———————— 
a —_ 
Jan. 8, 1885.1 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
463 
corner through carelessness, when nothing but its own in- 
herent strength saved it from being smashed, we brought it 
home intact and without haying had occasion to use any of 
its extra parts. After its summer test we will put it, as its 
veteran maker, William Mitchell, said we might, without 
fear as to the result, we will put it ‘‘ounce for ounce and 
foot for foot against any split bamboo rod in the hands of 
any man,” Of its adventures we will tell hereafter. When 
Truthful James had seen and handled it its duplicate was 
forthwith ordered and soon arrived, and often we watched 
with admiring eyes the perfect arch and nearly completed 
circle made by the other’s rod while holding in check a large 
and vigorous fighting small-mouth. There only remained 
certain expectant deeds to be performed to enshrond our 
camp in @ halo which through coming winter nights would 
gleam from afar and make the aurora brighter as we imag- 
ined it flashing over the scene of our triumphs. Sofrof the 
ancient Sabattis we extorted a promise to guide us on the 
morrow to his favorite bass ground, six miles to the west- 
ward from camp, WAWAYANDA. 
ONLY A DREAM. 
| ate night I dreamed I walked with three very gentle- 
manly strangers to the bank of a lake in Northern 
Michigan. 
“The skies they were ashen and sober, 
The leaves they were crisped and sere; 
It was night in the lonesome October 
Of my most immemorial year, 
Pa * # % 
* x 
‘And now as the night was senescent, 
And the star dials pointed to morn, 
At the end of our path a liquescent 
And nebulous lustre was born.” 
And LI asked the cause of this strange luminary, and one 
of my companions, answering in alow voice, said, ‘“That is 
our Nimrod with a bullseye lantern, and he seeketh the un- 
suspecting deer,” and while we gazed a doe and two fawns 
passed in front of the nebulous light and disappeared as 
quietly as they had come; and while I wondered much, my 
companions, speaking together, said, “‘He desired a large 
quantity of meat, but while waiting for them to get in range 
waited until they were out of range.” 
When the light had disappeared around a projecting point 
of land, I asked why others in the party did not hunt in the 
same manner, and again, speaking in one Voice, they sorrow- 
fully answered, ‘‘We have but one lantern fit for such 
heavenly sport, and our friend of the nebulous lustre has 
nightly appropriated it since he broke his own.” ‘‘But,” 
said I, ‘‘does he do all of the shooting and none of the pad- 
dling?” And they said, ‘Yes, he considers it satisfactory to 
the others to see him wound one occasionally.” Much in- 
terested, I inquired if he willingly divided the spoils when a 
deer actually insisted upon being impaled on the gun barrel, 
and they replied in chorus, ‘‘Never; no, never; it is sufficient 
honor for us to help carry it to camp.” 
While yet we lingered, a loud report was borne to us from 
across the waters, and presently a radiant form came from 
the mists and deposited af our feet an empty shell; simply 
an empty shell, 
Then the scene changed; it was morning in camp. Forms 
were biiskly moving about preparing breakfast, mending 
oar locks, moving luggage, etc., but nowhere could I seethe 
radiant form of the night before. Noticing my look of in- 
quiry the others paused, and pointed to a placard which had 
escaped my notice over a couch. It read: 
Sree rr ee ee er ee i ee ioe ea ey 
* 
Then the forbearance and humility of this man rushed 
upon me, and I prostrated myself and bumped my head 
three times upon the hard ground to do him homaye, While 
yet I bumped the scene again changed, and down a pleasant 
vista I saw four stalwart forms, buoyant and in Indian file, 
With the Knight of the Firefly Lamp at the head. I was 
told they were proceeding to a district known to only a few 
mighty hunters who, having discarded firearms, walked care- 
lessly through the woods in search of deer, with afew grains 
of salt in the left hand and a club in the right. On all such 
excursions, the much abused Knight of the Nasal Headlight 
always took the lead to secure the first shot andi charm the 
game until the others could arrive. J meekly asked if their 
thoughtful Nimrod never missad his aim, and was told with 
much spirit: '‘Neyer—when alone,” It was ouly when with 
company that be took a standing shot, forty rods and run- 
ning was his favorite shot. 
Then | was transported to the shores of that lake where 
there is said to be room for only one more fish; and 
the irrepressible knight was there with the same halo of 
glory about him I had noticed elsewhere. He held a spear 
and a form that I recognized a paddie. When four-fifths 
of the circuit of the lake had been made and the shallow 
water of the inlets left behind, he of the trident, being 
weary, generously traded places with the plebeian at the 
stern, and through the fos, which now floated on the water, 
Tsaw the plebeian had no use tor the spear; but he made no 
comment, 
- And when I had again traversed the path which led to 
camp I asked why the plebeian made no protest, and was 
told that he was a gentleman in disguise and did not wish to 
break the peace of the camp, and that his ageressor was a 
thumper who had pulverized more men in the far West than 
ever Sullivan in the East, the noticeable difference being 
that Mr. Sullivan’s subjects were usually able to walk home 
after the discussion. 
Noticing two antlered monarchs, hanging a little apart 
from the others, [ unwisely asked the nebulous hero if they 
were also the fruits of his skill. In frigid tones of sarcasm 
he replied that they were two fools that had tricd to run 
over one of the other boys, and had been killed in self- 
defense, Looking to the others for a reply, I saw they were 
pointing to a transparency near the tent which read: 
“Think you we look for headed wheat 
From a small plot of garden ground?” 
Just as | was about to inquire why so disagreeable a per- 
son had been permitted to join the party, I saw that the four 
had withdrawn to a distance fruin the lustrous figure, and 
were singing: 
“Well I know now this dim lake of Auber, 
This misty mid region of Weir.” 
And then the breakfast bell broke in upon my dream, and 
Tremembered {[ hud read ‘‘Ulalume” before Tearing i 
* * Cc. 
ToLEpo, O, 
Blatnyal History. 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
WATER BIRDS, VOL. I, 
we months ago the first volume of the ‘‘Water Birds of 
kJ North America” was issued from the press, and recently 
the second volume has appeared. This is in fact, though 
not in name, the fifth and concluding volume of the great 
work on North American birds by Baird, Brewer and Ridg- 
way, # portion of which made its appearance in 1874, more 
than ten years ago, In our notice of the first volume of the 
‘‘Water Birds” we spoke of the history of the work, the 
difficulties, and the consequent long delays, encountered in 
bringing it out, and said that the work was monumental in 
character. It has enguged the attention of our first ornithol- 
ogists; it is the best that we can do. Dr. Brewer's death left 
the biographical notices of the species in very incomplete 
shape, for they were by no means brought down to date; but 
except as regards this portion of the work, it may be re- 
garded as representing the best effort of American workers 
in this science. Taking this view of the completed work, 
we may ask ourselves if it is satisfactory; are American 
ornithologists contented with the production and willing to 
be represented hy the work? ‘To these questions an affirma- 
tive answer must be returned. The second volume of the 
“Water Birds” carries out the promise of the first. It be- 
ins with the green-winged teal and concludes the subject. 
he descriptions and comparisons of the different species 
are remarkably full and clear, and aj] questions of season- 
able difference, or those pertaining to age or sex are treated 
in great detail. This detailed and systematic study of the 
characters of the species isan important feature of the work. 
Tt is well known that the collection of North American 
birds brought together during many years by the Smithsonian 
Institution is unequaled for completeness by any other col- 
lectionin the world, and Mr. Ridgway’s entire familiarity 
with this collection, and with North American birds in gen- 
eral, not only in collections but in the field as well, is equally 
well understood. Qualified by his experience and study for 
the task he undertook, he has now given us the result of his 
labors upon this superb series of our birds, a result which 
is quite what we should have looked for. 
As a critical study of North American birds, based upon 
the collections of the National Museum, the work is, in all 
respects, what might be expected from a gentleman of Mr. 
Ridgway’s well-known attainments, It isin this that the 
preat value of the work lies, and in this respect it must 
long stand without a rival. Sinee there is nowhere any 
collection of North American birds at all comparable to that 
in the National Museum, and only one or two men in the 
world so well acquainted with them as Mr. Ridgway, this 
work may fairly be considered to represent very nearly the 
sum of our knowledge on this subject. 
The biographies of the species are unsatisfactory, partly 
because of the untimely death of Dr. Brewer, who had them in 
charge, and also from the fact that this author lacked the 
faculty of writing of the life of our birds in the free and 
spirited style that has distinguished those whose histories of 
bird life have been most attractive. Dr. Brewer's biogra- 
phies, while extremely interesting and valuable, as bringing 
together all that was known about the different species up 
to the time they were written, are still nothing more than 
compilations, which give succintly the observations of yari- 
ous authors on the species under consideration, but are 
themselves without life or animation. They are like the 
stuffed specimens in a museum case rather than the living 
bird which we see moving among the treetops, or winging 
its way over the waves of the sea. 
The number and beauty of the illustrations in this yolume 
are deserving of high praise. Each genus has a full length 
figure of one of its species, and almost every species two or 
more figures of some characteristic part, usually the head. 
The value of these drawings to eyery student is very great; 
for no description can ever supply the place of a picture—ot 
something that appeals directly to the eye—and the plan 
adopted in ‘““Water Birds” of having the drawings accom- 
pany the articles on the different species is a great improve- 
ment on the old one where all the illustrations were collected 
together at the end of the book. 
The two yolumes of this work deyoted to the water birds 
recommend themselves strongly to all sportsmen. No intel- 
ligent man engages in the pursuit of any wild animal with- 
out a desire to know as much as possible about it. Such 
knowledge is interesting and valuable in itself, and besides 
this, the closer one’s acquaintance with any creature the 
greater the probability of success in its pursuit. The two 
volumes on the water birds comprehend most of the species 
of birds sought for by those who use the gun, and it would 
seem that a large proportion of the men who take their 
recreation in this way should find pleasure and reap protit 
by a study of this work. 
The appearance of this yolume marks the completion of 
the greatest modern work on the North American ornithol- 
ogy, @ work which in its epoch far excels in importance 
all others. 
ARIZONA QUAIL IN OHIO. 
W HEN I received two pair of the Arizona quail (Zo- 
phoriyx gambell) in October last, I confess to feeling 
not a little apprehension regarding theirability to endure our 
vigorous climate. If any one will glance at the map he will 
see that the difference between Southern Arizona and the 
northern border of Ohio is more than half as great as between 
Lake Erie and the Gulf of Mexico, although the difference 
in elevation will without doubt effect some modification of 
the difference in latitude. But immediately on their arrival 
the quail were given an outdoor coop, three-fourths of which 
has no other covering than a coarse wire netting. The last 
two weeks they have been subject to a temperature ranging 
from zero to 12° or 14° below, with an accompanying six 
inches of snow. So far they appear to enjoy the situation, 
and have every appearance of vigorous health and appetite. 
It may be that I am premature in expressing an opinion, but 
from what I have seen, 1 incline to tne belief that the 
Lophertyz will go through any climate, per se, that our 
native quail can endure, The only qualification of such an 
opinion might arise from such a difference in the food and 
habits of feeding of the Arizona birds, as would make it dif- 
ficult for them to adapt themselves tu the situation in this 
latitude, But assuming that this test of which I write is 4 
reasonably fair one, there seems to be sufficient encourage- 
ment to warrant a more extended attempt to introduce this 
dashing cavalier of the West into Ohio and latitudes to the 
southward. Perhaps it might be treason to say that they 
could hardly fail to prove more desireble for stocking and 
sporting purposes than their Messina cousins. B. 
Tormpo, O., Dec. 23, 1884, 
j|BIRD MIGRATION IN THE MISSISSIPPI 
VALLEY. 
WINTER BIRDS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS—(CONCLUDED), 
394. Barn Ow].—‘‘Probably resident, but very rare.” 
395. Long-eared Owl.—‘‘Resident.” 
396. Short-eared Ow!,—‘‘In Illinois chiefly a winter vis- 
itant, but breeds in the northern counties.” 
397, *Barred Owl.—Resident; our most common owl; 
found mainly in the bottom Jands, especially around water. 
401. Saw-whet Owl.—‘'Common resident in Northern 
Mlinois; rare winter visitant in the rest of the State,” 
402. *Screech Owl.—Resident, common. 
). *Great Horned Owl,—Resident; not very common, 
414, Duck Hawk.—[{Probably resident]. 
417. Pigeon Hawk.—‘‘Resident,” 
420. *Sparrow Hawk.—Resident, common. 
. *Fish Hawk,—Resident, but rare. 
Marsh Hawk.—[Resident]. 
- *Cooper’s Hawk.—Resident, common, 
. *Sharp-shinned Hawk.—Resident, common. 
. *Red-tailed Hawk.—Resident, common. 
. *Red-shouldered Hawk.—Resident, and more com- 
mon than the last. 
449. *Golden Eagle.—Winter visitant and I think resident, 
rare. 
451. *Bald HBagle.—Resident, not uncommon. TI have 
killed three during the past year. 
454, *Turkey Buzzard.—Resident, very abundant. 
455, *Carrion Crow.—Resident, but local and rare. Isaw 
my first one in the State last year. 
459. *Passenger Pigeon.—Resident, but irregular. 
460. *Mourning Dovye.—Resident. 
470¢.* Wild Turkey.—This noble game bird has held its 
own in numbers in this and adjoining counties for the past 
twelve years. The last day of the open season I brought 
down a fine old gobbler on the wing with a rifle. They 
feed on acorns, beech nuts and corns. 
473. *Ruffed Grouse.—Resident, but rare. I occasionally 
hear of their being seen in this county, but have neyer seen 
one myself. 
480. *Quail.—Resident; not very numerous this spring. 
4800, Florida Quail—According to Mr, Ridgway, this 
species is resident here, but I have failed to find it in spite of 
prolonged efforts under favorable opportunities. 
487. *Great Blue Heron.—Resident; remain only in mild 
winters, 
495, Black-crowned Night Heron.—‘‘ Winters in Southern 
Ilinois in mild winters.” 
497. American Bittern.—‘‘Resident in mild winters.” 
516. Killdeer.—‘‘Winters in Southern Mlinois,” 
525. *Woodcock.—Resident. 
526a.*Wilson’s Snipe.—Resident, but. irrecular. 
569. *King Rail.— Resident, but uncertain. 
572. Virginia Rail.— Resident.” 
574. Carolina Rail.—‘‘Resident in Southern Tlinois.” 
575. Little Yellow Rail.—‘‘Resident in all of Illinois ex- 
cept the northern parts.” 
576 —Little Black Rail,—‘‘Resident in all of Illinois except 
the northern part.” 
579, Florida Gallinule-—According to Mr. Ridgway, 
this species is resident in Southern Illinois, but Lhave failed 
to see or hear of it during the winter in fourteen years of 
hunting and collecting in places suitable for it. 
580. *Coot. Winter resident in this county, but nesting 
fifty miles north of this place. 
588. Whistling Swan.—‘‘Occasional winter resident in 
Illinois.” 
589. *Trumpeter Swan,—Wicrter visitant. 
590. Blue-winged Goose.—‘‘Winters in mild seasons in 
Illinois.” 
591. Snow Goose.—‘‘ Winters occasionally in linois,” 
591a. Lesser Snow Goose.—“‘Also occurs in [llinois with 
the typical.” 
593. W hite-fronted Goose.—‘‘Winters in mild seasons in 
Illinois.” ° 
594, *Oanada Goose.—As much asI have hunted ducks 
the past winter, 1 can say very little of the geese, as I have 
killed none but this species, and was not able to identify the 
others at the height at which they usually fly. The Canada 
geese were here all winter, and when the lakes were frozen 
over to the depth of four inches, flocks of fifty or more 
moilc be standing on the ice, when not feeding on the wheat 
elds. 
595. Brant.—‘“'A rare winter visitant in Illinois, 
601, *Mallard.—A winter visitant. It arrives here shortly 
after our first frost and remains until about the first of April. 
Feeds on wild rice when obtainable, and ifs next choice 
seems to be acorns, with which they sometimes fill their 
crops 80 full as to cause them to extend half way to their 
heads. They also eat many kinds of aquatic plants and 
roots. They are our most common duck. 
602. *Black Duck.—Winter visitant in company, with the 
last, but rare. J have never seen more than one uta time 
except once when | saw a flock of ten. 
604. *Gadwall.— Winter visitant, but does not occur dur- 
ing cold weather, and this year was not at all common until 
after the middle of March. 
605. *Pintail_— Winter visitant, about the same as the 
ast. 
607. *Widgeon.—Sometimes winter, though I myself have 
sean them only during their migrations; almost always in 
flocks of twenty-five to one hundred. 
608. *Shoveller.—Winter visitor; is usually found around 
ee mouths of creeks, outlets or lakes, etc., associated with 
teal. 
609. *Blue-winged Teal.— Winter visitant. 
612. *Green-winged Teal.— Winter visitant. 
613. *Wood Duck-—Resident; in about the same numbers 
the year round. They mate and begin searching suitable 
places for nesting by the first of March. The young live 
largely upon aquatic hemipters; the old on acorns, etc. 
614. Scaup Duck.—‘“‘ Winter resident in Southern Minois; 
transient in Northern Mlinois,” I have never killed any 
mnyself south of the northern part of the State. 
615. *Little Blackhead.— Winter visitant, common. 
616. Ring-billed Blackhead.—‘‘Winters in Southern 
Illinois.” 
617. *Canvas-back.— Winter resident, rare, 
; 618. *Redhead.— Winter resident, more common than the 
ast. 
