472 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[JULY 5, 1888. 



wood and as there was no air stirring was very warm. 

 While our guides were making camp we walked over tlie 

 portage to view the falls, which we found to be rapids 

 only, made by large shelving rocks and without any per- 

 pendicular fall whatever. At the foot of the falls we 

 round an Indian with his three children in a birch bark 

 canoe fishing with bait. They had quite a nice string of 

 some five or six dozen trout. In the evening we had 

 fine sport fishing just above the falls. The trout here we 

 found very gamy and their meat of a dark salmon color. 

 Externally they varied much, some were just like the 

 trout of eastern Pennsylvania, while others were of a 

 dark bright red color. 



Sunday, Aug. 30, — There was a thick fog this morning 

 which did not clear away until nearly b A, M. After 

 breakfast we fished again above the falls and the trout 

 rose beautifully and fought bravely. I killed twenty, 

 the largest Hlbs. In the evening we tried the fishing 

 below the falls but Ave had poor hick. This was a disap- 

 pointment for the sky was overcast, the wind from the 

 south and all the conditions apparently favorable for 

 fine sport. 



Monday, Aug. 31.— Broke camp at 7 A.M. and while 

 the guides let the canoes down the falls with ropes, we 

 walked around and met them below. We then ran down 

 the Tuladi River four miles to where it empties into Lake 

 Temisconata (meaning "winding water") which is a 

 crooked body of water about 30 miles in length and 

 varying from i to li miles in width; its shores moun- 

 tainous and scenery beautiful. The morning was cloudy 

 and misty with the wind blowing strong from the south, 

 aud we found the lake so rough that we hesitated for a 

 while about venturing out on it. After a short stop at 

 Mr. Theriaulfs fishing cottage at the mouth of the river 

 we concluded to go down and cross the lake to the vil- 

 lage of Notre Dame du Lac, 4 miles distant, which we 

 reached about noon. This village is situated on the west 

 side and high above the lake and presents an exceedingly 

 picturesque appearance. It has a population of about 

 200, scattered along the Grand Portage road and was for- 

 merly called Detour de Lac. In approaching the village 

 from the opposite side of the lake, the most conspicuous 

 object is the CathoHcchm-ch, a large frame building with 

 spire. We found the lake exceedingly rough while 

 crossing, and soon after landing it rained so hard that 

 we had to seek shelter in the Lake Side House kept by 

 Pierre Cloutier, Jr., where, the storm not abating, we re- 

 mained over night. The Lake Side House is beautifully 

 situated on a high precipitous bluff, commanding from 

 the rear a fine view both up and down the lake; in front was 

 a grass plot aud flowerbeds and at the side a kitchen gar- 

 den surrounded with picket fence. It had no bar and 

 none of either the internal or external appearances of 

 a public house. It was light, cheerful and comfortable 

 and as clean as clean cotild be, Madame Cloutier evi- 

 dently being as good a housekeeper as we found her to 

 be a kind and attentive hostess. The people all spoke 

 French, a few English, and Madame Cloutier spoke hoth 

 quite fluently, 



Tuesday, Sept. 1. — In my many fishing trips it has 

 never been my good fortune to meet with so delightful a 

 stopping place as the Lake Side House, and we left it this 

 morning with some reluctance. Before starting we pur- 

 chased a saddle of lamb for $1, and five dozen eggs for 

 •lOcts. At 12 M. camped on the Madawaska River 

 opposite the mouth of Pool River, two miles below Lake 

 Temisconata and twenty miles from Edmundston. In 

 the evening fished a large and splendid pool just below 

 camp, but were soon driven in by a very heavy thunder 

 storm. Largest trout taken weighed 1-llbs. Lived sump- 

 tuously to-day on roast lamb, fried frogs, scrambled eggs, 

 etc. 



Wednesday, Sept. 2. — It was raining and a strong cold 

 wind was blowing from the north when we broke camp 

 this morning. By noon it cleared but continued cold. 

 Fished some on the way down and reached Edmundston 

 at 4 P. M. After settling our bills and packing our 

 trunks we visited the ruins of the Old Block House, at the 

 junction of the two rivers, and enjoyed from its top the 

 magnificent views which the valleys of the St. John and 

 the Madawaska presented at sunset. 



Thursday, Sept. 3.— There was a heavy white frost this 

 morning. Breakfasted at 2:30 A. M., and started at 3:40 

 A. M. for St. John via Woodstock and McAdam Junction. 

 After a long and tedious ride reached St. John at 8 P. M. 

 Stopped at the DufFerin Hotel, an old but clean house, 

 with fair table and good service. 



Friday, Sept. 4.— Sailed on S. S. State of Maine at 8:15 

 A. M., reached Eastport at 11:30 A. M. and left at 1 P. M. 

 Owing to low tide we had to run around Campobello Island, 

 and as the sea was rough a great many were seasick, but 

 three ladies appealing at the supper table. 



Saturday, Sept. 5. — Arrived at Portland at 4 A. M. 

 Sailed an hour later and landed at Boston at 1 P. M.. 

 after a most enjoyable sea trip. Took sleeper at 6:30 P. 

 M. for Philadelphia. 



Sunday. Sept. 6.— Arrived at Broad street station, Phil- 

 adelphia, at 7:15 A. M., all in excellent health and spirits 

 but tired and dirty. 



The expenses of the trip were as follows: 



Tickets, Philadelphia to Edmundston and return $9ti 91) 



Meals and bertha on steamer both ways .... 22 25 



Provisions, etc 53 64 



Griffin's bill for portaging canoes 10 00 



Pay of guides 54 00 



Other expenses, including hotel bills, baggage transfers, etc. 65 05 



Total $301 84 



Making each one's share of the expenses S100 61 



The fishing was nothing to brag of. I have had much 

 better and also much worse. This, however, may be 

 accounted for by the time we were there, being between 

 seasons. We caught plenty of trout, more than we could 

 use (the surplus were salted down by our guides for their 

 own use); but there were comparatively few that weighed 

 over a pound. Our greatest disappointment, however, 

 was our failure to take a tuladi trout. This, perhaps, was 

 owing to the water in the lakes being so warm. We 

 found it frequently several degress warmer than the ah. 

 As an outing, however, ir was the most enjoyable and 

 comfortable (not to say lazy) one that I have ever taken; 

 and I have no doubt that in the proper season any num- 

 ber of trout, and of good size, might be taken in the 

 waters of the Squatook Lakes. I hope before long to re- 

 peat the trip and verify this declaration. La Truoha, 



AJPRIt, 9, 1888, 



MUSK-OX, BIGHORN AND MOUNTAIN 

 GOAT. 



BY R. W. SHUFELDT, C.M.Z.S., ETC. 



A S will be seen by the "List" in my paper on the pec- 

 J\. cary, there still remain for our notice of the Ameri- 

 can Bovidce, the subjects of the present article; the buffalo 

 having been briefly treated in my last contribution. 



Ovibos moschatus, the Musk-ox. — So far as our present 

 knowledge extends, there is but one species of this inter- 

 esting animal in the genus which has been created for its 

 reception. 



From good authority we learn the present range of 

 the musk-ox to be restricted "to the most northern parts 

 of North America, where it ranges over the rocky barren 

 grounds between the 60th parallel and the shores of the 

 Arctic Sea. Its southern range is gradually contracting, 

 and it appears that it is no longer met with west of the 

 Mackenzie River, though formerly abundant as far as 

 Esehscholtz Bay. Northward and eastward it extends 

 through the Parry Islands and Grinnell Land to North 

 Greenland, reaching on the west coast as far south as Mel- 

 ville Bay: and it was also met with in abundance by the 

 German polar expedition of 1869-1870 at Sabine Island on 

 the east coast." 



Fossil remains of this animal which have been dis- 

 covered, show that at one time it was also a Siberian 

 form, and it occurred through some of the central and 

 southern parts of Europe, Central Germany, France, and 

 even England. 



As will be observed by its technical name, science has 

 considered it to have kinship both with the sheep and the 

 ox kind, as indicated by its structure, while on the whole 

 its relation to the sheep is perhaps the closer of the two. 

 Musk-oxen exhale a strong odor, which is present at 

 all seasons and in both sexes. It renders the flesh of the 

 animal unsavory eating, and it is said that even the meat 

 of the very young ones is tainted with it. I find one 

 authority asserting, however, that animals of this species 

 are occasionally killed where their meat is very delight- 

 ful, and as good as any mutton that was ever cooked. 



We are still quite ignorant of the structure of this ani- 

 mal, and even the organs which are responsible for this 

 musky odor are as yet imdescribed; so that any contribu- 

 tions to the anatomy of Ovibos will be gratefully wel- 

 comed by science. A very complete study has been made 

 of its osteology, which of course is something, but let us 

 trust that this is not to be another one of the animals on 

 the long list of those we have, allowed to become extinct 

 under our very eyes, and to pass away, leaving a blank 

 page in our works upon the morphology of animals. 



As will be seen by a glance at the accompanying figure, 

 the musk-ox possesses a strong pair of recurved horns, 

 which are broad at the base and spread out upon the fore- 

 head of the animal. Here they meet in the middle line 

 in the old males, but in the females and young an inter- 

 space occurs at this point. These horns are at first 

 directed downward behind the eyes, then gracefully 

 curve upward and forward, being black in color at their 

 tips, but of a dirty white shade for the rest of their con- 

 tinuity. As in a buffalo, these animals have small pointed 

 ears, which he partly concealed by the masses of hair 

 about the head; their hearing, scent and vision are all of 

 the first order. They lack the naked "muffle" of the ox, 

 the nasal area between the upper lip and nostrils being 

 supplied with a close coat of short hair as in the sheep. 

 The legs of the musk-ox are also covered with short hah. 

 but for the rest its coat consists of a heavy fur, long and 

 straight, being of a dark brown color. Over the withers 

 this hah is more or less curly and matted , lending the 

 appearance of "a hump," which in reality does not exist. 

 So long is this hair at the sides that it conceals the kees. 

 and behind, the diminutive tail of the animal is com- 

 pletely out of sight. Beneath this coat, in winter, we 

 find ah underlying woolly fur next the skin, but in sum- 

 mer this is shed, to have a new growth of it in the 

 autumn. 



Differing from oxen, the Ombos has no pendulous flap 

 of skin down the median line, from chin to chest, 

 although the hah in this situation is long and might lead 

 one to suspect the presence of such a feature. Again, its 

 hoofs are quite distinct from those of cattle, they being 

 unsymmetrical, the nail to the outer toe being rounded, 

 while the inner one is pointed; further, the hair of the 

 limbs is continued on under the soles of the feet. Capt. 

 Parry found that the majority of the specimens showed 

 an area of hair on the middle of the back of a soiled white 

 color, which he called "the saddle." 



In size, the musk-ox is not greater than one-third of a 

 common ox, and barely weighs over 4001bs. Notwith- 

 standing its short legs, this animal can get up a very good 

 rate, of speed when it once becomes thoroughly alarmed, 

 and will dash up a rocky monutain side with surprising 

 agility; and in such dangerous places it seems to be quite 

 as much at home as the bighorn. 



The animals usually congregate hi sinail herds of some 

 twenty or thirty in number, although Hearne says he has 

 seen as many as a hundred together, but accompanied on 

 such occasions by not more than three or four old males. 

 During the rut the old rams have furious battles with 

 each other, and it is said these sometimes end fatally. 



Females carry their single lambs about nine months, 

 when they are born during the latter part of May or the 

 first part of the next month. At all times these animals 

 are partial to the un wooded, rocky regions of their range, 

 where they feed upon the scanty grass during the summer 

 months, but are reduced to the lichens throughout the 

 winter. Should the Esquimaux or other hunters find 

 them in such a situation, and be cautions to keep out of 

 their sight, at the first report of the rifle the entire bunch 

 will huddle together, when several may be shot before 

 they get scent, or see the source of the danger, when an 

 old ram, much after the fashion of his domesticated kin, 

 will take the lead, and the whole herd dash off for the 

 nearest hillside. Old males, however, will often stand 

 and show a good fight if they be but wounded, and 

 charge the hunter with no small degree of courage. Ac- 

 cording to Richardson the agile Esquimaux will take ad- 

 vantage of this trait and stab his game to death during 

 the several brave charges the dying animal may make 

 upon him. 



Ovibos mosehatun still stands sorely in need of exten- 



sive studies from us, both upon its habits, general econ- 

 omy, and more especially upon its anatomy. 



Ovis montana, the Bighorn; Mountain Sheep.— Those 

 who have never enjoyed the opportunity of seeing either 

 a museum or living specimen of the bighorn sheep ©f 

 this country can gain a very good idea of the general 

 appearance of an old ram from the excellent figure I 

 olfer with this article. As will be seen, the horns of 

 the male animal are its most striking feature; they are 

 simply enormous hi some specimens, measuring as much 

 as 8ft. along their posterior curvature from base to tip 

 The apices are so far forward in some instances that they 

 prevent the owner of the prodigious pair from cropping 

 anything like short grass on the level ground. These 

 extravagant cornute appendages do not attain to any such 

 notable size either in the female or young, the former 

 appearing almost like some animal of another species 

 alongside of her lordly partner. 



Havhig no resemblance whatever to the wool of a 

 domestic sheep, the coat of the bighorn has always re- 

 minded me somewhat of the pelage in Antiloeaprax the 

 hair being slightly crimped and rather coarse in quality. 

 At the roots and next the skin we discover a soft fur to 

 be present, as was also pointed out in the antelope. To 

 some extent completing the resemblance, we also find the 

 rump in the bighorn to be pure white, while its general 

 coat is of a light clay-dun color, shading into dingy white 

 beneath. 



Bighorns can be found in all suitable localities along 

 the entire crest of the Rockies as far as the Mexican 

 border. Northward from British America to the Alaskan 

 division of the range, they are replaced by Dall's mountain 

 sheep, a good variety, named and described by my friend 

 Mr. E. W. Nelson. Ewes of this species have their lambs 

 during the months of June and July, and generally drop 

 from one to two, much as in the domestic sheep. Several 

 times I have had the opportunity of seeing these little 

 fellows alive in the mountains, and prettier little chaps 

 were never born alive; they are very light in color. 



To me, the flesh of a bighorn killed when he is fat hi 

 proper season, is far more enjoyable as a meat than that 

 of any farm-fed animal of the tame variety I have ever 

 tasted. It has all the good points of mutton, with just 

 the proper amount of the game relish with it. These 

 animals become very wild in localities where they are 

 much hunted, but in their less frequented haunts they 

 appear at first to have but little fear of man, and a stage 

 driver (a truthful one), once told me that when one of the 

 new western routes was opened up through the mountains 

 in Wyoming, and he drove the stage, he several times 

 passed close, to a small flock of these sheep as they stood 

 and stared at his stage from the rugged side of the cut 

 where he passed through. On one occasion one of them 

 was kdled by a. passenger with a revolver from the stage 

 window. I believed the story fully, as I knew the man, 

 and knew the locality, and further, was aware that many 

 bighorns were there and they were rarely hunted. 



On one occasion, several years ago, I hunted all day long 

 for these bighorns, in the very heart of their range, the 

 Bighorn Mountains above the head of Goose Creek. 

 Tracks and signs were plenty, and several times I caught 

 glimpses of small herds far, far above my head, jump- 

 ing from rock to rock on the very side of the almost per- 

 pendicular precipice that reared above me. 



Toward early afternoon, being tired with my severe 

 tramping and climbing, I stretched myself out in a 

 prone position under a great pine on the very top of one 

 of the mountains, which was more or less timbered to 

 its summit. The ground about was dark and crumbly, 

 but showed no traces or other sign of game, and was 

 wholly devoid of grass or plants. In this place I fell 

 asleep, and must have been asleep about half an horn* 

 when I was suddenly awakened by a loud and dull 

 rumbling noise, which sounded like a bank of clay and 

 gravel caving in. Instantly I was on my feet with rifle 

 in hand, but all was quite still again. In" looking about 

 me I soon found that a flock of some twenty-five or thirty 

 sheep, yes, bighorns, had come up my path, and from 

 the disposition of their tracks, they had formed a circle 

 about me and talked the matter over, till perhaps some- 

 thing inclined me to move or turn over, when the entire 

 party made a break obliquely down the side of the preci- 

 pice which was near at hand. My feehngs can be bet- 

 ter appreciated than here described, I fairly danced I 

 was so mad. But recovering niyself in a few- moments, 

 I took up the trail, but very soon discovered the inaccessi- 

 ble place they had run for, and no sooner had I made the 

 discovery, than I saw the flock, far below me, peace- 

 fully skipping from rock to boulder, and across fissures 

 and* rents, with the most unconscious ease. 



All those hunters who have ever pursued the bighorn 

 will bear me out as to my testimony to the extraordinary 

 jumps this animal will sometimes make when be is once 

 thoroughly alarmed. I was at one time so situated that 

 I had an admirable view of such a scene, being some four 

 or five hundred yards from two old rams and seven others 

 of all sizes and sexes, springing from rock to rock on an 

 unusually rugged cliff wall, and briskly stimulated by the 

 rifle fire of a party of Sioux Indians running along on 

 foot below them. * It seemed to me that the sheep barely 

 touched the several landing places as they sprang from 

 one to another, and I would hardly dare to say how far 

 the rocks were apart. 



A good friend of mine, an English captain in an Indian 

 regiment, described it well on one occasion. He was in 

 this country on leave, and on a hunting tour in Wyom- 

 ing, and ha ving never seen a bighorn was very anxious 

 to add a huge pah of their horns to his trophies. A 

 mutual acquaintance took him into the Elkhorn Range, 

 where they were plenty, and, acting as his guide, offered 

 him the best opportunity to fulfil Ms desires in that di- 

 rection. At the time I speak of they had arrived at a 

 very choice part of the range, the guide carefully picking 

 his "way along the top of a lofty, rugged and rocky 

 mountainside — the rocks were both great and small and 

 all sorts of distances apart, while the general incline, it 

 was said, was something over forty-five degrees — the 

 captain stalked along the base, keeping in sight of his 

 guide, who was far above him. Just the place for big- 

 horn, and sure enough they soon met with their game. 

 Two old rams loomed up between them, very near the 

 guide, but out of range of the captain ; the guide promptly 

 dropped the smaller of the two, hoping to start the mag- 

 nificent survivor down toward his friend. He rightly 

 calculated, and the animal went just in that very direc- 

 tion on the mighty jump; but much to the guide's chagrin 

 and surprise, the captain never raised his rifle for a snot, 



