ties, and 
whatever kind, which may be seen there. Thus, in the 
‘marsh, he describes the long- billed marsh wren, the bittern, 
least bittern, two species of rails, the common gallinule and 
the ccot. As arulé, the accounts of the habits of the differ- 
ent species are excellent, so far as they go, but it must be 
confessed that in many cases they do not go very far. The 
author has a oreat admiration for nature and a pleasing 
style. His enthusiasm is, therefore, likely to be shared by 
his readers. We see occasionally glimpses of the author's 
cloth in the tendency toward preaching, and the too frequent 
attempts to draw moral lessons, but these are not very obtru- 
sive. ~ 
The purpose of the book isa good one, and it is to be 
hoped that it may find a place in many a household. There 
are a great number of people who are fond of our birds, and 
yet know nothing of them, and to such ‘‘Birds in their 
aunts” will be entertaining and useful, It will serve asa 
‘sort of primer from which they may learn the A B C of bird 
lore, and atter passing which ihey can begin to study from 
books more advanced. In appearance and make-up the vol- 
ume is remarkably attractive, which is much more than can 
be said of a large number of books on this subject. It is 
illustrated by a number of cuts, most of which have at one 
time or another done duty elsewhere, Some of these are 
excellent, as that of the pine grosbeak; others are appalling, 
for example that of the cedar bird. : 
The lack of a table of contents and list of illustrations is 
to be deplored, but there is an index of English names. 
THE CATBIRD. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Your correspondent ‘‘Byrne’s” yvexation appears to have 
taade him forget his logic. He has lost some berries, and in 
“his zeal to make out a case against the catbird, quotes so dis- 
tinguished an authority as Dr. Coues to support him, The 
extract he gaye us is from ‘Birds of the Coloradu Valley,” 
p. 58, where Dr, Coues is giving the reasons for ‘‘the vulgar 
“prejudice against this bird,” a feeling which he goes on to 
quite satisfactorily explain, by reluting the ‘unscientific 
notions of the catbird.” The whole chapter is written in a 
playful mood, and unless lam much mistaken, “‘Byrne’s” 
use of the quotation referred to is a gross misconstruction of 
the author's split and meaning, and an wunwarrantable 
assumption that what Dr. Coues wrote in humor should be 
taken for his deliberate opinion, aS a naturalist, of the cat- 
bird’s place among birds, In what light Dr, Coues really 
does esteem the catbird is probably indicated by the follow- 
ing extract from ‘‘New England Bird Life,” I.—64: 
“Next after the thrasher, and the mocking bird, ‘prince 
of song,’ the palm must be awarded to this humble tenant of 
the shrubbery * * * It is also entitled to protection and 
grateful regard on account of the great numbers of injurious 
insects which it destroys—a service to us against which the 
small quantity of fruit which the catbird steals should be 
considered no offset, Notwithstanding its musical ability, 
its harmless and inoffensive disposition, and the benefits it 
confers upon the agriculturist, the catbird is an object of 
derision and persecution, as undeserved as it is cruel.” * * 
There is little in that declaration to bolster up ‘‘Byrne” in 
his resolve that the catbird shall be hereafter ‘‘welcomed 
with bloody hands to a bloody dose of No. 12.” There is 
evidently blood on the face of the moon thal shines on that 
Iilinois raspberry patch, and probably no argument could 
stay ‘‘Byrne’s” vengeful hand; but let him not seek to make 
us believe that his murderous intent is approved by those 
Whe know much about the catbird’s habits, for naturalists 
as well as ‘‘sentimental individuals,” contend that the cat- 
bird does more good than harm. WILMOT. 
A Huen Squip.—In a letter to Prof, 8, F. Baird, published 
in the Bulletin of the U. 8, Fish Commission, Mr. J. W. 
Collins gives an interesting account of what would seem to. 
_be the largest squid yet observed. Writing from Gloucester, 
Mass., he says: ‘‘Yesterday, while in conversation with 
Capt. Charles A. Keene, of this port, I obtained from him 
the following statement relative to one of the big squid that 
was found on the Grand Bank. The squid seen and secured 
by Captain Keene and his crew was much larger than any 
that 1 have previously heard of. But his statements are very 
positive and precise as to its length. The information which 
he furnishes seems to be of more fhan ordinary importance, 
since it enables us to form more accurate estimates of the 
maximum growth attained by these great ‘devil fish.” Cap- 
tain Keene states that, in September, 1876, when fishing on 
the Grand Bank in latitude 44° north, longitude 50° west 
(approximately), he found floating at the surface near his 
vessel one of the large squid, the body of which, measured 
as accurately as it could be from a dory, was 50 feet long, 
while the tentacles, all of which were intact and uninjured, 
were longer than the body, making the entire length more 
than 100 feet. The teutacles were larger around than the 
body of a stout man. He cut the squid up and boated aboard 
three dory loads, probably about three tons weight, and he 
estimates that there was at least one to two more boatloads 
which he left to drift away, I had previously heard of fish- 
ermen finding pieces of tentacles, etc., which might belong 
to animals nearly or quite as large as the one above men- 
tioned, but I have never before met with any one who has 
had the fortune to see entire such a king of the mollusks. ” 
Auprye AnmaLs.— Washington Territory.—Hditor Forest 
and Stream: Occasionally, I notice that persons speak in 
your columns of white goats. I have recently taken a trip 
to Mount Baker, and there had the pleasure of seeing eight 
Or nine of these animals. They were extremely beautiful 
: -ereatures, and as white as the snow they were on. I found 
them at an elevation of 10,500 feet above the sea. There 
: were some four or five small kids and several Jargeunes. All 
were very wild and shy and kept a vigilant watch, mostly 
looking down. I think the worst enemy they have is a very 
_ large bronze-colored eagle, which hovers over them, and [ 
think they have to feed in bands to protect their young. 
They were feeding alongside of a rock on mosses, which 
grow wherever there isno snow. I saw a number of places 
where there were ledges no more than a foot wide, a hun- 
dred feet down trom the top and five hundred from the 
glaciers below, ‘There they stand for hours on narrow 
benches not more than three feet wide. I do not believe 
that these animals are very swift of foot, though in climbing 
they make the hunter who is watching them dizzy. They 
ean make leaps on glass ice and snow which are almost in- 
credible. They are somewhat smaller than tame goats and 
have black horns. During this same trip J also heard num- 
bers of ptarmigan whistling and clucking to their chickens, 
They are white also, and live on mosses as the,goats do.— 
ESATCHIN, 
after doing this goes on to speak of all the birds, of 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
Tor GREENE SMITH OrNtrionoarcan CoLLmction,— 
Peterboro, N, ¥., Aug. 11.—The family of the late Greene 
Smith, the eccentric naturalist, have declined to transfer 
to the Park Commissioners of New York city the great 
ornithological collection which the deceased gentleman 
spent a lifetime and $200,000 in making. Four years ago 
he offered to present it to the city, but the Park Commis- 
sioners, ignorant of its great value, failed to give the offer 
any attention. When they were subsequently made aware 
that the collection was the most complete thing of the kind 
in the world, they sent word to the naturalist that they would 
accept the offer. He had been affroated by their delay in 
recognizing his offer, and refused, in very emphatic terms, 
to make the transfer, The collection of humming birds is 
alone worth $75,000. The birds were collected from all 
parts of the world, and were mounted by Mr, Smith himself. 
There are rare birds in it which are in no other collection in 
the world. The naturalist died in the house he had built for 
his birds four years ago. 
Wasps, Bens AnD Fires.—While spending my vacation 
at Roslyn, Long Island, I became acquainted with the hor- 
net, yellowjacket and bee families. [ was in the habit of 
writing and reading on a piazza, and tried the experiment 
of placing a cylinder fly-trap on the table in front of me to 
seduce the flies from my face and hands, which by the by 
was only partially suecessful. I -was soon attracted to the 
maneuvers of a hornet, who, after darting around for a 
moment, pounced on a fly and quickly bore it away, Then 
came a yellowjacket and performed the same feat. The tiny 
bee was, however, the most interesting hunter, He would 
seize a fly and would dart his sting into it until it was dead 
or paralyzed, and would then, with some difficulty, carry it 
away. These knowing insects distributed the proceeds of 
their happy hunting grounds among their respective colonies, 
and raids thereafter were continuous as long as daylight 
lasted, Sr, Jonny. 
NesTiné OF THE YELLOW-BELLIED WoODPECKER IN 
Norrsern On10.—July 30, while out in the woods a few 
miles from here, I saw a pair of yellow-bellied woodpeckers, 
and after watching them for a time presently saw a young 
bird of the same species. This bird was about_two-thirds 
grown, and was able to fly but a short distance at a time. 
This is proof enough for me that the yellow-bellied wood- 
pecker breeds in Northern Ohio; that is, it did this year if 
never before.—8. R. Inewrsoun (Cleveland, O., Aug. 4). 
Ausino Rurrep Grouse —Somerset, Pa,—Last season 
while hunting, 1 shot a cock pheasant (ruffed grousc), which 
was snow white; its eyes were not pink, A gentleman in- 
formed me recently that he saw a white cock pheasant with 
a flock which are frequenting the same ground. I shall try 
to get this bird alive if possible. Could this bird be a 
descendant of the one I shot?—AMATEUR. 
Was iv A BuuEBrRD’s Nest?—A nest was found near here 
which was built entirely of dry grass and leaves and placed 
in an unused paper box, but the two eges which it contained, 
although resembling those of a bluebird both in size and 
shape, were pure white in color.—s, R. Iyemrsoxun (Cleve- 
land, O., Aug. 4). [It was no doubt a bluébird’s nest. Their 
eggs are sometimes pure white. | 
ALBINO SPARROW.— Woodbury, N. J., July 28,—At the 
Wootlbury Glass Works a bird is nesting with the sparrows. 
It is pure white, its head is like that of a sparrow, and so are 
its actions.—G, W. ©. [Probably a partial albino sparrow. | 
Gane Bag and Gun. 
RETURN OF THE GROUSE. 
I AM glad to be able to state from my own experience as 
well as from what I have learned from sportsmen in 
other parts of the county, that our game birds, grouse and 
quail especially, are much more abundant in this locality 
than for eight or nine years past. So scarce had the grouse 
become that I had abandoned all pursuit after this our 
grandest game bird and only occasionally met him when out 
hunting the lowlands and thick cover for quail or woodcock, 
and at such times he generally flushed wild and unexpectedly 
and was away like an arrow, leaving nothing to mark his 
line of flight but the quivering branch and trembling leaf of 
the bush that was strack by his wing tips as he shot past on 
his wild flight of three hundred yards or more and then 
dropped down in a tangled mass of grape vines, white birch, 
briers aud dead brush that a chipmunk could not penetrate. 
Occasionally he would be cut down by an ounce of No. 8 
chilled shot from the 12-bore, but he more often went off un- 
hurt and the charge that cut through the brush and leaves in 
his track only served to increase his speed. 
There is a spot on the side of a wild and rugged mountain, 
about a dozen miles from here, where, eight or nine years 
ago, twelve or fifteen grouse could be started any day; and 
often, when following the trout stream that winds its way 
along the mountain’s rocky base, I have gone a few rods up 
the old wood road, and beside some stump, bog or clump of 
brush found a nest with eight or ten eggss, and sometimes 
haye startled the old bird from her nest. This was a rough 
and scraggy place, with deep ravines, a thick growth of 
laurel, spruce and hemlock making it exceedingly difficult to 
shoot with success, as well as a fatiguing plave to wall; but 
a good shot conld seecurea fair number of birds on any fayor- 
able day. 
A few years ago, however, the birds disappeared very sud- 
denly and no trace of them was left, and an all-day tramp 
would fail to start a grouse, the nests could no longer be 
found, and the drumming of the old cock was not heard in 
the early spring echoing through the forest. Where had 
they gone; had some disease suddenly exterminated them, or 
had they gone of their own will to some other part of the 
land; had the poacher’s snare caught the last bird, or had 
they all been killed in a legitimate manner by the sportsman 
over his staunch and true setter? It is difficult to imagine 
how or where the went; but they were gone, and at the same 
time we were getting reports nearly every week through,the 
FoRESsT AND STREAM from all parts of the country that the 
rouse had gone, and many were the reasons given for their 
Aicirerate aud doubtless all of these were correct in part 
and had something to do with their departure. But last 
year the grouse returned again, or, at least, a fair proportion 
of them. 
I had heard from brother sportsmen of large broods heing 
found early in the season when out after woodcock, and 
48 
when the September days were here (I never shoot earlier) I 
-started out one pleasant morning with a friend to see it we 
could bag a brace of these birds. We were working out a 
piece of cover on the lowland near the mountain side before 
mentioned; two grouse had been started, one of which was 
killed, also a couple of woodcock. I suggested we take a 
tiiru up along the side of the ‘Big Hill” as it was called, but 
my friend said there had not been bird there for five years, 
I said it had been five years since I had seen two started in 
one day on the ground we had just been over, so we went up - 
on the hill. It seemed to me I never knew the timber and 
growth of underbrtish so dense, but we started eight grouse 
in a very short time, and ont of four shot at, two were killed. 
We could have secured more had we deen persistent in follow- 
ing them up, but they made long flights and I told my com- 
panion it was 4 satisfaction to know that there was still a 
half dozen grouse left in Dutchess county. I also found 
them in goodly numbers in all the localities where I hunted 
last fall, and I have heard of large bags having been made 
all through the county to the Connécticut line. Business 
matters prevented me from making shooting trips into other 
States as has been my custom, so 1 can only speak of those 
localities within this county. . 
A friend of mine shot five grouse one day in a little patch 
of woods where I will guarantee that number had not been 
seen in 4s many years. Gs Was. 
WISHKILL-ON-THE-Hupson, 1884, 
THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION. 
Edttor Forest and Stream: 
For the purpose of gathering information relative to the 
effects of the different climatic influences present in Oalifor- 
nia, upon the breeding seasons, habits, ete., of our game and 
fish, the California State Sportsmian’s Association, at its last 
annual meeting, appointed a committee to be known as the 
committee on game and fish. The committee is composed 
of the following members: H. T, Payne, chairman, Los 
Angeles; J. T, McIntosh, Chico; J. H. Burnham, Folsom; 
M, Byrne, Jr,, Grass Valley; J. K. Orr, San Francisco: H. 
H. Briggs, secretary, San Francisco. A circular of inquiry 
has been extensively distributed in all parts of the State 
asking information, with notcs and suggestions, The aues- 
tions asked are: 
What kinds of deer have you; when do they rut; if mi- 
gratory, when do they come and when go; what is the 
proper hunting season in your vicinity? 
Are doves migratory; if so, when do they come and when 
go; when do they mate; what is the proper open season? 
Have you any grouse; what. varieties; what is the proper 
open season? 
When do quail pair; do they raise more than one brood; 
are they migratory; if so, when do they come and when go; 
what is the proper open season? 
Are snipe migratory; when do they come and when go; 
do they breed in your vicinity? 
What ducks breed in your vicinity; when do they pair; 
do you favor protection for ducks; what is the proper open 
season? 
When do trout spawn in your vicinity; whenshould trout 
fishing commence? 
It is hoped that in this way a fund of information will be 
secured upon which legislation may be based which will 
meet public approval. The Association is in earnest in this 
matter, and has certainly adopted methods which are sensible 
and sure to be profitable. If this note should come under 
the eye of any readers of the Formsr AnD STRB@AM in Cali- 
fornia who are not in communication with the Association, 
it is hoped that they will favor the secretary with such par 
ticulars of the game in their localities as may be of use to 
the committee in its work. The secretary’s address is No, 
69 Sacramento street, San Francisco. GOLDEN GATR. 
SAN FRANcIscO, Cal,, Aug. 2, 1884. 
A CAMPAIGN INCIDENT. 
V E were in camp on the banks of the Maganetawan 
River, in the wilds of Muskoka. Jt was our first 
night out. The weather was clear, cold and frosty. We 
were seated around or in front of a roaring camp-fire of dry 
maple logs, smoking our pipes and planning for our still 
hunt in the morning, when Captain ——, the principal of 
our party, addressed our guide, a well-known woodsman in 
the Muskoka country: ‘‘Well, old man, haye you ever been 
fooled much on a deer hunt?” ‘Yes, an old Springfield 
musket fooled me once.” Mac rubbed the shavings from his 
lap and patted his pet dog on the head, and told us how he 
missed killing one of the biggest bucks he ever saw. 
“Tt was in the summer of 1872, we were having our first, 
parliamentary election in Muskoka. The campaisn was 
conducted red hoi and sharp and I went into it up to my 
ears, working hard for my candidate to win. I tramped 
around considerably and called upon many of the electors 
who could net attend the political meetings, I took pot-luck 
with them, in bed and board, and dished up the sayings and 
the doings of the campaign to them just to suit my hearers, 
One evening I brought up at an old Highland Scotchman’s 
shanty, I had been told that he held stubborn and conserva- 
tive opinions, and would yery likely yote against my candi- 
date, so L figured on staying with him for the night, there- 
fore I get there late enough to claim his hospitality, which I 
received with all the characteristics of the Highland race. 
“After supper, which was simple and clean, we smoked our 
pipes and chatted on various topics; and finally we drifted 
into the political questions of the day. I was very careful 
how I trod upon ground that would raise any dispute, and 
when a chance came I dropped the subject and turned off 
onto fishing and shooting. There I struck my man in the 
right spot. We talked fishing and hunting until bed time, 
and as we were going to turn in the old man told me that he 
kept his musket loaded for three deer that were in the babit 
of coming into his turnip patch. I told him that I would 
muke it a point of being up early in the morning and have a 
crack at one of them. Well, the old rooster made an offer, 
there aud then, if I killed him a deer in the morning, le 
would go to the polls and vote for my candidate, ‘It’s a 
bargain,’ said J. ‘It that musket of yours will do its duty 
and the deer are within shooting distance, I will give you 
venison for breakfast,’ ‘There is no danger of the musket,’ 
he replied, ‘I loaded it with powder, bali and buckshot my- 
self, yesterday morning; and if you see the deer, and the 
musket is the cause of your misfortune, I will support your 
man anyhow.’ Here wasa one-sided bargain, if I killed a 
deer I was vetting another vote, and if | missed the deer 
through any fault of the shooting iron my man would yet 
vole for my candidate. 
**At the earliest streak of dawn of morning, I crawled out 
