144 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sept. 15,-1687. 



NIGHTHAWK AND SWALLOW. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



One of the most interesting birds common in this local- 

 ity is the nighthawk. To one who, like myself, is not an 

 ornithologist, there is one peculiarity about this bird that 

 distinguishes it from all others, and this characteristic 

 habit consists of its chief point of attraction; and yet 

 those who have written interesting descriptions of this 

 bird and its habits for Forest and Stream during the 

 past six years have never touched upon this most notable 

 feature, until hi your last issue your correspondent 

 "Jose" makes mention of it. 



I refer to the habit of diving down from a great height 

 in the air, uttering a loud booming sound and then ascend- 

 ing with almost lightning rapidity to its former elevation 

 and resuming its monotonous cry of "scaipe," as though 

 nothing unusual had happened. This performance gen- 

 erally takes place after sunset and continues until it is 

 quite dark. During the day the bird is about as stupid 

 as an owl and will perch upon the top rail of a fence and 

 allow a boy to come near enough to knock him off with 

 a club. This refers to the country boy, who, I am sorry 

 to say, is sometimes up to such tricks, the city boy would 

 never see the bird, as under such circumstances it looks 

 like a knot on the rail. 



Your correspondent also refers to the beauty of the 

 plumage of the swallow. Quite recently I was impressed 

 with this same thing. I was returning from a fishing 

 excursion four miles up the river, in my skiff, the Gracie. 

 I had two sails set and was leaning lazily against the 

 mizzenmast. A swallow perched on top of the mainmast 

 and peered down curiously to see what kind of a craft it 

 was, and what it contained. At the same time I had a 

 fine view of the under plumage of the bird in its natural, 

 unruffled condition, and at close range. It is a little 

 beauty and no mistake, though many persons with a less 

 intimate acquaintance would not suspect it. On this par- 

 ticular occasion I noticed a large number of swallows were 

 flying quite low and frequently dipping down into the 

 water, making a great splash. I have seen this on other 

 occasions about sunset, and at a distance of a quarter of a 

 mile one is apt to be deceived by it, thinking that it is the 

 fish jumping. I think that the swallows are at 

 such times catching flies and other insects which are 

 floating on the sur ace. When at this occupation the 

 swallow sometimes makes a splash similar to that made 

 by the kingfisher, but at other times merely touches the 

 surface and leaves a wake like that of a minnow jumping 

 out of the water in his efforts to escape his mortal enemy 

 the black bass. E. A. Leopold. 



NORRISTOWN, Pa. 



[The swallows referred to by "Jose" were no doubt the 

 violet green (Tachycineta thallassina), a small western 

 species, the one seen by Mr. Leopold may have been the 

 white-bellied swallow (T. bicolor). The swallows that 

 touched the water as they flew over it may have been 

 drinking or catching insects or bathing.] 



A FEATHERED WAIF. 



THERE came by express to the Forest and Stream 

 last week a young sawwhet owl (Nyctale acadica) 

 which had been captured on a vessel on Lake Superior, 

 forwarded to Cleveland, O., where it came into the pos- 

 session of our well-known correspondent Dr. E. Sterling, 

 and was by him sent on to this office. The little bird 

 apjpeared to be hi good condition aud was taken 

 down to Long Island to find a home after its wander- 

 ings, but the next day it succumbed to the hardships of 

 travel and died. Advised of the owl's safe arrival here, 

 Dr. Sterling writes: "I am glad to know that the 

 owl has finally reached the office of Forest and Stream 

 alive and in good condition, eyes golden and bright. The 

 voyage of this bird is remarkable. A waif migrating 

 across the great inland sea of Lake Superior, when mid- 

 way finds a resting place. Then captured and fed for 

 several days by a rough crew of kind-hearted men, who 

 at any time on more important occasions would be found 

 at their post. The little bird of "Hellen," after landing 

 at Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio, had a day of rest, when it 

 was put into a peach basket with two live mice for food, 

 and was covered over with brown paper and twine. 

 Arriving at Cleveland by railroad, the little owl was 

 taken from the basket, eyes bright and luminous as ever, 

 though the feathers were somewhat disarranged. Then 

 a special box was made, the waif again boxed up and 

 provisioned for transportation. Through all these tribu- 

 lations I am sure our little owl never once snapped her 

 bill, as they are wont to do when disturbed, so intelligent 

 was our bird. I cannot say where this stranger had its 

 home, perhaps far north in the Hudson's Bay region of 

 British Columbia or Onalaska's shore. However, he was 

 moving south, "got over the line," and was captured. 



Black and Silver Fox. — Editor Forest and Stream : 

 I wish to give my testimony and indorsement on the 

 position taken by "K. N. L, McD." on black and silver 

 foxes, in a late issue. Up to ten years ago I trapped foxes 

 every season in one of the best if not the best sections for 

 red fox in this country, and of the 1,013 taken not one 

 was black or silver gray. Now, if the black or silver fox 

 is a freak or sport of the red species, I think I should have 

 taken some. I once saw one in the summer season and 

 would have shot it, but preferred taking the chance of 

 getting it in the proper season. I have never heard of 

 them being found further south than Vermont, and learn 

 from collectors of their frequent occurrence further north, 

 between the range of the red fox on the south and that of 

 the white and blue fox north. If they are freaks they 

 should be most plenty where the reds are. Once I 

 marketed my furs in person, selling to "Wight Bros., 72 

 Chauncy street, Boston, a firm who have been in business 

 a generation or more, and handling furs from all quarters 

 of the globe, and are presumed to know all about their 

 trade. I was shown three specimens of the silver gray 

 fox. No. 1 was jet black, except the tip of the tail, which 

 was white, the pelt was very dark, as it should be if taken 

 in early fall. No. 2 had a few coarse hairs tipped with 

 light gray, with the pelt lighter colored, as would be if 

 taken later. No. 3 a perfectly prime skin, the pelt while 

 and the fur a full silver, and was told that the so-called 

 black and silver fox were one and the same, the differ- 

 ence in season accounting for color, and that it was a 

 distinct species from the red, and its habitat the higher 

 latitudes. — Warfield (Maine). 



\mm §ag mxi <§nt\+ 



Addresss all communications to the Forest a?id Stream Pub. Go. 



Antelope and Deer of America. By J. D. Gaton. 

 Price $3.50. Wing and Glass Ball Shooting with the 

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

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

 Shore Birds. Price 15 cents. Woodcraft. By "Ness- 

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

 50 cents. Th e Still-Hun ter. By T. S. Van Dyke. Price $2. 



WOODCOCK IN THE SOUTH. 



WOODCOCK shooting commences with us about 

 Christmas time and continues until the first moon 

 in February. If that moon be early, bub few birds remain 

 and breed with us, but if it comes late in the month and 

 the weather be cold, quite a number will remain. I have 

 found the nests in the month of March, and on one 

 occasion I found four nests within 50yds. of each other. 

 In the month of July I shot six woodcock not one mile 

 from the city, and in the month of October last year I 

 shot twelve within a space of 200yds. Last season a very 

 great number of birds bred with us, indeed so many that 

 market gunners thought they were flight birds. In this, 

 however, they were mistaken, for at no time up to Dec. 

 10 that year was the weather cold enough to drive the 

 birds southward to us. The season had been a very dry 

 one up to that time, when we had some rain, and the 

 birds shifting their grounds gave the hunters an erroneous 

 impression. About Jan. 1 this year we received the first 

 flight, and the birds were numerous; several were caught 

 in the streets of our city. I was told that 63 were shot to 

 two guns hi one day on one occasion, and at another time 

 41. On my first hunt after the flight I met two acqaint- 

 ances about 7 o'clock in the morning; at which time they 

 had 7 birds and I had none. In the evening we met 

 again at the same place, and my friends had 41 woodcock 

 and I had 16 woodcock, 2 partridges and 2 doves, 61 birds 

 to three guns, 57 of which were woodcock. I had but 

 one dog, and that an old and inferior on account of his 

 age. If I had had a good dog our bag would have been 

 much larger. 



There is no bird shooting that I know of which requires 

 a good dog so much as woodcock shooting. A dog which 

 has the best of a nose and one which thoroughly under- 

 stands what he is hunting for — such dogs should in close 

 cover range around you instead of in front of you, for it 

 oftentimes happens that when a cock is flushed he will 

 fly around and alight in the rear of you, and you will not 

 be able to find him with a common dog if you have failed 

 to mark the flight of the bird. Any fair dog will find 

 woodcock, but when they are first found they are likely 

 to be in a very thick and consequently very hard place to 

 shoot them, especially if you are alone, but with a friend 

 it is different, for one can drive the bird when flushing m 

 the direction of an opening, and the bird killed on the 

 first point; but if not killed on the first point, you require 

 just then a first-class dog, for the bird will alight in the 

 opening and will flush at the least noise and very often 

 will flush before an ordinary dog can wind them, and 

 this is the reason you often wonder what has become of 

 the bird, as he is continually flushed out of your sight and 

 hearing. The first-class dbg, when he finds them not 

 shot, will slow down his pace, throw his head in the air 

 and move cautiously and work for the body scent and 

 will point at a long distance, and this work requires the 

 best of nose, for the woodcock has but a light scent. 



Some persons think that a slow dog is .the best for 

 woodcock, but I differ. I have hunted both and I find I 

 can kill more birds over a fast dog than over a slow one, 

 if the dog has not a good nose then a slow one is the best; 

 for in such a case you are playing dog yourself one-half 

 of the time. On the second or third flush, if it is made 

 without a point, and you are the flusher, you have to take 

 your chances; but with a good dog with a first-class nose 

 each flush is made from a point and you can take yoivr 

 time to flush the bird in the direction you want him to 

 fly, and if a good shot, bag him. In proof, a friend and 

 myself in the day's hunt over a brace of setters found 58 

 cock and bagged 54, and this in heavy cover ; on another 

 hunt with another friend and the same brace of dogs we 

 found 24 birds, bagging every one. Some of these birds 

 were pointed from two to four times before we had a 

 chance to bring them to bag, for the cover was canes, 

 Thinking that some of these birds were not the ones 

 flushed at first, but that they were a second bird, we beat 

 the swamp from side to side back but could not find an- 

 other bird. One day 1 followed in the tracks of two of 

 my friends who were good shots but who bagged at that 

 time eleven birds over three dogs. I bagged thirteen birds 

 with my brace of dogs, and had I been ahead I do not 

 think they would have bagged three. I have hunted over 

 other dogs, finding from twelve to fifteen birds and bag- 

 ging not more than five or six. This was the fault of the 

 dogs, not because they were not staunch enough but be- 

 cause when I did not kill the bird on the first point, I 

 failed to get another point on that bird, so you see that 

 what I state is from personal experience in this class of 

 shooting.. 



So much for the dog, now for the. habits of the birds — 

 their migratory flights are made when the moon is 

 nearly full, and they move only when compelled by 

 severe frost, which prevents them from procuring food. 

 They remain in cover during the day and feed at night, 

 commencing their flight for their feeding grounds about 

 twdight and leaving at dawn. A number is at hand on 

 these flights who take then stands and shoot them as 

 they fly past. On very cold mornings the best place to 

 find them is along the shrub oak ridges on the sunny 

 side of the swamp. This is hard shooting, especially 

 if the weather be damp, when they are found in the 

 thickest kind of cover. In warmer weather they are 

 found among the sprouts close to the water on the hil- 

 locks in the swamps among the sprouts at the edge of a 

 road or stream where the ground is damp or wet. You 

 then have the best shooting, for the birds are found in 

 places more open, and woodcock shooting may be then 

 enjoyed, for you can see your dogs and get good open 

 shots. Another good place for these birds too is among 

 the patches of rich gardens, when these patches have 

 sprouts or cane on the edges, and particularly if the 

 ground is damp among the cover, and a favorite place 

 for them to feed is burnt fields. Years back numbers 



used to be killed in burnt fields by the negroes by torch- 

 light and bushes. When the birds were flushed the torch- 

 light would affect their eyes, and they becoming confused 

 would fly toward the light and be knocked down by the 

 hunter with the bushes. 



This manner of hunting and securing these birds is 

 among the things that were— the negroes now are the 

 most destructive market gunners, and they go in gangs 

 of two and three together, so that a bird has no chance of 

 escape, and they care not whether a bird is a hen from 

 the nest or not since their object is money. In proof of 

 this I heard a negro market gunner say ('twas in the 

 month of March) that he had shot four w r oodcock the day 

 before, I told him that they were then breeding, when 

 his answer was that he would shoot them on the nest as 

 long as he could get twenty cents apiece for them. A 

 few days after this I visited the place where he said he 

 had shot them, and I found the four nests but no sign of 

 bird; and on inquiry found that those were really the 

 birds he had shot. I have been told that the negro pot- 

 hunters are no injury to game because they are not good 

 shots. This may be true in that section from where the 

 gentleman writes, but here we have numbers of them 

 who are good shots. 



To successfully shoot woodcock two parties, or persons, 

 I mean, and two good dogs, are necessary; two friends 

 make company but throe a crowd. With two, one flushes 

 and cne shoots and marks, or one may shoot while a ser- 

 vant flushes. You may ask why not use a cocker ? I 

 answer no, for in the first place you lose the pleasure of 

 the fine work of a good dog, and secondly in nine cases 

 out of ten a cocker will flush when you are in thick buck 

 briers and the bird will fly in any direction but the one 

 you wish. Cockers are good in canes or low brush, but 

 when you have to take the cover yourself give me the 

 staunch setter, for then you can flush* in the direction you 

 want. I find a 28in. , 12-bore hammerless with cartridges 

 loaded with ljoz. of No. 9 shot and 3|drs. of F.G. powder 

 do good work. I use heavy loads of powder, for in this 

 kind of shooting you have to take your chance through 

 canes and brush, and very often with light loads of pow- 

 der the pellet which would bring your bird to bag is 

 stopped by a twig or the leaves of the cane, but with a 

 heavy load you can be sure of your bird. I have fre- 

 quently in a day's shooting bagged birds that I did not 

 see at the time of firing, and it was only when my dog 

 retrieved that I knew that I had hit the bird. 



Shooting in heavy timber by one not accustomed to 

 woodcock, although a good shot, will vex him very 

 much, for when he is positive that the bird is covered, 

 and fires and finds that the shot is a clean miss, and shot 

 after shot is missed, he becomes puzzled and can in no 

 way account for it. The shooting is comparatively open 

 and before he commences he could almost swear tnat he 

 would kill every bud he could flush on such ground, but 

 when he does begin he finds out his mistake, for when 

 the bird is flushed he flies direct for a tree, and when 

 within a foot of it he dodges suddenly and is around the 

 tree just about the time the shot is fired and the tree gets 

 the shot intended for the bird. I remember on one oc- 

 casion I was out shooting and met with a gentlemen who 

 said he had found several woodcock in a certain locality 

 in the swamp, but that he could not hit them — he was a 

 good shot and had bagged but two birds — although 

 he had tired a great many shots. I knew the spot 

 well; it was an old pond with low maiden canes 

 and heavy timber; the canes were not over a foot 

 high and the timber were 20yds. apart. I laughed at him 

 and told him I could kill any bird in such a plaee. His 

 answer was "Come and try." Well, we started and in a 

 short time reached the ground, and soon both of my dogs 

 were on point. I flushed and shot, but no bird. I flushed 

 from the other dog, and no bird after firing at least twelve 

 shots. Finally I sat down utterly disgusted and saw my 

 friend fire and miss as usual. In a little while I saw what 

 the trouble was, got up and started my dogs and in a short 

 time had a point. I called up my friend, who told me to 

 fire away, flushed, waited until the bird dodged the tree, 

 fired and bagged my bird. My friend said said he thought 

 I had changed my mind and was not going to shoot. I 

 then commenced and soon bagged eleven birds without 

 missing one shot. I had shot hundreds of woodcock be- 

 fore, but never in such open ground. When they are 

 flushed a number of times they fly very fast, and I have 

 heard them make a noise with their wings like a partridge, 

 and sometimes if you are not quick you will shoot behind 

 them, for the general belief is that they are not flying as 

 fast as they really do. 



Another thing with woodcock in open ground is, that 

 they will run before a dog for some distance, and, as they 

 leave but slight scent, the dog is afraid of flushing and 

 moves slowly, and before you know it the bird is up and 

 to one side and oft* before you can cover him. I think 

 thut woodcock flush more frOm sound than sight — it 

 seems that they are partially blind in the daytime. I 

 have had them alight within a few feet of me after they 

 were flushed; and this season two of my friends told me 

 that while they were taking their lunch one of their dogs 

 flushed a bird in the rear of them and he flew between 

 them and alighted near the other dog, which caught it 

 between her feet and held it there for some time. It fin- 

 ally got away from the dog and was shot by one of the 

 gentlemen. The dogs and men were not 5ft. apart. 



I saw an amusing thing with pointer and woodcock at 

 one time, which occurred in the historical "Jasper Spring'' 

 swamp. This swamp covered at that time about five 

 acres, in the middle of which was an open space. The 

 best place for shooting was near the road and close to the 

 spring. I had entered the swamp from the opposite side 

 and soon heard shooting near the road. When I reached 

 the open ground my pointer bitch came to point. I 

 thought it was a partridge she scented, as there were two 

 coveys in this swamp, but as I advanced what do you 

 think I saw— the bitch was pointing close to a log— a 

 woodcock jump upon the log, fan his tail, strut, draw his 

 bill close to his breast and hiss at the dog, which, not 

 being a very staunch one, and not liking the insult from 

 the bird, made a snap for it, which caused Mr. Woodcock 

 to take to his wings for safety. Between laughter and 

 the sudden movement of the dog I missed clean with both 

 barrels, and to pay me for my levity five more woodcock 

 jumped up from around the log. The fact was the 

 gunner at the road had driven the birds to this opening 

 which accounted for so many being in the one place. In 

 my next 1 will have something to say about the Virginia 

 partridge or Bob White. Vitus. 

 Savannah, Ga. 



