Oct 1. 1885.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



188 



to the effect that none of its members sliall indulge in quail 

 shooting for three years. Many outsiders have joined in the 

 movement. 



In an evil moment I started to see a nimored dog show at 

 Newburgb. in connecdon with the county fair. Before I 



fot through I felt like the supplier of sinews to the succulent 

 sh cake, who figures in the following verse: 

 "On old Lonfr Island's sea-girt shore, 

 A cod was caught at break of day. 

 It never had been there before. 

 And wished to gosh 't had stayed away." 

 T was stepped on, jostled, squeezed and finally lost; but I 

 turned up again like the bad cent. 



The show contained about eighteen dogs, mostly local 

 celebrities. There was a fair specimen of the red Irish 

 setter, a pair of good mastiff pups, a St. Bernard bitch with 

 a litter, a collie, two be.'igles labeled "foxhounds," a couple 

 of nice fox-terriers, a pug, an overgrown cocker ticketed as a 

 water spaniel — its pedigree told us that its sire was a King 

 Charles and its dam a water spaniel — and perhaps one or 

 two others. The dogs were comfortably benched in a roomy 

 tent. The management could have added a valuable attrac- 

 tion to their fair by giving a good dog show. To that end a 

 fairly liberal premium list and some advertising would have 

 been of great assistance. Tim. Berdoodle. 



N W YoRR, Sep t. 32. 



A WEEK IN ICELAND. 



Editor Forest and Stream,: 



I send you by this day's mail an extract from the London 

 MeM, Sept. 5, entitled '"'A Week in Iceland," by Mr. Gum- 

 ming Macdona, whom - you probably know as one of the 

 most distinguished sporting men in England. It was ray 

 good fortune to travel with him in Iceland, and to spend 

 some little time with him at his home in Clieshire. 



T. R. G. P. 



From the paper inclosed by our correspondent we make 

 the following excerpts: 



"Everything is so different in this remote place to what 

 we are used to in England, and so strange. Most people 

 think that in going to Iceland, as the name would seem to 

 imply, that one was about to travel to a frozen land ; but in 

 our case we left the cold in England, and found the warmth 

 and mosquitoes, and other more familiar friends — or acquain- 

 tances. 1 should rather style them— in Iceland. It is a new 

 sensation to find oneself traveling among really honest 

 people. It is a refreshing excitement to await the production 

 of our hotel bill — to note how much below our anticipation 

 it generally is. It is queer to find oneself in a country where 

 there are no vehicles on wheels, not even a cariole, as in 

 Norway, nor a gondola, as in Venice. All traveling from 

 place to place all over the country and all about the towns 

 is done on pony back; so it would be well for those coming 

 out to bring their own saddles and bridles with them. Of 

 course, there are plenty provided on the island, but the Eng- 

 lish-made tackle is always more comfortable and much safer. 

 The charge for excellent ponies is most moderate — only two 

 kroners a day, or 2s. 2d of our money. Of course, there 

 are no roads in the country. Generally there are bridle 

 tracks, but these at times are hard to find in the boundless 

 lava-fields; so it is an absolute necessity to have a guide, for 

 which a charge of five or six kroners a day is made. It is 

 also necessary to have a relay of ponies, as a change is 

 needed every four hours when liding on a long journey. A 

 pair of ponies is also wanted to carry the pack saddles with 

 the tent-bedding and provisions; fresh ponies are also re- 

 quired for them, and an extra guide. As there are no hotels 

 in the country part, the farmers and the parsons keep open 

 house for the wayfarers, and make a very moderate charge 

 for what accomnaodation they give. It sounds strange, but 

 for all that it is true — travelers are provided bj' these farmers 

 and parsons with better coffee and cream than I have tasted 

 on the Boulevards of Paris or among the Ai-abs in Africa. 

 There are three excellent hotels in Reykjavik, the capital — 

 Hotel Island, Hotel Reykjavik and Hotel Alexandra, called 

 so after the Princess of Wales. 



"Most of the men on the island are terrible snuff takers, 

 carrying in their pockets large horn scoops, with which they 

 fill their noses from time to time. 



"Any one needing a thorough change of scene should take 

 this trip to Iceland. Here the fisherman will find rivers 

 teeming with salmon and trout, and lakes full of char and 

 every other kind of fish. The moors are full of ptarmigan 

 and golden plover; the rivers and fjords alive with ducks 

 and geese. Tlie air is dry, lambient and light. The ordinary 

 tourist will find many a delightful excursion through and 

 about the island— to the extraordinary sunken valley, formed 

 by cooled lava and riven rocks, over an immense plain, at 

 Thingvellir, then on to that seventh wonder of the world, 

 the Boiling Geysers, and so to Hekla, breathing fire and 

 brimstone beneath its ermine coat of purest snow, and the 

 many extinct volcanoes. It is passing strange traveling over 

 boundless fields of barren and black lava, alongside of crags 

 and peaks of great grandeur and wondrous beauty, along 

 lovely and lonely lakes of immense size, upon whose waters 

 the sound of an'oar has never been heard. One can travel 

 hundreds of miles and never set; a single tree. Away from 

 the screech of the steam engine, away from telegrams, letters 

 and newspapers, away from toil and turmoil — here the weary 

 find rest. Now and then we come upon habitations of men 

 composed of a pretty and picturesque farmhouse, surrounded 

 by its garden and slieep huts, and near at hand a few of the 

 neighbors' huts, covered with sods, 'in verdure clad.' We 

 were a party of twelve, and with our fifty ponies and six 

 guides, we made quite a sensation among the natives, as we 

 were the largest party, except the King's, that ever visited 

 their island. 



"We visited Thingvellir, and were most hospitably enter- 

 tained by the parish priest there, who showed us his pretty 

 little church. 



"We were lucky enough, at the end of our next day's ride, 

 to reach the Geyser in time to see next day a grand eruption 

 of one million and a half gallons of boiling water di'ivenwith 

 terrific force up about one hundred feet into the air, shaking 

 the ground all around as it rushed with mighty throes to the 

 surface — seething, splashing, dashing, crashing and roaring 

 with terrible earnestness and grandeur in the calm and silent 

 moonlight." 



The Poor Miners of Derbyshire have a curious notion 

 that pulmonary consumption is caused by the upheaving of 

 the lungs, and so they swallow shot to weigh the lungs down 

 into their normal place. The miners are all right in their 

 belief that shot axe a preventive j,for disease, but the way 

 to use shot is not to swallow them, but to shoot them out 

 of a gun. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



WILDFOWL IN DOMESTICATION. 



SOME years ago my brother and myself conceived the idea 

 of domesticating specimens of our native wildfowl, 

 partly for instruction and amusement, perhaps ultimately 

 with a view to profit. As we were both duck hunters, and 

 frequently captured birds only slightly wounded, we soon 

 had a nucleus to begin with, which by accretion we expected 

 would develop some day into a more than usually interesting 

 collection. By our own efforts and thoseof our friends, in sav- 

 ing cripples, catching young, purchasing, etc., we gradually 

 increased our flock, in spite of frequent losses by disease, es- 

 capes and vermin, until the collection contained a number each 

 of three species of geese and seven or eight of ducks, all in fine 

 condition and as tame as could be expected. Our hope was 

 to eventually obtain specimens of all North American s:ecse, 

 ducks, cranes, etc. The hope was never realized. As breed- 

 ing time approached in the spring of 1882 we looked forward 

 with high expectations as to the result, for the preceding 

 summer and fall had seen a considerable addition to our 

 flock, when one ill-fated night dogs gained access to the in- 

 closure where they were kept and destroyed nearly the entire 

 flock of ducks. The geese were in another lot and escaped. 

 This mishap so discouraged us that we never undertook the 

 experiment again; but perhaps a few notes of the character- 

 istics of these birds as observed by me Avould prove inter- 

 esting. 



I discovered that while wild geese and. ducks could be 

 tamed, they never became thoroughly domesticated, as the 

 migratory instinct is so strong during the spring and fall 

 that they would leave if not pinioned. At other seasons the 

 geese were as contented as domestic birds, and were 

 generally allowed to run at large; but not so the ducks, which 

 had to be confined at all seasons by a tight fence, and if one 

 of them found an opening, it had no scruples against desert- 

 ing its companions, and striking out for the nearest water- 

 course leading to the river, although there might be plenty 

 of water in their own pond. This was in marked contrast 

 to the geese, which were reluctant to separate from each 

 other, even to escape. Neither would the ducks ever become 

 as tame and gentle as the geese, but they were always timid. 

 Mallards, if allowed to run with tame ducks, would not 

 show much fear of a person, but as soon as separated their 

 wild nature returned. Mallards will breed in domestication, 

 and their habits do not differ from tame birds, with which 

 they freely intermix. They are said to also cross with the 

 gadwall and black duck. But of this I know nothing. They 

 are the easiest duck domesticated, and next to them comes 

 the woodduck. Of the latter we had quite a number, mostly 

 young ones captured just before ready to fly, or adults 

 caught while moulting. These beautiful little birds, the 

 most active on land of any, were pugnacious as bantam 

 cocks, and did not hesitate to attack larger ducks, and I have 

 even seen one make a pass at a white-fronted goose, their 

 extreme quickness enabling them to dodge an enemy. I am 

 satisfied that they can be raised in domestication, and per- 

 haps innumerable generations would reduce their timidity 

 and remove the migratory instinct. The only one we ever 

 had which did not seem inclined to stray was one raised 

 almost from the egg The woodduck, "with its brilliant 

 plumage, .sprightliness and general lack of resemljlauce to 

 the regulation flat-billed species, is an ornament to any pond, 

 and tliey are less liable to sickness than any other species, 

 except, pei'haps, the mallard. 



The pintails were perhaps the wildest, most restless and 

 discontented of any species in the collection, although bear- 

 ing confinement reasonably well. During the season of 

 migration they were constantly out in the open, with long 

 necks stretched skyward, watching for passing flocks, and 

 every few minutes trying to rise into the air, and turning a 

 somersault in consequence, on account of a pinioned wing — 

 only to get up and try it again. Ducks never seem to learn 

 that they can't fly when pinioned, but keep trying for hours 

 at a time. Geese are different and learn by experience. 1 

 beheve the pintail will breed in domestication, and they 

 should cross with the mallard, as I know they sometimes do 

 in the wild state. 



The "black jack" or ringneck, although not like the fore- 

 going, was interesting. Reasonably tame at ordinary times, 

 during the migratory period they seemed to become almost 

 frantic, especially in the evening, as all ducks travel more by 

 night. As when in a state of nature they cannot rise directly 

 into the air like most other ducks, so here they would go 

 flapping along the surface of the ground or water to get 

 headway instead of trying to spring directly up like the pin- 

 tails. Strange to say this movement was to the north in 

 spring and south in the fall. After reaching the other end 

 of the inclosure, instead of repeating the attempt in the 

 other direction, they would return to the starting point on 

 foot and try again. The species is strong in its attachments. 

 I once saw a drake black-jack exhibit the most touching de- 

 votion to a sick mate which we were doctoring. He would 

 leave the other ducks and sit for hours at a time by her side, 

 in a corner to which she had retired, manifesting his solici- 

 tude unmistakably. In spite of all our medicine the female 

 died, and the drake knew as well as we, who were watching 

 at a little distance, that a change had taken place. He would 

 walk round and round the body, caressing it with his bill, 

 and seemed almost to understand what was the matter; we 

 had to approach very clo.se before he would leave, and it was 

 some time before he seemed to forget the loss. 



All ducks are greedy, but the ' black-jack is insatiable. 

 Although nominally a grain-eating duck, he is exceptionally 

 fond of meat, as I discovered one day when feeding some 

 grebes or "dabchicks" on raw beef. The woodduck will 

 also eat flesh ; others may, but I never saw them. I doubt 

 if the black-jack or any other deep-water duck will breed in 

 domestication. 



The blue and green-winged teal were quiet, gentle birds, 

 the former especially, and showed no marked characteristics. 

 When ours were killed the bluewing contained eggs, but I 

 think the green would also breed, and I would like to try 

 crossing the two, and also crossing them with the wood- 

 duck. If such a hybrid could be obtained it certainly would 

 be a beauty. 



Of the gadwall or gray duck we had but one specimen, a 

 fine drake, which was very tame, but it was the only species 

 which we could not teach to eat on land. We were com- 

 pelled to feed it with something which would float on water, 

 such as oats, as their natural food consists of certain mosses, 

 insects, smaU seeds, etc. The gadwall would doubtless breed 



in confinement and is said to cross with the mallard and 

 black duck; if so. then it should also with the pintail and 

 wid.econ. Except this biixl, all our ducks preferred corn as 

 their steady diet, in preference even to such food as they 

 could obtain when wild, pin oak acorns for instance. Next 

 to corn, wheat was their choice, oats they did not much 

 like and rye they would scarcely eat. Animal food in some 

 form was occasionally supplied, also ;fine gravel, charcoal, 

 and at breeding time lime in some shape, preferably in small 

 shells. 



But it was to the geese that I gave most attention, they 

 taking to domestication much more kindly than ducks, and 

 becoming very tame, so tame in fact as to be a nuisance. 

 Like .some other creatures which are very wild in a .state of 

 nature, yet become tamer when captured than other kinds 

 apparently not so wild, geese as soon as they discover there 

 is nothing to fear, seemed to become po.ssessed of a desire for 

 human companionship. I suppose the greater the resem- 

 blance the greater the "afflnity." Ours were confined part 

 of the time in a small lot at some distance from the house, 

 and along the further side ran a small branch, yet they 

 selected for a roosting place the very extreme corner nearest 

 the house, away from the stream, and there spent most of 

 their time when not feeding. Turn them into the house lot, 

 which was of considerable extent, and they would not stay 

 down to the water without company, but must needs come 

 up about the part of the house where the folks were most 

 likely to be, and if the doors were not closed had no scruples 

 against coming inside. 



The common Canada goose is so well-known that I shall 

 content myself with giving two rather remarkable instances 

 of intelligence which came under my notice. Wild geese in 

 domestication do not breed until at least three years old, and 

 are strictly monogamous, some writers even claiming that 

 should one of a pair be lest the remaining one never remates. 

 Of the latter I know nothing, but from their strong attach- 

 ments I believe it would be true in many cases. The first 

 pair of geese we obtained from Iowa when not quite one year 

 old, fine, large, well-formed, perfect specimens apparently, 

 and to all appearances thoroughly mated and devotedly 

 attached to each other. When these were nearly two years 

 old we secm-ed in this State another gander and two geese, 

 all three years old, and within a week thereafter the Iowa 

 gander deserted his mate, driving her fiercely away whenever 

 .she approached him, and formed a union with one of the 

 new arrivals, which lasted until last spring when we sold 

 them. They raised a brood the year after, but his former 

 mate has never dropped even unfertilized eggs, although 

 while in our possession two springs passed after her arrival 

 at breeding age, thus proving that she was barren. Now the 

 question suggests itself, did this gander form the new attach- 

 ment because of the greater age of his second mate, or was 

 it mere fancy, or, as I think, did he recognize through some 

 subtle sense as yet unknown, that his first mate was barren, 

 though not then of breeding age? If the latter is the true 

 explanation, then was it instinct or reason? I believe that 

 the lower animals rea.son more or less logically, but they cer- 

 tainly possess another power, call it instinct or what you will, 

 and in a much greater degree than humans. 



That the Canada goose sometimes performs acts irrespect- 

 ive of instinct and governed solely by reason, I will now at- 

 tempt to prove. Canada geese from some cause have a great 

 antipathy toward common barn yard chickens, but soon get 

 accustomed to those they are brought in contact with, and 

 pay no attention to them unless they come in their way. But 

 let a strange chicken come in the yard and away they go to 

 catch it. Or let them find a sitting hsn where they can get 

 to her, and off she has to come to make music for them by 

 cackling, and woe to her if she gets caught. Going down to 

 feed them one morning, I saw a lot of strange chickens in a 

 corner of the yard besieged by a pair of geese, who were 

 waking the echoes over their delightful discovery. But they 

 were afraid to make a charge at such long range for fear the 

 chickens would dodge past. I called them down to the 

 branch to get their feed, but they were uneasy and would not 

 eat much, and kept watching the chickens, which were 

 working down toward the branch as if to cross about forty 

 yards above. Presently the geese gobbled together a little, 

 and then struck off up stream, swimming very slowly and 

 cautiously, with necks kept well down below the bank, 

 which was perhaps eighteen inches high, and so timed their 

 speed that they arrived at the point where the chickens were 

 going to cross just as the latter reached it, and with a great 

 outcry sprang out on them. They failed to catch any, but 

 that was no fault of the strategy, which entitled them to 

 rank as generals, but it was due only to their own clumsi- 

 ness. Then they returned satisfied,' and quietly finished 

 their breakfast. Whoever had witnessed the maneuver 

 would have _ had no doubt that it was intelligently planned 

 and carried into execution. At any rate I have none. 



The white-fronted goose looks too much like the domestic 

 bird to make it much of an ornament to a collection, but it 

 is nevertheless quite interesting. They are easily tamed, and 

 are rather disposed to be pugnacious. One old gander in 

 particular always looked as if he were spoiling for a fight, 

 and his mate once followed a horse with the apparent inten- 

 tion of trying it a round. Although these birds arrive here 

 later in the spring and earlier in the fall than the Canada 

 geese, yet they seem to stand more cold and, I believe, go 

 further north to breed, I have seen one of ours sitting on a 

 large cake of ice in one of the coldest days in winter in 

 preference to seeking shelter or even to roosting on the dry 

 leaves and grass close by. Although well contented in 

 domestication, they never bred, nor do I believe they ever do 

 in this latitude even in the wild state. And yet they seem 

 to stand the heat of summer as well as the other species. 



But the most interesting variety by far was the goose known 

 to naturalists as the blue-winged, white-headed or blue goose, 

 known to hunters as the bald brant. These names sufli- 

 ciently describe it so that any one can recognize a specimen. 

 One of our specimens manifested remarkable iutelhgence in 

 various ways. When it was received from the hunter who 

 shot it, it had been wounded about two weeks, and was im- 

 mediately given the range of the pasture with the other geese, 

 where it would graze almost all day, seeming hardly ever 

 satisfied. It was in veiy poor condition, but after it got in 

 good order it always showed more voracity than the other 

 species. This bird although exceedingly wild at first be- 

 came within a month as tame as a barnyard fowl, and withm 

 two months, with a very little coaxing, came to eat out of 

 my hand with great familiarity. At the same time it was 

 shy of stranoers and would not allow them to approach very 

 near. It differed very materially in this respect from the 

 white-fronted variety, which I never could induce to eat 

 from my hand, yet is apparently no wilder than the blue 

 one. It was not gifted with much courage or pugnacity, 

 and I very seldom saw it make an aggressive movement 



