June 20, 1880,] 



Forest and stream. 



448 



time I thought I had it all right, much to my mortifi- 

 cation, and "the gratification of the large audience 

 present. Of course it was the largest one hooked that 

 morning; at any rate I thought so. An expert will 

 readily catch in' this manner a hundred such fish a day, 

 and even more, and I am sure that he will not be dis- 

 turbed by unpleasant dreams at nightfall after such a 

 day's work, judging from my limited experience. 



A handsome young Modoc, while engaged in this work, 

 especially attracted my attention, as well as that of sev- 

 eral of the young squaws present. He proved himself 

 exceedingly "skilled in the handling of his pole, his grace- 

 ful and sinuous figure anticipating every movement of 

 his victim and preventing his escape. He probably landed 

 two fish to most of his competitors' one. There seemed 

 to be a good deal of rivalry among the younger members 

 to see who could catch the most fish, and while a bungler 

 was most unmercifully chaffed, every one notwithstand- 

 ing seemed to be in the best of humor, and I presume 

 that your humble servant came in for his full amount of 

 their jokes. Possibly, for my peace of mind, it was 

 about as well that I did not understand all that was said 

 about myself. 



These fish vary from 5 to 81bs. in weight and an occa- 

 sional one will reach 101b3. It certainly cannot be called 

 handsome, but its flesh is firm and white, much freer 

 from bones than ever I supposed a sucker to be, and well 

 flavored, free from the muddy taste that even sticks to 

 many of the larger trout found so abundantly in that 

 region. I certainly preferred those I had cooked on my 

 return to the post to any of the average trout in the Kla- 

 math basin, excepting the small ones possibly, and I was 

 not alone in that opinion. The females were full of 

 nearly ripe eggs which were almost ready to be deposited. 

 They are about the size of a No. 4 shot and pale straw 

 yellow in color. The Indians made no use of these as 

 food. I am told that this fish, when slightly salted and 

 then dried, tastes very much like codfish, and some of 

 the cattlemen in the vicinity put up barrels full yearly. 

 The Indians use no salt on them whatever: after having 

 the entrails and head removed and split open, they are 

 simply spread out on sage bushes to dry, and occasion- 

 ally the drying process is accelerated by smoking. 



"When the run of this fish is at its height, these riffles 

 at the fishery are said to be completely covered with a 

 struggling and squirming mass, fairly raising each other 

 out of the water at times in their efforts to rush over 

 the narrow and shallow stretch of river at this point. 

 As one of the old residents expressed it, "By gosh, Cap, 

 there are millions of them there." After the spawning 

 season is over the fish return to the lake and few are 

 caught while they remain there, the shores of this lake 

 are shallow and a dense growth of tule obstructs the 

 ready approach to deep water in most places. 



Of course this species cannot be considered a game fish, 

 and would probably afford but poor sport to the angler, 

 still its abundance and edible qualities as well as its size, 

 entitle it to some importance as a food fish, especially 

 when the fact is taken into consideration that excepting 

 the Salmonida i, the Pacific coast has but very few other 

 edible fresh-water fishes that attain such a size, except- 

 ing the sturgeon. 



Should my surmise be correct, which, however, is en- 

 tirely based on the statements of settlers and Indians, 

 who (especially the latter) would be likely to know, that 

 this fish is only found in Tule or Rhett Lake, and not in 

 any of the other numerous sheets of water abounding in 

 southeastern Oregon and northern California and Nevada 

 as well — some of these, like Harney and Malheur lakes in 

 Grant county, Oregon, of considerable size — it appears to 

 me that it would be well worth the trouble for the U. S. 

 Fish Commission, which has already done so much valu- 

 able and successful work in the line of propagation and 

 distribution of food fishes, to investigate this species to a 

 certain extent. Inasmuch as one of the most complete 

 stations, the one at Baird, Shasta county, Cal., is now 

 within comparatively easy reach, it would not entail 

 such a. great amount of labor to do it. I believe the Lost 

 River sucker to be a hardy one, that would stand trans- 

 portation and transplanting veiy readily. 



Chas. E. Bendire. 



To Pennsylvania Ornithologists.— West Chester, 

 Pa., June 6. — Plaving been informed that you are in- 

 terested in the study of ornithology, I take the liberty of 

 addressing you and stating that by a recent act of our 

 State Legislature I have been directed to prepare a second 

 and revised edition of the "Birds of Pennsylvania," for 

 gratuitous distribution. I am exceedingly anxious to 

 correspond with competent field naturalists in every 

 county of our Commonwealth. If it is not imposing too 

 much on your time and good nature I will be pleased to 

 correspond with you relative to the bird-life occurring in 

 your section of the State. Inclosed please find a printed 

 list of birds recorded as occurring in Pennsylvania. I 

 will be greatly obliged if you will kindly mark the list as 

 indicated and return it to me at your earliest convenience. 

 Should you decide to furnish me with information relative 

 to the feathered tribes, which is worthy of special men- 

 tion, full credit will be given in the forthcoming edition 

 of the "Birds of Pennsylvania." If you know of any 

 naturalists in this State with whom I can correspond in 

 relation to birds and mammals, please give me their 

 names and post office address. — B. H. Warren, State 

 Ornithologist. [A provisional list of the birds of Penn- 

 sylvania accompanies this open letter.] 



Female Narwhal with Tusks.— The male narwhal has 

 only one developed tusk, and that is on the left side. 

 The female has two tusks, but they are usually not func- 

 tional. About the month of July, 1887, Captain James 

 Fairweather harpooned a female narwhal with two tusks 

 in Prince Regent's Inlet. Specimens of narwhal with 

 two tusks are rare in museums. About eleven examples 

 are recorded, but the sex of only one of these is certain. 

 A female captured in 1684 is preserved in the Hamburg 

 Museum. Robert Brown says that double-tusked nar- 

 whals are not rare; Scoresby denies this. In the speci- 

 men recently obtained by the National Museum the spirals 

 turn in the same direction and the symmetry of the two 

 sides is wonderful. It is questionable whether a male 

 narwhal with a right tusk is known. 



Pennsylvania Song Birds are protected by a law 

 patterned after the New York law. To take birds for 

 scientific purposes a certificate must be obtained from the 

 county prothonotary, 



Range op the Turkey Buzzard.— Belmar, N. J M May 

 27.— On Saturday last while driving along the beach at 

 this place I came across a pah of turkey buzzards. As 

 they did not take wing until I was within 50ft. of them 

 I was enabled to get a good view and to recognize them 

 as being the same species I had so often seen on the 

 Homosassa River, Florida. I have also seen them at the 

 southerly end of Barnegat Bay, but never in this neigh- 

 borhood before. What is their northern limit?— Big 

 Reel. [The turkey buzzard occurs as far north as south- 

 ern New England on the Atlantic coast and on the west- 

 ern plains to latitude 53°. We have seen them in Con- 

 necticut.] 



'mm §xg and 0nq. 



DUCKING FROM A CATAMARAN. 



A GUST of wind swept in through the car door as the 

 brakeman swung it open. His indistinct exclam- 

 mation of "Amity ville!" recalled my dozing senses. 



"Come, Ed, wake up; here we are!" "All right, old 

 man; I'm not asleep; only thinking. Let me help you 

 with that bag." 



The train moved off into the darkness, leaving us the 

 sole occupants of the little station room. We were 

 speculating as to whether Frank had received the tele- 

 gram and considering the advisability of setting out for 

 his shanty without him, for he usually met us at the 

 station. 



"Hello, boys! Darned if I ain't glad ter see yer. 

 Shake!" was his greeting as he stalked into the clean 

 house, making havoc with the neat floor wherever his 

 cowhides, covered with mud, landed. 



"It's good you youngster's had sense enough to fetch 

 'long them ileskins of yourn. Better crawl right into 

 them now, an' doan't waste no time. Thars supper 

 waitin' fur yer down ter the ranch." 



Keeping within the narrow circle of Frank's lamp we 

 plodded through mud and water, congratulating our- 

 selves that our backs were to the fierce storm of wind 

 and rain. The eye could trace nothing beyond the cir- 

 cumference of that little spot of light emanating from 

 Frank's lamp, the only cheering ray or sign of life in 

 this vast gulf of palpable darkness. How the wind did 

 moan through the low pines that lined the road, driving 

 the rain in vicious sheets among the branches and upon 

 us with all the fury of a March nor'wester. It was a 

 relief, after tramping over a mile, when we saw in turn- 

 ing a bend the ruddy glow from the windows of our 

 guide's house. 



All those who love the gun for the scenes and incidents 

 it brings them among, know the enjoyment of being one 

 of three or four sportsmen when grouped together around 

 the after-supper table. Who cannot recall such even- 

 ings? Who cannot, if he is a sportsman, recollect some 

 of the reminiscences that accompany the curling haze of 

 tobacco smoke ? 



"Wall, boys, yer '11 have a clear day ter-morrow, I'm 

 thinking," said Frank in his paternal tone. "This yer 

 storm has been a whooping things up fur the last two 

 days, an' it'll blow itself outter-night. I've got everything 

 all ready ter jump right inter, so as we'll not waste no time 

 in the mornin'. The broadbills have been rather plenty 

 lately." 



"By the way, Frank, where is that catamaran that you 

 used over on the beach last summer ?" I inquired. 



"She's over there yet hauled up 'longside my fishing 

 shanty." 



When the ducks are migrating they fly along the shore, 

 some days in numbers. Ever since my' eyes had fallen 

 on that little double boat, the idea occurred to me that 

 it might be used as an excellent means of preventing the 

 onward course of a few south-south erfies. This scheme 

 had become firmly fixed in my mind, and I determined 

 to give it a trial this trip. 



Like all old settlers, Frank's head was stored with 

 stories of hunting trips and happenings that are insepar- 

 ably connected with the pursuit of sport upon land or 

 water. It required little more than an interrogative 

 word now and then to extract these retrospections from 

 him. We all know these genial characters. Frank pos- 

 sessed all those virtues that make a man universally liked. 

 Good-natured, honest, a child of nature, living but to- 

 day, taking the world with the same even philosophy, 

 whether the days bring misfortune or good luck. It was 

 a very tender point with him to have his friends call him 

 Frank. This arose rather from an indication of sincere 

 fellowship than to make him feel young, for he had 

 scarcely reached the half century line and was as tough 

 as any of his fellow baymen. 



It was late before \ve turned in, and when we last 

 looked at the heavens the clouds were commencing to 

 break. It seemed to me that I had been underneath the 

 blankets something less than five minutes when I was 

 roused by some fiend, with a lamp, shaking me. 



"Come, Frank, let's have another wink," I muttered 

 drowsily. 



"All right, but yer'll have ter sleep without ther blan- 

 kets," and the cold-blooded villain swept the covering 

 over the foot of the bed. 



A couple of cups of hot coffee restored the good nature 

 in both of us. The night still hung over the earth when 

 we sallied out, loaded down with stools, shells and gams. 

 A small arm of the bay reached up back of the house, 

 where Frank moored his catboat. Stowing everything 

 hastily away, we tied down two reefs and went skimming 

 down the little creek before the night breeze. How 

 strange and unearthly it all appeared. The little boat 

 swept onward over the long waves that still remained 

 out on the bay. Everything was dark and unreal, the 

 only sounds that disturbed the silence were the dismal 

 sing of the wind and and the surging of the water parted 

 by the bows. The gloom threw over my mind a feeling 

 of vague hallucination; for a few minutes it seemed like 

 some unusual dream. A dash of the cold briny in the 

 back of the neck dispelled this illusion. The skipper 

 headed the Sanderling into one of the small coves on 

 Oak Island, threw her into the wind and let go halliards. 



We were all ready, with some fifty deceits bobbing in 

 front of our blind, by the time the daylight commenced 

 to creep over the waters. For some time before it was 

 light enough to distinguish anything we could hear in 

 the air above the ducks swinging along on whistling 

 pinions. 



The sun was just peeping above the banks of clouds 

 when the first flock came in. Only three forgot to depart. 

 By 10 o'clock we had scored but 13 birds, and things 

 were getting dull. 



A storm of any duration from out the north and north- 

 west, smooths the ocean, close to shore. The wind beats 

 down the surf so that there is scarcely a break. It was 

 so to-day. The blow of the last three days had the effect 

 of making the sea as placid as a millpond. The sun to- 

 ward the middle of the day came out very wami and 

 the dying out of the wind made it more like an April 

 than March day. 



Now or never! I could see flock after flock of "old 

 mammies" skirting low over the water just out of range 

 of the shore. Taking about twelve decoys I tied them 

 together with twine (two and two) about two feet long 

 and slung them over the supports of the catamaran. She 

 was but fourteen feet long. Just light enougli for Ed. 

 and myself to lift easily. Before launching I fastened a 

 short stick in each corner and wound a strip of light 

 green muslin some eighteen inches high around them, to 

 serve as a blind. 



Running out about 300yds. I joined the strings of the 

 stools together so that they formed a long line, each bird 

 2ft. from its neighbor, connecting the whole crew to my 

 floating battery by a long cord. 



Things were not fairly ready. I was just attempting to 

 discover the softest position to assume while lying flat on 

 a level board upon my back, when in dashed a flock of 

 seven or eight. Drawing on one of the old birds, I let go 

 some No. 4, and catching two as they cross tangled them 

 up with an ounce of No. 2. One was only wing-tipped 

 and dove instantly on touching the water. Two more 

 flocks swing in, leaving five of then- number, and I was 

 lying low watching another approaching string, when a 

 shadow passing just in front caused me to look up. 

 There, almost directly above, was a large gull. Straight- 

 ening to a sitting position and throwing the gun to my 

 face, I pulled the trigger. As he turned over I recog- 

 nized a bird I had long been anxious to procure. He was 

 dead as a mackerel when I picked him up, but he was a 

 magnificent bird. It was the only crack I had ever got 

 at those wily pirates of the ocean, the great black-backed 

 gull. 



The wind was beginning to work around to the west 

 and rising. The long ocean swells were gradually in- 

 creasing in length and size, so I rowed in, with a number 

 of south-southerlies, and among the lot some beautiful 

 male birds with tbeir long tail feathers and ruddy 

 breasts. Ed and Frank had not been idle on the bay 

 side. Gathering stools, etc., together we went scudding 

 across the broad breadth of water between the beach and 

 mainland, with a good mess of birds stowed away for- 

 ward. They were not canvasbacks, true, but there was 

 some consolation in knowing that the reason they were 

 not of that species was because there were none of them 

 around, i. e., in the particular vicinity of our blind. 

 Shooting ducks on the broad ocean from a catamaran is 

 a unique experience, at least to one individual, and one 

 not likely to be forgotten, even if the game is nothing 

 more than the despised "south-southerly." Try it some 

 quiet March clay, and if the recollection of it in summer 

 does not make you several degrees cooler, the writer is as 

 wide of the mark as he once was of a certain woodcock 

 who refused to be persuaded by two charges of No. 12. 



Rex B. 



THE ARKANSAS DEER LAW. 



BALD KNOB, Ark.— Editor Forest and Stream: In the 

 category of States that have lately distinguished 

 themselves by the supreme idiocy of their attempts at 

 game-protective legislation, the great State of Arkansas 

 is certainly deserving of the red ribbon. The old law as 

 it stood prior to the last session of the Legislature, was 

 sadly deficient in some respects; only preventing the kill- 

 ing of deer for seven months in the year; the open season 

 beginning ten weeks too soon, Sept. 1, a,nd holding on 

 until Feb. 1. Still it effected a great deal of good, doing 

 away with hounding while the does and fawns were 

 comparatively powerless to escape, and preventing the 

 butchery heretofore common during the buffalo gnat 

 season, when any boy with an army musket could score 

 a half dozen deer by a day's sitting near a smoking stump. 

 As a consequence there was a marked and visible increase 

 in the game supply to such an extent that our market 

 gunners could make fair wages supplying the Memphis 

 market, where it often happens that venison and wild 

 turkey are quoted lower than beef and tame poultry. 



However, our toothpickian Solons were determined not 

 to let well enough alone. That there was room for im- 

 provement in the old law was quite apparent, but whether 

 their effort in this line was crowned with success I leave 

 the reader to decide. 



First, instead of cutting the open season down to three 

 months— from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15, or Nov. 1 to Feb. 1, 

 either of which changes would have been better — they 

 added on another month, August; so that now the am- 

 bitious sportsman who may be lacking a firearm, stands 

 a very fair chance of running down and capturing an 

 infantile "monarch of the forest," thus winning his 

 laurel wreath in a manner strictly legal, though quite 

 unique. How this change adds to the ^welfare of the 

 game I am as yet unable to learn. 



There has been for years a law that assessed a license 

 on all "non-residents following him ting or trapping in 

 Arkansas." Numerous attempts have been made to have 

 this statute apply to sportsmen hunting in this State 

 merely for sport alone, but the ruling has invariably been 

 that the meaning of the clause was, "following for a 

 livelihood," and therefore, inability to furnish proof that 

 the accused had sold, or attempted to sell, game, naturally 

 resulted in his acquittal. However, sportsmen who 

 visited Arkansas witn speculation in their eyes very often 

 got j)Oor returns for their game shipments, in the long 

 run; and many a poor settler who found himself at the 

 close of the crop season poorer in pocket than he had 

 been in the spring, turned Ms attention to the game of 

 the vicinity, and made more money in a month with his 

 old "Human" rifle — as muzzleloaders are derisively 

 termed by the happy owners of breechloaders — than he 

 had made with the plow and hoe in the six months pre- 

 ceeding. 



Now this resource in the time of need is shut off by 

 legislative decree. "Six years shall the Memphians 

 hunger for the flesh-pots of Arkansas," spoke the law 

 makers, and Gov, Eagle saw that it was good and signed 



