June 16, 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



481 



but holding the rope at A, and pull hard. He will then, 

 without letting it slip, pass the rope back under the front 

 and after corners of the pack. The offside packer now 

 grasps the rope, as shown in Fig. 14, and pulls back, 

 taking up slack as soon as the nearside man has passed the 

 rope under the corner of tho pack. As soon as he has 

 taken up all he can the offside man passes the rope for- 

 ward and under the corners of the pack on his side, and 

 gives the pull shown in Fig. 1 5. The nearside man then 

 makes the last pull, shown in Fig. 13, and, passing the 

 rope again under the forward corner of the pack, secures 

 it at B, Fig. 13, taking care not to let it slip back, with 

 two half hitches or a clove hitch made with the bight of 

 the rope. Any end that may be left is fastened up on top 

 of the pack out of the way. 



It will be seen from this that the rope passing under the 

 after corners of the pack pull against the standing part of 

 the rope making the after part of the diamond, while that 

 portion which passes under the forward corners of the 

 pack pulls against the returning portion of the loop making 

 the forward part of the diamond. The load is now packed. 



YO. 



Address all communication)! to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co. 



THE NEPISIGUIT. 



LONG ago, I received an invitation to go up into the 

 wilds of New Brunswick and go afishing — and I 

 went. Turning over the J eaves of my old diary, I thought 

 an account of what I saw and what I caught in the olden 

 time might interest some of the readers of Forest and 

 Stream. It was my only trip, for I have never visited 

 the river since, save in my dreams. Boston and the fa- 

 mous "Old Elm," Bunker Hill and Parker's Isle of 

 Shoals, Portland, East Port, Grand Menan and Campo 

 Bello, are not ail thes fully described and fully inhabit- 

 ed? St. Johns and the noble view of river and rapids, 

 the suspension bridge, the sail up that lovely river, 

 through that, at that time, peaceful Acadian country : 

 the constant tolling of the steamboat bell, the rowing out 

 into the river of the passenger, taking him on board ; 

 Fredericton city, its cathedral, and our ride to Mirima- 

 chi, the road a capital one. the drive delightful, the val- 

 ley most picturesque; past the Nash walk, past quaint old- 

 fashioned farmhouses half hid in trees, past countless 

 streams — why, are not all these written in the Chronicles? 

 Certes; tell us a new story. Story ? why, bless you, sir, I 

 have none to tell. 



"Well, we stopped at McCorges, at Boiestown, and so on 

 to New Castle, and so down to Chatham and the "Widow 

 Bowser's," and the next morning we drove over to 

 Bathurst ; on the way over our conductor drove us up to 

 Mrs. Russell's, near the Bartibogue, where we took our 

 first .fly-casting lesson at trout. The drive during the 

 morning took us through the celebrated burnt district, 

 and a more desolate country could not be imagined, an 

 immense tract of country had been desolated by fire —no 

 end of timber and game and beasts destroyed — and many 

 lives lost in the flames. Long after, the guides and hunt- 

 ers would come across the charred remains of those who 

 had perished. On the stream we fished, it was told us 

 that a woman with her children, seeing the flames ap- 

 proaching, sought shelter in the stream and saved their 

 lives and her own by dipping them in the water. While 

 standing thus, a large bear, panting and exhausted, 

 walked quietly in, stood there all night without harming 

 or being harmed, and went off at daylight, for other 

 neighbors had joined her in her safe retreat. A violent 

 rain storm extinguished the fire. We changed horses at 

 the Tabusintic, drove by the "Esquidilloc," and reached 

 Beulah Packard's at Bathurst by sundown, over the 

 straightest road I ever traveled. 



The next morning, with all our impedimenta, three 

 canoes and six guides, awaiting us at the Pabineau Falls, 

 away we went, armed and accoutered, reached our camp 

 ground and "fed to fishing." The river comes foaming 

 and dashing o^er the rocks, the scenery is wild and novel, 

 the tents, the camp-fire, the laughter of the guides, their 

 songs, their supper— all this was a delight to us. It was 

 our first night in the woods to be remembered as would 

 our first love. 



Next morning we stopped at the Belervoc Falls. Here 

 I captured a 51b. grilse, and came very near killing a 

 mink. "Captured" and "killed" here should be re- 

 versed. On we pushed to the chain of rocks, and caught 

 more grilse or young salmon. Being "innocents abroad" 

 after salmon, we took it for granted that the fish would 

 grow larger the higher up stream we went. K. lost a 

 121b. sahnon here by the breaking of his casting line ; 

 just as the guide was going to gaff him, the ungrateful 

 villain broke away. And here, as a Truthful James, I rise 

 to say that fresh and innocent as we three were, we went 

 for fur and feather and fin in a quiet, easy, tranquil way. 

 Buck fever, bear fever, moose fever, the trembling with 

 excitement, the smiling sardonically, the turning all sorts 

 of colors worse than any chameleon — well, all this didn't 

 attack us in the least. Our sensibilities were not suffi- 

 ciently edu .ated up to that high standard. My friend 

 looked at the departing salmon " more in sorrow than in 

 anger," and not long afterward we killed (I have it right 

 this time) a ten-pounder; took him right out of cold water, 

 and popped him into hot, a regular Russian bath ; eat 

 him up, every morsel, and voted him good enough to sat- 

 isfy the taste of the most fastidious. 



Night came on, and again we went into camp, and again 

 the strange, wild beaut ? of the woods and. splashing 

 waters revealed itself. The twinkling stars, the glaring 

 camp-fire, the cheery laughter and song and joke of 

 guides, I think were as positive a pleasure as the fishing. 

 Still, I satisfied myself that Canucks are too noisy for 

 hunters. Indians do much better. I learned to shoot 

 long before I ever saw a salmon ; and I can stand a heap 

 of silence when I go gunning. As I write this after a long 

 lapse of time, and close my eyes and conjure up the 

 whole scene before me, a horrible suspicion crosses my 

 mind that those Canucks might have been laughing at 

 our French as she was spoke. We all three of us, I think, 



privately prided ourselves on our "parlez vous," and here 

 being a first-rate chance, it was not to be neglected. So 

 we loaded up, unlimbered and went into action. Modesty 

 forbids my saying much, and the victory was claimed by 

 all parties. T don't think their patois was much worse 

 than ours. 



The next morning found us again paddling, or rather 

 poling, up the river, and we admired the strong hearty 

 woodsmen working day in and out, tireless and cheerful. 

 We came across a bear trap, with a young bear in it weigh- 

 ing about ISOlbs. He bad fallen a victim to his curiosity, 

 for in the deadfall was a little bundle wrapped up in birch 

 bark which bruin must needs examine and tear to pieces, 

 and his curiosity cost him his life. 



As we pushed and poled on to the Grand Falls, sud- 

 denly one of the guides exclaimed " Diable ! voila un 

 castor." Sure enough there was a beaver swimming 

 leisurely along. We opened fire on him, and captured 

 him. Then we skinned the bear and the beaver, and with 

 the trout and grilse which had been caught, made a 

 famous dinner. The bear meat tasted like a beefsteak 

 served up a country inn. The beaver's tail was pro- 

 nounced a novelty. I thought their skins the best part of 

 them, and proposed to take the skins and leave my friends 

 the meat ; my generous offer was received with derision. 

 It waB explained to us that this beaver was an idler, and 

 that as he preferred to loaf rather than work, the rest of 

 the community had "fired him out." Wise animals. The 

 best place to shoot the beaver is through the ear, but our 

 beaver was shot through and through. 



After dinner we shouldered bags and baggage and 

 canoes, aud made a portage of nearly a mile; it seemed 

 to us before we got through about ten, and if anything is 

 calculated to make a man think "Life is real, life is 

 earnest," portaging will fill the bill, first, last and all the 

 time. 



The scenery of the Grand Falls is entrancing. The 

 river leaps over the precipice 110ft. — in two p unges of 

 60ft. and 50ft., a miniature Niagara— and then glides 

 through a succession of pools, Fall Pool, Lilly's Pool, 

 Cooper's Pool, Landing Pool, Rocky and Unlucky. No 

 sahnon can jump these falls. The guides for a little ex- 

 tra tip poled us up quite close to the falls, and we gazed 

 long and earnestly at the rush and roar of the river. On 

 our asking them about the sources of the riv r, they told 

 us that the Nepisiguit flowed from two lakes a long way 

 up, and that no fish mien ever went up there, as there 

 was nothing to catch save trout — no salmon. They 

 laughed at the idea of going on a voyage of discovery, 

 and that settled it, so up we went ; but what we discov- 

 ered and where we went, I will reserve for another 

 article. Capt. Clayton. 



THE WAYS OF PRAIRIE DOGS. 



THE letter of Mr. J. M. Trimble, of Fort Keogh, Mon- 

 tana, in your issue of May 20, about prairie dogs, 

 was very entertaining to your humble servant. Prairie 

 dogs are my neighbors, living abundantly with me on 

 my own grounds, and it is natural that I should be inter- 

 ested in them. Some people take more interest in their 

 neighbors than they ought to, especially in "their faults 

 and follies," as Robert Burns says. I trust that my in- 

 terest in the prairie dogs is not limited to their weak spots 

 only, but includes also all their virtues and their graces, 

 if they have any. 



Mr. Trimble says it is "now settled beyond all question 

 that the prairie dog hibernates." That is to say, he falls 

 into a state of profound torpidity, like a snake, on the ap- 

 proach of cold weather, his life suspended and practically 

 extinct, until the return of warm weather revives him. 

 It maybe so in boreal Mo: tana, but it is not so here. 

 The pra rie dog does not like cold weather, and he par- 

 ticularly hates it when it is wet and cold at the same 

 time. When it is raining, hailing or snowing he hugs 

 his hole in the ground; but he does not curl up for a three 

 or four months' sleep and bid adieu to the world and all 

 its joys. No, indeed; he is having a grand time of it 

 down below with his friends. Perhaps he is practicing 

 the art of the pugilist or wrestler in friendly matches; 

 perhaps improving his esidence; perhaps holding high 

 discussions on matters of state. Perhaps they distill some 

 sort of intoxicant and all get drunk on punch. I am told 

 that in winter, when all things are snowed up in Canada, 

 Vermont, Maine and other circum polar regions, the people 

 have their greatest gayety, feasting, dancing, having a 

 fine time generally, because they can't do anything else. 

 And it is evidently so with the prairie dogs in these parts. 

 Mr. Trimble says thej T have "tons of hay" stored away in 

 their holes. Why should they go to such labor if they 

 know they are to sleep all winter ? For they cannot eat 

 whila sleeping. 



Many times I have seen them come out of their holes 

 when the snow was just beginning to melt under a bright 

 sunshine. But they don't stay long. They come up 

 merely to see how things are getting along. Just as soon 

 as the snow has melted away for a comfortable space 

 about their holes, they swarm out in the sunshine, and 

 are a very merry lot of fellows. And they stay out till 

 the declining sun calls them to roost. They go to bed 

 usually a little earlier than the chicken and they are late 

 risers. They hardly ever get out of bed till all the rest of 

 the world has had its breakfast, cleared off the tables, 

 washed the dishes and is in the full tide of activity. We 

 judge, therefore, that they are a luxurious people, in very 

 comfortable circumstances, taking the world very easily. 

 To their minds we bipeds, who go to bed late, rise early, 

 laboring incessantly like galley slaves, must seem a most 

 amusing set of fools. No doubt they think we are escaped 

 lunatics. 



And though the prairie dog does not hibernate in this 

 country, he is certainly a champion sleeper. When he 

 addresses himself to sleep he means business, and goes to 

 sleep all over. When he has got a good hold on sleep, 

 you can hardly awake him until hie regular waking time 

 arrives. You can pick him up and "tote" him around as 

 much as you choose, and you can squeal in his ears, but 

 he will sleep on in undisturbed slumber. When awake, 

 ! if you tickle him in the short ribs, he will give lively 

 manifestation of a very exquisite sense of enjoyment, 

 and when you stop tickling he will plainly indicate that 

 he would like to have a little more of that sort of busi- 

 ness. But when you tickle him asleep, he will merely 



squirm a little, wink his nose a little, and sleep right cn. 

 I have seen many domesticated, and such was the way 

 with them. Whether their wild kinfolks are such sound 

 sleepers, I do not know, but perchance they are. 



Mr. Trimble intimates that the prairie dog and the 

 rattlesnake live together in the same holes, etc. I used 

 to entertain that romantic notion, but do not now. It 

 won't hold water. The rattlesnake cultivates prairie-dog 

 towns simply because they furnish him abundance of 

 provender. The prairie dogs hate him as a terror and an 

 unmixed evil. To them he is an elongated and hideous 

 bill of abominations. To circumvent him and destroy 

 him doubtless gives them the keenest sense of happiness 

 they ever experience in this world. And they sometimes 

 do circumvent and destroy him. Every now and then we 

 notice a prairie-dog hole closely corked up with stones. 

 I saw some of these little creatures some months ago, on 

 my own grounds not far from my house, very briskly 

 engaged in corking up their hole in this way. They 

 sealed it up splendidly, showing, as I thought, much 

 knowledge of masonry. I showed this work to an old 

 man of the plains, and asked him what it meant. Said 

 he, "Why, don't you know? They've got a rattlesnake in 

 there. He went in there upon them and they decamped 

 and bottled him up. And he never will get out of that 

 hole until somebody digs him out." He added that the 

 prairie dogs will do this every time, if they find stones 

 convenient, when a rattlesnake enters then- holes in the 

 day. If he enters at night, he doubtless examines the 

 deep sleepers carefully and swallows that one which suits 

 him best, departing at his leisure. Two to one the poor 

 prairie dog thus swallowed has not been conscious of any 

 change going on in his peculiar circumstances, and at his 

 regular waking hour is amazed to find himself deeply 

 housed in the belly of a rattlesnake, undergoing the pro- 

 cess of dissolution and digestion. But it is not Likely that 

 he makes much noise or stir on this discovery, seeing that 

 it would be useless. 



I know an instance of a remarkable degree of good 

 sense shown by a whole city of prairie dogs. I v\ as riding 

 with a friend in Presidio county. Texas, near the railroad 

 station called Antelope. The road led through quite a 

 populous city of prairie dogs — not a city like New York, 

 but one about like Albany, say. My friend, as we rode 

 through this town, said, "I can tell you of a strange 

 thing about these dogs I have passed through this town 

 nearly every day for months. About Sept. 1 I observed 

 that all had suddenly left, leaving the city without a 

 single inhabitant. This caused me to wonder so much 

 that I looked around to see if I could find out anything. 

 Well, sir, I found that the whole shebang had moved 

 over yonder to th>t plantation and built brand new 

 houses. Now, about two weeks after this — yes, sir, two 

 weeks — it commenced raining like the very mischief , and 

 on two occasions this valley was belly-deep to my horse 

 in water, and it was full of water for a long time, Yes, 

 sir, this was fully two weeks after the prairie dogB 

 abandoned tbeir town in this valley. After the weather 

 became settled again and the water had all dried up the 

 prairie dogs all came back again, and here they have 

 been ever since. Now, sir, is it not certain that these 

 prairie dogs knew what was coming and that to go away 

 was the only salvation? And if they did kno w it I want 

 you to tell me who came and told them of the impending 

 flood and in what language did he speak to them?" 



I could only answer my friend by calling to mind wha 1 ; 

 was said by Him of Nazareth about the two sparrows and 

 the Father. N. A. T. 



Abilene, Texas. 



AN EXHIBITION OF SNAKES. 



TORONTO, Caraada, June 12.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: The Biological Section of the Canadian In- 

 stitute is at present exerting itself to the utmost to get up 

 a fairly representative collection of American reptiles, 

 batrachians and fishes, al ve. to be carefully named and 

 placed on view, with an educational object, in our ap- 

 proaching exhibition. It is the particular desire of the 

 committee that the venomous reptiles of this continent be 

 as fully represented as possible; but we find great diffi- 

 culty in bringing ourselves into communication with the 

 isolated naturalists that are stationed in the remote regions 

 containing our desiderata. 



With the aid of Forest and Stream, however, we be- 

 lieve that we will be able to reach every one able and 

 willing to render assistance, especially those inhabiting 

 the Western and Southern States, which chiefly are with- 

 out representative reptiles in our collection. We are will- 

 ing to pay fifty cents per head and express charges for all 

 snakes, turtles, etc., excepting garter and the smaller 

 species of snakes. 



The Western rattlesnakes and the Southern copperheads 

 are especially desirable, and with proper care there need 

 be almost no risk in catching them. If on finding one of 

 these species the collector approach with a previously 

 prepared bag like a large bologna sausage, the mouth of 

 which is held open by the prongs of a long-handled forked 

 steel, he will usually find the reptile ready to crawl into 

 the apparent protection of the dark hole, after which it 

 may be easily dumped into a suitable box. 



In all cases where correspondents are willing to assist 

 us, we would like to learn beforehand, by mail, the nature 

 of the contribution and the probable expense of transship- 

 ment. Address, S. Hollingsworth, Secretary, 325 Parlia- 

 ment street, Toronto, Ont. Ernest E. Thompson. 



[Doubtless "Coahoma" and others will find it in their 

 power to furnish the specimens desired.] 



Recent Arrivals at Philadelphia Zoological Gaedejj. 

 —Purchased— One rock kangaroo, t (feirogede pcnicillata), two 

 vulpine phalangers, S and 9 {fhalaug : sta vulpina), one raccoou- 

 like dog (Nycterentesvrocynides), one Spanish ichueumon (Herpetics 

 ■wUldrlngtom), four Hamadryas baboons (Cynoccphalus hamadryas), 

 two mule deer, $ and s (Cervus macrotis), one black-headed iei&nr 

 (Lemur bnmneus), one red-vented cockatoo (Cacatua phttippt- 

 narum), one Chinese jay thrush (Garrulax chinensts), two nonpar- 

 eils (Cyanmpiza eiris), two whistling swans, t and s (Cygnus 

 amcrkana), one yellow-headed troupml (Xantlincpiialm ictcroce- 

 phalus), two zebra finches (Etirclda subliava), two crimson-eared 

 finches (Extrelda phwnicotis), three bam owls (Strix flammed 

 amcricana), nine snow geese (Atiser hyperborcm) one blue goose 

 (Anser omruLeseemh and two yellow-bellied songsters (Liothrtx 

 Ititeui). Received by presantation— Oue raccoon (Procyon lotor), 

 two Florida galliniles ((Ja>liimla galeata), one barn owl {Strix. 

 flammca- avif-rkana), two white-fronted geese (Anscr albifrons 

 flam&efti), one pintail duck (Dafda acuta), one American magpie 

 (Pica melauolcuca), nine diamond-backed turtles (Malacochmmys 

 patustrts) one horued toad (Pliryuosama cornuta), on > American 

 crocodile (Crocudilus amcricanm), and one hawk-bilied turtle 

 (Fretmochelys imbrimta). Born in the garden— One buffalo (Bison 

 amcricanus), one beaver (Oastor fiber canadensis), four mnskrats 

 • (Fiber zibclhieus), one hog deer (Cervus porcinus), lour prairie 

 ■wolves (Canis latrans), five Egyptian geese (Chclanopex cegyptia-ca). 



