Jan. 13, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



485 



1 had never confounded them with the other, and as 'for 

 the sage hen, science, I believe, classes them as grouse, 

 although they ha ve no gizzard and would starve to death 

 upon food that all the others would fatten upon. 



On the other hand, all the variety of bears in the 

 United States are declared to belong to one of only two 

 species; the black, brown, cinnamon, silver-tip and 

 grizzly are familiar to most of your readers, but there is 

 still another kind that, as far as I know, is found only in 

 the mountains that form the headwaters of Bang's River, 

 in California. I refer to the little yellow or golden bear, 

 less than half the size of the black, weighing usually 

 when full grown about 135 or ISOlbs. Several hunters in 

 that region have described them to me; and their 

 accounts agree so well that they carried conviction with 

 them. In addition to this at least one of your own cor- 

 respondents has described them in precisely the same 

 terms, so I know this bear is not entirely new to you. In 

 appearance it differs from all other bears as a donkey 

 differs from a Norman horse. Please, therefore, dear 

 Forest and Stream, inform your readers to which of 

 the two species the little golden bear- belongs. 



Oakland, California. FORKED PEF.R. 



SNOWY OWLS IN 1886-7. 



THE winter of 1886-87 will be remembered by natural- 

 ists and collectors throughout the country as a 

 remarkable one for the number of these birds of prey. 

 Throughout the Noathwest they were very abundant, as 

 well as in the Eastern and New England States. Imme- 

 diately after the big storm in the middle of November 

 they put in an appearance and remained until late the 

 following spring. Scarcely a newspaper throughout the 

 country but had an account of the killing of one or more 

 of them, and it is usually the case that only a small per 

 cent, of the number killed find an account of the killing 

 or capture in the columns of any newspaper; so the num- 

 ber killed must have been remarkable. Quite a number 

 were recorded in the Forest and Stream and other 

 papers interested in ornithology. Within a radius of 

 twenty-five miles from this point no less than a dozen were 

 killed, and of this entire number I know of but two that 

 were preserved. I have been collecting birds for ten 

 years, and have watched and waited patiently all that time 

 to add one of these birds to my collection, but was not 

 successful until last winter, when I secured six; one I 

 killed near here and recorded it in the Forest and 

 Stream, and the others were procured by my brother in 

 Calhoun county, Iowa. 



A friend of mine, J. Y. C, of Whatcom, Wash. Ter., 

 writes that they were very plenty there. Late in April, 

 1887, 1 saw one on some bottom land fifty miles south of 

 here while gunning for ducks. A friend was with me 

 and he was very anxious to kill one. We had seen this 

 one several times, but did not know it was an owl, and 

 thought it was one of the large bones of which there were 

 many scattered about. He had been shooting that morn- 

 ing half a mile from me, and when he returned to my 

 blind I pointed to the object I thought was a bone, telling 

 him it was a snowy owl. He seemed surprised, but at 

 once proceeded to make a detour, and then getting on 

 all-fours commenced creeping toward his prey. I was 

 watching the proceedings carefully and chuckling to 

 myself at the joke I thought I had on him. Suddenly I 

 heard two reports in quick succession, and on looking Hp 

 saw the owl flying rapidly away, and my friend, with a 

 look of dismay, holding the smoking gun in his hands. 

 Now I was thoroughly surprised at the way my joke had 

 turned out. We laid many plans for his capture and tried 

 various ways to get within gunshot of the old fellow, but 

 all to no avail. The weather at this time was very warm 

 and many of our summer birds had returned from their 

 southern homes. Wounded ducks were numerous all 

 over the bottoms, so he must have had a good living, 

 which , I suppose, accounted for his tarrying so long. 



TJp to the present time I have only learned of one being 

 killed this winter. The report comes from Vermont. One 

 was reported seen six miles from town last week, but it 

 may have been a light-colored, rough-legged hawk, al- 

 though the person who saw it was quite positive, as he 

 was within easy gunshot, but had no gun. Just why so 

 many migrated to the United States last winter I am not 

 prepared to say. It may have been the severe weather or 

 a scarcity of food. The bird is a regular migrant south 

 in winter, but has never, to my knowledge, appeared be- 

 fore in such numbers. H. A. Kline. 

 Fork eston. 111. 



PLUMAGE OF MALLARD DRAKE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I note in your issure of the 23d ult., that Dr. T. H. 

 Streets, of Philadelphia, severely criticises an asser- 

 tion made by Mr, Frank Wilkeson, in his article, "Along 

 the Manitoba Road," "that mallard drakes leave their 

 breeding grounds during the breeding season." Mr. 

 Streets says he "speaks from an experience much further 

 north than Rupert's Land, where the mallards also breed 

 in great numbers." The writer's knowledge of the habits 

 of mallards does not extend much further north than 

 "along the Manitoba road," but as to their habits in that 

 region Mr. Wilkeson is correct. 



During the past ten years I have shot at every lake in 

 the Province and know, I think, besides, nearly every 

 pond and swamp, and have never yet seen a "green 

 head" mallard between say July 15 and Sept. 15. During 

 the time, just stated you can find in ponds the female 

 mallard with her young, but no sign, in the vicinity, of 

 a "green head," or as we designate them "Tom mallard," 

 not even in his summer plumage, that Dr. Streets says 

 "assimilates so closely to that of the female." 



In further proof of this, I might mention that last 

 autumn two friends of mine came up here from Toronto. 

 Ontario, to spend a few weeks in hunting and shooting! 

 Av e struck camp at Whitewater Lake, in southwestern 

 Manitoba, about the middle of September. We killed 

 about 1,000 ducks before the first of October, and not a 

 single "Tom mallard"; but a sharp frost setting in on 

 the third of October, one of my friends, Mr. Thomas 

 Louden, killed during the forenoon of the following day 

 about fifty mallards, the majority of them being "green 

 heads." After that they began coming in "from the 

 north" in thousands, most of our birds from that time 

 out being "old Toms." Thos. Johnson. 



Winnipeg, Manitoba. 



FACTS ABOUT SNAKES. 



I SAW, quoted from the Forest and Stream, an 

 article on rattlesnakes climbing trees. Though what 

 I am about to communicate does not relate to that kind 

 of snake, yet it may be interesting to some of your 

 readers to leam facts in regard to the habits of snakes, 

 that very few have opportunities of witnessing. In the 

 article alluded to, snakes are represented as having been 

 found in the branches of trees, but there is no statement 

 of any snake having b<jen seen in the act of climbing. 



About the year 1839, in passing on horseback through 

 a forest that then stood on a point opposite Lake Provi- 

 dence, Louisiana, I saw a snake about five feet in length 

 on the trunk of a tree from 2 to Sift, in diameter. The 

 tree was straight and erect, without a branch within 40ft. 

 of the ground. The snake was about 6ft. from the ground 

 and transver8ly on the trunk of the tree, as if in the act 

 of ascending it spirally. The snake was spotted with 

 white and blue circular spots about |in. in diameter, and 

 was of a kind called in that part of the country king 

 snake. Its body, as it clung to the trunk of the tree, was 

 a succession of folds, by which the snake held on to the 

 tree. Its course had to be spirally, because the creases 

 in the bark by which it attached itself to the tree were 

 longitudinal; had they been transverse it could have as 

 easily ascended perpendicularly. The tree was, I believe, 

 a water oak: had it been a sycamore, beech or birch, I do 

 not flunk it would have been able to ascend it, for the 

 plain reason that these trees have no creases by which it 

 could attach itself to them. 



I will also mention that in walking through the swamp 

 opposite Gainsville, on Pearl River, in the State of Mis- 

 sissippi, I saw a snake, there known as the cotton mouth, 

 coiled on the top of a log. Being quite close to it, I shot 

 it with a shotgun. The shot cut its body quite open. On 

 examining it after it was dead, I found, within its body 

 four or five live snakes, each about 4 or 5in. in length. 

 On freeing them from the carcass they began to crawl 

 about, except one which appeared enveloped in a kind of 

 mucus. 



This snake, as well as I can remember, was about 3ft. 

 long, not thick, yet it carried within itself these young 

 snakes, apparently large enough to take care of them- 

 selves. 



In the "Memoirs of the Royal Society," Vol. X., 

 pages 222 and 266, there are several accounts of the effects 

 of snake bites, and of the remedies for them, and the 

 bites of mad dogs. There are also in the "Asiatic Re- 

 searches," Vol. XL. page 310, similar accounts. Also in 

 a compilation entitled, "Dissertations on Asia," page 486, 

 there is an article "On the Cure of Persons Bitten by 

 Snakes," by John Williams, Esq. This last gives seven 

 cases. 



As in both Philadelphia and Washington city persons 

 have been experimenting on the poisons of snakes, and 

 their antidotes, I thought the references here given 

 might be of some service, either to them or to others 

 interested in such subjects. B. S. 



Lotttsvtt.le, Ky„ Nov. 34, 1887. 



Tame Raccoons.— Opposite our place, and but a few 

 rods distant, a neighbor farmer found last May a mother 

 raccoon in the hollow of an oak tree, four or five feet 

 from the ground, with four young ones. The poor mother 

 was killed and a dog had dispatched one of the young, 

 when a young man present saved the lives of the remain- 

 ing three arid took them home with him, where he com- 

 menced feeding and training them. About six weeks 

 afterward I went to see them, and quite fell in love with 

 the pretty creatures. Though their fur is long and coa rse , 

 their faces are marked beautifully with bands of alternate 

 black and wdiite, each about one-half inch in width, run- 

 ning lengthwise of the prettily-shaped head, and the tails 

 are ringed. Then- eyes are bright, yet very soft and 

 pleasant looking. They were exceedingly fond of their 

 master, gamboling and frolicking with him like kittens, 

 running up and down on him and putting their arms 

 around his neck. He has taught them to jump over his 

 clasped hands, and a variety of other tricks such as are 

 taught puppies. He brought them up on a bottle, and 

 the prettiest sight of all was to see them nurse! Their 

 little hands and long, slender fingers played very grace- 

 fully with the bottle as they drew the' milk, just as a 

 nursing infant plays with its mother's breast. ' It was 

 really a lovely, delightful sight, and very funny too. In 

 the month of October they wandered out one night and 

 then master found them the next morning a mile from 

 home, but they were quite delighted to see him, and 

 returned gladly. The young man has now sold two of 

 them : the other follows him about the village like a dog. 

 and goes into the store, where it will eat crackers, of 

 which it is fond, and it is specially fond of candy, eating 

 all they will give-it.— Veritas (South Woodstock, Conn.). 



An Intelligent Chelonian. — A family in Washing- 

 ton, D. C. , have lately possessed a pet turtle of the species 

 called snapper, which manifested remarkable intelligence. 

 It recognized and distinguished people readily and had 

 its personal likes and dislikes. Toward strangers he was 

 always hostile, and some quite vicious, but members of 

 the family could fondle him like a kitten, and he would 

 sit- by the hour and doze on the shoulder of a favorite 

 lady. He was kept in a small glass dish, which he seldom 

 cared to leave, and so far from showing any inclination 

 to escape from captivity he would not be turned adrift, 

 for as often as he was pitched into the river, when the 

 family had finally tired of him, he climbed out, up the 

 bank and came home, and it was only when they dropped 

 him into a deep hole at a great distance that thev man- 

 aged to shake him off. One noteworthy peculiarity was 

 observed during the natural period of hibernation. At 

 such times his body was seen to exude a thick dark sub- 

 stance resembling mud, which covered it completely to 

 the thickness of half an inch, so that in its semi-torpid 

 state it resembled a ball of earth. An opaque belt of dis- 

 colored water surrounded it for a distance of four or five 

 inches— no doubt a provision of nature to aid its conceal- 

 ment during its defenseless state in winter.— H. 



Woodduck. in Winter,— On Sunday, Jan. 8. 1888, a 

 flock of ducks, composed of 11 black' ducks, 2 mallards 

 and 1 male woodduck, were seen by me in the Hacken- 

 sack marshes. There can be no doubt as to the identifi- 

 cation of the woodduck, as after separating from the rest 

 of the flock he flew back over my head at very close 

 range.— Robert T. Morris (New York). 



A Taxidermist's Preparation.— St. Albans Bay, Vt., 

 Dec. 19. — I wish to bring to the notice of some of your 

 readers an important discovery in taxidermy, that is the 

 discovery of a preparation which put upon the bills and 

 legs of mounted birds will cause them to retain their 

 natural color. My son, who is a taxidermist, has tested 

 it thoroughly for the past four years, and it has proved a 

 perfect success. It was tried upon mounted fish eight 

 months ago, and the scales and fins retain their natural 

 color to-day.— H. L. Samson. 



Rkcent Arrivals ax Philadelphia Zoological Garden.— 

 Purchased— One brown captirin (Cebus foturllm), and two blossom - 

 headed parrakeets (Palrmrni* cymuicr-fihalux). Presented— Five 

 prairie dogs (( 'ywww* ludnrielanw). one Virginia deer ((Tor hie us vir- 

 yinianus), two red-tailed buzzards [Butni hhrealis), one duck hawk 

 (Fnlcn crmimunis), one redbird (Cardinal™ viryinimms), one long- 

 eared owl ( utm mdyarix wilson tortus), one sparrow ha wk (Faleo sr.ar- 

 ivrii/s), one barred owl (Syrnium nehuhmtm), and two alligators 

 (Alliyator ini*Hiv*f-p»irn*is). Born in Warden— Five dingus (On is 

 it wyn). 



'mne and 0tttf. 



Address nil eommunimtbnis to the Forest and Stream Pith. Co. 



Antelope and Deer of America* By J. D. Caton. 

 Price S.J.50. Whig and Glass Ball Shooting with the 

 Rifle. By W. C. 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- 

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

 88 cents. The Still-Hunter. By T. S. Van Dyke. Price $2. 



ZINC FOR GUN BARRELS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your issue of June 9, 1887, appeared an article en- 

 titled "Zinc for Rust in Barrels,'" by Austin, which I 

 supposed would attract the attention of all interested hi 

 that matter, and I hoped that it would elicit the observa- 

 tions and ideas of other correspondents. But the sugges 

 tions of the article must have seemed impracticable or 

 else, there is not the urgent demand for a gun rust pre 

 ventive that I had supposed. Now the ideas presented 

 by Austin seemed to me to be of considerable importance, 

 the only question being the most practical method of at- 

 taining the end proposed. 



Though I have not had the opportunity to test the plan 

 advised, I made the following experiments, which, while 

 they gave a different result from that obtained by him, 

 were so far a success as to meet all the demands of the 

 case. I took a piece of zinc, such as is used in making 

 washboards, about If in. long and about fin. wide. This 

 I tacked to a block of wood with ordinary iron tacks, 

 filing the heads bright and placing a tack at each corner 

 and one in the center. On the head of the first corner 

 tack I placed a drop of muriatic acid prepared as for 

 tinners' use. The head of the tack at the next and nearest 

 corner and also that of the center tack I covered with 

 fine table salt and then added a drop of water to each. 

 This I stirred, making as strong a saline solution as possi- 

 ble, and rubbing it well over the heads of the tacks. On 

 the head of each of the two remaining tacks I placed a 

 drop of nitric acid. Now as to the results. The muriatic 

 acid discolored the iron, but it did not appear to be rust. 

 The salt, though repeatedly wet after becoming dry, 

 showed no sign of causing rust until six or eight weeks 

 after its application, when the corner tack, near the one to 

 which the muriatic acid was applied, began to rust and has 

 since become covered with rust. But on the center tack 

 the salt has produced no effect and it still remains bright. 

 The nitric acid, which was strong, immediately acted on 

 the tacks as if it would destroy them and they were soon 

 covered with a coat of rust. After some weeks, I applied 

 some of the salty solution to the tack on which I had 

 placed the muriatic acid, and this soon caused a coat of 

 rust to form. Thus four of the five tacks were sooner or 

 later corroded, the fifth or central one remaining bright. 

 The rust, however, seems to be only a crust on the sur- 

 face, which, after rubbing to a certain depth, ceased 

 altogether, for I notice that where the nitric acid was 

 used this crust is scaling off, leaving the head of the tack 

 in such places perfectly bright. Why one tack in failing 

 to rust should have been an exception I can only account 

 for on the ground that it was protected by a larger pro- 

 portion of zinc, having the full width of the plate to 

 itself, and not being within a half inch of another tack, 

 while the tacks at the ends of the plate were within one- 

 fourth of an inch of each other. This would lead me to 

 fear that Austin's plan of placing in the barrel a strip of 

 zinc the length and width of the- bore might not be 

 a sufficient protection. With the edges of the strip in 

 contact only with the opposite sides of the bore, and 

 probably an imperfect contact at that, would the in- 

 fluence be sufficient to protect the whole surface of the 

 bore? Much, of course, would depend on the thiclmess of 

 the strip, which is not specified. Austin does not state 

 whether this method has been actually tested and found 

 efficient, or whether it is regarded as a justifiable infer- 

 ence from the facts noted. If a strip of zinc should prove 

 ineffective, a tube of that material, made to fit the bore, 

 would, no doubt, answer the purpose. Probably this is 

 what Austin means when he speaks of rolling up thin 

 zinc to fill the barrel. The greatest difficulty that I see 

 would in any case be to get a good fit in the chokebores, 

 though it may be possible that a good fit is not at all 

 necessary. 



I wish that Austin would write again and give the 

 readers of Forest and Stream some further information 

 on this subject; I feel sure that it would be appreciated. 

 I hope others also may be induced to express their views. 

 I think Austin did the readers of Forest and Stream 

 quite a favor in his communication, and I for one wish to 

 tb ank Mm. SPLASHER . 



The Rabbit Plague Reward.— As stated in your 

 paper recently, the Government of New South Wales 

 offers a prize of £25,000 for a plan which will rid them of 

 the rabbit pest. I have one which has worked effectually 

 in this locality, and would, no doubt, prove an entire 

 success there. I guarantee it to be effective and claim 

 the award. The idea is to import into that country the 

 entire African element of this, furnishing them with a 

 requisite number of Zulus and mongrel canines.— J. G. D. 



