474 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



f July 5, 1888. 



and the sheep on seeing him, frantically broke off at right 

 angles. The hunters were soon afterward together where 

 the first one had fallen, and theguide promptly upbraided 

 his follower for not having seconded iris attempts, after 

 putting him in the way of slaving as handsome a bighorn 

 as ever graced the Rockies. "And why waste a cartridge," 

 naively remarked the captain, "on such a crazy brute that 

 I was sure would break his bloody neck, you know, long 

 before he reached me." The guide had nothing to say to 

 this apology. 



There are in other parts of the world species of noble 

 form, which are quite near kin to our bighorn, as, for in- 

 stance, the argali (M. argali) of the mountains of northern 

 Siberia and Karntschatka, and the handsome ruffed niou- 

 flon of the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa. An 

 argali, full grown, will w T eigh upward of SOOlbs., and has 

 much the same appearance as our bighorn, being fully as 

 large an animal. 



Mazama] montana, the Mountain Goat. — In Mazama 

 we have another genus with but one species to represent 

 it, and this the mountain goat, an animal of which we as 

 yet know but little, and which is still a rarity in most of 

 our museum collections. So far as I at present know its 

 structure, I take it to be nearly a pure caprine form, 

 showing little or no other relation to allied species, no 

 more, at least, than does any other true goat, it having 

 kinship, of course, with such types as the ibexes on one 

 hand and the sheep on another. In size it is about as 

 large as an ordinary common goat, but a far handsomer 

 animal, it having a fine pair of slender, ringed and jetty 

 black horns which curve backward. The female also 

 possesses a pair of these, but in her they are not so large 

 nor conspicuous. Mazama has a coat of a fleecy kind of 

 hair, appearing somewhat woolly on the fore parts, and 

 of a different quality on the back and flanks; the entire 

 pelage being of a sno wy white color. 



Probably next to our buffalo, these goats are now the 

 rarest of the ungulate forms in the Americ an fauna, a 

 fact which inspires many a collector and hunter to pur- 

 sue them in then dangerous haunts, for one must have 

 both courage and determination to follow them over the 

 steep, rocky fastnesses where they are found. The chase 

 of chamois pales by comparison with the risks one must 

 take in the regions I refer to, for where do we find such 

 chasms, such crags, precipices and heights as are afforded 

 by the Rockies in southern British Columbia? And it is 

 here that alone the mountain goat can be hunted with 

 any surety at all of securing them. The limits of its 

 range seem to be between 40" and 65° north latitude, the 

 animals resorting in small flocks to the loftiest and most 

 inaccessible peaks of those parts. 



"The Rocky Mountain goats,'* writes one traveler, "are 

 like the enchanted beasts in German story, which hue 

 men to destruction and then mock at their 'misery . The 

 sportsman sees three or four of them half-way up a rocky 

 mountain; he follows the track as it turns right up; the 

 cliff rises abruptly from a narrow ledge of slanting 

 shingle to tremendous precipices. In many places the 

 shale is brittle, the footing is slippery, the rifle leaves 

 only one hand free, while the ear catches the rush of dis- 

 lodged stones in the abys^ below. At last some poor crea- 

 ture is killed. With what result V He falls over some 

 twenty or forty feet of rock, breaking his horns and tear- 

 ing his skin; useless for a museum, as well as being quite 

 uneatable." Very recently I see that Professor Bell, 

 F.Z.S., has exhibited and passed remarks upon specimens 

 of the tegumentary glands from the head of the Rocky 

 Mountain goat before the Zoological Society of London, 

 and I trust that those who may have the opportunity of 

 collecting the skeletons or spirit specimens and skins of 

 this comparatively rare species, will never allow it to slip 

 without doing so. Almost any museum will welcome 

 such specimens, and the anatomy of this type still requires 

 especial attention. 



This wdl complete what I have to say in reference to 

 the natural history of our existing United States ungu- 

 lates; the tapirs as representing the suborder Perissodac- 

 tyla (see peccary paper) do not occur in our fauna, and 

 will not be taken into consideration here. In closing I 

 would lay special stress on certain points. An exhaus- 

 tive account of the habits of the peccaiy as they exist 

 within our own territorial limits is much to be desired, 

 and a review of some parts of its morphology will not 

 conie amiss. With the deer much yet remains to be 

 done — the caribous require far more careful study, and 

 the methods of investigation so admirably introduced by 

 Caton will bear very extensive and further resarch in 

 more directions than one. Nor are we by any means 

 fully informed even upon the structure of such common 

 animals as these, especially a comparative study of their 

 "soft parts." From an economical point of view such a 

 species as the prong-horn will amply repay the efforts 

 that might be easily made to bring it under domestica- 

 tion: and a great deal still remains requiring our investi- 

 gation of its habits and anatomy. So far as I know we 

 have no good figures of its brain and other parts. When 

 we come to the buffalo, I for one simply consider it crim- 

 inal, as well as disgraceful, if this country make not a 

 strong effort to secure to posterity living examples of this 

 important type, a matter that can now be managed with- 

 out very undue trouble and expense. A park established 

 in some part of the State of Kansas would make an ad- 

 mirable locality to breed and rear some of these animals, 

 and if captured in Texas, they could easily be transported 

 thither by rail. 



I repeat, too, what I said in reference to further studies 

 of the remaining genera, as Ovibos, Ovis, and Mazama: 

 they all stand in need of such careful investigation. 



In my next paper I trust to introduce the very exten- 

 sive, though interesting order Rodentia, the rodents, 

 containing many forms from widely separated geograph- 

 ical areas of our country. 



They Came Thbotjgh Adversity.— Fredericks, N. B., 

 June 26. — A short time since Mr. J. Edwards, proprietor 

 of the Queen Hotel in this city, was offered by a little 

 boy for the sum of twenty-five cents, a squirrel which he 

 had knocked off a tree with a stone. The offer was ac- 

 cepted, and the poor, panting, half dead little creature 

 was placed in a squirrel cage which happened to be at 

 hand. Mr. Edwards isnow the owner of fi ve squirrels, the 

 old squirrel having given birth to seven little ones, two 

 of which died. The others, which are not longer than 

 one's thumb nail, are in good condition and thriving well, 

 and are most carefully nursed by the mother, who treats 

 them in the most affectionate manner. — Edward Jack. 



THAT BULLSNAKE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Lately 1 wrote you how, on waking early one morning, 

 I found a bullsnake some 4ft. long in bed with me; how 

 I refused to kill him, but offered him my home to dwell 

 with me and my bed to sleep in, if he liked. No snake 

 was ever treated with more hospitality than this one, 

 and if ever man deserved well of a snake it would seem 

 that I am he. The invitation to dwell with me was 

 accepted, and he set himself at once to work to clear my 

 shelter of rats and mice, which he did with perfect suc- 

 cess and in much quicker time than any cat could have 

 done it. He did not, however, to my knowledge venture 

 again into my bed, though he may have done so often 

 when I was asleep and knew it not. " His method was to 

 work all night and sleep all day; sometimes sleeping in a 

 pile of newspapers in a corner of my room, but generally 

 under the house in a small bowl-shaped depression nearly 

 full of dust. He had come to regard me with so little 

 fear that he would hardly stick out his tongue when I 

 went to look at him or show him to my visitors, nor 

 would he show the least spite when I tickled him with a 

 twig. This led me to believe that I could train this fel- 

 low to be as domestic as a house cat, and perhaps as play- 

 ful. I regretted that I can neither fiddle nor flute, as I 

 desired to treat him to some music, having heard that 

 snakes are very found of it. His residence with me was 

 desired not only to rid my shelter of rats and mice, but 

 also because I fancied lie would guard, the premises 

 against rattlesnakes, who sometimes creep in houses at 

 night in search of prey. We know in Texas that the 

 bullsnake and the little yellow prairie snake will attack 

 the rattler on sight, and generally kill him by .breaking 

 his spinal column. 



Now for the upshot of thus patronizing and harboring 

 a snake; of taking a snake into one's bosom. I wrote 

 Forest and Stream of a pah- of lovely wrens that had 

 nested in an old coffee-pot which I had hung up for them 

 on a tree near my door. In due time five baby wrens 

 came to them, as cute and cunning little things as were 

 ever seen. To watch their development and how ten- 

 derly their parents nurtured them, gave me great inter- 

 est. Ere their eyes were open, wdien I would go to the 

 nest and whistle a soft note it was funny to see how they 

 would thrust up their little heads and stretch open their 

 mouths to the widest extent possible, expecting some- 

 thing to be droped into them. When they had grown 

 older and obtained some sense, it made me laugh to 

 see them shrink away and hide in the nest when I ap- 

 proached it, now and then peeping out to see if I had 

 gone. I really loved the little creatures. 



Well, a few evenings ago, while sitting with some 

 friends in front of my door, I heard my little birds flut- 

 ter and squeak in the coffee-pot, as if in pain and terror. 

 One flew out and fell on the ground at my feet. Hast- 

 ening to the nest I saw something white in it, nearly 

 covering the opening, which in the darkness I supposed 

 to be an owl, but tlmisting my hand in, I was thrilled 

 with horror to find it was* a snake. A lantern was 

 quickly brought, and by the light of it I tried to drag the 

 rascal out with a stick, but he refused to come. I then 

 tilted the coffee-pot up and beat upon it violently. Under 

 this treatment he slowly came out, and when about a 

 foot of him was hanging down, being filled with grief 

 and indignation, I struck him a violent blow with the 

 stick, sending him several yards away into the grass, sup- 

 posing him to be killed. Then examining the coffee-pot 

 I found he had devoured all my little birds except the 

 one which flew to my feet for protection. It made my 

 heart sick. 



And it was my bullsnake who had done this evil deed; 

 he whom I had entreated with such kindness. This I 

 know, because since that evening he has not been about 

 my premises at all; though previously he could be seen 

 any time of the day asleep either in my room or under 

 the house. Next morning I looked for his dead body, be- 

 lieving one blow had killed him, but it had not. He re- 

 covered and slunk away iuto other quarters, carrying 

 with him a mean conscience. Why does he not return 

 to the place where he was treated so kindly and hospit- 

 ably? I truly believe that it is because he knows that he 

 has acted the villain, and cannot again abide the face of 

 his benefactor. That he is full of sense his actions clearly 

 show. 



"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of 

 the field which the Lord God had made." 



At dawn next morning I heard the rnteous lamentations 

 of the two wrens weeping for then- babes, because they 

 were not. I arose and went to the door. They were sit- 

 ting at the mouth of the coffee-pot, crying and fluttering 

 their wings in a strange manner, as if beside themselves 

 with grief. I then took the little one whom I had tenderly 

 brought into my house and put him before them on the 

 ground. They saw him immediately, and flew to him 

 almost before lie was out of my hand* Their demonstra- 

 tions of joy over him were touching, but what affected 

 me most was the behavior of the little' mother. Because 

 I had brought her one of her babes she seemed to think 

 I had them all, and for half a day she was constantly 

 coming into my house, hopping and chirping around as if 

 looking for them. The little one that was left to them is 

 now quite grown, but they do not leave, him. They sing 

 and flit around my shelter all day, often coming in. 



And I have changed my views regarding the bullsnake. 

 I wish no more to flute or to fiddle with him or any of 

 his sort, or to call him pet names. They kill rattlesnakes 

 and utterly root out rats and mice, and for these good 

 points they should be commended. But also they are 

 terrible destroyers of little innocents hi then nests, and 

 of all eggs they can find. They climb trees like a squirrel, 

 and glide from branch to branch with ease and rapidity. 

 The poor birds and squirrels can find no place where their 

 little ones will be safe from them. Undoubtedly they eat 

 hundreds of thousands of quail's eggs every year, and it 

 is owing to them that these birds are not abundant in 

 western Texas and that the grasshopper flourishes. If 

 eggs escape, they pursue the little chicks with fleet and 

 silent tread, playing havoc as they go. I veritably believe 

 that they destroy 75 per cent, of the young birds of Texas 

 every year, either in the eggs or as fledglings in the nest. 

 Hence it is no wonder that we have such a host of insects 

 injurious to the farm and garden. When the bullsnake 

 does so much harm, we can get along without the good 

 that he does. My judgment is that he should be killed. 



Indeed, are there any snakes whom it is not better to 

 kill than to save? Are they not all workers of more evil 



than of good? Is not the whole race of them a nuisance 

 and a scourge? Verily, I believe it. I was inclined to 

 except the little prairie snake of Texas, which kills rattle- 

 snakes and does not climb trees, but he may be, and 

 doubtless is, a terror to such birds as nest on the ground 

 and in low brush. The following passage from the Good 

 Book is hard to get round: 



"And the Lord God said unto the serpent, 'Because 

 thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and 

 above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou 

 go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And 

 I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and 

 between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head 

 and thou shalt bruise his heel." N , A. T. 



EliasviMjE, Texas. 



'mnt mid §nt\> 



Antelope and Deer of America, By J. D. Colon. 

 Price $2.50. Wing and Glass Ball Shooting with the 

 Rifle. By W. C. Bliss. Price 50 cents. Rifle, Rod and 

 Gun in California. By T. S. Van Dylee. Price $1.50. 

 Shore Birds', Price 50 cents. Woodcraft. By '-Ness- 

 muk." Price $1. Trajectories of Hunting Rifles. Price 

 5 cents. The Still-Hunter. By T. S. Van Dyke. Pr ice $:?. 



GAME SEASONS. 



SOME of the statutes prescribe a close season when game may 

 not be killed; others name an open season when game may be 

 killed. In the following abstract the style of each law has been 

 followed. 



MAINE. 



Forbidden to kill moose, deer, caribou between the first days of 

 January and October; woodduck. dusky duck, black duck, other 

 sea ducks, between the first days of May and September; rafted 

 grouse, partridge, woodcock, between first days of December and 

 September following; quail, pinnated grouse, between first, days 

 of January and September; plover, between first days of May and 

 August. 



NEW YORK. 



It is forbidden to kill deer save only from Aug. 15 to Nov. 1; use 

 of dogs forbidden except from Sept. 1 to Oct. '40 (in Suffolk and 

 Queens counties except during first ten days of October exclu- 

 sive of Sundays); use of dogs forbidden at. all times in St. Law- 

 rence and Franklin counties. Forbidden to kill wild duck, goose, 

 brant between May 1 and Sept. 1 (iu Long Island waters between 

 May 1 and Oct. 1; in Chautauqua Lake between Feb. 1 and Sept. 

 1.); quail between Jan. 1 and Nov. 1 (in Niagara county before 1889; 

 m Columbia, and Westchester counties except in month of Nov.); 

 hare, rabbit between Feb. 1 and Nov. 1; woodcock between Jan. 1 

 and Aug. 1 (in Oneida, Delaware, Rockland, Dutchess counties, be- 

 tween Jan. 1 and Sept. 1; in Columbia county except in months of 

 Sept., Oct. and Nov.); raffed grouse, partridge, spruce grouse, 

 Canada partridge, between Jan. 1 and Sept. 1 (in Queens aud 

 Suffolk counties between Jan. 1 and Nov. 1; in Niagara county be- 

 fore 18S9, in Columbia county except, in months of September, 

 October and November; in Westchester county except, in Novem- 

 ber; black or gra y squirrel between Feb. 1 and Aug. 1; (in Dutches 

 county between Jan. 1 and Sept. 1); ruffed grouse, partridge, be- 

 tween Jan. 1 and Sopt. 1; robin, lark, starling at any time. 



DEER HUNTING AT MU RRELL'S POINT. 



ABOUT the latter part of November I went down to 

 the hospitable mansion of Mr, Jack Crichton, who 

 lives opposite Mr. John Murrell, Jr., on Red River in Red 

 River parish. It was Friday night when I arrived at 

 Mr. Murrell's. There we were joined by him, and his 

 brother-in-law, Mr. John Warren. The eldest son of Mr. 

 Crichton was also one of our number for a deer chase 

 on Bay on Pierre, our jiack of hounds consisting of four 

 hounds helonguig to Murrell, and two to Crichton. 

 They were splendid runners, fleet and untiring. We 

 made several drives, starting a number of deer, all of 

 which crossed to the big lakes in that section of the 

 country, without any one getting a shot, except Murrell, 

 who drove, and while in thick brush got a flying shot at 

 an immense buck, rather too far to kill. He missed the 

 deer, which soon ran across Pierre Lake, and the hounds 

 there lost the scent. 



On Monday we went duck hunting. Only one duck 

 was killed, and that a black duck, which I shot under 

 embarrassing circumstances. I was wading in deep 

 water, covered with high saw grass, when I heard a 

 whirr in the tops of the thick cypress trees to my left. 

 Quickly throwing up my gun, I made a snap shot at a 

 single duck, and had the pleasure to see him go down 

 with a thud into the brush on dry land. The shot was so 

 quick and so difficult to make that I was really delighted. 



A number of squirrels were killed on our return home 

 by Murrell and Warren and Crichton's son. The next 

 day we took another deer drive, going to the same places. 

 As we were riding along the path by the side of Grassy 

 Lake we found a horn of immense size, that had been 

 dropped that morning by a buck, which we knew was 

 dropped then, as it was not there as we passed along on 

 the Saturday before; and the hounds struck the trail of 

 the deer going into the lake. Murrell blew off the hounds, 

 since the deer had gone out of the drive we intended to 

 make. This threw us into a drive beyond it. As Murrell 

 placed the standers we found the scrape of a buck that 

 was so fresh that it was evident the buck had made it 

 that morning. Here he placed Warren and myself a few 

 hundred yards above him, while he took a stand about 

 the same distance bevond mine. 



The drive was made by a little negro, some 12 years 

 old, who knows all the drives, and always accompanies 

 Mr. Murrell. A freedman also assisted in the drive. This 

 man is a remarkable instance of what an industrious 

 negro can do. He is a tenant on the place, made and 

 gathered six and a half bales of cotton this season, besides 

 carrying the mail two days of every week at a salary of 

 $20 per month from the Government. Besides, he built 

 this season two cotton houses and fenced in his land. 

 This done by himself, without any help. This freedman 

 often hunts with Mr. Murrell, and will not hunt with 

 other negroes on the place, 



I had barely time to hitch my pony and take my stand 

 before I heard one gun at Warren's stand. Soon I heard 

 the hounds in full cry, going out of the drive below any 

 stands. The drivers began blowing their horns for get- 

 ting back the dogs, and an hour passed before a hound 

 returned. This was a fine bitch, the mother of all (she 

 rest of the hounds. I heard Warren blow bis horn for 

 the drivers to come to him, and soon I heard the bitch in 

 full cry at his stand, and going into Pierre Lake. In 

 about half an hour I heard three shots in that direction. 

 Mounting my pony, I rode to the place as near as I 

 guessed I heard the shooting, and there I found the horse 

 tied by Murrell , In a few minutes he came walking back, 

 and told me that John Warren had broken thejhindleg of 



