Jtoe 11, 1885.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



387 



rests at the roots of the oak and pine, I may see a modern 

 rifle that will "meet all the reouire meats of a Spoftmg 

 arm-;" a rifle of "low trajectory" and "immense penetra- 

 tion," that will fire 037 shots so rapidly that the nicest, ear 

 cannot separate them by sound. Then T want to see the 

 whole business go, with the vanished deer, 



"Like the tenants that left without warning, 



Down the hack entry of Time." 



It is decidedly the off season for shooting. The turkey, 

 the quail and the deer are all oppressed with domestic cares 

 and tropical heat. But the season will come, and then Clause 

 and 1 are to pack a pony cart with two weeks' supplies, sad- 

 dle the pony and strike out for a hunt. 1 am to have a 

 chance iu the saddle, which is better than packing a heavy 

 knapsack over steep mountains covered with shin-hopple 

 aud low laurel. ."We eau drive wherever we like in these 

 open woods, and are to hunt cahoots. Nessmuk. 



P.S.— The lordly tarpon has arrived— the silver king. 

 Boyer, our tarpon fisherman, killed four withiu three miles 

 of the Springs day before yesterday. The largest weighed 

 126 pounds. I send you a few scales, and am going to see 

 about it soon. N k. 



BOYHOOD REMINISCENCES. 



V.— MONKEY CAPERS. 



DID you ever own or have a partnership interest in a 

 monkey? If you never have, then don't. You may 

 have missed some pleasure, but you have escaped much au- 

 noyance, and saved yourself you don't know how much 

 money. 



One of my boyhood mates was Eugene Knapp, sou of the 

 celebrated Baptist evangelist of that time, so famous for his 

 pulpit eloquence and revival successes. Gene did not always 

 follow the precepts of his pious father; neither, I am afraid, 

 did the undersigued, whose sire was also of the same pro- 

 fession, also persuasion. We were almost inseparable. Gene 

 and I, fighting fiercely one day, the best of friends the next. 

 We brought in the first trout, of the season ; found the first 

 birds' nests and strawberries; caught the first young crows; 

 were the first to meet the circus down the road, and among 

 the foremost to crawl under the canvas when the clown com- 

 menced. We got more "whalings" from our parents aud 

 other parties than all the other boys in the village; and yet 

 I think we Were popular. Ah, Gene, he got the fever in 

 '49 and was off to the golden sands, and I have heard naught 

 of him since. 



Well, we came into possession of a monkey, I do not re- 

 member now just how; but we were halves. It was one of 

 the larger kind, with side whiskers, and with a very wise, 

 innocent cast of countenance like a Greek professor. He 

 would be domiciled one week with Gene in the village, then 

 he sojourned at our house on the hill. 



Talk about the connecting link — all the arguments in the 

 world could not persuade me that Jock had not a mind and 

 a very intelligent one. Instinct, fiddlesticks. He could rea- 

 son from cause to effect aud vies versa, as well as you or I, 

 and did. But all his reasoning and calculation were in the 

 line of mischief and destruction; he never did a good nor 

 praiseworthy deed while I knew him. His proper place in 

 fair weather was on a limb of a small tree in the yard, some 

 six feet from the ground, with a long chain that would allow 

 him to come down for his food and water. He was naturally 

 a source of great interest to all the children the country 

 around. He could take my track, I believe, as unerringly as 

 a hound, for often as of a summer forenoon, with wiudows 

 open, we sat in the recitation room at the college some 

 quarter of a mile distant, going through our Peruia, pmrue, 

 pt-nna, or Omnis Gallia dhusa est, a titter would run around 

 the room and upon lookiug up Jock would be seen scratch- 

 ing himself on the Professor's desk with a countenance 

 plainly saying "Here 1 am. When is my turn?" Then the 



Professor would say in such a hurt tone, "Mr. , will you 



please remove this animal?" How sheepishly I felt as I led 

 the rascal back to his perch. He was generally quiet on his 

 limb when anybody was near, but let the coast be clear, and 

 like a flash he would have that brass padlock open, and be 

 away off on some expedition of mischief. 



Jock fervently hated angleworms and could not be per- 

 suaded to touch one, but after a. warm rain when the walks 

 were covered with thousands of the wrigglers, with a sharp 

 stick he would follow along and dance with delight as he 

 punched off their heads. 



After a punishment, or when he had been caught in fla- 

 grante delictu, Jock would take refuge in a large hemlock 

 tree. Far up in the tree in a fork was the remnant of an 

 old crow's or hawk's nest, into which he would go and hide 

 himself for hours, and there of course he was safe. 1 had 

 long desired to explore that nest, but it was too high and 

 the tree was too large to climb. Our next neighbor, the 

 Latin professor, on his grounds had a very early apple tree 

 which bore a delicious fruit several weeks ahead of all 

 others. Jock had found that out, and he had the very first 

 apples (and he never picked one that was not thoroughly 

 ripe). One day, upon looking out from my study, I saw 

 Jock was loose and off full bent on all fours for the apple 

 tree. The day before, with help from some of the hoys, we 

 had brought over the college ladder, and now was our time 

 to investigate the nest and" break up the refuge. Up went 

 the ladder, and upon reaching the fork we found a large 

 nest (about the size of a bushel basket), well thatched over 

 and pretty well lined, for in it were two Mexican quarters, a 

 Spanish sixpence (money in vogue in those days), two silver 

 teaspoons, ihe loss of which mother had so worried over, a 

 bright new pair of scissors that had not been missed, and a 

 large number of pieces of broken china with gilt edges — the 

 fashion when company came to tea. We removed these ; and, 

 having previously procured something like a half peck of 

 angle worms from the garden, we placed them in news- 

 papers, with holes profusely punched in the package so that 

 the worms could be coming out about the right time, we 

 placed it in the nest and awaited developments. Soon Jock 

 was seen coming hobbling home, an apple in his mouth and 

 one in each hand, He knew he was guilty, for as soon as I 

 halloed he dropped the two apples and made for his retreat, 

 and never shall I forget the scene that ensued as he thrust 

 himself into the nest. He gave one screech, threw himself 

 backward and came down a-whirling, touching neither limb 

 nor bark, forty feet ; but like a cat his feet struck first, and 

 away he went and was not seen for days. After that noth- 

 ing could ever tempt that monkey to ascend the tree. His 

 ark of refuge was gone. 



The weeds had grown rather high among our young cab- 

 bages in the garden, and I had been at work an hour or so 

 one day pulling up the weeds, shaking off the dirt and 

 throwing them to one side. Jock's perch overlooked the 



garden, and I had noticed that he had been watching me 

 rather closely. Having finished my task, aud every country 

 boy knows what sort of work weeding garden is, I repaired 

 to father's study and was attending to my lessons, when, 

 upon looking out of the window, my father discovered 

 Jock's absence. "There, George, that imp is gone and 

 in some mischief, sure as you live, go find him." Going 

 out I heard something strike agaiust the garden fence, and 

 looking over there, I saw the rascal rapidly pulling up the 

 cabbage plants I had so diligently weeded, shaking oil' the 

 dkt and throwing them one side, lie had pulled up more 

 than sixty. I think he really intended a good thing (the 

 only time I ever knew him to), for he did not show the cul- 

 prit and run off chattering as usual when caught, but 

 seemed to think he ought to be praised. I hadn't the heart 

 to scold, and he escaped censure, 



lie was very fond of candy, sugar aud other sweets, aud 

 we used to put a little in a package with, several folds of 

 paper around it, which he avouM seize with great avidity, 

 rush up to his perch, and there deliberately open it, throw- 

 ing down carefully the different wrappers' until the treasure 

 was reached, and this he would dispose of with a peculiar 

 cry of enjoyment. One of our boys was a big, red-headed 

 fellow, aiid hair long at that. He was not a pleasant com- 

 panion, rather a bully and a. torment, disliked by all of us. 

 Knowing the monkey's antipathies, he sly ly procured some 

 earth worms, and having done them up in several wrappers 

 handed them to Jock. 1 told him to stand away, and warned 

 him that he would rue the day he ever tried the trick. 

 "Pooh," he retorted, "suppose I am afraid of an ape?" Jock 

 clutched the parcel, reached his limb, and with pleasant 

 eagerness depicted in his countenance, began his investiga- 

 tion. Upon reaching the end lie gave one just such a cry as 

 he did when he came down from the nest, but this time there 

 was vengeance in it, as with one jump he lauded on the big 

 boy's back, and seizing his auburn locks, tugged and pulled 

 aud swung back and forth, giving forth that "peculiar cry of 

 rage. Well, how that boy yelled too, but he couldu't help 

 himself, for as he put his' head back Jock bit him unmerci- 

 fully. It was a long time before we got Jock off, and ever 

 after he remembered that red-headed boy. 



But I might go on much longer with Jock's history, and 

 describe, f uu with a tame woodcock we had, also his hatred 

 of our tame crow. They were always "jawing" one another; 

 they were both thieves, and I don't know which got the 

 best of it. 



The Latin professor will recall, I am sure, the day Jock 

 jumped upon their dinner table while he was asking the 

 blessing. As all present sat with bowed heads, he was not 

 seen until they raised their eyes and discovered him helping 

 himself to the best; and then, when upon being put. out, he 

 mounted the lightning rod, came down the chimnej', and all 

 soot arid dirt as he was attempted an attack upon the sugar 

 bowl. But Jock got his mischievous fingers into some green 

 paint, and then I suppose into his mouth, and he was very 

 sick. "Looks like a sick monkey." Well, that is a strong 

 expression, but it falls far short of a graphic description. It 

 cannot be described. All vivacity and impudence gone, for 

 hours the poor thing would sit with his head upon one of 

 his hands, his whole attitude intensely human— like a little 

 old man with a splitting headache. When I took him iu my 

 arms and carried him around he would look up into my face 

 pleadingly and moan in his pain, the same as saying, "Am I 

 not a poor, sick child, aud can't you do sometbiug for me?" 

 Finally Jock pulled through. It is only the good that die 

 young. We thought that after the severe lesson he would 

 be a more honest and a better monkey, but far from it, he 

 was a greater rascal than ever. 



And now for the last, the hair that broke the camel's back 

 — or rather, Jock's. The university was about quarter of a 

 mile from our house. One day one of the higher class stu- 

 dents returning from a recitation found his room in "a terri- 

 ble state." He knew he had locked his door after him an 

 hour before and everything was in order; but he found his 

 papers in confusion, his Greek translation (to do which had 

 taken hours and much midnight oil) torn into bits and scat- 

 tered over the floor, and worst of all, a large gilt edged illus- 

 trated volume of Shakespeare, which he was positive was 

 closed when he left, now lying open with the contents of the 

 inkstand poured over it. Who could be mean enough to do 

 such a dastardly thing? The student was popular and had 

 no enemies. There was no clew to the perpetrator until 

 some one remembered seeing our Jock — our monkey — com- 

 ing out of the window and down the lightning rod. Father 

 paid the student $16 for the book, and Jock found an owner 

 in the proprietor of the next circus that came along. 



Jacobstaff. 



Jf#/m/#/ ^i^tatg. 



THE BIRDS OF MICHIGAN. 



BV DR. MORRIS GIBBS. 

 (Continued.) 



42. Dendroica mtka (Gmel.) Baird. — Yellow warbler; 

 summer yellowbird. 



This species is well distributed and abundant. It arrives 

 in late April or early May. I once observed it by the 19th of 

 April, while another year it did not reach us until May 13, 

 This year I saw the first on April 10, a very tardy spring. 

 The average arrival may be placed about May 5. The birds 

 appear first in pairs or singly, but within a short time after 

 the first is seen a great many are observed aud the haunts 

 are full of them, I call to mind one locality, the banks of a 

 small stream noted for its fine trout, where great numbers of 

 these birds build their nests each season. There among the 

 willows, alders, elderberry bushes and small trees, the habits 

 of this interesting and vivacious species maybe studied. The 

 birds begin pairing upon their arrival and many little skirm- 

 ishes are observed during the first half of May. While trout- 

 ing on the brook, where good catches are always made, I have 

 often seen the little yellow beauties within a very few yards 

 of me aud have had excellent opportunities to notice their 

 peculiarities. Few of us are aware of the advantages of oc- 

 casionally sitting down quietly in the woods and awaiting 

 developments. It is not always best to dash through the 

 fields and forests; in fact it is never the correct way of col- 

 lecting, unless you are intent on reaching some distant point. 

 Some of my best discoveries have been made when quietly 

 seated in a retired spot, and occasionally after ransacking 

 the country for specimens in vain, deciding to return home, 

 I have had great success in quietly watching a common bird 

 of whosejhabits I knew but little. 



The summer yellowbird is one of our most graceful species, 



aud its elegance of movement, combined with its agreeable 

 song, endear it to the hearts of all admirers of our birds. 

 Years ago, when the advantages afforded £by works on or- 

 nithology were unknown to me, and at a time when the 

 names of many, nay nearly all of the feathered friends, were 

 catalogued in my memory by names of my own coinage, or 

 worse, perhaps, learned from older fellow collectors, this 

 bird was called the "blossom eater," and to this day 1 prefer 

 the name because of early associations: the remembrance of 

 the times when I watched with childish wonderment the 

 trim graceful creatures feeding from the catkins of the wil- 

 lows and other shiubs, or searched in the thickets around 

 the old cow pastures for the handsome, well-formed nests. 



The song of this species is thrilling in its sweetness, and 

 though not a warble, approaches as near to it as the notes of 

 any member of the family. Why the members of the family 

 SyhncoUd.w are known to us as warblers is a point upon which 

 I have been unable to satisfy myself. In no instance can we 

 term a song of any of these birds a perfect warble. In the 

 song of the ruby-crowned kinglet aud warbling vireo, we 

 have true liquid warblings. The vivacity of onr friend's 

 song is quite pleasing, however, and I know of nothing more 

 agreeable to the ear than the notes of this beautiful bird issu- 

 ing from a willow copse in early morning when the sun is 

 just showing himself and the dew still glitters on the early 

 foliage of the willows. The birds sing throughout the day 

 while mating aud building the nests, but when incubation 

 begins, the notes are not heard so often during the middle of 

 the day. In very warm weather the notes are rarely heard 

 excepting in the morning hours and late afternoon. _ The 

 species is one of the first to make his presence known in the 

 morning, and 1 have heard them by 3 A. M, while still the 

 whippoorwill was rattling off his monotonous jargon and the 

 bats were wheeling above us in the murky air. During the 

 summer months, when the weather is extremely warm, the 

 notes are rarely heard at midday; but an occasional burst, 

 doubly pleasing from the silence around us, is heard among 

 the dense alder patches or from some thickly-foliaged bush. 

 It is quite common to hear them all summer during the early 

 morning hours; but there may be a period when they are 

 utterly silent. Again in late summer they sing, but not with 

 the vivacity of their vernal efforts. The bird assumes the 

 position of a robin or other thrush iu his early bursts of song 

 and while mating, keeping erect and apparently giving his 

 whole attention to his ditty; but in the latter part of May 

 and as soon 33 he has achieved success in securing a mate, 

 be is not so particular about his position, and though the 

 song is none the less energetic and clear, yet he rapidly 

 gleans among the limbs and twigs, and apparently considers 

 the song of secondary importance, giving the matter of food 

 supply first thought, undoubtedly having in mind the care 

 of a mate and future family. 



After mating has taken place the birds begin to look up a 

 suitable location for a nest. Perhaps the position is already 

 chosen, and 1 have often thought that a proper nesting site is 

 selected before the birds are fully mated. The nest is usually 

 begun about May 20, although many are not started until 

 June is upon us,* and some are in course of construction by 

 May 15 or even earlier. I found incubation begun on May 

 18, 1878, but it was a very early season and the one in which 

 the birds arrived April 19. The eggs are usually laid about 

 May 25, und may be found in numbers by June 5. The nest 

 is usually placed in a small bush. An alder is often selected, 

 a wild rose, small dogwood, rarely a willow or thorn bush. 

 I have taken nests in orchards and gardens, where they are 

 placed in currant bushes, plum and apple trees, and occas- 

 ionally in a bramble patch of blackberry or raspberry flushes. 

 They are almost invariably placed near the courses of small 

 streams, on the edges of marshes or on low ground where an 

 abundance of willows and alders grow. A few nests are 

 met with on higher ground as mentioned, iu the gardens and 

 orchards, and I have found nests at the edge of white oak 

 woods. The structure is usually placed from four to eight 

 feet from the ground, and it is extremely unusual to find one 

 more than ten feet up. In only one instance have I taken 

 the eggs more than fifteen feet above the ground. This nest 

 was in an apple tree. Nests are occasionally found not over 

 three feet up, or even two feet where bushes are stunted and 

 good concealment is not afforded in the higher brush. 



The nest if an exceedingly neat little structure, and is not 

 surpassed by many of our birds. It is usually situated in a 

 trifid fork in a small bush, and is so interlaced with the twigs 

 which form its support as sometimes to be detached from its 

 lodgement only by the use of considerable force. The twigs 

 bearing leaves usually at the time when the young appear, 

 look as if they grew through the nest rather than that the 

 nest was built iu such a style. Externally the fabric is com- 

 posed of a substance resembling tow, and of nearly a white 

 color when seen from a distance. The material is tenacious 

 and disposed in circular layers about the cavity of the nest; 

 it consists of fibers or shippings of the milkweed Aselepias. 

 The inner parts are of finer materials and quite soft in tex- 

 ture. The downy covering of catkins and other woolly sub- 

 stances packed in firmly make a soft bed for the eggs. I 

 have found occasionally a pink colored cottony substance 

 used as a lining. It is taken from ferns and lends a not un- 

 pleasing variety to the appearance of the pretty nest. 



The summer yellowbird has a decided peculiarity in leav- 

 ing its nest for some time after completion, and before 

 laying its eggs. Perhaps he wishes to find out what kind of 

 a neighborhood he is summering iu, ami in waiting to satisfy 

 himself regarding the desirability of the chosen site. Be 

 that as it may, he often makes a mistake, and in Ms too great 

 caution and neglect of his home, frequently encounters 

 difficulties from which he only extricates himself at great 

 pains. The cowbird, that villainous plebian of most 

 immoral social views, is ever on the alert for a nest of the 

 absent warbler, and in her anxiety to cast her offspring on 

 the fostering care of the poor overburdened bird, not rarely 

 overdoes the matter, so that the eggs are laid long before the 

 rightful owner of the home is ready to begin housekeeping, 

 or, not so frequently drops her eggs in too great number 

 along with the warbler's eggs, much to the indignation of 

 the legitimate property holder. Perhaps no bird is so abused 

 as the little yellow warbler by the now considered polygamous 

 cowbird, and it is safe to &&y that no other bird exhibits the" 

 spirit of maintaining its rights and ousting its despoiler as 

 does our friend. He does not consider the cowbird as his 

 neighbor, but views him as an interloper, and will not vacate 

 the premises, or at least but rarely, for the aliens. But with 

 great determination he at once begins a second nest directly 

 over the first one, and in a short while entirely covers the 

 objectionable intruders, after which the eggs of the rightful 

 owner are deposited in the second story. Sometimes one or 

 more eggs of the warbler are sacrificed along with the alien 

 eggs. A nest, now before me, exhibits the skill of these 

 thoughtful birds in thus relieving themselves of an unsolicited 



