

 most. It is this total absence of all exertion that makes the 

 buzzard's flight so attractive to the observer. A light bree'za 

 now stirring; see him! Y\ ith a quiet turn be faces it. and I > 

 your surprise, and without an effort, he mounts steadily uj - 

 ward, swinging round the widening circle with delightful 

 ease, tmtil at an immense height he floats in that clear atmo- 

 sphere a mere speck, then vanishes. As you gaze after him 

 he reappears, and while you watch he suddenly throws his 

 wings up from the horizontal to an almost p'erpendieuk.C 

 position and elown be comes like a shot. 



■•What's the matter with him. Brunt?" 



"Dead horse, p'raps," is his quiet rejoinder as he watches 

 the fragrant smoke curl up from his old corncob. 



Fhew! truly this is a rapid descent from the sublime to 

 the disgusting. Your romance disappears before this matter 

 of fact logic, and you realize the truth of the old saying— 

 You may break, you may shatter the vase if you will, 

 But the scent * * * * ' 



Of a dead horse will attract buzzards; but I hear sonira 

 learned ornithologist exclaim, "The)- don't smell, hut depend 

 on sight to discover their food." 1 say they do smell. Tie y 

 are fairly odoriferous at times. Dick 



CINCINNATI ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



THE eighth annual report of xhe Zoological Society of 

 Cincinnati, being for Hi- year 1881, has been received 

 by us. The collections of this s : ocietv are, as many of our 

 readers know, in charge of Mr. Frank J. Thompson. . 

 great experience and indefatigable energy and interest in the 

 animals under his charge, peculiarly fit him for the task of 

 caring for them. Mr. Thompson has been unusual Iv suc- 

 cessful in breeding various species of wild animals in 

 confinement, a matter ordinarily most difficult of accom- 

 plishment; He can boast of having assisted at the birth if 

 a young sea lion, and besides having done this he has given 

 to science a careful account of the occurrence, andforwarded 

 the placenta to one of our first zoologists for examinatiiei. 

 The secret of Mr. Thompson's success is, no doubt, thai be 

 takes so thorough an interest in bis charges, that he spares 

 no effort to render them as comfortable as possible, and to 

 render their surroundings as nearly as possible those which 

 are natural to them. He is certaiuly tobe congratulated on the 

 remarkable success which has attended his efforts. During 

 the year 1881, as we learn from his report, there were 

 in the garden fifteen mammals and twenty-eight birds, of 

 which lit; folkwmg is a Ik. Mannn-.d*— th-ec raccoons 

 (Proeyon lotor), three grizzly be 



black sea lion [ZcilophW guMpH), one Baotvian can.el 

 ; one aoudjal i 



one Apgora goat (Capra Mrcm .,'. deer 



(Di/mc eul{/ari*). one albino fallov- 



one American elk (C m»), one hoy deer (Corwj^ 



