224 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 11, 1888. 



But there are many collections by many collectors, and 

 some of them have been shown to me, and through the 

 generosity of Mr. Brotherhood and other friends I have 

 been supplied with a quite valuable collection, which I 

 shall send to the office of Forest and Stream as a tem- 

 porary "loan exhibition, - ' and from which I propose to 

 enrich its cabinet of curios. 



The most abundant of the finds are shark's teeth, some 

 of great size. I inclose outline sketch of one that has been 

 given to me. Its dimensions are: Length 6in., breadth 

 5in. I have seen one a third larger, and the late Professor 

 Holmes had iu his collection one 10x8in. I am informed 

 that Professor Holmes estimated that the owner of this 

 tooth was over 150L't. long, a great beast quite, capable of 

 swallowing my little fellow, which could not have meas- 

 ured over 80ft. I have been shown a fragment of about 

 two-thirds of an elephant's tooth. It weighed 141bs,, and 

 the crown is 8in. in longitudinal diameter. Also a plate 

 from the shell of a Glyptodon, which is nearly 2in. thick; 

 that turtle must have stood 7ft, high. Also a number of 

 teeth of the Bathygnathus borealis, the great biped rep- 

 tile of the Dinasaur family. These were supposed to 

 be boars' tusks, but studying up on David's "Text-Book 

 of Geology," I found on page 250 an engraving of the 

 tooth of this reptile, winch in every respect corresponds. 

 Hence to the paragraph, "Found at Prince Edward Is- 

 land, bones were also found near Springfield, Mass., 

 Leidy," the Forest and Stream may add, "also in the 

 phosphate beds of Coosaw River." Also, a number of 

 teeth and bones of the cloven-footed horse of thePieiocine 

 period; also the tooth of a Megatherium, a very rare find, 

 and several of the mastodon. Also the teeth, bones and 

 vertebra? of sharks, icthyosaurus, tapirs, deer, bear and 

 whale; pieces of antlers of deer, of petrified wood; and 

 no end of shells, of many varieties, echidna;, and pieces 

 of the rock retaining impressions of the same; many 

 copriolites, big and little, of unknown origin, an Indian 

 arrowhead of stone, and fragments of pottery— all but 

 the two last named turned into rock. 



The arrowhead may have beeu shot during historical 

 periods at some animal in the water. Which would seem 

 likely from the fact that several 12-pound howitzer shells 

 with Borman fuses, have been brought up; they were 

 undoubtedly fired from boat howitzers during the Civil 

 "War. But the finding of the pottery in the same vicinity 

 would seem to indicate a submergence since the advent 

 of men. I have also seen a single vertebra of something, 

 which in sectional diameter is 12xl4in.; this is not trans- 

 formed, and is still bone, for it was not found on the 

 phosphate bed, which rests on marl, but in proximity. 

 Who can say what great creature it may have been part 

 of? PlSEOO. 



NOTES ON SNAKES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The interesting communication in your issue of Sept. 

 27 concerning blacksnakes, large and small, recalls to my 

 mind the largest snake of that kind that I ever saw. It 

 must have been about 1870. I was driving with my 

 mother along a narrow mountain road near Farmington, 

 Connecticut. We were advancing at a walk when a 

 blacksnake crossed the road in front of us. He was so 

 long that his head was well among the weeds on one side 

 of the track before his tail left those on the other side. I 

 pulled up the horse at the place where he had crossed, 

 and by standing up in the buggy discovered him lying 

 along the base of a stone wall. l\had some difficulty in 

 persuading my mother to consent to my alighting to kill 

 him, but on representing that he was really large enough 

 to be dangerous to children, she agreed to let me put an 

 end to him if I could. 



This 1 succeeded in doing, and, having effectually 

 broken his back, I drew him into the roadway and 

 straightened him out. I had nothing to measure with 

 but an ordinary carriage whip, and he was longer than 

 that. I marked the overlap carefully on the whip handle, 

 and on reaching home made out his length to b9 7ft. 6im 

 I could not straighten him properly, for his muscles con- 

 tracted as he lay and shortened him perceptibly. I was 

 so conscientious as not to allow for this contraction in 

 making the measurement, but I quite believe that if I 

 could have straightened him out properly he would have 

 measured fully eight feet. 



I have often regretted that I did not cache his remains 

 and secure them for preseveration. He was certainly 

 one of the largest of his kind. I remember noticing that 

 he was a brownish rather than bluish black, commonly 

 noticed in smaller specimens. Chas. L. Norton. 



New York, Oct. 4. 



BELLIGERENT MUSKRATS. 



INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Oct. 2.— Editor Forest and 

 Stream: I was interested in reading Dr. Shufeldt's 

 article in last week's Forest and Stream, and in the 

 incident of his encounter with the nuiskrat. I had an 

 experience somewhat similar several years since, when a 

 boy, and visiting at my grandfather's farm m Maine, On 

 the farm was a pond of several acres, dammed at the lower 

 end to obtain power for a saw mill There were many 

 large pickerel in the pond, and I used to spend a part of 

 each day in fishing, having only a coarse line, large hook 

 baited with a frog, and a pole cut from the woods near by. 



One afternoon, walking through the meadow toward the 

 pond, and when a few feet from the water, I saw a niuskrat 

 running to reach the water. Bringing my pole down from 

 over my shoulder, where I had been carrying it, I struck 

 him with it as he was running. The blow did not kill 

 him, but he turned over on his back with his feet strug- 

 gling in the air, and giving small cries of pain or anger. 

 I started toward him, when from the loose stone wall 

 making part of the dam I saw five muskrats coming for 

 me, with their mouths open, and giving every appearance 

 of rage and desire to avenge the injury to their com- 

 panion. Without stopping at the place where he was 

 still kicking, they came past him and at me on the run, 

 and after the first astonishment was over I concluded 

 that discretion was the better part of value, and started 

 for the house as fast as I could go, glancing over one 

 shoulder to see if they were gaining in th e race. Although 

 they chased me for only a few rods, I did not feel safe 

 near that locality until the next day, when I returned 

 and found the pole where I had dropped it, but no musk- 

 rats, even the wounded one being gone. I have always 

 believed that the one which I struck was not severely 

 injured, but that his cries of rage brought his companions 

 to his aid and to fight for him. D. L. W. 



mm §zg nnd %ut[. 



Antelope and Deer of America. By J. _D. Caton. 

 Price §8.50. Wing and Glass Ball Shooting with the 

 Rifle. By W. C. Bliss. Price 50 cents. Rifle, Rod and 

 &m in California. By T. S. Van Dyke. ' Price $1.50. 

 Shore Birds. Price 50 cents. Woodcraft. By "JVess- 

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

 50 cents. Wild Fowl Shooting; see advertisement. 



ANOTHER MAN ASTRAY. 



Cm I C AGO, 111., Oct. 3.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 ) I am thinking of leaving this community. The 

 atmosphere is wrong. I do not wish to expose myself to 

 the danger of injection with the moral obliquity which 

 seems to be generally prevalent among the sportsmen 

 here. I have been tenderly reared, and if this thing is 

 "catching," I am going to leave. 



Now, there is Mr. Holt— G. M. Holt— called "Sam" 

 for short. I thought he was all right. The boys on the 

 road said he was all right. He has sold sporting goods 

 for Montgomery Ward & Co. for so long that everybody 

 thought he was all right. He looks all right. He has an 

 honest sort of eye, and looks too fat and comfortable to 

 be anything but a strictly responsible sort of man. If 

 Mr. Holt should come in from a hunting trip with a lot 

 of ducks, you would be willing to take affidavit that he 

 had with his own gun killed all those ducks, and that 

 nobody else had done so. You would swear to that. 

 You would contend that Mr. Holt was above suspicion. 



That would show your innocence. Quite to the con- 

 trary of all this, Mr. Holt not only is not above suspicion, 

 but is so amenable to that charge that he can hereafter 

 only be regarded in the most entirely cross-eyed manner, 

 to say nothing of being looked at askance. The facts 

 which warrant this statement are as follows: 



Some friends of Mr. Holt's, among them Mr. Ward, in- 

 vited him to join them on a shooting trip to Grass Lake. 

 Mr. Holt readily acquiesced, and the "party was duly made 

 up. Mr. Holt was fond of rowing, and since he declared 

 he needed outdoor exercise, the others kindly allowed 

 him to pull the boat up the lake six or seven miles, against 

 the wind. When he at length grew weary, he calmly 

 announced his intention of stopping and going ashore. 



"All right," said Mr. Ward, "you can just step out there 

 on the grass, anywhere, and after a while you'll get good 

 shooting." 



Mr. Holt accordingly stepped out on shore. He was 

 not aware that the "shore" of Grass Lake is at that point 

 mostly composed of weeds and grass, resting on a veneer 

 of terra infirma. When, therefore, he launched his 

 2901bs, trustfully forth from the boat, he sunk straight 

 down to a level with his chin, and there remained, pite- 

 ously begging to be taken on board. 



But that isn't what I started out to tell, and it has not, 

 really, anything to do with the case. One would think 

 that, after such a narrow escape from burial as Mr. Holt 

 had here experienced, he would be very circumspect as 

 to his conduct during the remainder of that day at least. 

 Such, however, was not the case, and this was what I 

 started out to relate. 



Mr. Holt was fished out, put in a boat and safely hidden 

 away among the rushes, with the careful injunction not 

 to shoot any more mudhens for ducks. The remainder 

 of the party went further on up the lake. 



All the afternoon Mr. Hoh's gun was heard merrily 

 banging away, but nobody was jealous of him. They 

 ail knew he was shooting mudhens in spite of the cau- 

 tion against it. Along toward evening Mr. Ward came 

 down the lake with fourteen good ducks he had killed. 

 In his company was a native with a boat. 



"Here, you take these ducks," said Mr. Ward to the 

 native, "and pull over to where you see that fellow blaz- 

 ing away, over there in the weeds. Tell him you're a 

 market-hunter and have got some ducks to sell. You 

 sell him these ducks, and come back here and I'll give 

 you a dollar for your trouble. Hold on. Wait till I fix 

 the ducks so I will know them again if I see them. 

 There, all right; go ahead now." 



So the native pulled on over to where Sam was blazing 

 away, and came back and got his dollar. 



That evening Mr. Holt came into camp with his game 

 pockets fairly bulging out. His face, however, was as 

 guileless and innocent as usual, and he wore an air of 

 easy unconsciousness. He didn't say anything about his 

 luck. Evidently he was going to show the crowd that he 

 was no empty braggart, nor given to vaunting himself 

 before Ms fellows. 



"Did you get any, Holt?" asked somebody after awhile. 



"Naw ! Awful slow shootin'. Never had such hard 

 luck in my fife. Did you fellows get any?" 



"Not very many. Why, we thought from the way 

 you were letting into 'em that you had a boat-load down. 

 We only got four or five altogether." 



"Well," said Mr. Holt, solemnly shifting his chew of 

 tobacco to the other side of his countenance, "of course I 

 did get a few, but not to say what I'd call anything to 

 amount to much, and not anything like what I usually 

 get when I go out. I guess I must have knocked down 

 a dozen or so. Let's see." 



Everybody gathers about him in respectful admiration 

 as he nonchalantly— nay, almost scornfully— began to 

 empty his pockets. One after another he laid out upon 

 the ground his ducks until he had twelve fine ones dis- 

 played. 



"Great Scott! That's a nice lot, isn't it?" said somebody. 

 "Is that all you've got?" 



"Oh, maybe one or two more layin' 'round some- 

 where," said Mr. Holt, "a duck or two aint anything to 

 me. I hardly ever count 'em, anyhow. Didn t you fel- 

 lows get any at all? Well, now, I pity you. You'd better 

 stay close to me next time." 



"Yes," said Mr. Ward, "1 think vou would stand 

 watching." And then Mr. Ward bent over the pile of 

 ducks and began intently to examine them, 



"Look here, Holt," he said at length, "you aren't giv- 

 ing us a square deal. You're holding back something on 

 us. Where's that mallard with the skinned neck? Say, 

 where's that bluebill with two toes off his left foot? Hey?" 



"W — what? H — how in star-spangled blazes do you 

 know anything about the landscape on my ducks? Say, 

 look here now — I — I — " 



A rush was made on him, and the two ducks he had 

 shrewdly concealed were pulled out and identified. Then 

 there was a large, dense silence on which vou could have 

 hung your hat. 



"Boys," said Mr, Holt at length, "I really can't explain 

 the fact about those toes and that neck, but I—" 

 "Oh, no!" said the boys. 



"Ill tell you. Mr. Ward must be one of those mind 

 readers you hear about." 



"Now, look here," said Mr. Holt, suddenly weakening, 

 "this mustn't ever get out, fellows; it mustn't, indeed!" 



"Oh, no!" said the boys. 



"You see, it wouldn't do. I'd never hear the last of it 

 in the world. I'll never go back home, unless you prom- 

 ise. Say, aint it enough to drown a fellow in 10ft. of 

 pickerel weed, without comin' along before he's fairly 

 dried off and sellin' him a lot of second-hand ducks with 

 a private water mark on 'em? Surely, fellows, you aint 

 going to spring a game like that on me; say, now, are 

 you?" 



"Oh, no!" declared the boys. 



But somehow or other it got out, I don't know how it 

 escaped, but in some way it did become known. And 

 since then people about here don't trust an innocent ex- 

 terior so much as they used to. And that's why I feel as 

 if some day I should have to leave this place. E. H. 



IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



fi ACHE CREEK, British Columbia.— I fancy that those 

 \J of your correspondents who take delight in hunting 

 squirrels and crows would be doubly pleased were they 

 so situated, that, upon any idle day, they could go hunt- 

 ing with a prospect of seeing almost every kind of game, 

 from a bear to a willow grouse. In nearly every part of 

 British Columbia such a prospect is among the probabili- 

 ties. It is not, however, of the larger game I have to 

 speak of this time; but of two days spent among the 

 ducks and geese. 



Leaving Ashcroft station about 9 o'clock P. M., Messrs. 

 Burr, Carey and myself passed up the Thompson about 

 two miles to the ranch of Mr. Evans, who was intending 

 to join us. We found him all prepared, so we struck out 

 without delay. We traveled in an easterly direction up 

 the ridge of the mountain, expecting to bag some blue 

 grouse; but in this we were unsuccessful. As soon as we 

 reached the timber we struck to the right about a mile, 

 until we reached a small mountain stream, where we 

 proposed cooking up lunch. While Evans and Carey 

 went fishing, Burr and myself lit a fire and began getting 

 the. cooking utensils ready. The fishermen soon returned 

 with about two dozen fine-looking trout, and then every- 

 thing was lively in camp. Evans proved himself an 

 adept at cooking, Burr and Carey made excellent assist- 

 ants, and I — well, after the meal was over, they said I 

 was a success at keeping mountain trout from spoiling. 



After lunch we set off in a northeasterly direction°to- 

 ward Nesbit's ranch, where ducks and geese were reported 

 plentiful. On the way we passed a small lake, and Bun- 

 succeeded in bagging a fine mallard on it. Reaching 

 within a short distance of our camping ground, Evans, 

 took the pack horse up to camp, and Burr, Carey and 

 myself started off to prospect what is known as Goose 

 Lake. Coming in sight of it we were tickled to find' 

 about a dozen geese sitting on the bank, and about 75yds.. 

 away quite a mound of rocks for the hunter to creep up 

 behind. We soon reached a small gully, tied our horses,, 

 and commenced sneaking up to the pile of rocks behind 

 which the geese were. We had agreed that Carey and 

 myself, who carried rifles, should each single out a goose,, 

 then Burr was to give the word so both could fire to- 

 gether. I reached the rocks first, and taking aim, it 

 seemed an eternity waiting for the others. My mind 

 was busy, though. In imagination I was just enjoying a. 

 savory meal of roast goose, when "Ready!" came with 

 such a suddenness that I sprang to my feet, the gun went; 

 off and so did the goose. As I watched those geese go over: 

 a neighboring hill I thought of more "cuss" words than 

 I had done for the past month, but kept quiet, feeling 

 that I hao^ nothing fit for the occasion. My companions, 

 seemed to be in the same predicament, so we decided 

 it was a clear case of goose fever, and made solemn' 

 promises, then and there, never to mention to any one 

 on the outside that we had seen a goose. On the way 

 back to camp we passed some small lakes in which we 1 

 secured some half-dozen ducks. Our friend Evans had a 

 tasty spread awaiting us, and after partaking of it the 

 evening hours were pleasantly whiled away listening to> 

 Messrs. Burr and Carey narrating hunting adventure in 

 Arizona and Montana. 



The next morning we set off for a lake about a mile to^ 

 the south of our camp, and on it captured three fine 

 ducks, Evans making an excellent long-distance shot at 

 one on the wing. Crossing the mountain there, we got; 

 a splendid view of Lavonia to the north, while to the; 

 west lay the fertile valley of the Bonaparte, whose ranches, 

 loom up splendidly in the distance. Quite a number of: 

 ducks were bagged during the day, but no deer were' 

 seen, it being rather early in the season for them. Ini 

 about another month this will be an excellent hunting; 

 ground for deer, geese and ducks, and the boys have de- 

 cided to pay it another visit. The ground is pretty open,, 

 the lakes plentiful and the climbing very easy, which i 

 serves to make hunting a real pleasure. Our party 

 reached home about dusk, after having one of the most 

 pleasant trips it has ever been the lot Of the writer to> 

 enjoy. C. C. 



Brooklyn's Suburbs.— Editor Forest and Stream:- 

 Where is the game protector for Brooklyn, and what, 

 does he do with himself ? Surely there is enough Sunday 

 shooting and illegal shooting of song birds near the city .. 

 The Parrayot wood, in the town of Flatbush, was once 

 the home of several bunches of quail. In the spring the 

 English snipe used to light at its edge in the loamy 

 meadows, and the fall flight of the woodcock touched its 

 borders, and one could sometimes find all these game 

 birds and have a chance to work a dog and get pure air 

 into his lungs without going hundreds of miles away. 

 Now all is changed, rarely if ever does one see game. 

 Last year local Flatbush gunners shot the quail that re- 

 mained long before the law was up. Not a woodcock or 

 English snipe can light on the tract without being gobbled 

 up before it folds its wings; and all day long Sunday the 

 once quiet woods resound with the fusilade from the guns 

 of the small boy and the little hoodlum from the slums 

 of the city. Yesterday I took a walk out through this 

 spot, and the "game protector," who don't seem to pro- 

 tect, had he been there could have found several grown 

 men with old muskets and several small and inoffensive 

 song birds in then- pockets. Here is one field at least for 

 our game protector. Where is he ? — Elk. 



