444 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[July 3, 1884. 



If it, dies I shall put it in alcohol. Did you ever hear of 

 the like? 



On the ground uses legs for motion and turning, otherwise 

 appears to act iu every way as an eel does, not offering to 

 bite on being handled. 

 Dallas, Tex., June 11, 1884. 



[May not this be one of the Sirenidce?] 



St, Nicholas Agasstz Association.— This most excel- 

 lent little handbook of the St, Nicholas Agassiz Association, 

 which we have just received, deserves something more than 

 a mere mention. The conception of the Agassi z Associa- 

 tion originated with Mr. H. H. Ballard, the author of this 

 Handbook, and was. as he says, "the. outgrowth of a life- 

 long love for nature, and a belief that education is incom- 

 plete unless it include some practical knowledge of the com- 

 mon objects that surround us." As its name implies, the 

 Agassiz Association is a natural history society, and one 

 which is intended to be broad enough to include all the youth of 

 this country. The Association is made up of local natural his- 

 tory societies, chiefly organized in schools, by some instructor, 

 or "by some pupil who has an especial taste for some depart- 

 ment of this study. The purpose of the Association is to 

 foster in the young au interest in, and a love for, nature. A 

 number of more advanced students in various branches of 

 science, have offered their services in behalf of the Associa- 

 tion, and such aid will be of the greatest assistance to begin- 

 ners. The instruction and communication between the 

 members of the different chapters all over the country, is 

 carried on by correspondence, and thus each student may be 

 brought inte close' connection with some one who is more 

 advanced than he is, in his particular branch, we regard 

 the originator of this plan for a wider diffusion of a knowl- 

 edge of nature, as entitled to the greatest credit for having 

 inaugurated so good a work. By instilling into the heart of 

 the child a love for nature, and a' study of those of its forms 

 which are constantly brought before us, inexpressible possi- 

 bilities for added happiness are brought into the life of that 

 child. And among all the young students, who are already 

 members of this Association, and who will belong to it, 

 there cannot fail to be a number who will, sooner or later, 

 add something to the sum of human knowledge. The Asso- 

 ciation was started with the aid of the St. Nicholas magazine, 

 of which the monthly reports have long been a department. 



Under Water. — One afternoon recently, while walking 

 along a stream a short distance from this place, I noticed a 

 small slender bird with a disabled wing running a short dis- 

 tance ahead, which, npon a closer view, I found to be of the 

 wader kind; a little bird well known about here as "knee- 

 deep," probably so named partly on account of its habits and 

 partly on account of the fancied resemblance of its note to 

 those words. It will be readily recognized from its tilting 

 motions when running or standing. Being somewhat inter- 

 ested and curious to note his movements under such condi- 

 tions, and keeping at such a distance as not to cause any vio- 

 lent demonstrations of alarm on his part, I found that he 

 made no attempt whatever to hide, although in the midst of 

 abundant opportunities to do so, but after twisting his way 

 through the tall grass bordering the stream for some time, he 

 quietly dropped into the water, and to my surprise, went 

 quite to the. bottom. This occurred at a point where the 

 stream was ten or twelve feet wide and as many inches deep, 

 the water being perfectly clear, so that the bird was in plain 

 sight as he deliberately struck out for the opposite bank 

 under nearly or quite a foot of water. Watching him closely 

 as he propelled himself rapidly across, keeping close to the 

 bottom, much after the manner of a frog, 1 soon saw him 

 ' bob up serenely" near the other side, apparently without a 

 wet feather. Then by swimming on the surface like the 

 duck or other web-footed birds, he reached the further shore 

 and resumed his former tactics on land. The under water 

 part of the performance, to say nothing of the surface swim- 

 ming, is something entirely new to me with reference to this 

 bird, although its regular appearance and ordinary movements 

 and habits have been a f amiliar sight to me for more than 

 twenty years. I would like very much to know whether or 

 not this was an exceptional case. — W. D. Z. (Lancaster, Pa.). 

 [The bird is the spotted sandpiper (Trirujoiies mamlarius). 

 it is not unusual for it when wounded to dive and swim 

 some distance under water.] 



Nature's Heat/ino Art. — Several years ago, about the 

 first of September, our party was in camp on Follansbee 

 Junior Lake in the Adirondacks. One morning a doe, driven 

 by the hounds, plunged into the water and swam into the 

 middle of the lake. Henry, the guide, jumped into his boat 

 and killing the doe, brought her to camp, and when we 

 arrived the deer was dressed. The doe had but three legs. 

 Ono of the hindlegs had been so completely severed from 

 the rest, just where the thigh begins to enlarge into the 

 quarter, that the detached part hung by a mere thread of 

 skin. The lower part .was in a bad state of mortification, 

 but the living part was nearly healed up and the flesh was to 

 all appearance in as good condition as any. The general 

 appearance of the deer was also good and there was nothing 

 to indicate a diseased condition. The deer in all probability 

 had been shot at by some night-hunter, as the wound looked 

 like one made with buck shot. Does it not seem incredible 

 that a deer wounded so badly could stop the bleeding and 

 apparently so doctor the wound? Can any of the readers of 

 the Forest and Stream explain it?— Ampersand. [We 

 have occasionally seen deer, elk and antelope that had 

 recovered from severe and disabling wounds, but never any- 

 thing that quite parallels the case mentioned by our corres- 

 pondent. Several times we have seen antelope killed whose 

 feet had been shot oil' not far above the hoof, and in all such 

 cases ihe animal had made use of the legs and a hard horny 

 pad of skin had formed on that portion of the leg which 

 touched the ground in walking.] 



Rose-breasted Grosbeaks Abundant.— There seems 

 to have been a flight of rose-breasted grosbeaks at this place 

 during the past week. On Monday morning I collected a 

 beautiful male of this species, and the next day secured a 

 male and female that betrayed their presence to me by the 

 powerful rich voice of the male. Thursday morning I 

 heard another of these elegant songsters, and looking care- 

 fully up saw him in the top of a large chestnut tree throw- 

 ing out his beautiful music on the cool still morning air. Tn 

 a few moments he flew off and I heard his voice in a thick 

 swamp a short distance off. As I turned to leave another 

 male struck up his beautiful song until it seemed as if the 

 ■woods was alive with the music. I have not noted any of 

 these birds in this locality before this season.— .T. C. Cvuook 

 (Taunton, Mass., June 7). 



Young Gortlla in Captivity. — The first living speci- 

 men of the gorilla ever brought to France was described by 

 Prof. A. Milne-Edwards in a note to the Paris Academy of 

 Science. It has since unfortunately died. The following 

 abstract of the description is published in Nature: "It had 

 been imported from the Gaboon, and it, was the first living 

 specimen of this great anthropomorphic ape which had 

 been brought to France Its study would have presented 

 many points of interest, not alone' from the natural history 

 point of view, but also from the opportunity it would have 

 afforded of studying the developments of its intellectual 

 faculties. This young specimen is about three years of age; 

 he had already his full complement of milk teeth, and the 

 long and sharp canines were decidedly longer than the 

 molars. In disposition he appeared to be very different 

 from either the orang-outang or chimpanzee. While these in 

 a state of captivity are mostly gentle and sociable, this young 

 gorilla, on the other hand, was savage, morose and brutal; 

 he never gave his keeper the least mark of affection ; he 

 never allowed himself to be touched without evidencing the 

 greatest aversion, and for the most part he returned caresses 

 by snappings. He never took the least part in the games of 

 the other apes, and he most reluctantly tolerated having 

 them near him. He was but little active, and most gener- 

 ally kept himself crouched up in a corner of the cage, or 

 silling on a branch with his back up against the wall, and 

 scarcely ever moved but to look about for something to eat. 

 He used his hands with much readiness, and they were ex- 

 tremely well developed. His lips were less mobile than in 

 the chimpanzee, especially the lower lip, which was never 

 pouted out when drinking into a spoonshaped form. His 

 eyes were extremely mobile, and were crowned with im- 

 mense superciliary ridges; his nose was flat, with excessively 

 large nostrils, giving him a quite peculiar physiognomy." 



Orioles in Massachusetts. — Boston, June 9.— Editor 

 Forest and Stream: My attention has been called to an 

 article in your paper of May lo, headed "Decrease of Song 

 Birds." 1 think if "Reignolds" wdll take the trouble to read 

 my advertisement he will find that it called for live birds, 

 and not for specimens for stuffing. The birds were wanted 

 for an aviary, and the few that would have been used could 

 make no difference. There seems to be the impression that 

 if a man is by profession a taxidermist he must be a con- 

 temptible fellow, whose only ambition is to destroy every 

 bird and bird's nest that he can find. Now, 1 can assure 

 you that this is not so in my case; nor do I think that any 

 respectable taxidermist would kill birds for millinery pur- 

 poses, nor take bird eggs to sell to boys at, five or six cents 

 each. I have been in my present store about fifteen years, 

 and during that time have taken one bird's nest, viz., bum- 

 ming bird, and I think that I can safely say I have not killed 

 fifty birds per year. I have always done what I could to 

 protect game birds and have imported from other States, and 

 turned out in this several hundred quail within the last ten 

 years. I do not think "Reignolds" can be much of an orni- 

 thologist or he would be able to distinguish the South Amer- 

 ican from our native oriole. Had the writer, who laments 

 the absence of the oriole, waited a few days, he would have 

 been better posted and found that Lord Baltimore is in fuller 

 force than usual this year. — C. I. Goodai.e. 



Birds and Telegraph Wires.— Mr. Adam Dietz cap- 

 tured a fine eagle yesterday morning. It had strayed into 

 town, and, flying too low, became entangled in the net work 

 of telegraph wires at the corner of Lee and Charles streets, 

 After a sharp struggle it freed itself from the wires, but fell 

 to the pavement. Mr. Dietz ran to seize it, and it eluded 

 him and ran toward Barre street. The small boys of the 

 neighborhood now joined in and ran the eagle down near 

 Barre street. Mr. Dietz caught its wings just as it was at- 

 tempting to rise, and carried it home. After deliberation 

 the amateur ornithologists of the vicinity announced the 

 prize to be a bald eagle. It appears to be young but well 

 grown. Its wings, when outstretched, measure about six 

 feet from tip to tip. Though languishing in the backyard 

 and tied down by r one leg, its spirit is unbroken, and a 

 friendly tender of some food in various dishes last night was 

 rewarded by a smash-up of the china;— Baltimore Sun.. June 

 23. 



Rvnge of the Beaver.— New York, Juue 26, 1884. — 

 Editor Fared and Stream: "Jay" wants some one to cor- 

 roborate his having seen beaver sign as far south as the 

 Colorado Biver, in Texas. 1 have seen beaver and beaver 

 sign at least two or three hundred miles further south than 

 that, and if my memory is not at fault, there was a beaver 

 dam in the Los Moras Creek a few miles below Fort Clark, 

 Texas, in 1869. The blue topknot quail he speaks of are 

 very common along the Devil's River, the Pecos and many 

 other streams in Western Texas; lam not sure that they are 

 identical with the California quail. If "Jay" had lied about, 

 the cowboys, as most people do who visit Texas, I would 

 not have helped him out on the beaver business, but it is as 

 he says, Texas people will compare very favorably with 

 those of any other section or country, and a cowboy's 

 friendship is one worth having, because you are sure he will 

 "stay with you."— Cibolo. 



Jtfiif* jj^ag mjd 



Tame Squirrels,— Mr. F. U. Furness, of Waterloo, N.Y . , 

 has made friends with the squirrels at "Fern Lodge," where 

 his summers are spent. A visitor there writes in the Phren- 

 ological Journal: "But I leave the inventory to say that even 

 the wild birds and Squirrels have become tame by constant 

 compauionship with the lord of this sylvan manor. 1 saw 

 him call squirrels by name from out the tall trees and feed 

 them -upon his lap." The writer so far succeeded with one 

 of the little athletes as to give him a nut from his hand, 

 which he partially shucked upon his knee, and then deposited 

 his treasure sixty feet high in a tali pine, and returning, 

 chattered his gratitude at a cautious distance. " 



In the Adirondacks.— Keene Valley, Essex County, 

 June 24.— I wrote you hurriedly three weeks since, after re- 

 turning to New York. This short time has greatly trans- 

 formed everything here, and at this season of the year there 

 is not a place iu the State more picturesque than this very 

 valley, It is but six miles from here to the Ausable Ponds, 

 so well known by camping parties, and the very double of 

 the. prettiest lakes of Switzerland. Keene Valley has its 

 complement of efficient guides, and this is a central point to 

 start from for almost any trip, The hotels here are good, 

 and are kept by Beede, Blinn and Egglesfield. In the 

 height of the season the village presents a bright and hie- 

 like picture. A number of New York's prominent land- 

 scape artists have their summer residences here, among their 

 number I mention A. H. Wyant, John A. Parker, Shurt- 

 leffe Robbins and others.— W. L. Howard. 



THE WELCOME HOME. 



OF the sportsman's welcome home "Piseco" writes pleas- 

 antly, as follows: 

 Not far "from where I have in my lifetime spent a Very 

 pleasant, year there is a cosy country home that has con- 

 tributed much to m.y enjoyment of the period, for there I 

 received always a hearty welcome, andafteT a fatiguing 

 tramp for quail was sure of a compliment if I had been suc- 

 cessful, apparent trust and belief in my excuses if non-suc 

 cessful, and in either case a cup of Old Government Java or 

 soul-stirring apple toddy. 



My welcome began a long distance from the house, for 

 rushing with clamor, soon turning from angry to friendly 

 tone, came the dogs, affectionate to an extent that I failed to 

 appreciate, when arrayed in aught but my shooting attire, 

 for the sacred soil is very muddy soil, and dogs' iorepaws 

 will pick up and transfer some of it. No common dogs 

 were these; each had its own peculiarity. There was 

 Woodcock, a graceful blue be! ton. Such a dog as he had 

 been! but now nervous and gun-shy, but a firm barker; 

 and Meadow Lark, a young Irish setter, who no doubt 

 would some day prove a fine bird dog, but now 

 afflicted with a lame leg. and either deafness, a strong 

 will of his own, or want of knowledge of the English 

 language, for he disdained to mind a word; and there was 

 Lucius^who was once "such a beautiful puppy," but who 

 now, after sundry attacks of epilepsy, stood out a monu- 

 ment to the truth of the saying that the most beautiful chil- 

 dren grow i nto the least handsome adults ; and Bobtail, whom 

 I think nature intended for a bull-terrier but made some mis- 

 take in the plans, and art brought to bear had, by close am- 

 putation of ears and tail, produced a rare specimen, but 

 withal a dog who did not depend for reputation upon either 

 the past or future, what he had been and would he he was — 

 a savage-looking creature, whose appearance and bark proved 

 good defense from wandering tramps. Finally came Part- 

 ridge, a noble blooded English setter, staunch, fleet and faith- 

 ful, but, alas, destitute of a peculiarity. 



A little closer to the house welcome was found in the 

 tamencss of the bronze turkeys, with tails so stiffly out- 

 spread that one wondered if they ever got limber; fowls of 

 various choice breeds, domestic and muscovy ducks, and 

 splendid creatures, a cross between them ;*guir.ea hens and 

 a lonesome rooster, who, because he alone avoided instead 

 of approached a new arrival, was reported as crazy. 



Then near the porch, on which, with a smile of welcome, 

 stood the Colonel, some of the younger members of the 

 family came forth to greet. And "then the porch, and the 

 Colonel, and the refreshments already mentioned, and a 

 good cigar, 



The Colonel makes no professions or claims to be an adept 

 with a fowling piece, but now and then it becomes very 

 evident, that he does consider himself well qualified to judge 

 of the skill of others. A case in point. He was one day 

 -witness to a very bad shot upon my part, one of those "un- 

 accountable misses." He said little but probably thought 

 much. 



As I returned from an unsuccessful tramp for quail, a 

 couple of his big muscovy ducks flew in from the river, 

 circled over our heads, and alighted not thirty feet from the 

 porch, where we stood and admired them. They were half 

 as big as turkeys and very handsome birds. 



"Colonel, "I remarked, "you had better clip those fellows' 

 wings, or some day when out ou the river for clucks I may 

 mistake them for wild ones and let go at them as they fly 

 over." 



Fancy my feelings at his answer: "Let go now if you want 

 to, you can't hit them." Piseco. 



THE OLD TAMARACK SWAMP. 



OF all the game resorts it has been my privilege to tramp 

 over with dog and gun. I know of none that has in 

 time past afforded such ail amount and variety of sport as 

 has the old tamarack swamp and its surroundings, situated 

 in North Bloomfield, O. 



Indications are that the swamp, which contains some 2,000 

 or 2,500 acres, was formed largely, if not wholly, by the 

 beavers, as their works are visible even at this late day. 



It was the home of large game— bear, deer and wolves, 

 for many years after they had been killed and driven from 

 most of 'the surrounding country, owing, no doubt, to the 

 shelter afforded them by the dense growth of alder and 

 huckleberry brush covering the entire tract, and the exceed- 

 ingly marshy condition of the ground. As a pigeon roost, 

 it was second to none within hundreds of miles, and as all 

 that section of country was well stocked with oak and beech 

 timber, the birds used to visit us frequently or as often as 

 there was a plentiful supply of mast. 



Well do 1 remember in my early years the heavy clouds of 

 pigeons; Many of these flights were miles square in extent. 

 Nightly, for weeks and sometimes months at a time, they 

 used to congregate in and about this old swamp to roost, 

 until every bush was loaded to its utmost capacity, and prob- 

 ably there were as many more in the surrounding timber. 

 People came in from the country for miles around to hunt 

 them, and many were the bags— and by this I mean two- 

 bushel grain bags— that were taken out almost nightly, so 

 long as they remained, amounting in the aggregate to a fig- 

 ure'that had better not be mentioned, for to those who have 

 never visited a large roost it might appear improbable. 



The sight afforded one from the top of a tall tamarack in 

 early morning, just before or about the time they were leav- 

 ing "their roost, was well worth going a hundred miles to see, 

 and it must be seen in order to be anything like fully real- 

 ized. One would naturally think the supply could never 

 become exhausted: but how their numbers have been reduced 

 during the past twenty-five vears is only too well known. 

 This continual netting for twelve months in every year, 

 together with rather a free use of the shotgun, has not been 

 without its result, and unless there is some protection 

 afforded the pigeons, more than they are now getting the 

 benefit of, I don't think it would require much of a prophet 

 to foretell their future. Why not have a closed season tor 

 them of, say, six or eight months in every year, throughout 

 every State" and Territory, in addition to the "dead letter ' 

 dow enacted for them. 



During a severe drouth through Northern Ohio some twen- 

 ty eight Vears ago, the glory of the greater portion oi this 

 old swamp as a pigeon roost and also as a resort for large 

 game went up in smoke. Deer did not long survive this 

 destruction of their shelter. Wild turkeys, however, w 

 fairly good numbers, for a country so long settled, remained, 



