MePT. o, 1 880. J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



12 3 



cauip you will make good store of pleasant reeollections, 

 to which the value of the land where you have camped 

 is as nothing. The money we have had and lost is of no 

 further use to us; but "no one can take from us tho re- 

 membrance of the good times we have had." 



For this camp I chose a spot where a small brook 

 wound along the base of a steep bank, deep bovvered in 

 the cedars, and which sheltered me from the wind. Next 

 morning there was ice in the teakettle, and it set me 

 thinking of snowshoes. 



Those living in the neighborhood of the. Manhattoes 

 during the fearful blizzard of March, 1888, learned to 

 place true value on the accomplishment of snowshoeing, 

 and found that, like the proverbial revolver of the Texan, 

 when you want "rackets" (as my grandmother used to 

 call them), you want 'em mighty bad. Still, the people 

 might have been able to leave their houses and walk over 

 those snowdrifts, had they only known how. 



I was once caught in a snowstorm in the forests to the 

 north of Squam Mountains. It was nearly dark when I 

 managed to strike the trail which led to the cabin of an 

 old trapper, with whom I passed the next two days. 

 There came a thaw and a freeze, and on the third morn- 

 ing the shadows of the mountaintops fell across a land- 

 scape beautiful indeed, as we surveyed it from the cabin 

 door, but as impracticable for the pedestrian as could 

 well be imagined, unless with tho aid of snowshops. 

 These I did not possess, for it was yet comparatively 

 early in tlje season, and I had looked for no such storm*, 

 having planned to leave the forest before the winter had 

 fairly set in. 



As we arose from breakfast the old man said: "This 

 jest about whips the grub, n' I've got ter put aout f 'r the 

 settlement. My furs hes been all packed tew three days 

 "fore you come, 'n' 'f 't hedn't a ben f'r this gol darned 

 storm. I'd a ben fawty mild away ? fore this. I kin tramp 

 it on my snowshoes, but I wa'mt a cal'latin' on comin 

 back 'fore spring. I kin though, f yeou say so. n' git 

 ye aout some way." 



1 thanked him for Iris kind offer, which I nevertheless 

 declined, and cast about for materials with which to im- 

 provise a pair of snowshoes. A couple of -'shakes," split 

 from a cedar trunk, were soon fashioned into a pair of 

 "raquettes" about four feet long by twelve inches at the 

 broader part, where the moccasin rested, and the hole 

 was made for the toe to play up and down in traveling, 

 and the sides were slightly tapered from that point fore 

 and aft. The toe-bar and a couple of supplementary 

 cleats of hard wood were lashed across with deerskin 

 thongs, the slings made of the same material, and in two 

 hours' time or so I had a rude but serviceable pair of 

 snowshoes, on which I walked in comfort and safety 

 out of the now half buried camp and over three feet of 

 snow. 



"With little difficulty I made my way in the trail of the 

 trapper to the nearest settlement, thanking my stars the 

 while for the hint I long before received from one famil- 

 ial* with Indian ways, for it had saved me many hours of 

 severest toil and may have saved my life. Moral — Given 

 a large packing case, old or new, and you have material 

 for snowshoes. 



The last breakfast of the trip was cooked and eaten, the 

 fire extinguished, and regretfully we glided away from 

 the last camp of the season, Pleasant are my recollec- 

 tions of that spot. So dense was the thicket of alders 

 which concealed it from the view of those who passed it 

 on the lake, that I had thought it but a swamp; yet never- 

 theless landed at the invitation of the tiny brooklet, and 

 pushing through the brake, found all things needful for a 

 temporary home. If sight and sinew f'aiime not, I shall 

 visit it again. 



This day I wanted fish, not for myself but for friends. 

 I selected my most seductive lure, put together my little 

 rod and was ready for action. Faithfully I wavea that 

 switch over the likeliest spots in Bowers's, Willson r s, 

 Benway's, Hanly's and Cedar Lakes, hut without result. 

 I did not catch a fish, Perhaps the cold, rough weather 

 was reason sufficient for this want of success. 



The cruise was over, the outfit safely stored, and I 

 once more seated myself at the supper table, this time 

 fully prepared to dispose of my share of its burden, and 

 feeling that my outing had noc been barren of beneficent 

 results. 



I had gone prepared to shoot ducks, and had I killed 

 more than were needed to supply the camp I could have 

 sent them home. It turned out that I had no difficulty 

 in consuming all 1 shot, but one was enough. I shouid 

 have no trouble in reloading shells for my next outing, 



I was much improved in health, and had bagged much 

 game of that sort which longest lives in pleasant recol- 

 lections. Yet was I compelled, when asked for the story 

 of my cruise, to make answer in the words of Canning's 

 needy knife-grinder, for in truth I did not think that I 

 had one to tell. Kelpfe, 



i<tmi[itt ^hdorth 



THE WOODCOCK'S WHISTLE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I am much interested in the habits of the woodcock, 

 and take every chance to observe the same. I believe, 

 with Mr. Brewster, that the variation of the whistle is 

 due to the difference in the rapidity of the flight, having 

 noticed that invariably the note is "sharp and clear w T hen 

 the bird is flushed close under foot, and quite light and 

 sometimes hardly noticeable when the bird flushes of its 

 own accord. I have watched (from the top of a large 

 rock surrounded by alders, and dividing a small spring- 

 brook) a pair of woodcock which raise their young each 

 year in the same spot, near my old home in Taunton, 

 Mass. They flit back and forth with almost noiseless 

 wings, and the hen is so tame when the eggs are nearly 

 hatched that you can touch her gently Avith the finger 

 without driving her away. But should you step up 

 abruptly, or should a dog appear, then the whistle sounds 

 clear enough. I cannot believe the note is made by vocal 

 organs, for I have held a bird in my hand by the bill, 

 with the nostrils covered, and am satisfied that the sound 

 made by the wings and the •'whistle" were one and the 

 same thing. Can the vocal theorists explain why the 

 note is not heard during the moulting season? I have 

 noticed that a partridge whose wing feathers have been 

 cut with shot will have the same whistle occasionally. 

 Is it not in the construction of the feathers? What say 



the modern naturalists? Argument and exchange of 

 opinion often bring a brother sportsman pleasure. So 

 does the whistle! May it ever return each year. 



H. B. SotjTjK, 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The woodcock has always been a favorite of mine. I 

 have shot a good many of them and shot at a good many 

 more that I failed to take home with me. When I was 

 a boy I used to spend a good deal of my leisure time 

 along the streams and in the swamps of New Jersey, 

 wearing out on an average a half-dozen straw hats each 

 season catching trout to put in our spring and coming 

 home hungry, bedraggled and covered with the swamp 

 mud, that 1 had succeeded in attaching to my clothes 

 through my desire to know where every woodcock had 

 punched a whole in the swamp mud, on my stamping 

 ground. To find a piece of swale well worked over by 

 the woodcock filled me with greater delight than even 

 to find that my mother was out of wood and wanted to 

 bake. 



I think I have heard most of the noises they make and 

 I have seen some of their antics on the mud. It is my 

 opinion that the woodcock does make sounds during 

 flight that are vocal, but only during a short time in the 

 year. I have seen them in the spring leave the ground 

 about dusk, going almost straight up in the air and often 

 attaining a considerable height, I could hear them making 

 a twittering noise that I always considered vocal. After 

 keeping this up for a few moments they would drop 

 like a shot to the ground. I never heard them make this 

 noise but in the spring, and then only at dusk. But I 

 think that the noise made by the woodcock on being 

 flushed is made by the vibration of the wings. I came 

 to my conclusion through this incident. While living on 

 the southern end of Staten Island I started across lots to 

 Princess Bay after ducks. While crossing a marshy 

 spot I flushed a woodcock and, I forgetting that my gun 

 was loaded with heavy shot, up went the gun and down 

 came the woodcock. On going to retrieve it I noticed it 

 crouched at the side of a bunch of grass, and taking a 

 second look found that a large shot had struck it at the 

 base of the bill, cutting both mandibles, causing them to 

 hang down on its breast, giving his lordship a decidedly 

 picturesque look. I stopped to pick him up, when away 

 he went, whistling as merrilv as a horsecar conductor, 

 requiring the second load of duck shot to stop him. 



AltTiTNGTON, N. J". F. W. 



QUAIL IN DIXIE. 



IT may not be generally known that a portion of the 

 southern part of Utah is called Dixie. The name 

 applies to the region lying south of what is known as the 

 "rim" or place where the high tablelands break off. 

 and descent is made into a warm sandy valley sloping 

 down to the Colorado Eiver. The soil and climate of 

 Dixie are similar to those of Arizona and southern Cali- 

 fornia. Beds of lava are seen, and many varieties of 

 cactus. 



In this district, lying partly in Utah and partly in 

 Nevada, and ranging only as far north as the "rim," 

 quail are found hi abundance. This variety is, no doubt, 

 the Lophortu.r gambeli, and has its home mainly in the 

 valley of the Colorado below the Grand Canon and in the 

 canons opening out on to the Colorado Eiver. In general 

 appearanpe this bird differs little from the California 

 valley quail. Some differences in its habits exist, and 

 one quite noticeable is in its proclivities for evading its 

 pursuers by running instead of using its wings. Except 

 when suddenly startled or hard pressed it manages to es- 

 cape without flight. When flushed, each bird, after 

 about the usual flight for quail, runs off by himself, and 

 at a rapid gait. Occasionally by rapid pursuit the covey 

 may be flushed a second time, and then a portion of them 

 are apt to hide, and may then be sought as other varie- 

 ties. On the soft sands I have sometimes tracked a single 

 bird half a mile or more after the covey had been flushed 

 and fired into. 



This species of quail, when not molested, like to stay 

 about the houses and farms of farmers and become half 

 domesticated. I have had them come close to the door of 

 my tent in the morning, and with the most lively chatter 

 pick up such crumbs of food as they found scattered 

 about: and they at one time had a habit of coming on to 

 the back porch of my house to get oats left there. I 

 noticed one other difference between this and other 

 quail. It is in a danger call they give in spring and dur- 

 ing their nesting time. My observation would indicate 

 that these quail form a colony at nesting time embracing 

 all the birds of quite an area around. They choose 

 ground covered with high bushes in preference to a 

 rocky hillside covered with sage and small bushes. I 

 was at some pains to observe one of these nesting colonies. 

 On nearing the ground I saw a cock quail perched on the 

 highest of a clump of oak chapparal. When within about 

 three hnudred yards he gave what I took to be an alarm 

 call— one note. Immediately the call was repeated from 

 the tops of the different clumps of bushes all about the 

 neighborhood. When I had come within, perhaps, one 

 hundred yards of my first quail he suddenly dropped to 

 the ground and made off at great speed, and I saw him 

 pass over the ridge of a small hill running for dear life, 

 as he no doubt thought. 



The call is best represented by the word Greer, pro- 

 nounced in a sharp high key. In a minute after the first 

 alarm note, creer, creer, from many throats could be 

 heard over all the neighborhood. The females were not 

 to be seen, nor with the limited time I had for search did 

 I find a single nest. There may be no uniformity in col- 

 lecting in colonies for nesting; an instance or two does 

 not prove so much with me as to some others, but it looks 

 strongly that way; and at another place about the same 

 time I found a large number of cock quail feeding to- 

 gether, and I have no doubt their mates were near by 

 busy with maternal cares. I would like to know the re- 

 sult of more extended observations on the subject. 



There are no mountain quail in Utah, nor any other 

 varieties native to this region. Both the vallev quail of 

 California, and the Bob Whites have been planted in the 

 various canons from Ogden to the head of Utah Lake. 

 They have done well, and are by law protected for two 

 years more. But in fact they are now being shot. If 

 mimolested they would be likely to spread over Utah 

 generally. Now they are confined to the mouth of can- 

 ons and will be easily exterminated. 



The game and fish laws are not obeyed. Trout are 

 being killed with giant powder, Two days since, at the 



I 



spot where this was written, I heard from the door of 

 my tent a loud explosion, and saw the water from the 

 creek rise in a column high above the willows fringing 

 the creek. When I visited the spot a little later I was 

 surprised at the perfect destruction made of all the trout 

 in that pool. The larger ones had been carried away by 

 the vandal that did the work, but there were scores of 

 small dead floating or at the bottom of the pool. Half a 

 dozen larger ones had been overlooked in the hurry to 

 get away by the new-fashioned angler. I am afraid we 

 are no better in Utah than they are in Maine in observ- 

 ance, of this class of laws. I fear that in all our country 

 there will be no place where deer, grouse or trout will 

 be found except on private grounds. Laws most whole- 

 some and necessary have a place on the statute books, 

 but they do not avail because not enforced. Public 

 opinion must stand in with the statutes. 

 Utah. GEO. H. Wyman. 



THE MEXICAN WILD TURKEY. 



N comparing this bird, Meleagris gallopavo mexieana 

 1. with Meleagris gallopavo. I meant to say he is more 

 stupid, instead of •' striped," as the types had it. Either 

 statement is correct, though one might be led to suppose 

 from the latter expression that the wild turkey of the 

 United States is to some extent striped. This is not so. 

 J° v™ 1 ™ f or the readers of Forest Amy Stream about 

 the difference between the two varieties would seem a 

 useless waste of space, and yet I must admit that it is a 

 somewhat recent addition to my own stock of informa- 

 tion. Audubon failed to make a proper discrimination, 

 and confusion on the part of such authority is sure to be 

 perpetuated by many who follow him. 



The most remarkable characteristic of Meleaqris gallo- 

 pavo is that he cannot be domesticated. The proof of 

 this is overwhelming. Of course individuals can be 

 tamed, but the wild instinct always prevails. Once when 

 a boy I captured a dozen eggs, eleven of which were 

 hatched. As I remember, nine of the chickens survived, 

 under the fostering care of a domestic hen. As they 

 grew toward maturity, however, their nightly resting 

 pla£e in the trees became higher and higher and further 

 and further from the chicken house. They were as tame 

 as ordinary chickens, but active and able' to fly well. I 

 was trying to devise some way of capturing them with- 

 out resorting to the extreme method of shooting them, 

 when after several absences of a night or two they dis- 

 appeared. The same experience was repeated by almost 

 every family of the Western States. Audubon tells of a 

 gobbler he tamed and made a pet of, inKentuckv, which 

 at the age of more than three years finally left him, 

 though on finding it in the woods afterward it allowed 

 him to approach it. 



This untamable nature, together with the persistency 

 of color in his dark bronze plumage, made the develop- 

 ment of the domestic turkev from such stock one of the 

 puzzles of my boyhood. I remember to have seen more 

 than once the statement that the turkey is a native of 

 Persia. Such a theory is perhaps the desperate effort of 

 some puzzled soul to escape the difficulty just mentioned. 

 It is gratuitous and entirely unfounded. As Benjamin 

 Franklin once suggested, he might be made our national 

 emblem, for he is as much an American gift to the world 

 as maize, tobacco and " Irish" potatoes. 



The domestic turkey is a descendant of the Mexican 

 wild variety. I have not had opportunity to examine 

 this bird personally, but I believe it is generally admit- 

 ted that even in a wild state his color is not fixed. A 

 Mexican who is in the employ of one of the sub-con- 

 tractors on the railroad from this city to the Gulf of 

 Mexico, and whose camp is in the midst of a paradise of 

 game, tells me that the turkeys are pinto. This word 

 means simply spotted. Whether there is more than sim- 

 ple black and white I do not know. The manner of pro- 

 ducing the variations common in the domestic variety is 

 well understood. 



The Indians here had a name, still current, for the tur- 

 key which was apparently intended to represent his note. 

 A Spanish work on natural history, which I have ex- 

 amined, in a desperate effort to reduce the sounds to 

 writing, produced this, JiuexoloM. If any reader of the 

 Forest j. nu Stream wishes to read this aloud he needn't 

 try to pronounce the word. Just let him give his neck a 

 "yank" and gobble. Anybody can do that, whether he 

 knows Spanish or not. About the commonest color of 

 domestic turkeys here is gray, the feathers dark below 

 and tipped with white. This gives a neutral effect quite 

 common m nature, and I suppose is about the color of 

 the wild ones. 



The same man of whom I spoke above, told me of at 

 least two kinds of what I took to be grouse, besides the 

 chaehalaea, and two or three kinds of quail, the Indian 

 names of which I could not retain. As the railroad is to 

 be completed this fall, giving a busy man a chance to take 

 a run into that favored country, I hope to make the trip 

 and have something interesting to report. Some youth- 

 ful and ambitious naturalist ought to set his eves on that 

 section, for, so far as I can ascertain, it is almost virgin 

 soil. Aztec. 

 San Luis Potosi, Mexico. 



The Electric Organs of the Star Gazer.— In the 

 Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum, Vol. 3, p 18 

 1S80, Dr. Jordan states that Dr. J. A. Henshall had in- 

 formed him that the star gazer (Astroseopns y-gra-cum) 

 m life exhibits strong electrical powers, these powers ap- 

 parently having their seat in the naked skin on the top 

 of the head. Dr. Jordan then adds: "So far as I know, 

 such phenomena have not hitherto been ascribed to any 

 fish of this family. I therefore put this statement on 

 record, in hopes that subsequent observers of this rare 

 fish may be able to verify it." Professor Gilbert informs 

 us that during the cruise of the Fish Commission steamer 

 Albatross along the coast of Lower California a star gazer 

 (Astroscopvs) was obtained in Magdalena Bay, April 8, 

 1889, which had the power to give electrical shocks. A 

 man had been ordered to take the fish from the aquarium, 

 in which it had been kept alive, and eviscerate it preoara- 

 tory to preserving in alcohol. Upon taking hold of the 

 fish with the thumb and fingers of one hand in such a 

 way as to make the necessary incision, he felt a shock, 

 and not knowing what to make of it turned the fish over 

 to Professor Gilbert, who also felt the shock very per- 

 ceptibly, as did two other gentlemen present. The speci- 

 men from the Pacific was a great surprise to Professor 

 Gilbert, as this genus was known onlv to the Atlantic be- 

 fore,— Bab, 



