13, 1887.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



486 



each other until a perfect ball, a foot or so in diameter, is 

 formed. Blacksnakes, rattlesnakes, and various other 

 kinds wind themsel^^es in a common ball in the crevices 

 of rocks. The bats, as explained above, collect together 

 in the same way. Fi-ogs, toads and lizards, however, 

 bmy themselves in the mud in the winter, and seem to 

 freeze uo with the groimd and thaw out with it agam. 



G. E, Walsh. 



THE CALIFORNIA SEA-ELEPHANT. 



ON October 14, 18S6, I sailed from the poi-t of San 

 Diego, California, in the schooner Laura, of San 

 Prancisco, Captain Momson, bound on a cruise in search 

 of the sea-elephant (Maa^orhinus mignstirostris) for the 

 Smithsonian Institution, 



Previous to leaving San Francisco I had made special 

 an-angements with the owners of the vessel there for the 

 trip, which was undertaken under the directions of Pro- 

 fessor Baird. 



During a cruise of two months along the peninsula of 

 Lower California, from San Diego to Magdalena Bay, GOO 

 miles south of the United States and Mexico boundary, 

 we explored carefully the intermediate coast hne and all 

 the outlying islands, including Guadalupe, 160 miles off 

 the coast, in about latitude 38° 55'. 



As predicted by the captain of the Laura, the desired 

 animals were found only at one place. This was a point 

 on the mainland, 50 niiles south of Corros Island, and 

 kno\vn to seal hunters as "Elephant Beach." The locality 

 is indicated on the charts as San Cristobal Bay. 



At this isolated and desolate place, on October 30, we 

 discovered tlu'ee yoimg sea-elephants sleeping on the 

 sandy beach. As this locality had long been known to 

 seal hunters as a favorite resort of the species, and is now 

 known as the only remaining breeding rookery, the cap- 

 tain counseled that these three for the present remain xm- 

 disturbed, that their presence on the rookery might induce 

 larger animals to haul out there later in the season when 

 we should retm-n. After observing their action on the 

 beach and in the water for some time, we proceeded on 

 our journey fiu-ther south, leaving tlu-ee of the men to 

 camp near by and take possession of all animals that 

 might appear in the meantime. Returning to this place 

 a month later (Nov. 18) we found but one of the three 

 sea-elephants we had left there remaining, a female, 

 winch we killed. Three had been seen by the men on one 

 occasion, but were probably the same ones we had left 

 there. 



Although we remained at San Cristobal Bay a week 

 longer, no more animals appearpd, and, after arranging 

 with the captain to visit the place late in December and 

 make a last attempt to procure the deshed specimens for 

 me, we sailed for San Diego, where I took the steamer for 

 San Francisco. 



While cruising about in search of eea-elephents we 

 kUled mmibers of the black sea-lion {Zalophm calif orni- 

 aniis) and in preparing the skins and skeletons of these I 

 had the help of the crew, and took special pains to instruct 

 them in the preservations of such specimens. 



The last visit was made to the Elephant Beach Dec. 31, 

 and fifteen sea-elephants were killed and preserved in 

 the best manner. There being no indications of others, 

 the Laura proceeded to San Francisco. Of these fifteen 

 animals only one was a male, wMch measured nearly 12ft. 

 in length. The rest, with the exception of two pups, each 

 about a week old, and over 4ft. long, were females, aver- 

 aging 10ft. in length. 



Thu-ty or forty years ago the sea-elephant was found at 

 many places on the coast between Santa Barbara Islands 

 and Cape St. Lucas, but continual persecution has almost 

 exterminated the species. 



I conversed with a number of old men at San Diego and 

 elsewhere, who were in the seal-oil business in its bahni- 

 est days, and learned that about the year 1860 the species 

 became so scarce that tlieir pursuit could no longer be 

 carried on with profit, and that from about 1865 to neai-ly 

 1880 none of the animals were seen to the best of their 

 knowledge, except stragglers observed at Guadalupe and 

 Benita Islands. They were accordingly reported as ex- 

 tinct. My informants thought that, notwithstanding the 

 fact of the sea-elephant having been found in limited 

 numbers the last few years, it was doomed to speeder ex- 

 tinction. I took pains to ascertain how many animals 

 had been found by the different vessels that have searched 

 for them since their reappearance at then- former haunts 

 and collected the information which is given in the fol- 

 lowing record: 



1880. Schooner San Diego killed thirty sea-elephants at 

 Elephant Beach, at San Cristobal Bay, dm-ing the fall 

 and winter. 



1883. Schooner San Mateo, of San Pedro, killed forty 

 sea-elephants at Elephant Beach. Six Uve young ones 

 were brought to San Francisco by a certain Captain Smith. 

 What disposition was made of them was not ascertamed. 



1883. Schooner , of San Francisco, Captain Lee, ar- 



Tivmg at Elephant Beach Oct. 9, found sixty sea-elephants. 

 Of these the majority were young bulls: foiurteen were 

 bulls of large size, and there was one young one three 

 weeks old. Other animals hauled out there later in the 

 season, and the schooner left Dec. 13, loaded with oU of 

 one hrmdred and ten sea-elephants over one year old. 



Schooner San Diego found fom- good-sized bulls at 

 Guadalupe Island. Date not ascertauaed. 



1884. Sloop Liberty, of San Diego, Captain Morrison, 

 aa-rived at the beach .Jan. 35, and Idlled thirty-tlu-ee sea- 

 elephants. Eeturned in March and kiUed sixty, over one 

 year old, leaving a few females and young undisturbed. 



Schooner City of San Diego, of San Diego, arrived in 

 May, and, finding no large animals, killed the females and 

 young animals spared by the crew of the Libei-ty, forty 

 m all. 



Scliooner Laura, of San Francisco, Captain James Mor- 

 rison, the writer being on board, arrived at Cristobal Bay 

 and saw three young sea-elephants. After unsuccessful 

 searching elsewhere, retm-necl Nov. IS and killed a female, 

 the only animal on the beach. After another trip as far- 

 north as San Diego, returned again Dec. 31, and foimd 

 fifteen animals, all of which were cai-ef ully i)reseryed and 

 are now in the Smithsonian Institution. 



From this it wordd appeal- that this interesting and 

 valuable animal has heavy odds to encounter in its sti-ug- 

 gle for existence. No sooner were the three hundred or 

 more that had appeared diu-ing the years of their seclusion 

 discovered than they were speedily made away with. 

 Tliat a pretty clean sweep had been made of them was 

 evident from the meagre results of our own careful search, 



during which we did not only inspect the coast line, but 

 circumnavigated the islands of the region both large and 

 small. The herds of black sea-lions {Zalophns) inhabiting 

 many places were also looked over for stray sea-elephants 

 that might be among them. The great number killed at 

 the old rookery at San Cristobal Bay in the fall and win- 

 ter preceding our visit was, no doubt, the principal cause 

 of their scarcity. 



I had but httle opportunity for observing their habits. 

 Having had considerable experience with other species of 

 seal durino; the summer, I was struck at once by the dif- 

 ferent mode of progi-ession employed by these animals. 

 Like the true Phocidce, they do not throw then- hind 

 fhppers foreAXTird in crawlm'^, nor indeed lift them from 

 the ground at all, but by archmg the back the hind parts 

 are dragged forward and used as a proji to serve in shov- 

 ing the Torequarters forwai-d. Compared with it in this 

 respect Eiimetopias and Zalophus are animals of remark- 

 able agility. Even when forced to exert themselves the 

 hind limbs were never tm-ned forward, but Mterally 

 trailed in the sand behind the body as if they were para- 

 lyzed. The black sea-hon especially is capable of making 

 effective leaps and plunges when hm-ried toward the 

 water, contrasted with which the retreat of the sea-ele- 



Ehant seemed a feeble crawl, the breast apparently never 

 eing raised from the ground. 



Old sealers told me that in all their experience with the 

 sea-elephant they had never observed it swimming far 

 out at sea as sea-lions often do, in fact they had never seen 

 it outside the surf. This may have been due to the fact 

 that they are less conspicuous in then- actions. In pro- 

 truding then- heads above the surface, they are very quiet, 

 making no blowing noises as sea-Uons do. A favorite 

 attitude in the water is to float about with the nose and 

 hind flippers only above the surface. 



The smaller animals are apparently liable to be attacked 

 by sharks. The specimen we obtained Nov. 18 (No. 333) 

 was disfigured by a great gash on the rump, in which the 

 j)rint of shark's teeth were plainly evident. I was assured 

 that one-fourth of the females they had killed at San 

 Ci'istobal Bay bore umnistakable ti-aces of the teeth of 

 sharks. The specimen referred to was found to be terri- 

 bly infested with abdominal parasites, which I have never 

 seen in any other pinniped. They were white thread-like 

 worms, 3 or 4in. in length. The "eyes in the sea-elephant 

 appear to be larger and more bulging than in their con- 

 geners. Where they are found in abundance they are 

 easier to Idll than the more agile seals. They also produce 

 more oil in proportion to their size. They have had no 

 chance during late years to attain large size, and it is 

 doubtful whether they will ever again be fotmd as large 

 as that one which Captain Scammon found to measure 

 23ft. in length. He also mentions one measming 18ft., 

 which yielded 210 gallons of oil. The largest bull killed 

 by Captains Lee and Mon-ison in 1883 and 1884 averaged 

 but 9(5 gallons of oil each. I found a weather-worn, but 

 still well-preserved skull on the Elephant Beach, which 

 measm-ed exactly 3ft. This indicates an animal of vei-y 

 great size, having probably a length of 20ft. 



While at Magdalena Bay I learned of their fox-mer oc- 

 curence at San Hipolito Bay, which may be about half 

 way between Cen-os Island and Cape St. Lucas. From 

 the great number of weather-woi-n skulls and other bones 

 found at various places, it is evident that their former 

 abundance has not been overestimated. Tlie beach at San 

 Cristobal Bay was lined with bones, and we found them 

 at places on Cerros, Benita and Natividad Islands. The 

 new-bom young that were met with in lS83-'84 were 

 dropped at various times between Nov. 1 and Feb. 1 



The sea-elephant without doubt affects the vicinity of 

 the roughest breakers. We seemed always to find"^ its 

 bones opposite places so rough that we could not land 

 without danger. Captain Scammon mentions finding 

 rums of the stone huts biult by the seal hunters of half a 

 century Cgo. We met with these, too, but I should also 

 add that we found many a nameless grave where the body 

 of some unf ortvmate man, drowned in the surf, had found 

 a last resting place when the sea gave up its dead. At 

 San Cristobal Bay we often had our boats half filled with 

 water in landing. It was not safe in fact to land through 

 the sui-f there in any other boat than a dory, while we 

 were compelled to anchor om- schooner at Turtle Bay, 

 nearly 20 miles distant. After these wettings some one 

 had usually a harrovring tale of di-owning to relate, and 

 could adduce evidence thereto by pointing out some lonely 

 grave.— C H. Toumsend in Procmdings National Mxi^e%mi. 



BREEDING WILD PIGEONS. 



MR. BEN FROST, who lives near Toledo and across 

 the Michigan line, is a very successful hunter and 

 trapper, and pays much attention to the capture of wild 

 pigeons. His "stool" bu-ds he keeps over from one season 

 to another, and this past summer he has raised several 

 yoimg pigeons from the old ones kept in confinement in 

 the coops. Another year he purposes attempting a cross 

 between the wild birds and some of the tame varieties. 

 His achievements in this direction are quite new to me, 

 and possibly to the readers of the Fobest and Stream. 

 Toledo, O., Dec. 6. JaY Bebe. 



THE TERNS OF MATINICUS ROCK. 



Matinicxts Rock Light Station, ) 

 Coast of Maine, October 8, 1886. i" 

 Dear Sir— My nephew tells me that you wish to be informed In 

 regard to the particulars of the shooting of the Medrick gulls or 

 tern that inhabit the Rock, with a view of preventing a repetition 

 of it another season. I cheerfully comply with your request, and 

 would sacrifice considerable in order to prevent such destruction 

 of a bird which, though it may be of no good, certainly does no 

 harm. 



The person who was engaged In shooting them the past summer 

 first came to Matinicus in July to reconnoiter and ascertain how 

 much opposition he would meet mth from the people, gi\ring out 

 that he was seeking recreation and a few birds to set up or stuff. 

 I saw him a few daj^s after he came, aud in answer to his mnuiry if 

 theie would be any objections to his shooting a fewfor the pur- 

 pose referred to, I told u ;m that I would assisi him in getting them, 

 also some sea pigeons and rock birds. He left Matinicus a few d ays 

 after to ascertain. 1 presume, if there was any law in Maine pro- 

 tectine the tern. Finding there was not, he came back prepared 

 for curing the birds for market. I imderstood it was tlie oreast of 

 the birds he saved, and he was to ship them to a party in New 

 Yorit, who prepared them for plumage for ladies' hats. He offered 

 •5 cents a piece for all tlie tern they would bring him, and fur- 

 nished ammunition. I am pleased to learn that none of the Ma- 

 tinicus peop e engaged in the business, with the exception of one 

 man he hired to go round with him and a few bovs. 



He employed a man and a sailboat and went fi-om one Island to 

 another; and the Matinicus people tell me that he entirely exter- 

 minated the birds from Seal Island, Wooden Boll and Grreen Ledge 

 before lie came to the Rock. 



His method of shooting the birds here was to lie oil one-qtiarter 

 to one-half mile from the shore and lay a crippled bird on the 



water, when the others wotild hover over it and he would of t«n 

 get eight or ten at a shot. The worst feature of it was that it was 

 at the time when the young Avere dependent on the mother bird 

 for food, and the Rock was strewn with the dead young birds a few 

 days after he was here. 



In answer to a letter I wrote him, threatening him with the law 

 and my personal defense of the birds if he came again, he in- 

 formed me that there was no law on the tern in Maine, and 

 accused me of inconsistency in in\iting him here to shoot th« 

 birds and then trying to stop it. 



When the tern began to migrate T think he had collected some 

 500 or 600 birds, perhaps more; but I leam thev were taken from 

 him for debt by a man that had followed him down here. 



Inclosed please find the card of the person referred to, and I 

 would add an apology for writing at such length if it were not that 

 I thought you would wish for full particulars attending the shoot- 

 ing of the birds and the conversation 1 had with Mi-. Calioon in 

 regard to them. I have the honor to be, sir. Very respectfully 

 yours, Wji. G, grant. 



Commander O. A. Batcheller, U. S, Navy. 



[The card bears the name of C. E. Cahoon, Taunton, MassJ 



"That reminds me." 

 203. 



ONE day in early November a friend and myself de- 

 cided to have a hunt for ducks, as reports were com- 

 ing in of large bags of them being killed in some sloughs 

 about fom" or five miles north of tins place. We set out 

 very early in the morning so as to be there before any 

 one else and to have the iirst crack at the ducks. After 

 driving about four miles and walkuig another mile and a 

 half the sloughs were at last in sight; but where are the 

 ducks? After tramping and wading all over the slough, 

 spending nearly three hom-s, and getting very wet we at 

 last made up our minds to rethe. 



The slough is very wide, and nearly in its center is a 

 little island, somewhat higher than the rest and about 

 two or three rods in diameter, covered thickly with weeds 

 and willows. For this island we made om- way to rest 

 and await the rising of the sim, which we knew would 

 not be very long, for aheady the Hght clouds which were 

 strewn^ over the sky were beginning to grow bright, 

 promising a fine day. 



We had scarcely proceeded one quarter the distance to 

 the island, when lo! x-ight in front of us, not more than 

 80yds. away and looking straight at us, was a fine mallard 

 duck. Of com-se I hastily brought my gun to my shoul- 

 der and fired a heavy charge right at it. When the smok© 

 cleared away, to o"m- sm-prise, instead of a duck lying 

 dead upon the water as we had expected, it sat there in 

 the same place still, with its neck bowed, and as it looked 

 almost in the very act of flying, I hastily fired my second 

 barrel at it with the same effect. My friend laughed at 

 me and said to let him shoot, he could fix it; so stepping 

 up he took deliberate aim and fii-ed both bai-rels simul- 

 taneously at it. Though the gun was loaded very heavily 

 the duck did not seem to mind it the least. The effect on 

 my friend, however, was very different; he let go of the 

 gun very hun-iedly and sat right down backward in the 

 water, the gun went right over his shoulder and the muz- 

 zle penetrated the mud nearly a foot. 



My friend got up, pulled his gun out of the mud, shook 

 himself, and after a little rash talk declared he would 

 kill that duck or never go hunting again. As for myself 

 I was beginning to "smell a mice," but said nothing. 

 After cleaning the nnid from his gun Will again put in 

 two heavy loads; he stepped up a couple of paces further 

 and ih-ed another charge at it, but still the duck moved 

 not. I then told him that the thing must be dead and 

 that I believed some one was playing a trick on us. He 

 did not seem inclined to think so at first, but said he 

 would go and scare it up and shoot it on the fly. Nearer 

 and neai-er we ap;proached, but it did not fly,"and when 

 Will picked it up it was perfectly stiff, having probably 

 been there for some time: it had a weight attached to it 

 for an anchor, and a willow down its tln-oat to keep its 

 head up. 



Well, we felt sold, it is true, but said nothing, mei'ely 

 looked at each other and smiled, WiU rubbing his shoulder 

 very sympathetically all the time, which brought a roar- 

 ing" laugh from me. "I have it. Will,'' I said at last, 

 "some one has fixed it up to get a rig on the boys that 

 come here to shoot, and rf we only manage it right "we 

 can pay them back at their own price." 



I told him of a boat I had seen away down at the end 

 of the slough which I beheved belonged to the ones that 

 had fixed up the duck, and that they would probably take 

 then- boat and come to the island to watch the fun they 

 expected to have with the duck. I had a small fish line 

 with me, about 200yds. long. I tied one end of this 

 around the body of the duck, under the wings, so that on 

 being pulled along it would float very natural and life- 

 like. Wm then went to place the duck as far down the 

 chamiel as the string would reach, while I went to the 

 island to fix a place so that we could see all and not be 

 seen. 



We did not have long to wait after Will got back, for 

 from out of the woods to oiu- right came two young men, 

 They went straight to the boat, and, after j)utting out, 

 puUed up the narrow channel toward the island. We 

 could plainly hear them say; "Won't we have a picnic 

 with it, watching the fellows shoot at it? I wonder who 

 will be the first to shoot at it." They were just rounding 

 a comer that would bring them in full view of the duck, 

 when I started it in motion. How majestically it floatedl 

 At last one of them spied it, and snatching up his gun 

 lu'ed. The duck stopped for a moment and then started 

 off faster than ever. He slipped another charge into his 

 gun and then told his companion to pull harder, for the 

 duck was going faster than they were. At last they were 

 within 40yds. of it and about SOyds. from us. They both 

 gxasped their gnins and fii-ed at the same time. The' shock 

 was so great that it upset the boat and landed them in 

 4ft. of water. What was their dismay, when on getting 

 up, to see the duck still floating along toward the island. 

 We could stand it no longer; so, bursting with laughter, 

 we sallied forth, cheering them and asking if they had a 

 picnic watching the folks shoot it. They looked at us for 

 some time as if they could eat us; they then righted their 

 canoe and made for the shore in altogether a different 

 mood from what they left in, and I have never seen them 

 since. B. G. F. 



Gratoit, Wis. 



With The Travelers, of Hartford, performance follows prom* 

 ise. It has paid over §1,700 a day since its organization.— ^av. 



