184 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



fOGT. 1. 1885. 



towrard another goosej a duck or a chicken, and it would 

 hardl,v ever even .?t:md bn the defeusive. This wa3 not from 

 weukness, as the ease -with which it Avouki snap a hard grain 

 of corn iQ tNTo showed that it had abundant strength of jaw, 

 and I beheve it couhl easily whip the white-fronted goose; 

 yet when attacked by the latter (as it frequently was) it 

 always gave way with a pitiful squeal and chatter of re- 

 proach which was rather amusing. 



This bird was better acquainted and more familiar with 

 mjrself than with any other member of the household, and 

 almost always greeted my appearance with its shrill cry, and 

 il hungry, would come running to me with wings outspread 

 and follow around at my heels like a dog. That it did not 

 notice others of the family in like manner proves that it had 

 sense enough to distinguish one person from another and 

 was capable of forming attachments. Its intelligence was 

 also shown by the following: While feeding it from my 

 hand one day I inadvertently withhold the food from it for 

 a short time, when becoming impatient it save me a slight 

 peck on the right knee. Taking advantage of this trifling 

 action to teach it a trick, 1 immediately held the corn to it, 

 and, after letting it eat a little, I again withdrew it. For a 

 lew momcDts the bird seemed perplexed, then quick as 

 thought, it reached out and bit me severely on the same 

 knee, this time with apparent inteUigence, for it then seemed 

 to expect the corn. This was repeated several times, until 

 no doubt was left in my mind that the bird understood that 

 biting me brought the food, and it never forgot the lesson. 

 It was a handsome bird and had many amusing ways. They 

 never bred, nor even laid, although they mated. The white- 

 fronted ones were never observed to. The brant were sent 

 to Central Park more than a year ago and are probably there 

 "ow. Junius P. Leach. 



RtrSHVILLE, 111. 



HOW MANY NESTS? 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Ar>DmoN.\L Notes.— A rather singular circumstance has 

 occurred in connection with one of the robin's nests men- 

 tioned in "How Many Nests?" since that article was written, 

 and as it maybe interesting to some, I give it as it happened. 

 On the morning of Thursday, the 6th of August, a young 

 bird took its flight from the nest nearest the house. I was 

 sitting at the time where I could see it hopping around 

 among the branches before it left the tree and calling for 

 food, while the old birds seemed to give their entire attention 

 to those in the nest. It was very seldom that they appeared 

 to consider it necessary to give this young bird anything, 

 and even when it would flutter up to them and shake its 

 wings and beg, it was not often that its entreaties were 

 answered. Indeed, had I not seen the bird leave the nest 

 that the old ones were feedings there were times when I 

 would have considered the poor little creature as not belong- 

 ing to them. At last, after calling and begging for an hour 

 or more, it made an effort to follow one of the parent birds. 

 This took it away from the tree across the road, and I was 

 surprised to see how strong were it wings. But still the 

 calling went on. while the old birds were as devoted as ever 

 to the nest. Twice I saw the young bird return to the place 

 and beg for food, his strength of wing seeming weaker the 

 second time than it did the lirst time he came. But he occa- 

 sionally received something, and I could see he was not 

 disowned. 



However, in the afternoon I noticed that he remained in 

 one place across the road, calling at times in the most piti- 

 able way. I could always tell when he was fed. He would 

 stop his squalling for a few minutes, and it seemed to me 

 that he was receiving just enough food to keep him alive. 

 'And still the parent birds were most attentive to the nest. 

 Then Friday morning came, and almost the first sound that 

 I hpard after daylight was the calling of the young bird. 

 This stopped, however, after sunrise, and was only heard at 

 intervals dm-ing the day, while the old birds were as devoted 

 as ever to the nest. Only the hen bird came most frequently, 

 leading me to think that the cock had been detailed to wait 

 upon the fledgeling. Meanwhile, I had been expecting to see 

 some more birds leave the nest. But no, nor did I hear a 

 sound from it. And now Saturday morning arrived, when 

 occasionally I would hear the fledged bird call and saw that 

 the parents were still giving most of their attention to the 

 nest. This was the day of General Grant's funeral, and I 

 liad to leave home at 9 o'clock and did not return until after 

 13. Before I entered my gate I heard the fledgeling calling 

 most frantically, and I had hardly taken half a dozen steps 

 toward the piazza, when the hen bird in a very distracted 

 way called and scolded at me as I went toward the nesting 

 tree. I had never seen her so excited and angry, nor would 

 she go away after food until I entered the house. This puz- 

 zled me, and I determined to find out, if possible, what was 

 the cause. So taking a paper, I went out on the piazza and 

 pretended to read. 1 had hardly seated myself there before 

 ihe bird returned with food in her bill, and began to call and 

 scold again. I pretended to take no notice of her, while at 

 the same time I was watching every movement. Meanwhile 

 the fledgling was caMing even louder and more frantically 

 than ever, while not a sound came from the nest. 



Every time the old bird returned she would go through 

 the same maneuvers. She would alight on the top of a 

 spruce, scold and then make a dart for the nest. I watched her 

 for a long time, until all at once it dawned upon my mind 

 that there was only one bird, and that the hen attending to 

 the young. I now looked more carefully and sure enough 

 one bird was doing all the waiting. There could be no mis- 

 take. She was the one that came and went upon an average of 

 thirteen minutes all the afternoon, and I only saw her visit 

 the fledged bird three times during that period. But now 

 his cries were not so loud and I could see that his strength 

 was failing. He was obliged to confine his flights to a 

 few dead branches where he sat, and those were surrounded 

 by a luxuriant growth of young locust trees. And now Sun- 

 day morning came, and again the frantic calls of the young 

 bird are almost the first sounds that I hear. I cannot stand 

 it any longer. I wilt try and save the poor thing. So I go 

 across the road, the old bird following me and scolding as 

 usual, when out from some grasses by the bank comes my 

 fledgeling, making a vain effort to hft himself from the dust 

 of the road and the dew that bedraggled his feathers. Poor 

 thing, it was very weak now and ah it could do was to open 

 its mouth as I place my hand upon it, and I was astonished 

 that the mother bird did not make a greater outcry when I 

 seized her fledgeling. But I took it to the library and I gave 

 it some little pieces of fresh meat. These it swallowed most 

 ravenously. And when it ceased to open its mouth I ceased 

 to feed it. Before church time it seemed quite recovered. 

 So taking a pasteboard box and slitting some bars in it I put 

 the bird in it and I placed the box in the window, where the 



toother could hear her fledgeling call. When Ireturued home 

 at noon I found I had made my openings in the box too wide 

 and that not only had the mother bird fed heryoung one but 

 had succeeded in coaxing it out of the box. and was now at- 

 tending to its wants on the branch of a tree that grew beneath 

 the window. This was just what I wanted, but on returning 

 from my afternoon duties I heard the bird calling again from 

 the old place across the road. T now prepared another box, 

 a larger one and of wood, in which I thought to confine the 

 bird until the whole nest was fledged. This box was placed 

 on the ground not far from the nesting tree, and b&side it T 

 threw down some worms that I had dug. Nor did I have to 

 wait long before I saw the old bird fly down to her young 

 one (as it put its head out between the slats and called) and 

 pick up several of the worms and put them in its mouth. 

 This led me to think that it was only because the mother 

 could not feed so many mouths that it was being allowed to 

 starve. But this was not so as will be seen from the sequel. 



On Monday morning my bird was quite smart. It was 

 very evident that it had been feed many times before I saw 

 it, and was now hearty and strong, the old bird made a 

 great time when I went near it now. Any one might have 

 thought that she had given it her undivided attention. But 

 it was not long after breakfast before I heard the bird calling 

 again from the same old quarters among the locust bushes. 

 At first I thought it might be another young one, but no, 1 

 went to my box and mine was gone again. The slats were 

 still too far apart. It was after dinner before I went for it, 

 Then it seemed to be calhng in the most frantic way. I 

 found it on one of the lower boards on the fence, with its 

 wings hanging down and utterly unable to fly. It was put 

 in the box again, and I had hardly taken my seat in the house 

 before I saw it hopping across the lawn and chirping, with 

 its mouth open, as the mother bird ran before it and tried to 

 coax it to fly up into one of the spruces. I now decided to 

 catch it again and let it go in the field just opposite the nest, 

 where it would not be exposed to persons walking along the 

 road and where boys would not be so likely to trespass. 

 This was nearer the nest than the place I had taken it from 

 so often, and had the advantage of being a foraging ground 

 of the parent bird. Here I heard it cah several times, and 

 at last had the .satisfaction of seeing its cries attended to 

 again. 



On Tuesday morning I found the old bu-d attending to 

 both nest and fledgeling, and very early heard a young bird 

 chirping in the nest. I watched the nest now very closely, 

 until noon. I was particularly desirous to see liow many 

 birds left it. For a past experience had led me to think that 

 the last brood of bhds where three nests are raised 

 is smaller than the second, and the second smaller 

 than the first. Thus, if the first nest contain five eggs, the 

 second may have three and the third two. Or, if the first 

 nest have four eggs, then the second two and the last one. 

 I have good reason to think that the second nest mentioned 

 in "How Many Nests" had only one bird in it. But I 

 watched the nest I am speaking of now most carefully. 

 Well, at noon I saw a young bird leave it, and call and 

 move around among the thick branches. • And now 

 the old bird seemed even more excited than ever. She never 

 came to feed this young one that she did not stop to scold at 

 me; and she would sometimes remain as much as four 

 minutes watching my motions, while one or the other of her 

 birds called for food. But I was determined I would sit her 

 out and sati-sfy myself. So I read on for an hour and a half, 

 and before that time had expired the young bird took its 

 flight from the tree. There was but one; when it left the 

 nest was forsaken. The two young birds were taken over 

 among the locust trees, and have now grown so that they can 

 feed themselves. Mornings and evenings I think I can still 

 recognize the voice of my bird as he feeds upon the wild 

 cherries with a great many others iJiat were reared, 1 take 

 it, in this neighborhood. 



What became of the old malo bird is a question. And yet 

 I do not know that it is. I was told that several reports" of 

 a gun were heard in this vicinity while I was away from 

 home on that Saturday morning. And my conclusion is 

 that in some of his foraging expeditions while providing for 

 the young, a robin fiend shot him. He will not come back 

 another year to gladden this household with his early song. 



I have reason to think that many robins in this vicinity 

 have built three times. I saw one in my neighbor's garden 

 on the 15th of August carrying food to the nest, and on the 

 16th started a young bird with a short tail out of some bushes 

 that grow in the rear of my house. 



A second nest of thrushes was fledged (I consider it a sec- 

 ond nest) on the 11th, and a second one of catbirds about the 

 same time. The old birds, so far as I can judge, feed the 

 younff from a week to a fortnight after they leave the nest. 

 The orioles and some others I had thought give their atten- 

 tion to their brood for perhaps a much longer period. It is 

 only a few days since I saw a full grown young Baltimore 

 oriole following an old male bird (the male without a tail), 

 and begging it for food. But now I hope during the fall 

 and winter to hear occasionally of some one else's experi- 

 ence. A. H. G. 



THE FLORIDA WHIP SCORPION. 



Ediioi- Forest and Stream: 



Your correspondent "R. A. T.," in issue of Sept; 21, 

 points well, and will please accept thanks for correction of 

 my anecdote and for others which I had forgotten. 



As to "Nessmuk's" Florida whip scorpion or grampus, I 

 have unearthed hundreds of them; but never heard of their 

 bite being fatal. A neighbor of mine was bitten on the arm 

 some years since by a grampus that had hidden in his coat 

 sleeve as it lay on the ground, but although the arm was 

 swollen and quite numb for a day or two, no permanent 

 harm followed. The poison might possibly be fatal to brutes 

 and not to human beings. The grampus has one habit not 

 mentioned by "Nessniuk." It is that of emitting a most 

 nauseating fetid odor when irritated. At such times it rears 

 its hair-like tail on high, raises itself on its legs, and moves 

 slowly away with stiff-legged dignity, its claws held aloft 

 and well spread ready for attack or defense. "Nessmuk's" 

 "man-eattr" or "Florida bedbug" is no doubt of the ChincJi. 

 family and is a veritable pest,'hke others of Florida. S. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I send you by this mail a dead specimen of the "whip 

 scorpion," "scrauncher" or "deadly grampus." If the post 

 office clerks get away with this one I am afraid the paper 

 will have to scrub along till spring on ordinary bugs. 



I roll him up in a Tarpon Springs tract, which tracts are 

 mostly concerning tracts of land reserved for the Northerner 

 who is supposed to stand in lu-geut need of orange groves. 



Nessmuk. 



Tarpon Springs, Fla., Sept. 19. 



Purple Graoklh About PtoLADELPHiA.— One of the 

 correspondents of Forest and Stream has lately written 

 me to know if there is a nesting place of the purple grackle 

 in the Adcinity of Philadelphia at this time. Not for fifteen 

 years in my recollection has there been such. Some years 

 since the cedar rows dividing the fields of Dr. Twaddell's 

 farm in West Philadelphia was a breeding place, and hun- 

 dreds of birds selected the locality for building their nests, 

 but now scarcely one can be seen. In Delaware county, Pa.', 

 however, within fifteen miles from Philadelphia, wherever 

 spruce or cedar trees are growing, these birds can be found 

 breeding in great numbers. There was quite a colony oi 

 them near the town of Avondale, Delaware county, and also 

 in Hefflnger's Woods, near LeipervUle, Pa. They begin their 

 migrations south from the 1st of October to the middle of 

 the same mouth, according to the condition of the season.— 

 Hoiio. 



Dakota Botany.— Le Beau, D. T., Aug. 9.—EdMar Forest 

 and Stream: I have discovered a plant growing wild here 

 in the Missouri River vahey, which is a species of the ice 

 plant (Mesembryanihemum crystallimim). The simple fact 

 that this plant has been found growing in the open air of this 

 northern climate is of itself a great curiosity, as it is sup- 

 posed to be only a native of South Africa. I was greatly 

 surprised on my arrival here to find wild many plants and 

 shrubs grown in Eastern gardens, among which are the 

 climbing rose, mountain cap (sometimes called snow or 

 mountain oxah's), cactus, etc. But I am astonished, after 

 hving here a year, to find an African plant. — ^Frances 

 Johnson. 



The Colored Ckowtst of the Kisgbird.— -Bethel, Me. — 

 I was much interested in the idea of Dr. Merriam as to the 

 use of the colored patch on the kingbird's head, as described 

 in your issue of Sept. 17. The three-toed woodpecker also 

 has a brilliant yellow spot on his crown, commonly covered 

 with black feathers. I had shot many of these birds before 

 I discovered it, so completely was it hidden. I also had a 

 theory that these hidden patches of beauty on both these and 

 other birds were used to adorn themselves in the mating sea- 

 son, at which time they could uncover their beauty spot to 

 their admiring mates at pleasure. — J. G. R. 



mtie^ §Hg dtfd §nti* 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream PubliaJtr 

 ing Co. 



WITH THE BIRDS AT PINE POINT. 



ON Saturday, September 13, I started with gun, baggage 

 and my red Irish setter Prince, for a week's shooting 

 at Pine Point, Maine, having engaged Mr. John Biyant, a 

 weU known and successful gunner at that place, to go 

 with me. 



We went into camp Saturday afternoon. We had expected 

 a storm Monday, but it did not come, so we had to content 

 ourselves with a warm pleasant day. The morning's shoot- 

 ing amounted to almost nothing, but] toward noon the wind 

 shifted to the south, and for about two hours we had good 

 shooting. Our bag for the day consisted of 3 teal, 32 sum- 

 mer yellowlegs, 1 fall snipe, 1 robin snipe, 3 gran birds, 1 

 brownback and 1 golden plover— 33 birds in all. Tuesday 

 we scored three teal, one of which was a green-wing, and 1 

 summer j^dlowleg. Wednesday was a very poor day and 

 we were quite discouraged, 3 summer yellowlegs and 3' gran- 

 birds being the total bag. Wednesday night was cold and 

 frosty, and we looked for better shooting Thursday. We 

 were rewarded by getting a good bag of 5 teal, 6 golden 

 plover, 1 blackbreast, 1 winter yeilowleg, 3 summer yellow- 

 legs, 7 granbirds and 4 snipe — 26 birds. We were of com-se 

 in high spirits and our expectations were at the highest. 



Friday found us bright and early at our decoys. Our 

 record for the day, after considerable hard work — and that 

 in_ my opinion is the only way to get birds — was 4 teal, 5 

 winter yellowlegs, 3 golden plover and 5 granbirds. Friday 

 night we packed up, leaving just enough things to get break- 

 fast with, as we wanted to get as much shooting as possible 

 before train lime. Could we have stayed the day out, I 

 think we would have had better shooting than any previous 

 day. As it was we got 7 teal, and 3 winter yellowlegs, 

 just in time to take the eight o'clock train for Portland. 



I never in my life enjoyed a trip so much, and if my 

 setter could speak, he would tell the same story. Our gun- 

 ning, of course, as in a great many places, is diminishing, 

 but still a score of 91 birds in less than a week will satisfy 

 me. If any of the readers of the Forest and Stream who 

 think of taking a trip this way will write to Mr. Bryant, I 

 can assure them of a good time and some good bags of birds. 



H. A. Fi-btcher. 



Portland, Me., Sept. 23. 



THE WISCONSIN LAW. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



While the Governor of Wisconsin last winter vetoed oiu' 

 game and fish warden bill, which had passed both branches 

 of the Legislature, yet two of our local shooting clubs on 

 l;ake Koshkonong, Wis., namely, the Blackhawk Club and 

 the Koshkonong Place Club, have at their own expense em- 

 ployed two game and fish wardens to patrol said lake to see 

 that the game and fish laws are rigidly enforced this season. 

 The tofiowing extracts give the game law as amended last 

 winter: 



Section 4965 of Revised Statutes was amended by Chapter 

 351, approved April 8, 1885, published April 15, 1885, so as 

 to read as foflows: 



"Any person who shall take, catch, kill, destroy or wound 

 any woodcock, prairie hen, prairie chicken, partridge or 

 ruffed grouse, sharp tailed grouse or gr-ouse of any other 

 variety, snipe, quail, mallard, wood or teal duck or deer, by 

 the use of any net, snare, trap, gin or gun, * * * kill, 

 destroy or wound any wild duck, brant or goose, by the use 

 of any pivot or swivel gun or any firearm other than a gun 

 habitually used at arm's length and fired or discharged from 

 the shoulder or when raised or held by the hand, or by any 

 float, sneakboat, sail or steamboat, or floating box or similar 

 device, or from any fixed or artificial blind or ambush 

 located in open water outside or beyond the natural cover 

 of reeds, canes or flag, then and there projecting above the 

 surface of the water of any lake, river, bay or inlet, or at- 

 tempt to do so, * * * * * shall be punished by a 

 fine not exceeding one hundi-ed dol lars nor less than five 

 dollars for each offense. One-half of such fine, when col- 

 lected, shall be paid to the county treasurer and by him paid 



