24 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



fAuG. 6, 1885 



fully half a mile away, bounding up the mountain straight 

 as an arrow for the very spot I stand on. A noble fellow ; 

 on he comes until within range, when he disappears behind 

 a patch of mountain birch and fails to emerge. He must 

 have caught a glimpse of me, I fear. Gazing intently, after 

 a time, I discern his head through a screen of leaves' It is 

 tm-ned back over his shouMei-s, with cars set to catch tlie 

 voice of the hound. I quietly wait for him to jump out into 

 the open ground, which he soon does and a bullet rolls liim 

 over. The thrill of delight which follows a successful shot 

 was mine at last, and I advance to cut his throat. I have 

 to force my way through a patch of brush, and on emerging 

 imagine my chagrin when there is no deer in sight. A hasty 

 glance reveals him making good time up the mountain side, 

 200 yards away. Another shot fails to stop hira, and he dis- 

 appears among the timber. Of course I load him with abuse 

 for being so infernal mean as to try and preserve his own 

 life and deprive me of venison. lie fell like a log and 

 lay without motion until I entered the bushes. 

 How did he get away? There is considerable 

 blood upon the ground, showing that he was 

 badly wounded as well as stunned. I'must have creased 

 him across the neck, for as all hunters of any experience 

 know, a creased buck wiU fall as one dead, but after a few 

 seconds they will get up and bound away as if untouched. 

 Turk soon foUoM'ed along, and on getting scent of the blood 

 uttered howls of delight and disappeared on the track. I 

 follow on until all traces of blood cease, and the hoof prints 

 can no longer be discerned on the bare granite, and have to 

 desist. The dog also goes out of hearing, and I have to 

 abandon all hopes of my game. After a time the dog comes 

 back dripping wet, showing that he has lost the track in 

 some of the numerous little glacier lakes which stud these 

 summits. I return disappointed to the carriage, where Will 

 soon joins me. Partaking of luncheon, we repair to the 

 lake. A thunderstorm is coming, and its muttering.s till the 

 air. It is turning chilly now that the sun is obscured, and 

 chances of sport are doubtful. There are no Ush to be had, 

 and after getting thoroughly wetted and then chilled with a 

 pelting hailstorm, we give it up with just one half-))ound 

 trout, which Will succeeded in catching. On getting back 

 to the team the sua had come out again bright and warm, 

 and noticing some caddis worms in the stream issuing from 

 the lake, we roll up our sleeves and gather a supply for 

 future use. Having filled our bait cans with fine fat fel- 

 lovrs we return home. Arbfab. 

 California. 



KUDJEE-ME-KUDJEE. 



AT Caledonia, Queens county. Nova Scotia, I heard of 

 some great catches of trout at the "Eel Wier," and a 

 party of four— Mr. P., Dr. C, Mr. B. and the writer— de- 

 cided to try their luck, and test the truth of the various fish 

 stories in circulation. Starting one beautiful morning from 

 Caledonia we drove to Kempt, six miles, and there secured 

 the services of David Truman, the celebrated guide. After 

 a short drive we arrived at Grafton Lake, and having loaded 

 up the boat, partook of our noonday meal, with spruce logs 

 for table, the bark for table-cloth and black flies for sauce. 

 Many and lusty were the calls for "the tar," but having once 

 thoroughly painted up, we could laugh at the insinuations 

 of the vicious little brut&s. A row of a mile and a half across 

 Lake Grafton brought us to "The Run," where for a mile 

 the waters rush with great rapidity and ever increasing hub- 

 bub and roar to Lake Kudjee-Me Kudjee. Pausing a few 

 moments to thoroughly stow cargo, Dave takes the bow and 

 Doc, who is also a thorough woodsman and perfectly at home 

 at this kind of work, the stern, while the rest of us squat in 

 the bottom of the boat and prepare to enjoy the scenery. 



"All right," sung out by Dave and answered in the affirm- 

 ative by Doc, we shove oiit from shore and enter the rapids. 

 To one unaccustomed to this sort of work it would seem 

 sheer madness to enter such a place, but with Dave it is mere 

 child's play. Taking the wildest waters always, with now a 

 shove on this side to clear a huge boulder, and now one on 

 that to escape a half-submerged log, down we rush. Past 

 huge rocks and under overhanging trees, we round a turn in 

 the stream and float out into a beautiful pool. Dave gives 

 his hat a shove further on to the back of liis head, wipes the 

 perspiration from his face, and, having received a "Well 

 done, Dave," from Mr. P., and "All right" from Doc, shoves 

 the boat to the outlet of the pool and we again enter the bod- 

 ing, rushing torrent. On, on, we go. ilissing rocks that 

 would be our destraction should we sti'ike them by barely an 

 inch, but guided ever by the strong arms and practiced eyes 

 of our guide and the Doctor, we at last glide out on the 

 broad bosom of beautiful Lake Kudjee-Me-Kudjee, a lake 

 seven miles long by two broad, a,nd dotted with over three 

 hundred islands. 



Now comes the serious part of the trip, as we have before 

 us a six-mile pull down the lake, and the wind is dead ahead. 

 As all things have an end, however, so did this hard pull, 

 and at last we arrive at the outlet of the lake, called b^' the 

 Indians the Eel Wier, our objective point. 



The sun is but half an hour high, and Dave insists we 

 have no time to fish, as camp must be made before dark; 

 but who cares about camp with trout jumping by dozens on 

 all sides of us? so we out rods and at them, while Dave gives 

 us to understand we have but an hour at the most to fish, as 

 that camp must positively be made before dark. Mr. P. gets 

 to work first, and at the first cast hooks a beauty, then comes 

 Doc with a double, while the writer, neglecting the old 

 adage "to make haste slowly,'" tangles iip his casting line 

 and gets in at the funeral five minutes late. For ten minutes 

 there' is lively work, Dave using the landing net as fast as he 

 can ply it in a one, two, three manner, often all three of us 

 having a trout on at the same time, and at the end of that 

 ten minutes fully a dozen fine trout lay gasping in the bot- 

 tom of tbe boat. Certainly one cannot be blamed for some 

 httle excitement on such au occasion, and Doc seeing three 

 trout lise at once, one to each of his flies, strikes too hard, 

 and although two of them are hooked, his rod is hopelessly 

 smashed, the second joint going into three pieces. He winds 

 up his line a sadder 'man, and as miserable a member of the 

 profession as Nova Scotia can for the time being produce. 

 We two fortunate ones keep at it, and at the end of Dave's 

 hour go ashore and count up an even seventy-five trout, of 

 an average of one pound each. 



"Bustle around lively, boys, and get up the shelter tpnt, 

 and bring in wood for the camp-fire" is the word, as it is 

 nearly dark, while Dave, judging our appetites by his own, 

 selects tea of the largest trout and proceeds to cook them as 

 only Dave can. 



Supper by camp-fire. How many of your readers know 

 what solid enjoyment those four words convey, and what a 

 good-will feehng comes over one as, having swallowed the 

 last of your second pouud-and-a-half trout, and drained your 



second or third cup of coffee, you lie back on your blankets, 

 light yoiu- pipe, stretch out your feet to the fire, and forgive 

 your worst enemy pro Um. With stories from Dave of his 

 many adventures in this very neighborhood with the moose 

 and the bear, the evening is passed, broken once for a few 

 niomeuts, as if to verify Dave's stories, by a terrible crash- 

 ing oi the underbrush made by a moose, which, coming to 

 the river to drink, sees the light from our fire, and starts off 

 on a bee line for the next county. Gradually we drop off to 

 sleep, all but poor Doc, who burns the midnight camp- 

 fire in vain efforts to splice his rod. Vain, indeed, he finds 

 his labor, and seeks his blankets in disgust. 



Up again at five in the morning, in answer to our guide's 

 call of "hot trout," we take a hasty dip in the clear, cold 

 river, and swallow our breakfast as only impatient fishermen 

 can, for the trout are jumping by hundreds before our very 

 eyes, and we can hardly wait to refresh the inner man, so 

 eager ere we to be out and at them. Doc prefers to remain 

 in camp, as his tackle cannot be made to work. So 

 leaving him with the remains of the breakfast, we push 

 out from shore, and in less time than it takes to write it we 

 are both hooked to fine fish, Dave drops the anchor, grabs 

 the net and prepares for business. The exact details of that 

 morning's fishing are indeed foggy to my mind, and swal- 

 lowed up in the general result, but enough I can remember 

 to know that scarcely could a fly touch the water without 

 raising a fish, and several times we were both rewarded with 

 doubles. At last the long looked-for moment came to me. 

 Three beautiful trout rise at the same time, one to each fly, 

 and each one secures the object sought for and hooks him- 

 .self hard and fast. Reader, have you ever hooked three 

 large trout at the same time in water running like a mill 

 race? You know the thrill which comes over you, the 

 ecstasy with which you watch every leap and wild rush, 

 mixed with many pangs of regret that you had not changed 

 your well-worn casting line five minutes ago, as Dave sug- 

 gested. This time, however, the line proves true to its 

 owner, and after many wild plunges and two magnificent 

 leaps hy the largest trout, and probably ten minutes'" careful 

 but exciting work, (hey are reeled up to the boat, and fortu- 

 nately having two nets, the two lower fish are carefully 

 netted, and the third lifted over the side. The largest fish 

 of the day is one of them, and the three together weigh 4f 

 pounds. A wild hurrah from the bank greets our ears as the 

 fish are safely landed, and turnmg in that direction we are 

 just in time to see the Doctor, who has taken up his stand 

 on a large boulder to watch operations, wildly clutching 

 the air for something to hang on by, and not finding the 

 aforesaid something, with a terrible splash go head over 

 heels waist deep into the river. 



Half an hour more of the sport, and Dave announces that 

 it is 9 o'clock and time to make a start for home, so after 

 catching our "one more trout" several times, we reluctantly 

 reel up our lines and go ashore to pack up, as two of us must 

 be back at Caledonia that same evening. Reluctantly in- 

 deed we reel up, for hundreds of trout are still there to be 

 caught and could be caught before night could we stay, but 

 we have enough at any rate, and Dave soon announces 136 

 trout as the morning's catch, and 211 counting those of the 

 evening before. Selecting two and a half dozen of the finest 

 fish to present to a friend, the remainder are carefully 

 cleaned, tbe tent struck, hampers packed, and the homeward 

 march begun. Although none of them were large, the aver 

 age was considerably over a pound each, as counting out 

 forty-five fish which were eaten in camp, and given away 

 without being dressed, the remainder, which were dressed 

 (and after being cleaned), tipped the scales at 153 

 pounds. Not bad fishing for five hours with two rods. 

 Kudjee-Me-Kudjee, one of the finest of the Nova Scotia 

 fishing resorts, should be made known to your American 

 readers, for although in Nova Scotia, it is much easier to 

 reach than many of the Maine resorts, and nothing in Maine 

 can rival it in the numbers of trout. Leaving Boston in the 

 morning by International 8. 8. Co. you reach Annapolis the 

 fohowing 'afternoon at 3 o'clock, fare $5. Then by Cale- 

 donia coach to Kempt, thirty-nine miles, reaching there the 

 same evening at 8:30, fare $2.50. At Kempt sportsmen can 

 put up at David Freeman's till ready to go into the woods. 

 Freeman is a thorough and genial guide and perfectly 

 equipped with canoes and camping outfit, and any one_ se- 

 curing his services can rest as.sured of having a good time 

 and returning with something better than the well-known 

 "fisherman's luck." 



A party from Caledonia who visited this place a few days 

 before we did, returned with over 400 trout, the result of 

 nine or ten hours' fishing. W. 



MuSljrADOBOIT Harsok, N. S. 



"That reminds me." 

 159. 



SEVERAL years ago it was my large privilege to be pastor 

 of a certain church on the shore of New Hampshire's 

 most famous lake. One morning I drove to the residence of 

 Sidney G, , a member of my choir, for a few hours' trout 

 fishing on one of my l.favori'te streams. After reaching the 

 meadow 1 cautiously approached a deep pool, well screened 

 by high banks and bushes, where I had often caught the 

 king trout of the trip. Dropping in there quickly came a 

 tremendous tug. Standing where I could see into the pool, 

 I knew that the trout had uot touched the hook at all, but 

 was venting his strength on the sinker. Sidney, h owever, 

 who stood somewhat in my rear, was in ignorance of the 

 true condition of affairs, and forgetting in his excitement 

 over my non-action that I was his pastor, he fairly yelled, 

 "Pull, you devil! Pull, you devil, pull!" I lost the fish, 

 but the bursts of laughter which followed were equal to a 

 week's vacation. J. Frank Locke. 



MlNNBSOTA, _ 



160. 



Some thirty years ago a couple of hunters in St. Lawrence 

 county were 'spending the fall hunting in the South Woods, 

 as was their custom, when one night one of them, P., got in 

 so late to the shanty that he did not draw the charge from 

 his rifle as usual. During the night a large owl awoke them 

 by his hallooing Whoof Whool Whoof and his music kept 

 them awake, until P. got up in his anger, seized his rifle 

 and stepped out of the shanty, saying. "Cuss joxi, I'll let 

 you know who," and drew up and fired at the sound, in the 

 top of a large hemlock standing near the shanty. In a jiffy 

 he heard a rustling in the bushes, and a thud on the ground. 

 The next morning he went to the tree, and there lay a big 

 owl, shot right through by a chance shot. Bdllpout. 

 Vermont, 



Address all comniunicatio-ns to the Forest mid Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 



VEKDICT OP THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. 



AT the meeting of the Council of the American Ornithol- 

 ogists' Union, held in Washington, April 21, 1885, the 

 committee appointed in September. 1883, to inquire into the 

 question of the eligibility or ineligibility of the European 

 house sparrow in America, rendered its final report, which 

 was accepted and adopted as the sense of the Union on the 

 subject, and the committee was discharged with the unani- 

 mous thanks of the Union. The report, which was accom- 

 panied by a large quantity of valuable data, is here given : 

 Mr. Preddeut and Members of the TTnion: 



Your committee appointed to inquire into the eligibihty of 

 the European house sparrow (Passer domesttcns) as a natural- 

 ized resident in this country, has the honor herewith to sub- 

 mit its report. After due consideration, your committee 

 adopted the following form of circular letter, which was 

 framed to elicit information from all quarters and from all 

 interested persons : 



The American Ornitholofrists' TJuion, an organization resembling 

 tbe British association ot similar name, and including in its active 

 membership the most prominent ornlthologista of the United States 

 and Canada, purposes, among otaer objects already engaging its at- 

 tention, to determine as nearly as possiole the true status in America 

 of the European house sparrow {Passer domesticius), commonly 

 known fis the English sparrow, in so far as the relations of this bird 

 to mankind are concerned. The Union hopes to secure through the 

 solicited testimony or others, as well as the personal observations of 

 its members, the facts necessary to settle the question of tbe eligi- 

 bility or ineligibility of this sparrow as a naturalized resident of this 

 country. The question of the European house sparrow in America is 

 regarded as one of great economic consequence, to be determined 

 nmarily by ascertaining whether this bird be, upon the whole, 

 irectly or indirectly, injurious or benefieial to agriculture and horti- 

 culture. Its economic relations depend direcdy and mainly upon the 

 nature of its food; indirectly upon the effect, if any, which its 

 presence may have on useful native birds and beneficial insects. The 

 accompanying formula of questions is respectfully submitted to the 

 attention of tnose who may be able and willing to record statements 

 of positive facts and value derived from their own experience. Con- 

 cise and unquestionable answers returned to tbe undersigned on en- 

 closed blank, or otherwise, or communicated to any member of the 

 committee, wiU be appreciated and prove of high value among the 

 data upon which it is hoped that this vexed question may be set at 

 rest. The evidence thus obtained will be carefully considered by the 

 committee in jireparing its report to the Council of the Union, and a 

 digest of the same, with recommendations, if any, will be submitted 

 by the Council to the mature judgment of tne Union at its next annual 

 meeting. The following named active members of the Union were, 

 at the first congress, appointed a committee to investigate and report 

 upon this subject: Dr. J. 8. Holder, of New York, chairman; Mr, 

 Eugene P. Bicknell, of New York; Mr. H. A. Purdie, of Bo.'- ton. Mass.; 

 Mr. Nathan Clitford Brown, of Portland, Me.; Mr. Montague Cham- 

 berlain, ot Bt. John, New Brunswick; the committee having the 

 power of increasing its membership at its discretion. 



Dr. J. B. Holder, Chairman. 

 American Museum op Natceal History, Central Park, New York 

 city, Feb. 3, 1881. 



data concerkinq the eueopean house sparrow prom 



]. Is the European house sparrow {Passer domestieus) known in 

 your neighborhood, and If so, about when did it appeari' 3. Is your 

 rieighborhood city, suburbs or country? .S. Is this sparrow abundant? 

 4. I>? it iucreasiijg in numbers? 5. How many broods and young, 

 yearly, to a pair? (i. Is this sparrow protected by law? 7. Is it arti- 

 ficially fed and housed? 8. Does it molest, drive away or diminish 

 the numbers of native birds? 9. If so, what species? 10. Does this 

 sparrow injure shade, fruit or ornamental trees? 11. Does it attack 

 or injure garden fruits and vegetables? 12. Does it injure grain 

 crops? IS Is it an insect eater ©r a seed eater? 14. What insects, if 

 any, are cbi'jlly eaten by this sparrow? 15. WHiat is the piincipal 

 food it carries to its young? 10. What insects, if any, are carried by 

 it to its young? 17. Does the food of the old bird vary with the sea- 

 sons, and if so, in what way? 18. Does the food of its young vary, 

 and if so, how? 19. If any insects are eaten, are they beneticial or 

 injurious species? 20. Does the sparrow eat the larvre of the vaporer 

 mo\.h. (Orzvialeucostigmayi 31. Does it eat ichneumon flies? 2-i. Do 

 you determii e the nature of this bird's food and that furnished by it 

 to its young by inference, direct ob.servation or dissection? 23. Have 

 anj' injmious insects been exterminated or materially lessoned in 

 numbers by this sparrow? 24. Have any injurious insects increased 

 in numbers, or appeared where unknown btfore, in consequence of 

 the destruction of other insects by this sparrow? 25. Have these 

 sparrows in your neighborhood been destroyed systematically or 

 otherwise, and if so, by what means? 26. What bounty, if any. has 

 been offered for their destruction ? 27. "SVhat is the general sentiment 

 or balance of public opinion respecting the European house sj)arrow 

 in your locality? 28. On the wdole, iu your jmlgmeni, is this sparrow 

 an ehgible or ineUgible species in this country? 



In order to secure a thorough presentation of the subject 

 to those most likely to respond satisfactorily, each member 

 of the committee assumed the duties of correspondence in 

 his own section of the country, as well as in certain allotted 

 sections of the entire United States and Canada. Copies of 

 the letter were sent to the agricultural papers, to the various 

 journals having columns devoted to zoological and rural 

 matters, and to the press at large. The greater part, how- 

 ever, was directed to individuals believed to possess facts 

 pertinent to the subject. About one thousand copies wei-e 

 thus sent out. 



A large proportion of the answers received are of one im- 

 port, written by persons having no definite data to communi- 

 cate, but who, hadng experienced annoyance from the bird's 

 uncleauliness and unmtisical notes, desire to see it extermin- 

 ated. Under this head belong the numerous petitions which 

 have reached us from several quarters, uotablj^ from Phila- 

 delphia. The subject is regarded sufliciently important by 

 the inhabitants of that city to warrant the issue of printed 

 forms, which, with long lists of subscrib«rs, have been sub- 

 mitted to the consideration of your committee. The paucity 

 of replies to mtmy of our questions renders it impo.ssible to 

 report upon them decisively. Others, however, are fortun- 

 ately very fuUv answered. 



Returns to tbe first question give some data of interest in 

 relation to the time of the sparrow's first introduction into 

 this country. The earliest date of importation known to us 

 is 1858. when Mr. Thomas A. Deblois h berated a few indi- 

 viduals at Portland, Me. These disappeared shortly after- 

 ward, and were not successfully leplaced until 1875. In 

 1858 spaiTOWS were liberated at Peacedale, R. 1., by Mr. 

 Joseph Peace Hazard. They were first introduced into Cen- 

 tral Park, New York city, according to Mr. Conklin, the 

 superintendent of the menagerie, in the year 1864. In 1860 

 Mr Eugene Shiefliin turned loose twelve birds in Madison 

 Square, New York city. In 1868 the species was first intro- 

 duced into Boston Common. In 1869 a number were given 

 the liberty of the parks of Philadelphia. Somewhat later a 

 successful attempt was made to establish a colony near threat 

 Salt Lake, Utah, and about the same time the birds became 

 resident at Indianapolis, Jnd. 



In a period of about ten years the sparrows reached nearly 

 all the large towns and cities of New England and the Mid- 

 dle States, and many of those of the Western States, without 

 artificial assistance. It also made its appearance in suburban 

 towns and even country villages. From the Southeni States 



