June 13, 1889,] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



421 



Ruffed Grouse's Nest with Fifteen Eggs.— Misses 

 Inez Budding, Winifred Hill, Iva Smith, Kate Smith ajid 

 Bessie Goddard, high school girls, were out in search of 

 wild flowers last Saturday. When near the old Marra 

 Baird place they frightened a partridge, or ruffed grouse | 

 off her nest. The gu-ls were almost as badly frightened 

 as the partridge, at the noise the bird made, but recov- 

 ered, and sucoeeded in finding the nest, carefully con- 

 cealed though it was. Although the partridge was yery 

 uneasy about the girls' presence, they carefully examined 

 the nest and its contents, counting 15 of the pretty little 

 eggs, all nicely stowed away. Without realizing what 

 they had found, but taking one egg as a sample, the girls 

 came home. They told of their find, as one of the pleas- 

 ant incidents of the trip, and, by good luck, the story 

 came to the ears of E. S. Knowles. With his hearing of 

 the story steps were taken to establish its truth. For 

 some years Wm. S. Perry, who probably knows more 

 about the habits of the ruffed grouse than any other man 

 in this vicinity, has been searching for a nest with a 

 dozen eggs, and made a standing offer of $10 reward for 

 one with over that number. Mr. Perry, as a result of 

 years of investigation, has never succeeded in finding- 

 more than eleven eggs in one nest. The records at the 

 Smithsonian Institute, and Audubon, give the maximum 

 number found in a nest as twelve, this being very rare. 

 Mr. Perry was sent for, and yesterday he accompanied 

 two of the young ladies to the locality. The nest was 

 found again, and in it were found fourteen eggs, just as 

 had been reported, which, with the one taken when the 

 discovery was made, filled out the number of fifteen. Mr. 

 Perry promptly paid the reward offered. — Worcester 

 (Mass.) Spy, May S3. [Wilson gives 15 as the maximum 

 number of eggs.] 



Poisoning from Spider Bites.— At the last meeting 

 of the Biological Society of Washington, Mr. L. O. How- 

 ard read a paper on instances of poisoning by spider bites. 

 He c ited the case of a man in North Carolina who was 

 killed by the bite of a spider. Dr. Carson, of Savannah, 

 had six cases of poisoning in his practice. In all of 

 them the mischief was charged to a black spider with a 

 red spot on its back. This description seems to indicate 

 the genus Latrodechis, which is known to be a poisonous 

 genus of wide distribution. Mr. Wright, of New Zea- 

 land, knew of a case of a fatal bite from a species locally 

 termed the catepo. The discussion of this paper was 

 taken up by several members of the society. Dr. Fletcher 

 stated that many cases of death from the bite of the 

 black spider are recorded, and he knew of one such 

 instance. Dr. Theobald Smith remarked that the spider 

 might introduce septic germs. Dr. Fox related a case of 

 poisoning from the bite of a jumping spider. Dr. Marx 

 observed that the statements of people as to the causes of 

 bites are apt to be questionable. Dr. Merriam was bitten 

 by a spider at one time with very serious results. 



Woodchucks in Trees. — Smith's Farm, Stratton, Me., 

 May 29. —I have seen articles in your paper at different 

 times discussing the subject of woodchucks climbing 

 trees. I have just read the one by Milton P. Peirce, in 

 your issue of May 23, in which he states that his dog run 

 one up a tree that was slightly leaning. The 17th of this 

 month, while driving across the plains between th is place 

 and Flagstaff, with Mr. Julian K. Viles, we discovered a 

 full-grown woodchuck 10ft. up a Norway pine. The 

 tree stood erect^ was about 6in. in diameter, and did not 

 have a limb of any description within 20ft. of the ground. 

 I got out of the buggy, picked up a club and killed him. 

 He was evidently sunning himself, and did not move 

 until I hit him with the club.— W. H, H. . . .To Mr. Milton 

 P. Peirce's testimony regarding the woodchuck's climb- 

 ing powers, I will add that I once saw one of these 

 animals climb a large upright hickory to a distance of 

 several feet. He might have gone higher but that I 

 jumped high enough to reach him and pulled him down 

 by the tail.— Kelpie. 



Ciiarlestown, N. II., May 25. — My neighbor, Sherman 

 Paris, sent for me yesterday morning to ask me what 

 time humming birds hatched out their eggs. He said he 

 had just caught an apparently young bird in his hands 

 on a twine trellis fixed against his piazza, and after re- 

 leasing it, it fluttered up feebly into the lower branches 

 of a Norway spruce, which stood close by. Could it have 

 been a young bird of this season's hatching? or was it an 

 old one which had been chilled by the cold night? The 

 mercury only stood at 54 C F. at 7 o'clock that morning, 

 but had been much higher for a week or two, and I had 

 seen humming birds hovering over some geranium 

 flowers which had been moved out from the house for 

 several days. The unusual and long continued warm 

 weather this spring has brought our bird migration on 

 much earlier than usual, but it seems to me too soon for 

 this year's hatching. — Von W. [It was probably a female 

 bird which had been chilled; the time was too early for 

 young birds.] 



Iowa Bird Notes.— May 20.— Nearly all the birds have 

 returned to us. Humming and catbirds have reported; 

 but I have not heard the brown thrush. The goldfinches, 

 in flocks, are here. I have not yet seen the green or the 

 purple finch. The bobolink is hardly due. Grosbeaks 

 are making a nest in the same tree where they nested 

 last year. They both sing, the female while on the nest 

 and her song is short and sweet. A wren broke up a 

 bluebird's nest in one of my boxes. We found a broken 

 bluebird's egg on the ground. Then the wrens occupied 

 the other box. So there is a box within a box, for the 

 wren is a chatterbox. Now the bluebirds have taken 

 the wren's box in the next garden. Martins and English 

 sparrows are building and fighting as usual about the 

 tops of high stores. — M. P. S. 



Carrier Pigeon Astray.— Hazel Hill, Fredericksburg, 

 Va , June G. — There came to my place during the late 

 flood (it was seen here first on the 3d inst.) a carrier pigeon 

 with a ring on each leg, one blank, the other marked Z, 

 1889. One leg was broken. We set the leg and he is now 

 doing well. If any one having an interest in the stranger 

 will communicate they can have him forwarded when he 

 is able to travel, by addressing Box 169, Fredericksburg, 

 Va. 



Arrivals at the Philadelphia Zoological Gardens in 

 May.— Purchased— One common paradoxure (I'aradoxvrns typus), 

 two Mexican agoutis (Dasyprocta mexirana), one noudad (Ovist 

 | trafirlophns), two many-colored parrakeets 09&phoims mnWAcfllar>\ 

 one Alexandrine parrakeet (Palaornis alexandri). one yeliow- 

 lioaded eouure (Connnts jcttdaya), one bald eagle (ITaltaelus lenrocc- 

 phalits), one red-eared bulbul (Pycuonotitsjocnsw), one rose-breasted 

 grosbeak (Ganittphra ludovicutna), one long-tailed weaver hird 

 {Chora progue), one short-crested quail (Odontophonts pnrrit ristn- 

 ttis). two purple gallinules (Porphyrin »» trlinica), one Cayenne rail 

 (Arimides cayinncnsis), two Florida terrapins (I'seudcmys cou- 

 rinnn), one alligator snapping turtle (Mtt&pOchelye lae&rtina^ three 

 red-eared terrapms (I'seudcmys rlcgans), two Trost's terrapins 

 (Pamdemys broostt), one soft-shelled turtle (Aspido/nectestferox), ope 

 yellow-bellied terrapin (Pscudi mys scalira), two painted terrapins 

 (Chrysentys pitta), one pine snake (PityopMs t/lclctnoleuouto), two 

 variegated teguixins iTuidttamhis tnjui.vin) and thirty-four bull- 

 frogs (Rami catesbiana). I 'resented -One iiray fox ( Vulpcs ctnere.o- 

 argentatXts), three prairie dogs (Cynomys MdtyviCtanus), one raccoon 

 (Procymi tutor), one gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinonsis), one opos- 

 sum (Didclphys virginiaha), one black bear cub (Ursus amcricanus) 

 four great horned owls (Bubo rirginittnnsi. one mocking bird ('Pur- 

 (JttS volyglottMB), two purple gallinules (Porphyrin mttrtlnica), one 

 duck hawk (Fnlco communis), two ravens {Corrus carn'morus), one 

 screechowl (Scops asio), one horned lizard (Pltrynosoma contain), 

 one regal horned Heard. {Pbiryriosoma rcgnlr), om* alligator (AUi- 

 gator mississippiensis), one king snake {ujihlbnlus grtttlux), one gar- 

 tcr snake lEttlaniti sirlatis), ate hog-nosed snake (Ucterodon 

 pkttyrhiims) and one black snake ( Bascanion constrictor). Born — 

 one buffalo (BtSOM amnir.anus). four prairie wolves (Canix latrans), 

 ten prairie dogs (Gtiriomys llidovioiaiinS) and lour Egyptian geese 

 (Chela nqpea; trgyptittca). 



§Hine j§ng and <$wj. 



CHICAGO AND THE WEST. 



(CHICAGO, June 6. — I was a good deal pleased by the 

 J note from Mr. Henry Ste-sens, in the Forest and 

 Stream of May 23, in regard to the C. D. Gammon medal 

 for largest score of ducks by a Cumberland Club man. I 

 was wrong in the first announcement that the medal was 

 offered for the largest score for the season. Its terms 

 covered only the best score for one day, as I learned later. 

 I am especially pleased with Mr. Stevens's remark men- 

 tioning Mr. Gammon as a thorough sportsman. I don't 

 blame our friend '"Guadalupe" for hopping on to people 

 who kill so many ducks. I always do myself when I am 

 not killing so many myself. But I would rather he would 

 not jump upon men whom I know personally so well for 

 generous and hearty sportsmen. As a matter of fact the 

 true inwardness of that medal has not yet been brought 

 out. It was not really so serious an affair. I am inclined 

 to think the medal was offered just to disconcert a mem- 

 ber or two of that club who have been passing around a 

 good deal on their shape more than on their record, but 

 who were claiming more glory than they deserved as the 

 "best shots in the Cumberland Club," Henceforth let us 

 dwell in harmony together. I am not going to have my 

 men abused , especially when I know Guadalupe" and 

 Mr. Gammon would be warm friends if they knew each 

 other. As for the scores — well, the older I get the more 

 lenient I grow about human nature. If "Guadalupe" 

 and Mr. Gammon and I were all in one blind, or in ad- 

 jacent blinds, and that good old Cumberland flight were 

 on, now which do you suppose would have the emptiest 

 shell box? 



By the way, Mr. Gammon has lately been sued in Indi- 

 ana for stealing a dog. He raised the dog, and had 

 always kept him, but the other man thought he ought to 

 have him. The costs have already run up to $220, and 

 the parties have changed venue to almost every county 

 in Indiana. Meantime the dog has died. I don't know 

 who will get possession. The boys are having a good deal 

 of fun about it. 



Indiana has slipped a bill through and made it a law 

 prohibiting trap-shooting at live birds in that State. 

 This is nothing on earth but a slap in the face for our 

 club men. I don't see why it is that some folks hate to 

 see anybody else have a good time; yet this is just the 

 attitude Indiana has maintained toward these clubs. 

 And still she is not happy. And still the clubs are. 



Below is the full text of the law at date in the State of 

 Illinois, showing amendments made in the late session 

 of our Legislature. Mr. Low, in his annual address to 

 the State Sportsmen's Association last Tuesday night, 

 spoke of a gain having been made of one month in short- 

 ening the spring season. My copy of the bill was handed 

 me by Mr. Peed, of the Hennepin Club, who was at the 

 legislative lobby before the committee from the Associ- 

 ation got to Springfield, and who was certainly pi-ominent 

 and effective in his work for this measure; and the 

 only change I can see in the old law is in Section 2, 

 which now prohibits night-hunting entirely. It was 

 formerly prohibited only from January 15 to April 15. 

 The season on ducks opens April 15, as before. That this 

 is true is due largely to the efforts ^ certain clubs, who 

 sent in petitions against abolishing spring shooting, 

 signed by 30,000 names. Here is commentary on what 

 sportsmen can do. Let our sportsmen in the northern 

 part of the State work as effectually if they want to ac- 

 complish something. Better yet, let our sportsmen all. 

 over the State unite, respecting each others' opinions and 

 necessities. Then we might get a law. Better yet, let 

 the different States unite and frame a scale of laws of 

 some joint sympathy and intelligence. Nothing else will 

 do us any good. A little later I shall show that this is 

 not a new idea, and not due to myself. There is not 

 space to go into that now. 



The night-hunting clause above referred to was a 

 House amendment. There is also a Senate amendment, 

 in which the House concurred, which changes the open 

 data on prairie chickens from the 15th to the 1st of Sep- 

 tember. This is not a gain, but an absolute loss to the 

 sportsmen's interests. The clause giving game wardens 

 police powers is not shown below, but it is safely through, 

 and is indeed almost the only glory of which we may 

 lightly boast in this session of the Legislature. So far it 

 is pretty much the same old story; but we are all bravely 

 keeping up a magnificent lot of talking. 



THE ILLINOIS LAW. 

 Section 1. Be it enacted by tfte People of the State of Itlinuis, rep- 

 resented in the General Assembly, That sections one, two and six 

 of an act entitled "An Act to revise and consolidate the several 

 acts relating to the protection of game, and for the protection of 

 deer, wildfowl and birds," approved May 14, 1879, and in force 

 July 1, 1879, be and the same are bereby amended so as to read as 

 follows: 



"Section 1. That it shall be unlawful for any person or persons 

 to hunt, pursue, till, trap, net or ensnare, or otherwise destroy 

 any wild buck, doe or fawn or wild turkey, between tne fifteenth 

 day of January and the fifteenth day of September of each and 

 every year, or any pinnated grouse or prairie chicken between 

 the first day of November and the first day of September of the 

 succeeding year, or any ruffed grouse, quail, pheasant or par- 

 tridge between the first day of December and the first day 



of October of each succeeding year or any year; or any 

 woodcock between the fifteenth day of Decomher and the 

 fifteenth day of July of each succeeding year or any year; or 

 any gray, red, fox or black squirrel between' the fifteenth, day of 

 December and the first day of June of eachBueceedfaig year op 

 any year. And it shall be unlawful to kill, hunt, destroy," snare, 

 entrap or to attempt to kill, hunt, snare, entrap or otherwise, de- 

 stroy any wild goose, duck, br.tnt or other waterfowl at any time 

 between the fifteenth day of April and tin? fifteenth day of Sep- 

 tember of any year, and it shall be unlawful to hunt, kill, trup, 

 ensnare or attempt to hunt, kill, trap, ensnare or otherwise de- 

 stroy any wild goose, brant, duck, rail or other water fow 1 be- 

 tween sunset of any day and sunrise of the next su ceeding day 

 at. any period of Ihe year; and it. shall further be unlawful at any- 

 time to hunt, kill, trap or ensnare, or to attempt to hunt, kili, 

 trap or ensnare or otherwise destroy any wild goose, brant, duck 

 or other water fowl from auy fixed or artificial ambush beyond a 

 natural covering of reeds, canes, flags, wild rice or other vegeta- 

 tion above the water of any lake, river, bay or inlet or other 

 wafer course wholly within flits State, or in such part, of such 

 stream or water course wholly within this State, or with the aid 

 and use of any device commonly called sneak boat, sink box or 

 other device used for the purpose of concealment In the open 

 waters of this State. And it shall further be unlawful to shoot, 

 kill or destroy, or shoot at*any wild goose, brant, or other water- 

 fowl with a swivel gun, or from any sailboat or steamboat at any 

 time in any part of the water of any lake, river, bay or inlet, or 

 other water course wholly within this Slate. And any person so 

 offending shall for each and every offense be deemed guilty of a 

 misdemeanor, and on conviction shall bj fined in any sum not 

 lees than five dollars nor more than twenty-five dollars and cosis 

 of suit, and shall stand committed to the county jail until such 

 fine and costs are paid: Provided, That such imprisonment shall 

 not exceed ten days, and the killing of each bird or animal herein 

 specified shall be deemed a separa te offense. 



"Section %. It shall be unlawful for any person to buy, 

 sell, or have in possession, any of the animals, wildfowl, 

 or hirds mentioned in section one of this act at any time when 

 the trapping, netting or ensnariug of such animals, wildfowl, 

 or birds shall be unlawful, which shall have been en- 

 trapped, netted or ensnared contrary to tnc provisions of this 

 act. And it shall further he unlawful for any person or per- 

 sons at anytime to sell or expose for sale, or to have in his or 

 their possession for the purpose of selling, any quail, pinnated 

 grouse or prairie chicken, ruffed grouse or pheasant, gray, red, 

 fox, or black squirrel or wild turkey, that shaJl have been caught, 

 snared, trapped or killed within the limits of this State: and 

 it shall further he unlawful for any person, coiporation or carrier 

 to receive for transportation, to transport, carry or couvty any of 

 the aforesaid quail, pinnated grouse or prairie chicken, ruffed 

 grouse or pheasant, squirrel or wild turKey, that shall have uern 

 caught, snared, trapped or killed within the limits of this State, 

 knowing the same to have been sold, or to transport, carry or con- 

 vey the same to auy place where it is to be sold or offered for sale, 

 or to any place outside of this State for any purpose; and any per- 

 son guilty of violating any of the provisions of this section, shall 

 be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof, 

 shall be fined not less than $>5 nor more than $25 for each and 

 every offense, and shall stand committed ro the county jail not 

 exceeding ten days until such fine and costs are paid: Provided, 

 that the selling, exposing for sale, transporting or carrying and 

 conveying, contrary to the provisions of this section, of each and 

 every animal or bird forbidden herein, shall be deemed a separ- 

 ate offense. 



"Suction 6. No person or persons shall sell, or expose for sale, 

 or have in ;his or their possession for the purpose of selling, or 

 exposing for sale any of the animals, wild fowls or birds men- 

 tioned in section one.(l) of this act after the expiration of five (5) 

 days next succeeding the first day of the period in which it shall 

 be unlawful to kill, trap or ensnare such animals, wild lowls or 

 birds. Any person so offending shall, on conviction, be fined and 

 dealt with as specified m section one (1) ol this act, and selling or 

 exposing for sale, or having the same in possession for tne pur- 

 pose of selling or exposing for sale any of the animals or birds 

 mentioned in this section after the expiration of the time men- 

 tioiud ifi this section shall be prima pick evidence of the violation 

 of tUio ao i: Provided, that t he provisions of this act shall not apply 

 to the killing of birds by or for the use of taxidermists for pre- 

 servation cither in public or private collections if so preserved: 

 Provided further, that nothing contained in this section shall oe 

 construed as modifying or being in conflict with section two of 

 this act, or authorizing or legalizing the sale or exposing for 

 sale, transportation or receiving for transportation, any of the 

 animals, birds or game as therein prohibited: And provided also, 

 that inhabitants of villages and cities may receive and snip game 

 from other States, and expose and sell the same on the market in 

 said villages and cities, oetween Oct. 1 and D'eb. 1 of the follow- 

 ing year." 



In the last clause above quoted may be seen the fine 

 Italian hand of our Soutli Water street game dealers. 

 They also had a committee at Springfield, once upon a 

 time. It may be seen that they cannot sell Illinois illegal 

 game in Illinois, but they can sell other States' game in 

 Illinois in Illinois' close season. Of course there is grave 

 wisdom in this. Everybody knows that a mallard duck 

 killed in Missouri can readily be told from one killed in 

 Illinois. They don't look alike at all. They have a dif- 

 ferent expression about the eyes. When our big Smith 

 case comes up, in 1940, any sportsman or game warden 

 can go and pick up a duck out of the freezer and swear 

 that he knows by the color of its hair whether it is a 

 Dakota, Missouri, Iowa or Illinois duck. Oh, we have 

 got a daisy law out here. We don't need any inter State 

 law. We just look at a duck's physical configuration to 

 tell whether it is a legal or illegal duck. We are going 

 to protect the game, we are! The three-days-in-the-week 

 close season on wildfowl clause was lost, it seems, al- 

 though many thought it had carried. 



This is about all the comment I care to make on the 

 following, which I notice in Forest and Stream for 

 May 23: '"Philadelphia, May 14.— The inclosed was 

 cut from this morning's Record. Can Mr. Hough tell us 

 if it is true? 'A dealer says Chicago ships game to this 

 State all the year round, regardless of seasons.'— Robin." 

 I think it almighty probable she does. Why shouldn't 

 she? Do you think Chicago game market is run on sen- 

 timent? And what else but sentiment is there to govern 

 in this case? The law is a joke. Ail these State laws 

 are only additional jokes. Why don't we realize that? 

 What is the use in ail our posing? Time to quit posing 

 and to frame a general law on general common sense. 



No. 175 Monroe Street. E. HOTJGH. 



The Flight of Snipe.— The Cedars, Oakdale, Long 

 Island, June 4.— The flight of snipe along the Long Island 

 coast, on their way to their northern bleeding grounds, 

 has been unusually large this season, and lasting a week 

 longer than in previous seasons. A great umny have 

 gone by to-day. Large bunches of yeilowlegs and yel- 

 pers stopped on the meadows, having been headed off by 

 so much easterly wind; and 1 regret to say they were 

 shot in great numbers (contrary to law) from Rockaway 

 to the east of Shinnecock Bay. For every pair that was 

 bagged we lose just so much shooting next summer and 

 fall, as every pair would have visited us, bringing their 

 family with them.— Alfred A. Fraser. 



Nests Destroyed.— Towanda, Pa., June 21.— Hard 

 rains have filled swamps, brooks, creeks and river banks 

 full, destroying hundreds of nests and young of all 

 descriptions of game birds, especially those nesting on 

 low bottoms.— W. F. D. 



The St. Lawrence District, N. Y., grme protector 

 just appointed is Daniel Staring, of Alexa-ndria Bay. 



