104 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March 4, 1886. 



dyed and bespangled, or a wreath of grebe "Cur," usually dyed and not 

 unfrequsntly set off with egret plumes. In tbe average, however, 

 there must be an incongruous assemblage made up of parts of vari- 

 ous birds or several entire birds, representing at least a number of 

 individuals. Rut let us s*y that these 10,030,000 bir i wearers have 

 but a single hird each, that these birds made over so as to do service 

 for more tban a single season; and still wh«t an annual sacrifice of 

 bird life is entailed! Can it be pi iced at l»-ss than 5,000,0 0?— ten tirms 

 more than the number of specimens extant in all our scientific collec 

 tions, private and public t >gether, and p obably a thousand times 

 gre .ter than tbe annual destruction of birds (including also egg~) for 

 scientific purposes. 



Fortunately, perhaps, the supply of birdskins for decorative pur- 

 poses is not all drawn from a single country, the whole world being 

 laid under tribute. The ornithologist recognizes in tbe heterogeneous 

 groups of birdson women's hats, met with on every hand, a great 

 preponderance of Ncrth American species: but with them are many 

 of tbe common b'rds of Europe and a far greater variety from South 

 Am-ri?a, and many fjom Africa, Australia, New Guinea and India. 

 But on tbe other band it is well known that our own birds are ex- 

 ported in 1mm ns * numbers to Europe; out, whether the exportation 

 exceed i ihe importation, it is impossible to determine from lack of 

 proper statistics. 



Some of Mr Sennett's observations on lhe islands and 

 shorts of the Gulf of Mexico reveal a frightful story of 

 destruction of biri life, not to be match* d auy where except 

 P' rhaps on f-ome of the islands of the North Atlantic coast, 

 which have been despoiled by egg gatherers and by the fish- 

 ermen, who use young birds for bait. Mr. Scnnett says: 



In 1877, and al*o in 1878, while studying the birds about Corpus 

 Ohrisri Hay, Texas I examined a low grass flat called Pelican Island, 

 so named on account of the numbers of brown pelicans tbat had for 

 years taken it for their breeding place, to the exclusion of all other 

 species. Here many thousands of these great birds were tending 

 their eggs and young, breeding in such numbers that one could s.'ep 

 cr jump fr. m nest to nest, over nearly, if not quite, every square 

 yard of ihe island. Four years after I cruised over the same course, 

 and noticed that the pelicans had deserted this grassy island entirely, 

 and were scattered, in diminished numbers, on other islands which 

 were not occupied by them wh9n I made my former trips. On in- 

 quiring into ihe cause of this change, I learned from promtuent 

 citizens, thar two or three enterprising (?) men had conceived the 

 idea of making their fortunes from pelican oil, and had erected 

 ••tryine out" bhanties on the mainland. They went -to the island in 

 question in large boat , and carried off cargoes of young pelicans in 

 all stages of growth, and boiled them up for their oU. The only 

 satisfaction I could get from the nistory of this experiment was, that 

 the men could not sell the oil, and had nothing but their nefarious 

 labor for their pains. 



That a great interest is felt in this subject of bird preser- 

 vation is shown by the cordially appreciative letters which 

 we are receiving and the applications for membership in the 

 Audubon Society. In several towns branches of the Society 

 have tieen formtd, and there is no doubt that this association 

 is destined to do a gieat work. 



The importance of the subject is appreciated by all think- 

 ing people, and pulpit and press will unite in urging it upon 

 the public. Ouly last Sunday Mr. Beecher preached a ser- 

 mon iu which this subject was treated at length, and the 

 papers of all sections seem at last to see the danger which 

 threatens us. Of the many encouraging letters which we 

 have received we have space only for a few. 



1H0 W. 59th Street, New York, Feb. 20, 1886. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



No one woo will take the trouble to give the matter a few 

 moments' seiious consideration can be fn doubt, I think, as 

 to tbe wisdom of organizing the Audubon Society, and 1 

 am thankful that such a step is contemplated. There is an 

 element of savagery in the use of birds ior personal decora 

 tion, which is iu groteeq-te contrast with our boasts of civili- 

 zation. But even ihe savage stops short, as a rule, with ihe 

 feathers. It is ouly Cbri-tian people who think it woith 

 while to butcher a whole bud lo adorn th< ir head gear. 1 

 am sure, however, that this is largely from that unreflecting 

 habit which is a leading vice in people who follow the 

 fashions. But it is a vice; as Hood sang, when he wrote: 



For evil is wrought 



By want of thought 



As well as oy want of heart. 



If the Audubon Society can teach men, and especially 

 women, to think on this subj-ct, half of the battle will have 

 been won. Sincerely yours, 



Henry C. Potter. 



West Pake, N. Y., Feb. 28. 18S6. 

 Editor Foreft and Stream: 



1 scarcely wed assure you tbat your undertaking to form 

 a society ior the protection of our wild birds against the 

 lavages of tbe miliiueis and the sham scientific collectots 

 has my wannest sj mpalhy and approval. It is a barbarous 

 taste which prompts our women aud girls to appear upon 

 tbe street wilh th. ir head gear adorned wilh tbe" scalps of 

 our sougsteis; and it is mat vanity and affectation which 

 proc:pts so many persons to make up cabinets of the nests 

 ami eggs of the same. The destruction of our birds fiom 

 their natural enemies is immense, and this craze of the 

 colhctois. and folly of tbe millimrs and their customers in 

 adniuon, threatens their seriou (diminution. 



I hope you tuny succeed iu creating so strong a public 

 sentiment upon the subject that the collectors of skins and 

 eggs lor the unworthy ourposes ot fashion or to indulge the 

 vamty of pseudo-naturalists may suddenly find thtir occupa- 

 tion goue. 



Piease add my nam» to the list of the members of the 

 Aldlbon Society. Very sincerely, 



John Burroughs. 



Oornwaix-on-Hudson, N. Y., Feb. 32, 1886. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



You have indeed in) hearty sympathy in every effort to 

 prevent the slaughter of my innocent little neighbors and 

 friends, the birds. In the destruction of forests and bitds 

 the people of this land are inviting very great evils and in- 

 flicting wrongs on posterity which scarcely can be measured. 

 Ihe press should rend<r it impossible lor women to sin 

 thoughtlessly and ignorant ly in demanding little birds for 

 their adornment. The evil should be brought home so fully 

 to the knowledge of all, that the continued wearing of our 

 useful little birus should become the badge and indication of 

 a callous, vulgar natute. When birds and feathers have this 

 significance, milliners will sell but few even iu the Bowery. 

 You are doing a humane and patriotic work in exciting 



public aversion to one of the most cruel and stupid wtongs 

 of the age. Respectfully your*, Edward P. Rob. 



Office New York Times, Feb. 25, 1883. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



While thanking ynu tor your gracious communication in 

 regard to the Audubon Society, I take the occasion to say 

 on my own behalf how much needed is such an organized on. 

 The wholesale slaughter of the small birds of this country is 

 one of th'- worst features of what is improperly c alled civili- 

 zation. To go out and kill for food is a painlul necessity of 

 man, but to slaughter for the love of the deed is abhorrent to 

 the well regulated mind. 



The uses to which tbe small birds of tbe land are put is 

 also, to my mind, doubly evil, lhe creatures btiog used 

 largely for millinery decoration. Everv time a woman's hat 

 or bonnet is trimmed or decorated with birds or feaihers, a 

 working girl is wronged. The manufacture of artificial 

 flowers and ftuits beiug a business suitable lor young yirls 

 and women, the use of birds depresses the other branch of 

 decoration and decreases the scope of woman's work. Wish- 

 ing you all possible success in your praiseworthy endeavors, 

 I have the honor to be your obedient servant, 



Midy Morgan. 



The American Humane Association, } 

 Milwaukee, Wis,, Feb. 2d, 1886. J 

 Editor Forest and Stream: 



I am rejoiced to see that your paper is moving for the 

 making of public opinion on the present lamentable destruc- 

 tion of our birds. Fashion is so imperious tbat it l"ads t he 

 best hearts astray. If tbe women could only know what 

 thiy are doing! They don't know, and hence they entry 

 and flaunt, as a decoration, that which is destined before 

 long to mark the commission of a crime against the Nature 

 we all love. 



There is such a thing as a crime against the Order of the 

 World, and women aie not often irreligious in this sense. 

 Your Audubon Societies, for the protection of our birds, 

 will enroll many thousands of women as ardent bird protec- 

 tors, who are now. unconsciously, accessories in the wanton, 

 wholesale and most disastrous destruction of the most beau- 

 tiful denizens of our fields, orchards and woods. 



What will the forest and stream be without the birds that 

 carol and peep and nestle and dip and chatter there? So 

 the Forest and Stream must defend its own citizens 

 anainst tbe murderous bands of bird butchers that have 

 alteady decimated the fair country of both plumage and 

 song. For when you rifle the feathers for the milliuer, you 

 strangle all that rush of happy song which has made glad 

 the hearts of a thousand cenerations of men. 



Euroll me in the parent Audubon Socieiy. 



G. E Gordon, President A. H. A. 



The plan of the Audubon Society is heartily approved 

 by the A. O. TJ. Committee on Bird Protection, aod they 

 have recently appointed one of their number to super vi-e 

 the formation of Audubon Societies wherever practicable. 



Bluebirds and Robins. — Newfoundland, N. J., Feb. 

 23. — Bluebirds and robins have wintered here this winter. 

 Saw bluebirds to-day and robins have been around the resi- 

 dence of Mr. L. Davenport all winter. This seems very 

 strange, as tbe thermometer has been as low as 14° below 

 zero.— S. S. W.^_ 



Address aU communications to thu Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



THE TRAJECTORY TEST. 



THE full report of the Forest anh Stbe \m's 'rajectory test of hunt- 

 ing rifles has been issued in pamphlet form, with the illustra- 

 tions and the tabular summary, making in all 90 pages. For sale at 

 this office, or sent post-paid. Price 60 cents. 



IN BURTON'S WOODS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



1 have been much interested in the account of Burton's 

 Woods, given in your current issue (Feb 18). Possibly a 

 little stoiy of what has happened there iu later years may 

 be a fitting seqm 1 



It is no wonder that after being shunned for so many years 

 Burton's Woods should have become the paradise tor coon- 

 hunters described in your last issue. The cou"try round 

 too was so abundantly supplied with game, and the b;iys 

 and marshes with wildfowl and snipe, tbat a lew years ago 

 a party of Nothern sportsmen bought up a large tract of 

 land in the victinity on which they ended a elub-house, 

 Tbe members were all prominent and distinguished men in 

 the cities iu which they reside, and over the wholecounlry lor 

 the matter of that. To see thun in tbe Senate chamber at 

 Washington, on the bench and in their efficts in Wall 

 street, and in other high and lofty positions, not one per-on 

 out of a ciiyful could even imagine that those dignified and 

 sedate-looking personages could even smile, much le>s unbend. 

 The idea of Unir goicg coon burning on a dark niuht, in a 

 haunted forest, tumbling over logs and poking pine couts iu 

 their eyes, of course, would be too ridiculous for, any sane 

 person to suppose, but yet, the Senator, Judge, Mayor, mer- 

 chants and bankers were known to go out coouiug m old 

 man Burton's Woods and have the jolliest time, and this is 

 how it all came about. 



An old gray coon, who was supposed to be the great-grand- 

 fatb«r of all the coons in Virginia, was known lo have his 

 snuggery in the haunted woous. Now the stately party I 

 speak of did not care a rap for all the ghosts in the universe. 

 The mighty Judge actually hollowed with delight when he 

 heard about the old coon, and said it made him feel like a 

 bov again to think of seeing one treed. The Senator said he 

 used to know all about coons, but had lost track of the kind 

 referred to of late. But whahcr they knew anything about 

 coons or not, everyone talked coon scientifically, just as if it 

 was tbe most wonderful animal in the worla. How the 

 coon tribe would have snickered and felt complimented if 

 they had heard them! At last it was all settled that on the 

 first good coon night, when the stars were obscured and a 

 thick sea fog made it impossible to see your hand before 

 your face, the old grandfather coon should be routed from 

 his lair. 



The night came at last, and with it half a dozen neighbors, 

 each of whom bi ought with him "the best coon dog in 

 Virginia." 



The start was made and no coon that ever lived was ever 



honored with a visit from so many di-tingjished people. 

 He was fov.nd sauutering about near his home and weui up 

 an old snag and made them a croaking speech. A bi/r fi e 

 was lighted, and the darkies who were along, s^t to work to 

 cut down the tree. Th< re was a dog in ibe party; the very 

 one that h id treed the coon, that was given to the Judge io 

 hold. He was an int lligent. quick as lightning sort of dog, 

 with short leg*, a drawn out body and long curly tail. Be- 

 cause he was jet black in color he was called "Nigger.'' He 

 took iu the proceediiu-s with philosophical calmness, by 

 sitting on his hf.unches and howling wilh all his might, 

 while the Judge conversed with him. 



Presently the tree began to crack and b°nd, and the merry 

 paity wete warned lo step back to the hut, wh< re tiny 

 would be out of harm's wav. A.U the dogs were chained up, 

 and it was agreed that Nigg-r should be the only one 

 loosed after the snag fell. Half a doz n more powerful 

 chops started the snag falling. Slowly as it b ; gan to topple, 

 the venerable coon come walking, with stately scraic'degs, 

 down the hujre trunk. In the glare of the tire tbe Judge 

 looked to him like a stump, so wilh a mighty le p he bounced 

 on his head on the way to the ground. The iree fell with a 

 great crash amonsr the brush-wood, but the sharp eyed 

 Nigger had watched the coon's discourteous treatineut to 

 the Judge. The momcut the coon struck the ground he was 

 olf like a flash with Nigger atter him. There was a 

 scuffle off in the dark, for the old coon dog had overhaul! d 

 bis snarling lordship by the edge of a deep muddy b'nuch 

 with high banks When the partv came shoudng up, it was 

 set n by the light wood torches that the doa autl c< on were 

 having a teriible fisrht aud had fast hold of each other by the 

 throats. Fearing lhe dog would be seriously hurt, the Judee 

 caught the coon by lhe tail and bigau to pull with all ms 

 might, while the Senator took a double-grip hold on Nig- 

 ger's tail. Then tne Mayor caught h)Jd of the Judge's 

 coat-tails and a banker got the Senator around the waist; and 

 in less than no lime lawyers, merchants and farmers w> re all 

 strung out iu two lines behind lhe Judge and Senator, as if 

 they were playing Ohickeney— Chickeuey— Crane-e crow, or 

 having a tug of war. Suddenly the cpon let go of the dog 

 and every one fell down like a row of bricks; and the coon 

 and the Judge went rolling down the bunk into the creek 

 together, where tbe coon made bis escape. When the Judge, 

 all covered with mud and dripping with water, came scram- 

 bling back toi'join his friends, everyone roared with laughter 

 aud vowed that never before had there been such a merry 

 coon;huut in Old Virginia; and.not one of the party had even 

 thought about the ghosts with which it was said the woods 

 were haunted. Greenleaf. 



MAINE GROUSE. 



THE winter has been an unusually severe one for Ihe 

 grouse iu Maiue. About the middle of January, there 

 was a tall of light snow; and later, an icy crust iorm<d 

 which must have crusted them under. Ou January 28 

 came the most severe storm of sleet ever known. J t exten- 

 ded over the whole southern portion of the State, and iuio 

 New Hampshire and poi tions of Massachusetts. The rain 

 fell in tbe afternoon and evening, and frr ze to the limbs and 

 twigs of trees ia such quantities as to twist and break thern 

 off. The elms suffered the most; many branches of the 

 toughest elms a foot through were snapped off like pipe 

 stems. In passing through the woods, 1 noticed the limbs 

 of hornbeams twisted and broken off. I weighed some 

 pieces of ice two inches through or more, attach, d to twigs 

 not over one quarter of an inch in diameter, which would 

 weigh one pound to the linear foot. These trees had iu 

 adaitiou to their own weiaht, tons of ice to hold up. Many 

 fine trees in the cities are completely ruined. Thebirci.es 

 bent their heads to the earth, aud in places whole acres were 

 laid flat, every twig and bud were covered with ice, and for 

 about ten days it remained so. 



The ground was covered deep with snow with an icy 

 crust over it, and the trees, were so covered with ice tbat the 

 grouse could not get at the buds, th.ir regular tood in 

 w inter. Hundreds of these noble birds must have perished 

 of starvation; 1 found feigns of their presence only iu the 

 thickest swamps. One gentleman in Cumberland county 

 found a flock of about twenty visiting his cattle yard, near 

 the house, searching for food. Tbe birds did nut rati from 

 him until he approached witbiu t> n feet. lie scattered grain 

 about, and placid several bushels along the edge of the 

 woods that they inhabited. 



1 notio d last fall that grouse were reported scarce in otlK r 

 States, but iu the southeiu portion of this State they wire un- 

 usually plenty. They led mostly on white oak acorns, aud 

 were lound about the oak woods. The law prohibi'iug 

 their transportation to market is doing well its work, and 

 tlie birds are increasing. The birds are not molested in this 

 vicinity during the close season, many iu-tauces coining to 

 my knowledge where hunters for rabbits pass hy grouse 

 without shooting them when they could easily do so. 



There is a good healthy sentiment iu Sdgaaahoc county 

 in favor of the laws for tue protection of our game dutiug 

 close season, believing they are founded on just and souud 

 principles. Hoceamock, 

 bath, Me., Feb._15. 



A WEST VIRGINIA STEP AHEAD. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I iuciose a slip from our local paper that explains itself. 

 Sportsmen here will join Mr. Winchester in this work; 



"Notice— It is not lawful to kiil, or pursue wilh intent 

 to kill, any dter iu this Slate between the 15th day of Janu- 

 ary and the 1st day ol September; to kill quail or Virginia 

 partridge betweeu the 1st day of January aud 15th day of 

 October.; or any wild turkey, ruffed S'Ouse, pheasant, pin- 

 naied grouse, betwei n the 1st day of JjVbiuary and 1st day 

 of September, or auy wild duck, wild goose or braut, 

 between the 1st day of April and the 1st day of November. 

 Notice is therefore given that any person violating the 

 above or any other provision of chapter 89, Acts 1883, 

 will be prosecuted.— C. H. Scott, Prosecuting Attorney, 

 Bernard. — 1 hereby author.ze C H. Scott and E. D. 

 Talbott to pay a reward of $50 lor evidence or in- 

 formation leadiug to tbe conviction of any person for viola- 

 tions of tbe game law of this State within the bounds of any 

 lands owned by me in Randolph or Pocahontas counties. — 



A. H W IX CHESTER. ' 



This county and several of the counties adjourning, em- 

 brace a large area, the greater portion beiog primeval forest. 

 Hitherto we have been destitute of any oi uanizetl soeieiy or 

 effort for the protection of gume. The greed of the. "market- 

 hunter," the "pothunter" and ihe "piol'essional," reinforced 

 by all other classes, liuvc set all State game laws at defiance. 

 Deer are becoming extinct, a thing of the past ; every species 

 of game is suffering iroin the unmerciful and unlawful deple 



