Nov. 1, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



288 



A PAIR OF YELLOW POCKET MICE (C. flavus) Drawn Life Size from Nature by the Author. 



for their entire lengths 

 ; J he case with the 

 or internally, is a 

 ivides the cheek- 

 *is characteristic 

 Ji, The bare part 

 pertures is of a 



find them ce-;- 

 adown their mQS^ h tui» 

 lower pair. Beneath theT' 11 

 median integumental rap! 

 pouches. The plan of them 

 of the genus to which this specif, 

 of the snout about the external fl 



pale flesh color, and these parts arc ^ery prominently 

 developed, 



I have been thus particular in pres " tg some of these 

 best marked external characters, ana her features in 

 this little species, as I was desirous of l l '9ig those of my 

 readers who may be in need of such in±V Nation, a guide 

 to the kind of data which should be cari' >dly entered in 

 the field note book of the collector of maH^hals. In addi- 

 tion to what I have presented, fuller measurements are 

 highly desirable, measuring the body, limbs, between 

 ears, eyes, etc., in all directions, and their separations 

 and so on, as well as height of ear and similar data. Then, 

 too, it is always well to take the weight of a specimen 

 when it can be accurately and conveniently accomplished. 

 In recording color it is well to adhere to some authorita- 

 tive standard of nomenclature, and although I have no 

 copy of the work before me, I feel perfectly safe in 

 recommending Mr. Ridgway's little volume on the nomen- 

 clature of colors for such assistance. 



While upon this subject, I would add a few words in 

 reference to the collecting and preserving of these small 

 mammals, for I am very much in hopes that my efforts 

 here will induce many persons iu various parts of our 

 Territorial districts to secure such specimens; note their 

 habits as fully as possible, and see that their observations 

 come duly into the hands of science in order that the 

 data may eventually be preserved to our common stock 

 of useful knowledge. 



Skins of mammals are valuable, of course, but alcoholic 

 specimens of them are incomparably more so, so if 

 ore should be so fortunate as to secure a new or rare 

 species I would advise by all means consigning it to 

 strong alcohol. After entering in the note book the data 

 advised above, a label should be attached to the specimen 

 bearing a number or some distinguishing mark identify 

 ing the latter with the former, then we should make a 

 careful median incisian along the abdomen of our speci- 

 men from a point opposite the base of the lungs to the 

 genitals, and part the lips of it so as to insure the spirit 

 getting thoroughly inside, and about the viscera. The 

 label should give sex, age, date and locality of capture, 

 etc. , with name of collector in full, and similar data. See 

 to it that the alcohol more than covers the specimen , as it 

 will surely absorb a quantity of it and thus become ex- 

 posed, and if not under the eye of the collector daily, 

 damage may ensue. In sending small specimens of mam- 

 mals to persons engaged in describing them for publica- 

 tion , they go very well indeed if taken out of the alcohol, 

 carefully wrapped in absorbent cotton moistened with the 

 spirit, and then again wrapped in a kind of thin gutta 

 percha that comes in the shops. Chloroform is used along 

 the free edges of this la+ter, which will make it stick 

 securely and thoroughly to prevent evaporation of the 

 moisture. Dr. Geo. E. Dobson, F. R. S., of the medical 

 staff of the British Army, put me in possession of this 

 method and I have found it to do admirablv. 



Another genus in our family Saccomyidce. is Dipodomys 

 containing two species of "kangaroo rats," and about a 

 year ago Mr. F. Stephens added to these a third species 

 from California, where he collected it. 



Kangaroo rats are western representatives of the family 

 we have under consideration; in them the cheek-pouches 

 open externally, and they derive their name from their 

 mode of progression, which much resembles the jerboas 

 of Egypt and other countries (Gr. dipous, two-footed, 

 and mus, mouse). They have long hindlegs and a pair of 

 short fore ones, while their tails are characterized by 

 being finished off with a pencil of hair of considerable 

 size, forming a conspicuous tuft at the termination of 

 the appendage. 



A writer at my hand describes Phillips's pocket rat by 

 saying that it "is about as large as the chip-squirrel, hav- 

 ing a body five inches long and a tail six and half inches; 

 the color "is light brown above and white beneath. The 

 whiskers are rigid and numerous, hindlegs very long, the 

 fur silky, the eyes bright, the form and appearance like 

 a very minute kangaroo. It hops about on its hindlegs, 

 often taking considerable leaps. It lives in holes in the 

 arid plains of Sonora and Southern California, seeming 



to prefer stony slopes, and frequently comes around the 

 tents of travelers with a sort of confiding gentleness and 

 familiarity. It seems to go forth chiefly at nightfall." 



Some very interesting features mark the skeleton, and 

 more especially the skull of these kangaroo rats, but our 

 space will not admit of entering upon such descriptions 

 in the present connection. 



Of Heteromys, the last genus in our family Saccowyichv, 

 we have no representatives that occur within the confines 

 of the United States, they are consequently not repre- 

 sented in our fauna. They are to be found only on the 

 island of Trinidad and in the West Indies (H. anomalus), 

 or in Mexico and Venezuela (H. longicaudahis), or finally 

 in Guatemala (H. desmarestianus). There is an evident 

 tendency toward hispidity in the first-mentioned species, 

 and it possesses a long scaly tail of a deep black color ; 

 their cheek-pooches are not large ; and of the several species 

 mentioned none are larger than a good-size 1 rat. 



In my next contribution I trust to touch upon the re- 

 maining few families of the suborder SimpUcidentata, and 

 pass to the suborder Duplicidentata, which contains the 

 pikas and hares, and thus bring this numerous order of 

 the Roclentia to a clos e. , 



A RUFFED - GROUSE^ IN TOWN. 



C CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 38.— The attention of our 

 I family was this morning attracted by the sight of a 

 partridge perched in a tree on our premises, corner of 

 Hancock street and Broadway, this city. 



The bird, a young one though well grown, as uncon- 

 cerned as if in its native woods, remained in the same 

 tree for ten or fifteen minutes, walking along one limb 

 and pecking at the elm buds; and then napped across to 

 another, where it stood with crest erect, eyeing us with 

 mild curiosity, not twenty feet distant. Froin that tree 

 it soon after flew across the street to another, twenty-five 

 or thirty yards distant, and then to the ground. 



The presence of such a visitor less than two and a half 

 miles from "Boston's gilded dome," in the very middle of 

 a city of over 60,000 inhabitants, is very much to be won- 

 dered at, especially as there is no locality for several 

 miles where the ruffed grouse is found even as a straggler. 

 Was the bird a stranger come in search of higher educa- 

 tion here under the shadow of Harvard? 



It is to be regretted, however, that in the evident desire 

 of the bird to become better acquainted with our city, it 

 did not remember that the Puritans' Sunday observance 

 is no longer in vogue at the present day; for shortly after 

 the echo of a fowling piece disturbed the devotions of a 

 neighboring church congregation. Henry J. Thayer. 



[A ruffed grouse recently flew into the house of Mrs. 

 Ruth A. Talman, Garden street, Medford, Mass. It went 

 through the window, breaking the glass and cutting its 

 throat; and was served up for dinner.] 



Whose Hawk was This?— Seaconnett, R. I., Oct. 17. 

 —Editor Forest and Stream: On the 35th inst. there was 

 shot by Mr. Warren Kempton, at AVarren's Point, R. I., 

 not far to the eastward of the West Island Club's pleas- 

 ant quarters, a pigeon hawk. On each leg was a small 

 round brass bell, together with a light leather strap some 

 6in. in length, and on the right leg a light brass ring. 

 Mr. Kempton's astonishment when he came to inspect 

 his victim may be imagined. I mounted it for him, with 

 its outfit undisturbed, and perhaps some of your readers 

 can tell us where it came from.— Newton Dexter. 



BIRD PORTRAITS. 



UNDER the title "Some Native Birds for Little Folks," 

 the Forest and Stream Publishing Co. have just pub- 

 lished a handsome imperial octavo. The author is Dr. W. 

 Van Fleet, who is known as a frequent contributor to the 

 magazines on ornithological subjects. He has written 

 brief and untechnical biographies of fourteen of our native 

 birds— Robin, Chickadee, Kingfisher, Great Horned Owl, 

 Bobolink, Bluejay, Woodcock, Nuthatches, Meadow Lark, 

 Ruffed Grouse, Cedar Bird, Kildeer, Summer Duck and 

 Crossbills. Each of these birds is beautifully illustrated 

 by the photogravure process from drawings by Howard 

 H. Darnell. The paper is substantial, and the 147 pages 

 of large, clear, handsome type contain just the sort of in- 

 formation necessary to make little folks better acquainted 

 with the birds described, and to awaken an appetite for 

 extended study. Everything has been done to make the 

 volume one of the most handsome gift books of the year. 

 (Forest and Stream Publishing Co. Price $3.) 



§mm §ng rnii §wf. 



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

 Price $2.50. Wing and Glass Ball Shooting ivith the 

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

 Gun in California. By T. S. Van DyTce. Price $1.50. 

 Shore Birds'. Price 1 5 cents. Woodcraft. By u Ness- 

 muk." Price Si, Trajectories of Hunting Rifles. Price 

 50 cents. Wild Foid Shooting; see advertisements 



THE CAMPAIGN. 



Wildfowl Near St* Louis. 



ST. LOUIS, Mo., Oct. 20.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 The heart of the duck shooter was made glad the 

 fore part of last week by the arrival of a good flight of 

 the web-feet. A drop of several degrees of the tempera- 

 ture in the northern country was the cause of it. Parties 

 who were out while the ducks were in this locality were 

 well paid for a trip in quest of them. But they did not 

 stay here any length of time. The wind, which had been 

 making its starting point the north, changed to the south, 

 and soon all effects of the cold wave disappeared. This 

 sent the ducks backup north again, and the duck shooters 

 were sad. Yesterday the cold wave signal was floating 

 from our court house flag staff, and sure enough it came, 

 and the ducks came with it. Fast and swift telegrams 

 came pouring in from various quarters, that a big flight 

 of ducks had made their appearance. Tins report caused 

 considerable activity to manifest itself among the nim- 

 rods. If the present cold spell of weather will hold on 

 for a while, there is no doubt that the duck shooters will 

 make matters quite warm for them. 



The lakes around-about here are in fine condition for 

 duck shooting. Food is said to be plentiful in all of 

 them, and all that is wanted is the ducks to make things 

 satisfactory, so far as the duck shooters are concerned. 



Snipe have been very scarce in this vicinity, so far this 

 fall only a few small bags have been reported. The mar- 

 ket has been moderately well supplied with them, but 

 they have been shipped here from points north. 



Quail are said to be plentiful throughout the State and 

 fine sport is promised on them this fall. The season in 

 this State opened last Monday and a few small bags have 

 been reported up to date. 



Parties who have been out hunting complain of the 

 weeds being too thick yet. When a good frost and snow 

 visits this section and breaks them down, no doubt bet- 

 ter results will be the rule. Unser Fritz. 



Trapping for Fur in Maine Woods. 



Camp Parker, Me., Oct. 18. —My last week's Forest 

 and Stream finds me here at Camp Parker, which is at 

 the outlet of the Big Richardson Pond, one mile by a fine 

 woods walk from the head of the Mollechunkamunk 

 (Richardson) Lake and four miles from the Upper Dam. 

 This is a cosy little private camp, the property of a gen- 

 tleman who has a fine residence on the shore of the Molle- 

 chunkamunk Lake, five miles from here, where he and 

 his family are spending the autumn. He has a private 

 steamer on the lake, and when he wishes to spend a few 

 hours or days at Camp Parker the trip is easily and 

 quickly made. 



Every fall since I was large enough to go into the 

 woods and to shoulder a fuzee of any kind, I have clone 

 more or less still-hunting for deer and caribou; but quite 

 a number of falls have passed without my doing any 

 trapping. Now the proprietor of Camp Parker agrees to 

 make trapping profitable once more, and here we are, 

 Alva Cooledge, of Upton (one of the best guides and 

 hunters of the region), and myself, hunting for mink, 

 otter and sable signs, with a backload of steel traps, on 

 the same grounds and in the same way as we did thir- 

 teen years ago. In one month that fall we caught 

 twenty-three mink, besides considerable other fur. In 

 those days dollars came hard and looked lar^e; and mink 

 skins brought about $5 apiece, so we made a very satis- 

 factory fall's hunt. We have just returned from a three 

 days' trip, in which time we have run a sable line from 

 the head of this pond to the north as many miles as we 

 could cover in that time and set the traps and blazed the 

 line. On the trip we saw the tracks and marks of moose, 

 caribou, deer and bear. When the snow gets deep enough 

 for still-hunting we shall try to see the animals that 

 made the tracks. F. C. Barker. 



A Good Quail Crop in Georgia. 



Augusta, Ga., Oct. 3. — Editor Forest and Stream: The 

 season for quail opened here on the 15th. The weather 

 has been quite warm and dry, and not much shooting has 

 been done yet. I was informed to-day by a gentleman in 

 this city that he found nine coveys in a day's hunt last 

 week, from which he got twenty-two birds. From all 

 quarters in this section I have favorable reports as re- 

 gards quail. Country people tell me there are more this 

 season than usual. The breeding season was favorable, 

 and keeping up the hogs has conduced to the advantage 

 of a good crop of birds. 



Wild ducks are now coming. A week ago I was on 

 the river bank and saw three large flocks flying down the 

 river. Very few have been killed around here, however, 

 as they were going further south. 



Some few snipe and woodcock have been killed, and I 

 have seen several robins. 



The wild geese have not yet made their appearance. 



J. M. W. 



In Boyhood's Haunts.— Connecticut Pot- 

 Hunters. 



Brooklyn, N. Y., Oct. 27.— Ha ving occasion, about the 

 first of October, to visit the place in Connecticut where 

 I spent my early life, and knowing the season opened 

 at that time for shooting, I took along dog and gun, 

 hoping to bag a few birds. One day's trial satisfied me 

 that I was too early, for the leaves were as thick on trees 

 and bush as they had been in July, precluding the possi- 

 bility of seeing game once started in cover more than 

 twenty feet away. Still I wandered alone from place to 

 place over the old familiar ground, and thought of by- 

 gone days, when others who have now "gone hence" 

 were with me and helped to make the rarest joy known 



