June 2, 1887.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



413 



town it was before the war. It is connected by rail with 

 Tallahassee, twenty miles distant. There aro two stores, 

 a post office and half a dozen dwellings. On the north 

 are the immense pine woods, and on the south an exten- 

 sive marsh covered with rushes stretches away a distance 

 of eight miles to the Gulf of Mexico. A number of spong- 

 ers stop here daily, and in company with a number of 

 these we spent the evening. We staid up late, as we had 

 one stubborn fact to face, and that was there would be 

 no sleop in St. Marks that night on account of the mos- 

 quitoes. All were glad when morning came, for then at 

 least the mosquitoes would leave us alone. 



From St. Marks we shipped all our luggags to Talla- 

 hassee by rail, as we had to take the boat up the river 

 eighteen miles to the Natural Bridge. A person that lias 

 visited Florida and not hunted nor fished in this river has 

 missed one of the richest treats the State affords; and the 

 naturalist too will find here an almost inexhaustible field. 

 More especially do the woods adjoining Ihe river aboymd 

 in rare and beautiful birds. As we passed up the river 

 that day we saw or heard over 100 pileatcd woodpeckers, 

 the most conspicuous bird of the cypress swamp. On 

 bright days they make the woods ring with their loud, 

 clear notes, and then heavy rapping on a dead cypress 

 can be heard a great distance. They breed ia the largest 

 cypress trees, and commence nesting early in April. Not 

 only are these birds abundant along the streams, but they 

 are often met with in the open pine timber, especially 

 when not nesting. Their bright scarlet crest is often 

 used for a bait in trolling for black bass. 



On one occasion while hunting along the St. Marks 

 River I met a man with .gun and fishing tackle. He said 

 he was trying to kill a "iogcock," to get his top-knot for 

 bait. That "he heerd one poundin' up the stream a half 

 mile, and he slipped up and let him down with his old 

 gun, and when he got him he was the consarndest lookin' 

 Iogcock he ever seed. He had nary a bit of red on him, 

 and a big white bill." I told him I would give him a 

 dollar if he would get him for me; he willingly consented, 

 and in a short time I was in possession of my first ivory- 

 billed woodpecker, a large female. Many and long were 

 the tramps I took through that swamp to catch sight of 

 the cock, but finally had to give up. I had heard a num- 

 ber of times of another pair of these rare birds that stayed 

 in a. very gloomy swamp some miles up the river. I had 

 visited the place a number of times, but it was not until 

 the 8th of April last that I caught sight of them. The 

 pair were feeding on a decayed tree, and were so intent 

 on their morning meal that they did not notice me as I ap- 

 proached carefully through the thick undergrowth. They 

 presented a striking appearance in their jet black suits, 

 with scarlet and white markings. The male was easily 

 distinguished by his beautiful scarlet crest, and he was 

 the one I singled out, as I thought at the report of the 

 gun they would leave. I fired and the male fell dead at 

 the foot of the tree, and the female alighted on the 

 ground close to her mate and made a very loud noise. 

 She too was easily killed, and the trio now adorn my 

 cabinet. The notes of these birds when flying about are 

 very low compared with the notes of other species of this 

 family. It is a simple pait, pait,. No other birds of woods 

 make a similar noise, and the lover of birds who once 

 hears it will never forget it. At one time the ivory-billed 

 woodpecker was found as far north as Illinois, and in the 

 State museum at Springfield is a fine male taken in this 

 State many years ago. This bird if found at all outside 

 of the boundaries of Florida must be extremely rare. I 

 have not heard a single instance of its capture outside 

 Florida for many years. 



The beautiful golden-winged woodpecker is very abun- 

 dant about Tallahassee in whiter, but rare in summer. 

 The red-bellied, hairy and downy comparatively common. 

 The red-headed winters principally further south. Few 

 are seen in winter, but during March and April a good 

 many pass through, migrating northward. As we passed 

 up the river that day we frequently saw the water turkey. 

 They breed about the ponds near the head of the St. 

 Marks, making a shallow nest on the horizontal lirnbs of 

 the cypress, always over the water. Near the head of the 

 river we found the nest of a Florida gallinule containing 

 eight eggs. Ifc was placed in some wild potatoe vines 

 growing on a small island in the middle of the river. It 

 remains in the neighborhood all winter. Its near relative, 

 the beautiful purple gal inule, spends the winter further 

 south and arrives in the vicinity of Tallahassee about the 

 first of April. Just outside the city limits, south of the 

 city, are a number of grassy ponds. Large numbers of 

 them breed here every year. I have often watched them 

 feeding as they walked gracefully about, stepping care- 

 fully from one lily leaf to another, their long, slender toes 

 wide spread. Standing on one leaf, with their bills they 

 raise the edge of another, and woe unto the unlucky 

 marine insect that is lurking beneath. Then flight is 

 heavy, very much like the rail's. During the mating 

 season their loud cacklings can be heard for a long way. 

 About these same ponds the least bittern breeds, some- 

 times making a nest in the low bushes, but oftener in the 

 rushes. I observed the American bittern here also, but 

 don't think it breeds. The clapper and Carolina rails also 

 breed here. The beautiful American egret can be seen 

 here almost any day in the winter. In the spring, as bird 

 life becomes more abundant, I often noticed the water 

 turkey, white ibis, great blue, green, snowy, blue and 

 black-crowned night herons, to say nothing about the 

 numbers of ducks, jacksnipe, killdeer plover, meadow 

 larks and other birds. In the latter part of April large 

 flocks of bobolinks put in an appearance. They feed 

 almost entirely in the oat fields, but whether on the young 

 grain or insects I am not prepared to say. They usually 

 remain about two weeks. Here, at least, little Robert o' 

 Lincoln is not persecuted. He is here known by the name 

 of "wheat bird." Why he should be called that I don't 

 know. Surely if he depended on wheat for a living in 

 Florida he would not live long. If the bobolink escapes 

 the local gunners, another species is killed for the same 

 reason, and that is the red-winged blackbird, which is 

 there called rice bird. I was asked last spring to go with 

 a party gunning for rice birds and could not go. They 

 reported at night with about 100 red-winged blackbirds, 

 and were quite indignant when I told them they were not 

 rice birds. However, they filled the bill probably as well 

 as the genuine rice bird. 



Another bird that ought to be protected, especially in 

 the South in winter, is the turtle dove. Here they con- 

 gregate in flocks of from half a dozen to several hundred, 

 feeding in the cotton and cornfields. Thousands are 

 killed every week; sometimes one man killing fifty or 



more in a day. I know in this locality (Ogle county, Illi- 

 nois) there are not one-third the doves there were five 

 years ago. They are not shot here for food, and it must 

 be this promiscuous slaughter in their winter homes that 

 is thinning their ranks. In a country where quail are so 

 abundant as they are in the hill country of Tallahassee, 

 doves should never be killed for food. 



The greatest curse to the birds in the South is the negro. 

 He kills, traps, shoots and ensnares any or all kinds of 

 birds — the gay cardinal redbird, the sweet-singing mock- 

 ingbird, and even the tiny wren all find their way to his 

 capacious game bag and more capacious maw. He uses 

 the old-fashioned figure 4 trap, in which nearly all 

 kinds of our insectivorous birds can be captured while in 

 winter quarters. I myself have known him to capture 

 the following species: Robin, brown thrush, golden- 

 crowned thrush, wood thrush, ground robin, cardinal 

 grosbeak, catbird, mockingbird, ground dove, turtle dove, 

 quail, house wren, and several kinds of warblers. Every- 

 thing in his eyes is game. He will sit down and relish a 

 thunder-pump fully as well as the finest woodcock, or he 

 will eat a garfish as easily as a brook trout. This is a 

 nuisance that should be stopped. If law making won't 

 stop it, it would be a good plan to try law enforcing. In 

 Tallahassee around the old buildings several thousand 

 purple martins breed every year. Around the negroes' 

 cabins and old plantation houses I often noticed a tall 

 pole, with cross arms near the top, from which were sus- 

 pended large long-necked gourds, in the sides of winch 

 were cut small holes. These are placed there by the 

 country folks for the accommodation of the martins. 

 They seem to enjoy these swinging homes, for none are 

 ever left unoccupied. This bird is called by the negroes 

 the "gourd martin" or "hawk's enemy." The name is 

 veiw appropriate, as they will not suffer a hawk to be 

 about the premises. 



In Apr 1, 1886, I visited Lake Iamonia, about twenty 

 miles north of Tallahassee. The lake was dried up, with 

 the exception of a few dark-colored pools a.nd some ex- 

 tensive mud flats. At this time there were several thous- 

 and white ibis in the neighborhood, as well as large num- 

 bers of herons and other aquatic birds. The ibis were in 

 flocks of from a dozen to several hundreds. They were 

 wild and I only procured one specimen. These birds have 

 a large rookery on the Oclocknee River, two miles from 

 the lake. They were not yet breeding when I visited the 

 place, but commenced several weeks later. Their nests 

 numbered hundreds, and the noise of the birds could be 

 heard a great distance. Wild turkey 3 are abundant along 

 any of the heavily wooded river countries. There are a 

 great many species of birds common about this locality I 

 have not mentioned, and a great many I expected to find 

 abundant either were not seen or were very rare. Those 

 three attractive birds so common in most parts of the 

 North were only noticed once or twice, viz. : the Baltimore 

 oriole, scarlet tanager and rose-breasted grosbeak. The 

 orchard oriole, summer redbird, kingbird and redwing 

 blackbird breed abundantly. The naturalist or collector 

 visiting Florida will find as many interesting birds in the 

 neighborhood of Tallahassee and the adjacent Gulf coast 

 as anywhere in the State. A boat is something that can 

 not be dispensed with. A tent is not needed, as the pal- 

 metto is everywhere abundant, and a tent equal to the 

 best canvas can be constructed from its leaves m a short 

 time. The naturalist will not find it all sunshine, orange 

 groves, islands teeming with beautiful birds and beaches 

 strewn with shells. He must make up his mind to endure 

 any or all hardships that come in his w r ay. He will be 

 called upon to undergo thirst and fatigue many times. He 

 will have to endure the pests of the many noxious insects 

 that infest the State, from the tiny red bug and jigger to 

 the sandfly and mosquito. Or perhaps it may be his lot 

 to be on the dark waters of the Gulf of Mexico in a small 

 open boat tossed about all night by the wild waves. 

 But barring all this, there is a fascination about the 

 place that binds one to it so strongly that he will willingly 

 face the perils of land and sea so he can enjoy the rest. 



Horace A. Kline. 



FORRESTON, 111. 



GROUSE NOTES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



My second hen grouse began laying on the 17th inst., 

 in the nest which the other hen had previously made. 

 The hen which first laid began sitting on the 24th inst. 

 This morning I found that the laying hen had taken ad- 

 vantage of her companion when the latter came off to 

 feed, and had taken possession of the nest for the purpose 

 of increasing the stock of eggs. Accordingly I picked 

 her up and placed her in the adjoining coop with the 

 male bird, where in a bunch of oak leaves fixed for her in 

 a corner, she promptly made a new nest and went on 

 laying as if nothing had disturbed her. On examining 

 the first nest I found that the sitter had fifteen eggs under 

 her, but suspect that perhaps two of them were laid 

 by the second hen after the first had begun sitting. It 

 seems a little remarkable that while both these birds come 

 from the same locality, the eggs of the second hen are 

 pure white, and very much larger than those of the first, 

 which are cream color. 



In 1885 my Ohio grouse hen (winch was without a mate 

 and laid sterile eggs) began sitting June o. Last year the 

 same hen, having been mated with a Canadian male, 

 began sitting May 29. This year the Pennsylvania hen 

 was four days earlier. As she has both her own eggs and 

 those of her "companion, she has a double chance of bring- 

 ing out chicks. J. B. Battelle. 



Toledo, O., May 27. 



Bruin's Cunning.— One trick that bruin sometimes re- 

 sorts to for his mutton evinces deep cunning. Finding a 

 sheltering bush or hedge near a frequented path, he lies 

 in ambush with great patience until a victim passes. On 

 its approach he rises erect and at the right moment his 

 powerful paws bring it to the earth, when his jaws in- 

 stantly sever the neck bone. In this way he sometimes 

 makes way with young cattle and colts and even cows. 

 He will never feast where he kills, but drags his quarry 

 to some convenient thicket and usually tarries in the 

 vicinity until it is consumed. I recall an instance when 

 a bear thus killed a fair sized cow and dragged it some 

 two hundred yards to cover. On his next visit to the 

 carcass he fetched up in a steel trap. — Warfield. 



The Travelers, of Hartford, does not have to rely on "growth" 

 for the security of its policies; its surplus of $2,089,000 is a sure 

 foundation.— Adv. 



'nme §ag nnA 0ntj, 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Piib. Co. 



A TRIP AFTER PHEASANTS. 



WHEN my friend J. Cope, of West Chester, and I 

 arrived at White Haven, Pa., we found Bob 

 Mason waiting for us with his buckboard. He was glad 

 to see us, and after a ride of two or three miles we reached 

 his house in time for supper. "Pheasants," he said, 

 "are as thick as hairs on a dog's back." 



Monday morning we started off with Bob to Spring 

 Run. We had hardlj r made our way into the thicket be- 

 fore we heard the welcome sound of whirring wings. 

 "Look out, Dick!" But John was there, and he cut the 

 flying game's career short. Two more made a bee fine 

 for the swamp. It was a snap shot for both of us, but 

 each sco ed a clean miss. We continued down Spring- 

 Run, when Bob let loose and yelled at the same time: 

 "Look out, boys!" John was on the right and I on the 

 left of him. John let out but missed with his right bar- 

 reh though he brought him down with the left. While 

 waiting for Bob to come up, I took a few steps, and almost 

 from under my feet flew a pheasant; up went my gun 

 and down he came, my first bird. So I, too, let out with 

 my lungs in full blast. We walked on to the teaberry 

 patch, put up four or five more, and made three misses, 

 when Bob called out again: "Look out, boys!" One, two, 

 three, four, would they never stop? five, and not one shot. 

 "Where are you, boys?" came from Bob; but the birds 

 made a beeline for the tamarack swamp, so we missed 

 them. Thereupon Bob said: "Let us go to dinner." 



After dinner we started out again toward the tamarack 

 swamps. Soon after getting over the fence up went a 

 fine bird and up went three guns; and there followed 

 three reports. But the feathers went on with the bird. 

 Philosopher Bob explained: "You fellows ate too much 

 dinner." On we went and up rose another bird; but his 

 shrift was short; John's aim brought him. to the ground. 

 Another bird rose to the left of me. I pulled on him and 

 brought him to bag. Near the edge of the swamp in some 

 pines two birds whirred up. Bob missed, I followed him, 

 but John brought one to the ground. In the thick ferns 

 John put up one and missed it; we marked the bird down 

 at the head of the swamp and pushed after him, but 

 could not find him. so turned our steps toward the house. 



As we came out of the woods into Bob's field up went 

 two pheasants. I covered my bird true. Bob took the 

 other, but missed. He said the bird was going "like a 

 streak of gimle s" — a great word with Bob. We returned 

 to the house, put the guns away and counted the day's 

 trophies. Seven in all, four for John and three for 

 myself. 



The next morning John and I repaired to Spring Run. 

 In a buckwheat field we flushed three pheasants. I 

 brought one down ; John missed his. We marked them 

 down in some oak brush; soon put them up. I made a 

 clean miss with both barrels. They flew toward the Big- 

 Creek and we followed; soon put them up, with two 

 more. John fired, missed with the right barrel, then cut 

 him down with the left. 



We walked down to Big Creek. Two more were 

 flushed, but neither of us got a shot, for the laurel was 

 very thick. I J new the cover, and knew that we would 

 soon be out into more open ground. We were driving 

 the birds ahead of us, and we had not gone far before an 

 old fellow started from some logs and startled me; but I 

 turned around quickly and shot, missed with my right 

 barrel, but with the left broke his wdng. We had a great 

 time finding him, but at last I saw him under a log. 

 Putting up three more, we lost them; they flew toward 

 Spring Ru , so we concluded to leave them and go across 

 Big Creek. Soon we had four or five in the ah, but both 

 of us missed. The birds flew T to Graham's swamp, on the 

 edge of which we flushed them again. John shot one 

 but could not find it. . missed. Now we crossed b ck 

 to Spring Run on the way back to the house for dinner, 

 put up another, and John gathered in. Two or three 

 more were flushed before we reached the house, and both 

 of us made quick shots into the alders, but the birds 

 went on their way. 



After dinner we set out toward the tamarack swamp 

 and missed four or five shots. When we came near the 

 teaberry patch, John started two up, but missed them. I 

 had better luck, bringing one down. We found them 

 very wary, much given to hiding behind bushes and 

 trees. We pushed on, raised one, and John brought it 

 down; then flushed two more, and missed seeing one of 

 them. Seeking the woods, where it was more open, just 

 before reaching the top of the hill we flushed one, and I 

 pulled on him, but did not know whether I hit. John 

 also shot, and when I came up to him he handed me the 

 pheasant, saying it was mine. We started toward the 

 house and scared three or four more on our way, but 

 missed them. I had just stepped into the road, when a 

 pheasant came out, and I sent a load after him which 

 made the feathers fly, but he kept up his speed. I marked 

 him down on the edge of the field an eighth of a mile 

 away, and found him dead. This made our score eight, 

 or fifteen for the two days. 



Soon we hear Bob coming, so we go out. We started 

 out in the morning, five in number, John's two brothers 

 T. S. C. and Allen having joined us for the next three 

 days and a half, going from one to two miles away from 

 the house up Pond Creek, then up on Green Mountain, 

 down in the valley alongside of Buck Mountain, at last 

 down to Morrison's. We always came back to the house 

 hungry as bears. It was astonishing how we wpuld make 

 the buckwheat cakes go, but Mrs. Mason said it did her 

 good to see us eat. At the end of the week we counted 

 48 pheasants and 2 woodcock. John 17, T. S. C. 17, 

 Allen 3, Bob 1 and the tail of one. This one he shot at 

 while it was on the ground, and it flew away without a 

 tail, so that we all had a gocd laugh at him. I shot 10 

 pheasants and two woodcocks. So ended our week's 

 shooting. French. 



Philadelphia. 



Virginia Game. — Warrenton Junction, Va. , May 25.— 

 There is plenty of game left in this locality. I never saw 

 so many quail at this time of the year; there are also 

 plenty of wild turkeys; one man told me of seeing three 

 large flocks of young ones in one woods. About two 

 hundred were shot here last winter. — W. H. 



