104 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[March i, 1888. 



scenery is charming, being for the most part pastoral, 

 and long since civilized out of its wilderness character- 

 istics. 



The northern part of Maine has somewhat similar ad- 

 vantages for protracted and continuous canoe routes. 

 There being a watershed about midway of the Aroostook 

 which throws the streams northward to the upper St. 

 John, and southward into the larger rivers which run to 

 tidewater on the Atlantic, one can choose among several. 

 The tributaries of the Penobscot spread out like fingers to 

 touch the feeders of the opposite slope. From the head- 

 waters of the Mettawamkeag you can portage the Aroo- 

 stook River and the St. John; from headwaters to the 

 west branch of the Penobscot to the Walloostook; from the 

 Seboois into the Aroostook, from Wasataquoirk into the 

 Allegash, from the little Maciah's Brook, which is a feeder 

 of the Aroostook, into the well-known Fish River chain 

 of lakes emptying into the Upper St. John. Then there 

 is the old-time cncumbendibus route up the Kennebec, 

 through Moosehead Lake to the upper waters of the west 

 branch of the Penobscot, and down that stream south to 

 the main river. 



If the tourist would prefer an extended Western trip, 

 there are the two old-time Hudson's Bay traders' routes, 

 one known as the Pigeon River route, from the north- 

 eastern Minnesota boundary on Lake Superior, through 

 the Rainy River to Lake of the Woods; and the other from 

 Fort William, on the Kaministiquia (Lake Superior), by 

 the Dawson Route to Winnipeg. The tourist can do as 

 much of these as he prefers by steamer. There are in 

 northern and middle Minnesota many groups of lakes 

 connected by streams, which afford most excellent black 

 bass fishing, and indeed fishing for all fish but speckled 

 trout. The choicest of these, and one which ladies can 

 enjoy without discomfort or fatigue, is the Pelican chain 

 of lakes near Detroit, on the Northern Pacific Railroad, 

 involving a two-days' trip. This can be extended to an 

 unbroken journey of 136 miles. An equally agreeable 

 trip is the Intermediate system of lakes in northern 

 Michigan — a favorite steamboat route for tourists. The 

 Vermillion Lake system in northwestern Minnesota is 

 incomparable, and a trip on these Avaters can be extended 

 indefinitely. Lake trout can be caught in abundance. I 

 could tell you of a wonderful region in the Mille Lac and 

 White Earth Indian Reservation, but these waters are not 

 open to the public. I have heard the Gogebic waters 

 spoken highly of, though I have never visited them. Of 

 course the Adirondack waters are so well known as to 

 need no reference. The great charm of all these routes 

 consists in the continual change of scenery, the zest of 

 exploration being added to the exhilaration of nerves and 

 the enjoyment of varied pastimes and the vicissitudes of 

 roughing it in the bush. 



I supposs there is no craft like the canvas canoe for 

 such work. Nowadays I use no other for stream naviga- 

 tion, and they are as pox-table as a trunk. 



Charles Hallock. 



Washington, Feb. 23. 



BIRDS AND BIRD SPECIMENS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I notice an article headed "Killing Rare Birds" in your 

 last week's issue that places me in the list of quasi natur- 

 alists who shoot birds merely for the sake of having a 

 collection, and take more pleasure in shooting and mount- 

 ing a bird than viewing it alive in all its grace and beauty. 



Now nobody likes to view our birds in their freedom 

 and listen to their songs more than myself, and, more- 

 over, I do not shoot birds for the sake of having a collec- 

 tion, and mounting them. O. O. S. says I shot the bird 

 (evening grosbeak) because I had never seen it before and 

 did not have it in my collection. This is true, but when 

 I state that I have been studying the birds of the State 

 over ten years and am perfectly familiar with all of them, 

 he can understand that when I saw a bird that was new 

 to me; it was one that I knew was an unknown bird for 

 this region, and I shot it for the express purpose of 

 sending it to the Smithsonian Institution and having it 

 identified and placed on the list of birds taken in New 

 York St ate, and when I saw that the evening grosbeak has 

 never but once b?en taken before in this State, I was right 

 in my conjecture that it was a new bird for this State, had 

 I been sure that it was not, I would not have shot it. 

 There is no one more in sympathy with the Audubon 

 Society than myself, and I heartily agree with O. O. S. in 

 regard to the shooting of our feathered friends bv quasi- 

 ornithologists whose only desire is to have a collection, 

 just for the sake of being in the craze, and who soon for- 

 get all about their birds and are ready to go into the next 

 craze that comes along. Hoping that O. O. S. will see 

 the reason why I killed the evening grosbeak in the same 

 tight I do, and* thanking the editor for allowing me this 

 space to explain the matter to O. O. S.. I remain, a friend 

 of the birds, Edward Swift. 

 Elmira, N. Y. 



Eagles in Captivity. — Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Driving over the river this afternoon I stopped at Mr. 

 Henry Hulce's to renew my acquaintance with his eagles. 

 It will be remembered that his pair of American eagles 

 nested last spring for the second time, hatching both 

 eggs after an incubation of forty-two days. One of the 

 eaglets lived only two weeks, if I remember rightly, 

 having been choked by food given it by some meddle- 

 some boy in the absence of the owner. " The remaining 

 bird (a male) throve well, and is now a promising young- 

 ster, measuring 6ft. 2£in. across the wings. The birds of 

 1886 are also fine specimens, and neither they nor the 

 parents seem to suffer any in health or appearance from 

 confinement. Until within a day or two the younger 

 ' 'chick" has occupied a large cage with his parents. But 

 they have already begun to mate, and yesterday drove 

 the youngster out of the cage. If Mr. Hulce keeps on he 

 will soon stock the country with the national fowl. — 

 Jay Beebe (Toledo, O., Feb. 13.). 



The Deer's Liver. — Lexington, Va., Feb. 20.— I was 

 surprised to see any question as to the edibility of deer's 

 liver. With us it is considered a bonne bouche, and is 

 carefully preserved, especially as it may be used within 

 twelve hours after killing, while the venison is not first- 

 rate for some days, the longer the better. — T. M. S. 



THE FOOD OF RAPACIOUS BIRDS. 



A COMMON belief exists among the greater number 

 of the people that hawks and owls are great destroy- 

 ers of poultry and game, and that they should be shot 

 and persecuted by any and every one who has a gun, and 

 great quantities of these birds are slain every year by 

 men and boys who think they have done a great service 

 to the grouse, quail and other' game. 



In a few cases this is so, but in a large number it is 

 nothing but heartless murder of a feathered denizen of 

 the woods that does more good in a week than he does 

 damage in a year, I am something of a taxidermist and 

 have a large number of birds brought to me every year, 

 and among these are many Baptores; in fact, about two- 

 thirds of the entire number are birds of prey. I have 

 always made a practice of examining the contents of 

 their stomachs to find out what I can about their "bill of 

 fare." Below will be found a list of the contents of the 

 stomachs of a number that I have examined. The results 

 show that a majority of our hawks and owls should be 

 protected by law. 



I see by last week's Forest and Stream that in the 

 Senate of the Massachusetts Legislature the Committee 

 on Agriculture have been directed to consider ''the ex- 

 pediency of providing by law for the offering of bounties 

 for the destroying of injurious birds and other animals." 

 I notice that hawks and owls are classed among the 

 birds that are thought to be obnoxious. I send you the 

 results of my experience in handling and dissecting these 

 birds for the consideration of the committee and those 

 interested. Below will be found a list of some of the 

 birds I have examined, and the result plainly show r s that 

 most of our hawks and all of the owls except the great 

 horned owl should be protected by law instead of a price 

 being set upon their head. Especially is tliis true of the 

 sharp-shinned and sparrow hawks, and all the small owls, 

 which kill great numbers of the English sparrows. An- 

 other bird which destroys large numbers is the great 

 northern shrike (L. boreafis). 



If any bounty is to be offered, let it be for foxes and 

 the great horned owl. These two are the most destruc- 

 tive to our game of any of our animals, especially the 

 latter, who moves through the woods with his silent wings 

 and snatches many a ruffed grouse from his roosting 

 place. I hope that if the Legislature of Massachusetts 

 passes a law for the payment of bounties on any animals, 

 it will be for the scalps of foxes, great horned owls, and 

 the greatest of all pests, the English sparrow. 



Marsh Hawk (C.l\ud<soniit-i). 



Where Shot. 



Date. 



Contents op Stomach. 



Elmira, N. Y 



Eluiira, N. Y 



Tyrone, N. Y 



Barton, N. Y 



5- 7-86 



7- 11-88 



8- 17-86 

 8-17-86 

 8- 1-86 



3 mice, 1 mole. 



1 mole, several beetles. 



Red squirrel & decomposed matter. 



Several field mice. 



Woodcock and beetles. 



Sharp-Shinned Hawk (A. vclox). 





Elmira, N. Y 



3- 4-86 



English, sparrow, mole. 

 Remains of small bird. 



£ 



Elmira, N. Y 



4-18-86 



£ 



Big Flats, N. Y... 



9-23-86 



English sparrow. 



S 



Big Flats, N. Y. . . 



9-23-86 



Too much decomposed to identify. 



American Goshawk (A. atricapillus). 



S Tioga, Pa 



¥ Elmira, N. Y. 



2-17-86 

 4-12-86 



Remains of weasel, 1 mole. 

 Several mice and beetles. 



Red-Tailed Hawk (B. UnrtaW). 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira. N. Y 



Wellsburg, N. Y.. 

 HalseyValley.^Y. 



6- 1-S6 



6- 19-86 



7- 21-86 

 10- 2-86 



4- 7-87 



8- 10-87 



Red squirrel, remains of rat. 

 Young chicken in talons when shot. 

 Grasshoppers and beetles. 

 Three field mice. 

 Beetles, hair of some mammal. 

 Grasshoppers, 3 field mice. 



Red-Shouldered Hawk (B. Hneatm). 



Barton, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira. N, Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Big Flats, K. Y... 

 Corning, N. Y — 



1- 1-86 

 1 -21 -SO 

 4- 6-86 



8- 13-87 



9- 5-87 

 9-23-87 



2 meadow moles, 1 field mouse. 

 Chi ken feathers. 

 Field mice. 



Skunk, smelt very rank. 

 Grasshoppers and beetles. 

 Field mice and small insects. 



Broad-Winged Hawk (B. latissimus). 



Elmira, N. Y.. 

 Elmira, N. Y . , 

 Elmira, N. Y. 



6- 27-85 

 -1- 9-86 



7- 3-87 



Large rat and one field mouse. 



Remains of weasel. 



Small bird too decomp. to identify. 



American Rough-Legged Hawk (A. lagopus sanctiijohannis). 



£ Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



•11- 5-87 

 1- 3-S8 



Shot while eating gray rabbit. 

 Remains of weasel. 



Duck Hawk (F. percgrinus anatum). 



Watkins, N. Y — 

 Elmira, N. Y 



10-28-87 

 12- 3-87 



Remains of meadow lark (S. magna) 

 2 moles, nair of some mammal. 



Pigeon Hawk (P. colunxharim). 



Barton, N. Y. . 

 Barton, N. Y. . 



Barton, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Horseheads, N. Y. 

 Elmira, 1ST. Y 



8- 2-86 

 8- 2-86 

 8- 3-86 

 6- 4-86 



6- 4-86 



7- 3-85 



8- 14-85 

 8-29-85 



Flicker (Colaptcs auratvs). 

 Field mice and insects. 

 Field mice and insects. 

 English sparrow. 

 English sparrow. 

 Grasshoppers and small beetles. 

 Several small insects. 

 Beetles and grasshoppers. 



American Long-Eared Owl (A. wilsmviamts). 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Nichols, N. Y 



Tioga, Pa, 



Elmira, N. Y 



8- 5-85 



8- 12-85 

 10-13-86 

 KM 3-86 



7- 4-87 



9- 3-87 

 12-21-87 



Field mice. 

 Field mice. 

 Field mice. 

 Field mice. 

 Stomach empty. 

 Pi eld mice. 



Remains of male quail. 



Short-Eared Owl (A. aceipiiriivus). 



Elmira, N. Y r 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Erin, N. Y 



Erin, N. Y 



8-13-84 

 8- 3-86 

 8- 7-86 

 10- 5-87 

 12-29-87 



Field mice and beetles. 

 Field mice and beetles. 

 Field mice and beetles. 

 Field mice and beetles. 

 Field mice and beetles. 



Little Screech Owl (Megascope asio). 



Where Shot. 



Elmira, N, Y" 



Elmira, N.Y 



Horseheads, N. Y. 

 Cnemung, N. Y. . . 



Elmira, N. Y 



Barton, N. Y 



Waverly, ~S.Y.... 



Tioga, Pa 



Wellsboro', Pa... 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, N. Y. s ... 

 Wellsburg, N. Y.. 

 Caton. N. Y 



1-29-86 



1- 30-86 



2- 4-86 



3- 7-86 



3- 21 -86 



4- 13-87 

 4-15- 86 



10- 5-86 

 10- 8-87 



10-21 m 



10-23-86 



10- 25-S7 



11- 2^86 



12- 24-87 



Contents of Stomach. 



English sparrow, remains of mice. 

 Mice and fea I hers of bird, species 

 English sparrow. [unknown. 

 Field mice. 



Too much decomp., probably mice. 



Small bird (Juucn liycmalis). 



Small insects. 



Mice of two varieties. 



English sparrow. 



Small bird (shore lark). 



Mice. 



English sparrow. 

 Stomach empty. 

 English sparrow. 



Barred Owl (StrU nehulosa). 



Elmira, N. Y 8- 1-85 



Elmira, N. Y 8- 7-86 



Waverly, N. Y. . . 9- 4-87 



Barton, N. Y 10-17-86 



Halsey VaH'v,NY r 10- 5-87 



Elmira, N. Y 11- 4-84 



Tyrone, N. Y 11-13-87 



Elmira, N. Y 112- 1 86 



Caton, N. Y I 1- 1-85 



Tioga, Pa 2- 9-86 



Elmira, N. Y .... 2-19-87 

 Elmira, N. Y 3- 3-86 



Frog and crayfish. 

 Several mice. 

 Mice and insects. 

 Field mice. 

 Fish and insects. 

 Field mice. 

 Stomach empty. 



Shot while devouring large weasel. 

 Mice. 



Several field mice, 1 mole. 

 Remains of small birds. 

 Field mice. 



Great Horned Owl (Bubo virgiriianits). 



Elmira, N. Y 



Elmira, K. Y 



Corning, N. Y... 



Tyrone, N. Y 



Elmira, N, Y 



Breesport, N. Y. . 

 Canton, Pa....... 



Tioga, Pa 



Gaines, Pa 



Elmira, N. Y... . . 

 Elmira, N. Y.. .. 

 Big Flats, N. Y. . 

 Erin, N. Y 



10- 4-85 



10- 7-86 



8- 15-84 



9- 4-86 



11- 5-S5 



11- 2-86 



12- 13-84 

 12-15-84 

 12-29-85 



1- 3-84 

 1- 5-85 

 1-17-86 

 1-29-87 



Shot while devouring skunk. 

 Remains of ruffed grouse. 

 Gray squirrel. 

 Remains of poultry. 

 Feathers of poultry. 

 Remains of rabbit. [closely. 

 Skunk; too strong smell to examine 

 Remains of mammal (f weasel). 

 Ruffed grouse. 



Feathers of poultry; strong smell of 

 Stomach empty. [skunk. 

 Remains of poultry. 

 Remains of ruffed grouse. 



Elmira, N. Y. 



Edward Swift. 



Kingfishers in Winter.— Seymour, Conn., Feb. 23.— 

 Editor Forest and Stream: Reading the accounts lately 

 published regarding kingfishers wintering in the North 

 brings to my mind a like instance here. On the morn- 

 ing of Jan. 14, 1 was walking along a road parallel with 

 a small river, which in certain places, owing to the swift- 

 ness of the current, seldom freezes. My attention was 

 attracted by hearing the rattle of a kingfisher, which 

 was repeated before I discovered the bird. It was a 

 common belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) and was stand- 

 ing on the bare limb of a tree overhanging the stream, 

 apparently on the lookout for a breakfast. "Whether he 

 made any attempt to catch fish in the icy water or not I 

 do not know, I could not remain to watch him. He 

 flitted disconsolately back and forth aud I heard his 

 sharp rattle several times after I had passed out of sight 

 of the bird. I do not know exactly how cold it was, but 

 we were having our coldest weather about this time, and 

 as it was early in the morning the mercury must have 

 stood at least several degrees below zero. — George H. 

 Shelton. 



Wolf-Dog Hybrids.— Denver. Col., Feb. 18. — Your 

 correspondent "N. A. T.," writing under the head of 

 "The Ways of Wolves," expresses a doubt of the female 

 associating with the domestic dog. Possibly in a wild 

 state the bitch wolf will not consort with the domestic 

 dog. And from what your correspondent says touching 

 the domestic habits and paternal care of the wild father, 

 the bitch is not to be blamed. A black bitch wolf owned 

 in Denver is now mother of nine puppies, the result of a 

 connection with a mongrel shepherd and Newfoundland 

 dog belonging to a neighbor of the owner of the wolf. 

 One of the puppies is brown, the others are black. The 

 mother was captured when a puppy, and was raised by 

 the present owner, is quite gentle" and playful, or has 

 been up to the time of her maternity. At present she 

 looks rather savage and indicates clearly that she is not 

 at home to strangers. When the father of the puppies 

 steps in, as he does occasionally, she is ready for a frolic 

 with him, but he will have nothing to say to her -a 

 genuine brute, evidently. — L. B. F. 



Delaware Gdlls.— Dover, Del., Feb. 23.— The annual 

 migration of gulls from the Delaware Bay to Silver Lake, 

 nine miles in the interier, is in progress. Owing to the 

 mild weather at present, the migration is earlier than 

 usual. When the ice in the lake is melted, great quanti- 

 ties of fish that were frozen in the ice, come ashore. 

 This is always attended by great numbers of gulls flocking 

 to the spot. After a few days, all that remains of the 

 masses of fish that were washed ashore, are scattered 

 pileB of bones. — Del. A. Ware. 



O. P. Ordway, an employee of the Boston & Albany rail 

 road, who resides at Saxonville, at about 3 o'clock a few 

 mornings ago, heard a strange noise in his yard. He arose 

 from bed and went out to investigate, He found a pet deer, 

 which, for some time past, has been kept on the teimpsou 

 estate in Saxonville, trying to demolish a trellis in Mr. Ord- 

 way's yard. When he attempted to drive the animal away, 

 the" deer turned savagely upon him. Mr. Ordway seized a 

 snow shovel to protect himself with, but the deer, a powerful 

 animal, soon got the better of him. Mr. Ordway grasped his 

 antagonist by the antlers and called for help. Alfred Brad- 

 shaw, a neighbor, came to the rescue with a hatchet, and 

 broke both the hindlegs of the animal, which then gave up 

 the fight and was killed. — Boston Herald. 



Once a year the great life insurance companies amaze the pub- 

 lic by a statement of their world-wide operations and their im- 

 mense resources. To-day the New York Life insurance Company 

 calls attention to a premium income for 1887 of over eighteen 

 million dollars, payments to policy-holders of over nine millions, 

 and an increase in net assets of over eight millions. The assets 

 of the company now exceed eighty-three million dollars. If it be 

 asked — why so much money on band? the answer is, so many 

 people have a share in it. The company is purely mutual, and 

 the membership exceeds one hundred thousand. This shows the 

 company's policies to be valuable securities other than as death 

 claims. Indeed, this is one of the company's strong points— poli- 

 cies that are valuable to the insured members, if they survive 

 certain periods, when their contracts have large cash surrender 

 values. For other interesting features of the report, reference is 

 made to the very full exhibit published in another column. 



