AtTG. 13, 1885.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



43 



but. is gilding the pealis siiirounding us, and the blue waters 

 ai-e without a ripple. The sky is "deeply, darkly, beauti- 

 fully blue," and not a speck of cloud is visible. The circling 

 inonnlains, with every ciag, tree, snowbank and outline, are 

 reflected back to the eye from the lake's calm bosom with 

 the utmost fidelity. Not a sound was to be heard; not even 

 that of a trickling rill. It w;is the loveliest and most im- 

 pressive sight my eyes ever ga/ed npou, and the solemn 

 silenc-e helped sear it in upon the tablets of memory, never 

 to be ell'iiced while reason holds her throne. All the adjuncts 

 gave a silent mn jesty and lonely grandeur to a scene such as 

 is given to mortal eye but once in a lifetime to see. We 

 both gazed in enraptured silence, forgetful of time, until the 

 sun climbed above the eastern peaks, and with his golden 

 fingers smeared the lovely canvas. When the last touclics 

 had disappeared we both drew long breaths, and tuniiug (o 

 ■each other asked the simultaneous question, "Did you ever 

 .see anything so grand and beautiful?" To which the answer 

 -of each was, "No." 



So impressed were we that we involuntarily spoke lor 

 some moments with hushed voices, as if there were spirits 

 abroad in air, and in the great silence even our whispers 

 eaiae back from the echoing cliffs in mournful murmurs. 



But business is business, and must be attended to in busi- 

 ness hours — hkewise fishing — &o we lake boat and start. The 

 imornuig breeze soon ruliies the water and the sport begins, 

 ^and when Z. 's voice hails us to breakfast, it is tardily and 

 j-ehictlantly obeyed. After breakfast we have about an 

 hour's good sport, and then the execrated east wind com- 

 mences to blow again, worse even than 'yesterday, and we 

 have to desist. When the time arrives 'for our departure 

 the wind is so strong that we have great difliculty in rowing 

 "down the lake, but finally make it, and bid Z. good-bye for 

 at least another year. We find the "Terror" true to his ap- 

 pointment, so stowing ourselves and some thirty pounds of 

 trout in the carriage, we return, well pleased on the whole 

 TVith our trip. 



The following day is the one I have set on which to start 

 'on my return from the outing, but B. bangs on so hard for a 

 ipo.stp'onement, und just one more day's fishing, that I yield 

 •eonseut, and we go to the little lake at the headwaters of our 

 U'iver. Since I have been here last the waters have fallen 

 (considerably and are much warmer. The lily pads have 

 (Covered all the margins, and a large patch in the middle is 

 (Occupied by rushes which have grown up through some fif- 

 iteen feet of water. The wind is fitful and uncertain, blow- 

 ang from all quarters, but from nowhere long. We row to 

 ithe middle of the lake and then allow the boat to float where 

 lit will. 



A few casts and I have a strike, a half-pound trout, a few 

 nnore, and I catch a tartar. He is no mullet-head, but a 

 "irue-born California trout; and a nobler fish never swam the 

 water. He took the fly in about seven feet of water, and on 

 ;feeling the hook bored straight down for the bottom. Then 

 lie made his first frantic rush into deep water. He was get- 

 iting too near the rushes, and I had to check him with a dau- 

 ^geiTjus strain upon the hue, to the punishment of which he 

 :finally yields. Following this comes three desperate leaps 

 'Out of water, each time shaking his head vigorously to free 

 Jhiraself from the cruel barb, but all to no purpose, and then 

 ihe seeks the bottom and sulks. A telegraphic message, sent 

 !him by a few taps on the rod with my pocket scale, rouses 

 ihim again, and away he goes for the lily pads. This time I 

 think that something surely must give way under the fearful 

 strain it takes to turn him, but at last he gives up and comes 

 ito the surface flopping, after a few more short rushes. Aha, 

 imy fine fellow, I have you now; and soon the net encom- 

 ipasses his beautiful form, and he is quietly lifted into the 

 Iboat. He is only a two-pounder, but what a fighter! B. 

 is soon busy also, and for three hours the fun is fast and 

 furious. 



The trout mostly lay under the shadow of the lilies, and 

 U'ose to the fly in the clear water just inside them, and when 

 struck must be got away from the dangerous neighborhood 

 : at all hazards, as it would never do to let the fish go monkey- 

 ing around among the entangling stems and leaves of the 

 ilibes. This caused the loss of several fine fish, and a few 

 •flies and leaders that could otherwise have been easily 

 : savei. 



One trout, which I struck in open water, made a tremend- 

 ' ous leap the instant the hook entered his jaw, and between 

 ^the impetus of his own effort and the pull of the line, flew 

 : fully ten feet before be struck the water. All the time he 

 was in the air he was shaking his head hke a bulldog, and 

 1 his whole body was quivering so that he resembled a winged 

 ' creature more than a fish; when he struck the water he was 

 I free, having succeeded in shaking the hook from his mouth 

 \ while in the air. I could not regret him, as he showed such 

 * originality, courage and boidne.ss in defense of his life. We 

 soon got all we wanted, and I put my trusty rod carefully 

 and regretfully in its case, to take it out no more for another 

 year excepting for needed attention. I have at least the 

 sweet memory of a successful last day's fishing to dwell upon 

 during the long and weary year. 



And so my pleasant and health-restoring outing came to an 

 end, and the next day saw me saying good-by to these pleas- 

 ant scenes and returning to the toils of everyday life— and 

 the torchlights of a Presidential campaign. 



The trip is marked in the pathway of life with a great 

 white stone, on which is chiselled in golden letters "Sacred 

 to the memory of a good time." AkefAR. 

 California. 



Presekving Dead GtAme.— Vicksburg, Miss., Aug. 2.— 

 Editor Forest and Btream: The thought has often occurred 

 to me that your correspondents might be able to give valuable 

 information concerning the best way of preserving game 

 while on a camp hunt. Here in this southern latitude, even 

 during winter, it is a matter that concerns us to a consider- 

 able extent. Some time ago, one correspondent writing for 

 your paper, recommended the use of paper bags closely' tied 

 to exclude the passage of air. What effect would there be 

 to submerge game in cold water? Often the water here is 

 nearly icy cold while the atmosphere may be at a temperature 

 ' of 50° or 60° above zero. Especially is this the case with the 

 - Mississippi River, while our lakes have but a small fluctu- 

 . ation in temperature comparatively speaking. If there is 

 any way that is simple, cheap and convenient for preserving 

 : game for only a few days during warm weather I would like 

 ito know what it is. Will some one or more of the great 

 number of your readers inform me on this topic?— W. L. P. 

 [[Why does not "W. L. P." try the water experiment and re- 

 iport. Coffee is sometimes used. Put in bottom of box a 

 ilayer one -quarter of an inch deep of ground coffee, then a 

 layer of the birds (drawn and stuffed with grass), then 

 another layer of coffee, etc. Any cheap coffee will do, or 

 weven the gi:ouuds that have been used and dried again.] 



Address alt communications to the Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Co, 



WATER BIRDS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



BV J. MATTHEW .TOJTES. 



THE province of Nova Scotia, being situate so far out in 

 the Atlantic and almost entirely snrrouuded by water, 

 appears to be an especially suitable locality for noticing the 

 habits and inigrations of the waders; and there is little doubt 

 that if observing stations were established at different points 

 of our coast, nnder proper superintendence, additional species 

 miiiiit he added to the prcsi-ut incomplete list. 



Our coast is well adapted to the requirements of sea birds, 

 presenting as it does in its I'ugued outline a constant series of 

 harbors and inletn throughout its whole extent, .lagged and 

 riven by the frosts of many winters, the rocks which line the 

 shores present an appearance in every way chaotic, each 

 fissure forming a base from whence the bladder-wrack 

 (/^W(v/,<<) springs, while down in (he depths below, anchored 

 by its tough, "tenacious roots, the tree-like stem of tlie oar- 

 vveed {Laininaria} supports its ribbon-like fronds, which 

 wave from side to side with the motion of the surging waters, 

 presenting at the ebb a mass of marine vegetation so dense 

 in places that the fisherman's boat is impeded on its course. 

 The fronds and stems of this huge seaweed fornr a perfect 

 preserve for certain species of mollusks, while at its base the 

 mussel moors itself by silken byssus so fast that when these 

 giant weeds of the deep give way to the fury of the tempest, 

 animal and vegetable perish together; the former when cast 

 upon the strand opening to the lieat of the noontide sun and 

 affording a luscious morsel for the voracious appetite of the 

 wandering crow. In these snug and sheltered coves certain 

 species of ducks love to congregate, fishing and diving as 

 weather permits; while outside, and even far away on the 

 ledges, where the foaming breakers seethe and roar, divers 

 and sea coots ply their daily task, or rest, head under wing, 

 sleeping their watchful sleep as they dip and rise on the roll- 

 ing billows. Further out flocks of cormorants cross the bays 

 from i»oint to point, while the different species of gulls and 

 terns wheel around in midair, ever and anon making a dash 

 downward to pick up some dainty morsel which floats be- 

 neath. Companies of ring plover and sandpipers of several 

 species congregate on the spits and beaches at ebbing tide, 

 joined very commonly by a few stray gulls, loath to allow 

 their diminutive fellows to enjoy by themselves the "harvest 

 of the sea." 



Thus it is in spring or autumn, but how different in severe 

 winters, when for v?eeks the mercury has stood little above 

 zero, and at times 10 to 15° below. Piled on each stretch of 

 sand beach, from high-water mark down, are masses of ice 

 cakes, pitched hither and thither in confused heaps, as if the 

 ocean, glad to get rid of its icy burden, hadshotits thou.sands 

 of car loads of brine crast on nature's rubbish heap ; while 

 out to sea the rolling waves come continuously on, heaving 

 and swelling with their covering of broken ice floes, on 

 some of which may be seen the herring gulls standing as 

 •steady as sailors on a spar deck, apparently enjoying their 

 solitary ride on the frozen deep. Perhaps it would be al- 

 most impossible to picture a more ch'eary and desolate scene 

 than the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia presents during the 

 depths of a severe winter, and no one assuredly can appreci- 

 ate it save the sportsman naturalist, who beholds it as he lies 

 secreted among the ice floes ashore, waiting for the flocks 

 of ducks as they wing their flight from channel to channel, 

 or slowly worming his way through ice cracks to gain a shot 

 at some rara avis to carry home to his sanctum and rejoice 

 over as no one but a naturalist can. 



The commencement of our spring migratory season in 

 Nova Scotia, is rendered either early or late according to the 

 breaking up and disappearance — especially in the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence— of the vast mass of ice which has accumulated 

 from the shores of Labrador south to the northern portions 

 of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia during the preceding 

 winter. If the winter should have proved an exceptionally 

 severe and protracted one, then the greater part of that large 

 aqueous area will have been froKen, in some localities to a 

 considerable depth, and the sun's rays, however powerful 

 they may be during the months of April and May, will fail 

 to have much effect on the mags. When, in this case, the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence, over which on their journey to the far 

 north man}' of our waders have to proceed, is not clear of ice 

 until the beginning of June, many flocks of geese delay their 

 departure from our shores until instinct teaches them the 

 "appointed time." Those migrant forms, therefore, which 

 have been enticed to push their journey north as far as Nova 

 Scotia by an unusually warm temperature in early March, 

 extending its effects to the latitude of Massachusetts, and 

 giving them every indication that their progress would not 

 be impeded, submit to a forced detention in this province 

 exemplified in the case of the hapless wild geese mentioned 

 hereafter. 



Of the vast number of waders which pass over the lower 

 latitudes of the Canadian Dominion east of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains each spring, on their way to the northern breeding 

 grounds, some few thousands at lea.st which visit our prov- 

 ince on the Atlantic shore would seem to have left the main 

 track and sought out a tedious by-way to their destination ; 

 but while the main body make the shores of Hudson's Bay 

 and the Arctic Ocean their destination, those which pass 

 over Nova Scotia find congenial resting places in Labrador 

 or the interior of Newfoundland. 



Before commencing the following list of the water birds 

 of this province we must apologize to the readers of Forest 

 AJSD Stream for the delay in its appearance. It was in- 

 tended to follow immediately the "Land Birds, " published 

 in February, March, April and May, 1879, but owing to a 

 desire to gain additional information, we have delayed pre- 

 paring it from year to year, but now beg to offer it as com- 

 plete as possible to the present date, 1885. The nomencla- 

 ture employed is that of the old Smithsonian list. 



We must not omit to mention our obligations to Mr. 

 Andrew Downs, the veteran Nova Scotian ornithologist, as 

 also to Mr. Thos. J. Egan, taxidermist, of Halifax, for infor- 

 mation regarding several rare species which have come under 

 their observation. 



GRALLATORES. 



FaM. CHARADRIID.E. 



Gen. Squatwrola, Cuv. 



1. Black-bellied Plover [8. Tiehetim). —l^oi common; 

 arrives with other migrants from the north about the end of 



August and beginning of September, and goes north in 

 October. 



Oen. .Jia/padHus, Mnn. 

 1. Golden Plover {O. fulmis). — Arrives in flocks from the 

 north about the middle of August and dej^arts about the first 

 week in September. This is apparently the only migrant 

 that takes a direct course ove]- the ocean to tlje West Indies 

 and northern portions of the South American continent. 

 We find it passing over the Bermudas generally from the 

 10th to the 17th of Septemljcr. and thoy duly appear a few 

 days later on the several islands of the Windward group. 

 On its ocean passage it sometimes takes an extreme eastern 

 longitude, having l)ten observed at a distance of five hundred 

 miles to the eastward of the Bermudas, and that in .such 

 numbers that flock after flock continued passing in a 

 southerly direction over a vessel for several hours in succes- 

 sion. This bird does not visit our province in anything like 

 the numbers it did some twenty years ago. At that time it 

 was no unusual occurrence for Halifax Common to be the 

 scene of much slaughter, when flocks of plover would for 

 several days remain to be chased and fired at hy every man 

 and boy who could muster a weapon of any descriptiou. 

 Often on a foggy day, which was especially favorable to the 

 amateur gunners to creep upon their game, have we while 

 driving across the open plain been unceremoniously saluted 

 by a battery situated far too close to the road to >)e pleasant, 

 and always congratulated ourselves upon escaping the hidden 

 dangers of the course. As the weapons of these reckless pot- 

 hunters were of the most primitive and unsafe kind, so also 

 was the mode of carrying the ammunition, for few, if any, 

 possessed either powder or shot flask, and contented them 

 selves by carrying it in their trow.sers pockets. As to the 

 amount of the charge, that was immaterial; they guessed at 

 it, and oftentimes, as a natural result, the gunner suffered 

 more damage than the birds. How far north this bird goes 

 to breed we know not, but they are stated to be abundant at 

 Port Churchill, Hudson's Bay, in July and August. 

 Qen. jEgioAitis, Boie. 



1. Kildeer (^S'. wciferus). — ^Very rare. Mr. W. Vinton 

 observed one at Thrumb-cap, Halifax Harbor, on a New 

 Year's Day several years ago all alone by itself, and suc- 

 ceeded in shooting it. It is the only specimen known to 

 have been taken. This bird appears to be observed gener- 

 ally in mid-winter, and even in the Bermudas we have also 

 found it to be the ca.se; the months of December, January 

 and February being those when it usually appears. Once 

 only we found it there as early as Nov. 15. On Dec. 5, 

 1876, we shot one from a flock of ten whicii frequented a 

 brackish pond of water on the south sliore of the main land. 



2. Ring Plover (^-E. ncmi/ii/ltitidfin). — Common on the 

 shores. AiTives about the first week in May in small flocks, 

 and frequents the sandy beaches at ebb of tide in search of 

 the smaller crustaceans. They are tn be seen about the be- 

 ginning of August in much larger flocks preparatory to their 

 move northward 'about the last of September. This spe- 

 cies has been observed as far- north as York Factory, Hud- 

 son's Bay. 



3. Piping Plover {^^. melodm). — Not uncommon on sandy 

 beaches during the summer mouths with its young. I have 

 observed them as early as April 39 on their northern migra- 

 tion, and they depart for the south about the last of Sep- 

 tember. 



Fam. H.TnMATOT>ODrD.=E. 



Oen. 8trep»ilas, Linn. 

 1. Turnstone {8. interpres). — Very rare and only observed 

 in winter. 



Fam. Phat.aropodii).e. 



Oen. Tjobijies, Guv. 

 ■ 1. Northern Pnalarope {L. liyperhoreus). — Not uncommon. 

 Once when looking for snipe in l/awi-encetown Marsh we 

 came upon a pair of these birds at a little pool busily engaged 

 catching small flies which hovered over the stagnant water, 

 now .swimming, then running along the muddy sides, snap- 

 ping with the thin little beaks at their tiny prey. .TYiey 

 were so tame that they allowed us to (;ome and stand at the 

 edge of the pool, not a yard from them at any time; and 

 once or twice they actually canre up to our feet, and on one 

 moving only turned their heads up to look at us; the very 

 tamest wild birds we ever saw in our life. Surely theu- 

 home must be in the far, far north, away from all evil, for 

 they have not the sense of it. 



Oen. Phalaropus. 

 1. Red Phalarope (P. fulicarim). — Common. We have 

 observed what we considered a family party of these bu-ds, 

 old and young, about July, while boating near the "Red 

 Buoy," Halifax Harbor, They were very tame and allowed 

 the boat to come close to them. They, hke the preceding 

 species, were catching flies on the water. 



Fam. ScoLOPACiDiE. 

 Oen . Philohda, Ora.y, 

 1. American Woodcock ( P. minor). — Very common during 

 .some seasons. Arrives about the end of March, and may be 

 flushed at times in the spruce woods whexr deep snow lies 

 upon the ground. Tn certain parts of the province it occurs 

 during September and October in abundance preparatory to 

 its migration south, and a bag of six to ten couple may be 

 made by a fair shot in a few hours. It is stated by some of 

 our old sportsmen that fifty or sixty j^ears ago this bu'd was 

 comparatively rare, and that it is only since the country be- 

 came more settled and cultivated that it has increased in 

 numbers. We have never yet found the nest of this bird, 

 but as we always flash tlie young brood in rough thickets, 

 we have reason to believe it is in such places they breed. 

 They are rarely found in their usual localities after the mid- 

 dle of November, and only one instance is on record of the 

 bird having been seen iii mid-winter, viz , at a spring of 

 water in the woods bordering on the MargiU-et Bay road, a 

 few miles from Halifax, on New Year's Day, 1881. 



Oen. GaUinago, Leach. 

 1. American Snipe {G. wilso/u'i). — Common. Although 

 fairly abundant previous to their departure south, in some 

 favorable localities, yet the bird is nothing like so numerous 

 as it was twenty years ago. It generally leaves the marshy 

 tracts about the tirst week in October, but a few stragglers 

 may be flushed as late as the last week of that month. It is 

 somewrhat strange, yet nevertheless a fact, that the snipe 

 must on its migration north from its winter haunts in the 

 south, pass over a wide expanse of ocean, for every spring 

 visits the Bermudas in greater or less numbers. In the 

 month of April, 1860, we well recollect a day's snipe shoot- 

 ing we had with two friends in Pembroke Marsh, when the 

 bhds were so thick that half a dozen would rise at every 

 step, and on the guns going off, up would get wisp after 



