66 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 18, 1886. 



have never found or known of an egg case of any of our 

 sharks or dogfish to be found on our neighboring coasts, 

 though in Europe they are very common. 



Mr. Mather informs me that •when visiting the Southport 

 Aquarium, he witnessed a spotted shark attach or entangle 

 to a mass of algse, the curling, tendril-like terminations of 

 one end of her egg cases before the egg had been entirely ex- 

 truded ; but that as soon as the tendrils became fastened to 

 the mass of algse she moved along, thus causing the egg to be 

 delivered from her ovarium. 



During the winter months, after a severe storm, I have 

 often gathered numbers of the fruitful egg cases of both the 

 "barn door skate" and the ocellated ray, which were very 

 interesting studies in embryology during their development 

 in a self-supporting marine aquarium. InEngland, Scotland 

 and Ireland, the flesh of the skate is highly prized and is 

 eaten both fresh and salted, but in this land of abundance 

 only a few Scotchmen ask for it. A. W. Roberts. 



Herbert's Law to Protect Birds. — It may not be gen- 

 erally known that "Frank Forester" prepared the first effect- 

 ive law for the protection of insectivorous birds passed by 

 the New York Legislature in 1858, and that this law, with a 

 few trifling amendments, is still in force. This enactment, 

 known then as the "Herbert law," was prepared by him only 

 a few weeks before the tragic death of the great sporting 

 author, and therefore was among the last productions of his 

 pen. Through the courtesy of our correspondent ' Canoni- 

 cus, " who has the original manuscript in Herbert's charac- 

 teristic chirography, we recently had the pleasure of exam- 

 ining the historic scroll, which fills ten pages of foolscap 

 paper. "Canonicus," who was active at that time in urging 

 the necessity of a law to protect songsters and insectivorous 

 birds, submitted to us his correspondence with Henry Wil- 

 liam Herbert, Hon. O. B. Wheeler, Senator (the late Gen- 

 eral, killed at the Wilderness, May, 1862) Wadsworth and 

 others in regard to the subject and the absolute necessity of 

 the law. The original M8S. of the Herbert law would prove 

 most interesting to all, and any devoted admirer of the late 

 "Frank Forester." Our correspondent desires us to say 

 that inasmuch as the law is in such shape as to be divided 

 and (hen mounted and framed, he would be glad to have it 

 become the property of some club. In order to meet this 

 idea he is willing to part with it at a low figure, so that the 

 rare souvenir may meet more generally the public eye. Ad- 

 diess W. T. Evers, this office. 



A Good Example. — Many persons when they see birds 

 destroyed wantonly by boys, or for mercenary purposes by 

 men, feel convinced that the law ought to be enforced, 

 but rarely take the trouble, or have the courage, to act up to 

 their convictions. 1 am glad to be able to say that there is 

 in Delaware at least one man who protects the birds under 

 any and all circumstances. In a recent letter regarding the 

 heronry mentioned by him in the Forest and Stream of 

 January 21, Mr. B. B. Gilmer, of Wilmington, states, "The 

 birds return every year, and apparently in increased num- 

 bers. I do not think the place has been destroyed to any 

 extent, save by boys of the locality, who at one time were 

 wont to destroy the whole heronry. I succeeded in scaring 

 them away and in having some of them placed under bail 

 for their good conduct. The heronry has been kept intact 

 for several years and I do not want it molested by skin hun- 

 ters." Let others follow the good example of Mr. Gilmer. — 

 William Dtjtoher, (of the A. O. IT. Com. on Protection of 

 N. A. Birds). 



An Ulster County Wildcat.— Flatbush, Feb 6.— I 

 have just received for mounting a very fine specimen of wild- 

 cat or bay lynx from Mr. J. O. Beers, of Saugerties, Ulster 

 couuty. The cat is the largest I have evtsr seen, measuring 

 nearly six feet in length. He was killed by a boy fourteen 

 years of age. The boy being armed only with a club, had a 

 tough fight of it, and was well scratched about the arms and 

 breast.— H. B. 



How Do They Get There? — Suspension Bridge, N, Y., 

 Feb 14. — Whenever we have a very dark and stormy night 

 at this season of the year, we find on the following morning 

 dead and wounded ducks in the river just below the falls. I 

 have seen nearly a wagon load picked up in one morning, 

 usually just after a blinding snow storm. Now, the question 

 is, are they ducks that have come over the falls or did they 

 come from down the river and fly into the sheet of water? — 

 C. E. L. 



Bluebirds.— Salem, Mass., Feb. 16.— Some bluebirds (E. 

 siahs) were seen at Everett, Mass,, just before the last severe 

 cold snap. — X. Y. Z. 



"That reminds me." 

 182. 



IV/TY friend, Dr. E. Bradley, of New York, told me of a 

 J3jl little fishing incident which came under his observa- 

 tion. An eight-year-old son of one of his friends was out 

 with the pirty on a fishing trip, and on returning to the 

 hotel rushed in to bis mother, exclaiming, "O, mamma, I 

 caught the biggest fish you ever seed. He was longer'n my 

 arm, and you'd just ought to have seen bim, for you never 

 did see such a big' one." "Well, where is it, Charlie," asked 

 the mother, "didn't you bring it home with you?" "No, 1 

 didn't bring bim. He bit and 1 pulled as hard as I could, 

 but when 1 got him most up to the boafc he just unbit and 

 div." F. M. 



The Weather and the Birds.— Huntingdon, Tenn., 

 Feb 10.— For a week the snow has lain upon the ground to 

 the depth of twenty two inches, something remarkable for 

 this latitude. The lowest temperature reached 16° below 

 zeio. A few coveys of quail perished, but the most of them 

 have come through in a depleted condition, the survivors 

 hardly able to fly. Squirrels are scarce. Since the snow 

 fell a number of our young men have enjoyed the sport of 

 tracking up raccoons, cutting down the trees in which they 

 den, and letting their dogs to them for a fight. In Beaver 

 Cmk B itiom. which lies adjacent to our town, within a 

 radius of one mile square, they bagged about forty coons, 

 in some instances finding as many as four in one tree. As 

 they are useless ard pestiferous vermin such great destruc- 

 tion is looked upon as beneficial rather than otherwise. — 

 L. L. H. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



THE TRAJECTORY TEST. 

 rr\jm full report of the Forest and Stream's trajectory test of hunt- 

 - 1 - ing rifles has been Issued In pamphlet form, with the illustra- 

 tions and the tabular summary, making in all 98 pages. For sale at 

 this office, or sent post-paid. Price 50 cents. 



CURRITUCK CANVASBACK SHOOTING. 



IF to those who are fond of the sport of shooting wild 

 fowl any account of their favorite pastime is welcome, 

 even though the bag may not be phenomeually large, nor 

 the species those which may take an exceptional high rank 

 among the Anatidae; how much more gratifying then may 

 it be. when the subject treats of unusual numbers and of 

 no less eminent abird than the royal canvasback. Gamest 

 of all web-footed fowl, this celebrated species deserves the 

 very highest rank among the creatures worthy of a sports- 

 man's attention, and the opportunities afforded any one of 

 meeting them in their haunts in uncommon numbers, are 

 surely worthy of being recorded. Cauvasbaeks are emi- 

 nently cold-weather birds, at least upon our eastern coasts, 

 and they rarely appear, save in the case of a few stragglers, 

 until winter is well advanced, say in Currituck about De- 

 cember. On their arrival their serried shaped ranks are 

 seen high in air, as they traverse the length of the waters 

 they have chosen for their winter home, seeking suitable 

 places to alight where their experience tells them that food 

 is abundant. They frequent the open waters, following the 

 channels in their flights, and rarely enter the bays, or ap- 

 proach the marshes until the severity of the weather com- 

 pels them to seek some kind of shelter. Among the swiftest 

 of birds upon the wing and endowed with immense vitality, 

 besides having the ability to dive and remaiu under water 

 almost equaling that of a fish, it requires something more 

 than a tyro's hand to stop them in mid-air, and bring them 

 securely to bag. 



The shooting of which I propose to give a brief account, 

 was obtained on grounds which is the property of one of the 

 well-known clubs in Currituck and which may without 

 exaggeration be styled historic ground, for under former 

 owners it has been known far and wide as the most cele- 

 brated place for canvasbacks and redheads (our two finest 

 ducks) upon the eastern coast of the United Slates, not even 

 excepting the flats of the Susquehanna below Havre-de- 

 Gruce. Every winter these birds congregate there in im- 

 mense hosts, and large numbers are brought to bag, espe- 

 cially if the weather is cold or stormy. 



Before January, this season, the weather had been mild, 

 indeed some days fairly warm, and consequently the shoot- 

 ing had been moderate, although many good bags had been 

 made, and the total score had assumed very respectable pro- 

 portions. The canvasbacks had gathered in goodly numbers 

 and the club members were sighing for a freeze so that the 

 birds would be driven to the marshes. The sky had borne 

 a threatening look for several days, and the weather-wise, 

 the Wiggmses of those localities, prophecied a storm from 

 out the north, and for once they were true seers. The bar- 

 ometer began to fall rapidly on the 8th of January and the 

 wind rose, while toward evening the mercury made frantic 

 efforts to hide itself altogether in the bulb of the thermome- 

 ter. It blew a furious gale that night, at times from the 

 southwest and then from the northwest, and the water of the 

 souud, driven before the wind, flooded the marshes, where 

 it froze. Next morning a large portion of the sound was 

 covered with ice and the wind blew as strongly as ever and 

 cut like a knife when one's face was exposed lo it. As the 

 ice was not strong enough to bear much weight, but too 

 thick to push a boat through, the members were compelled 

 to amuse themselves indoors. Next day was Sunday, when 

 of course n© shooting was permitted. The wind still blew, 

 but not so fiercely, and the cold coutinued. It was the 

 freeze we had so longed for. From the top of the club 

 house, immense quantities of ducks, geese and swan could 

 be seen flying over the frozen sound, standing on the ice or 

 crowding the airholes of which there were several in view, 

 until they absolutely could not hold one bird more. It was 

 a marvelous exhibition of bird life, under peculiar circum- 

 stances, and of the immense clouds of ducks that were con- 

 stantly rising and circling in the air, nine- tenths were can- 

 vasbacks. How beautifully they appeared as they went 

 through their various evolutions, stringing along in well- 

 kept ranks, then suddenly bunching together and executing 

 a wide circle, now shining like silver, again presenting but a 

 grayish mass to our view. 



The next day the freeze still continued, and the ice was 

 growing thicker, but still treacherous about the shorts. 

 However, about the middle of the day, the writer and a friend 

 determined to try and get somewhere, and gather in out of 

 the cold a few of the birds that were so near us. So, sending 

 the men in charge of a light skiff with some decoys along 

 the marsh, we started to walk across to a point facing the 

 sound, where we could see great numbers of birds flying. 

 The water which had been all over the marsh had now sub- 

 bided, but had left a coating of ice upheld by the reeds a 

 foot or more above the solid ground. Of course as soon as 

 we stepped on this we broke through, and as it was impossible 

 to tell whether our feet were over firm ground, soft spots or 

 muskrat holt s, our progress as may be imagined was difficult, 

 sluw and wearisome, varied occasionally by falls. Although 

 our objective point was a short half mile away we did not 

 reach it until about an hour before sundown, and were both 

 nearly used up with our frantic efforts to make headway. 

 Our men had tried the ice, but it would only bear in places, 

 and they had had as much difficulty to reach the appointed 

 spot as we had ourselves, although they had a different kind 

 of obstacle to overcome. We were at the mouth of the creek 

 opening into the sound, with an island in front of us, around 

 the point of which the canvasbacks were passing constantly 

 in flocks of many hundreds. That point we wanted to reach, 

 but could not, as the ice would not bear us, so we put out 

 our decoys in an air hole close by, and gathered eighteen 

 birds in the short time remaining before sunset. The birds 

 did not want to come where we were, so we determined 

 that on the morrow we would get to the other side of the 

 island in front of us, and see where the birds all went to. 

 From the uproar that came from the opposite side, we felt 

 sure there must be an opening in the ice of some extent into 

 which the fowl were settling. Leaving boat and decoys we 

 shouldered guns and game, and with the men on the lead to 

 break a road through the marsh, we reached the club house 

 before dark. 



The next morning we had less difficulty in crossing the 

 marsh to our boat, as we had beaten down a good path, and 

 we then crossed the ice, (which had now become some three 

 or four inches thick), to the island we could not reach before. 

 It was still intensly cold, and the birds were everywhere in 

 undiminished numbers. Onroundingthepointwesaw ahead 

 of us a large air hole filled with birds, the ice m the vicinity 

 being also covered with them. As we approached the fowl 

 all took wing with a deafening uproar. It was an impressive 

 sight, for there were many thousands of them. They scat- 

 tered about seeking other openings in the ice. Fortunately 

 this air hole was close to the island, so we were able to make 

 our blinds of reeds on the bank, and set out our decoys in 

 front of us. We had but few of them, their weight pre- 

 venting us from carrying them. We had hardly got our- 

 selves into position, when the warning "here they come" 

 was uttered, and a small bunch were seen approaching the 

 decoys. 



Canvasbacks are peculiar among ducks for the bold- 

 ness with which they approach the stools, if they intend 

 to come in, for they seem to pay no attention to anything 

 else save their wooden representatives. No duck, however, 

 on being alarmed, can recover its speed and get away 

 more quickly, and on account of their size, the novice is 

 very apt to be deceived as to the rapidity of their flight, 

 imagining it to be much less thin it really is, aud therefore 

 shoots behind. To stop them cleverly and neatly, it is 

 necessary to hit them in the head, neck or crop, for if struck 

 behina, their vitality is so great that they are almost certain 

 to escape. In water of any depth, it is useless to follow 

 a wounded canvasback, for on discovering that he is pursued, 

 he will dive, and likely as not, he will never appear again. 

 The birds that were heading for us rapidly approached, and as 

 they were coming against the wiud, it was not necessary for 

 them to swing around, so they set their wings and threw their 

 bodies partially upright, preparatory to descent among their 

 supposed kindred. We were watching them closely, re- 

 maining perfectly motionless, and as they came to what we 

 deemed the proper distance, a low "now" was uttered, and 

 we rose to our feet, each selecting his bird at the same mo- 

 ment, and like one report the guns were discharged, and 

 two noble drakes, killed in mid-air, but carried still on- 

 ward by the impetus of their flight across the open water, 

 fell heavily upon the ice. Gathering themselves instantly 

 the survivors with apparently undiminished speedhastened to 

 quit the dangerous neighborhood, but were obliged to leave 

 one more of their number with the drakes upon the ice. And 

 almost without intermission the birds kept coming through- 

 out the day, singly, in pairs, or in small bunches, until at one 

 time we had fifty canvasbacks l)ing upon the ice in front 

 of us, besides many in the open water. Nearly all were 

 drakes, and we remaiked upon the scarcity of females, but 

 were glad that it was so, for the species had a better chance 

 of being continued if the females survived. 

 • Occasionally a flock of geese would fly near, when a well 

 delivered "honk" would cause them to swerve and comedown 

 to us, for we had three or four geese decoys riding in front 

 of the ducks. I know of no more pleasing sight than that 

 presented by a flock of geese sailing in to the decoys. Their 

 great wings spread to the fullest extent, the long necks 

 stretched out before them, they come floating toward the 

 waiting sportsmen who is ready to give them such a warm 

 reception. A very wary bird too U a wild goose, and in 

 spite of his size, he can get out of a dangerous position with 

 a celerity that is peifectly amazing. 



As the day drew to a close. our ammunition began to get 

 low and we"also commenced to feel that we had shot enough 

 for once. In every direction in front of us birds were lying, 

 for we had shot fairly well, not killing every time (we are 

 not of the class of sportsmen who can do that), missing 

 sometimes perfectly easy shots, killing at other times birds 

 that it would seem almost impossible lo stop. Word was 

 passed to the guides to pick up tue trophies and get ready to 

 leave. It took some time to gather the birds and they made 

 a goodly show — the largest numher of canvasbacks I ever saw 

 killed in a single day from one blind. Leaving our decoys 

 we loaded up the boats with our game and started over the 

 ice for the club house. We were obliged to leave our boat 

 at the marsh and carry the birds to the house overland. 

 We found that the other members had not been idle, and our 

 grand total, considering the number of guns, was very large. 

 Forest and Stream has given the scores made for four 

 days of this time, it is not therefore necessary for me to say 

 any more. I left the grounds the following week, but I learn 

 that the shooting has continued good and that a great many 

 of the royal birds have been killed. Wildfowler. 



Feb. 10, 183(5. 



"MIDWINTER PERILS." 



Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Camp Annie is all broken up. 



In yours of the 4ch you publish an article headed "Mid- 

 winter Perils," and quote from a Bangor paper under date 

 of Jan. 20. As a sequel I inclose a clipping from same 

 paper Feb. 8 I do this to let you know that you will get no 

 more "notes from (our) winter camp" for some time. Camp 

 Annie, which was started last July under such favorable 

 auspices, proved almost a death trap to us both, but fortu- 

 nately Mr. Allison received no permanent injury and I but 

 a slight one. 



Tue article reads : ' 'Our readers will Temember that a few 

 weeks ago Mr. C. A. Allison, a New York sportsman, nar- 

 rowly escaped drowning by breaking thromrh the ice on 

 Moo-^e River while coming out of camp ou Brassua Lake. 

 Mr. Allison and his friend, Mr. T. C. Huntington, came 

 from New York and went into camp on Brassua early last 

 spring and they seem to have been ill-fated. Mr. Allison 

 left Mr. Huntington alone in camp when he came away, and 

 everything went well with him until about two weeks ago 

 when he; had the misfortune to put his ankle out of joint. 

 This left him iu a bad plight. He was on the shore of Bras- 

 sua Lake, miles from any human habitalion, and at a place 

 where no lumbermen, or iu fact any person was at all Ukely 

 to pass. By making a great effort Mr. Huntington pulled 

 his ankle back into place, but he was then unable to step. 

 He lay in his camp until one week ago yesterday, when a 

 hunter and guide who was exploring around the lake thought 

 he would visit him and tell him of Mr. Allison's adventure. 

 When the visitor reached the camp he found Mr. Hunting- 

 ton nearly ready to give up all exertions to keep from freez- 

 ing He had a smatl amount of food left, but he had broken 

 up^all bis benciies and camp furniture lor fuel. The guide 

 relieved his wants and then went to Kineoand obtained help, 

 and one week ago to-day Mr. Huntington was hauled out to 

 the above place on a sled. He came down on Saturday 

 night's train, attended by two other gentlemen, and was at 

 the Penobscot Exchange yesterday. Mr. Huntington ex- 



