Feb. 6, 1800.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



46 



of a copy of "Wilson's Ornithology" lie identified it cor- 

 rectly and mounted it. I am indebted to Mr, S. W. Den- 

 ton for these facts, as well as for the specimen itself, 

 which he- obtained for me from Mr. Smith. Although 

 the sex was not determined, the bird is evidently a female. 

 It differs from all the western females in my collection 

 in having the top and sides of the head deep, nearly pure 

 ashy, instead of olivaceous brown. It is further peculiar 

 in almost wholly lacking the usual blackish stripes on 

 the sides of the throat. 



The last capture of which I have any present knowledge 

 is that of a female, taken Jan. 25, at Lynn, Essex county, 

 Massachusetts. It was killed by a young man who shoots 

 for Mr. N. Vickary, the well known taxidermist, who 

 says it was accompanied by another bird of apparently 

 the same species and sex, which, at the report of the gun, 

 rose high in air and made off, uttering as it flew a loud 

 whistling call and occasionally a chattering cry also. 

 When first seen they were sitting close together in the 

 top of a red cedar, feeding on the berries. The gullet of 

 the one killed proved to be full of the berries of this 

 cedar. Mr. Vickary mounted the specimen, which will 

 probably go to the Peabody Academy at Salem for the 

 Essex county collection. I have examined this bird and 

 find that it differs from my Wellesley specimen only in 

 having the head of a slightly browner shade and the dark 

 spots on the sides of the throat a little more distinct. 



The evenmg grosbeak has occurred in New York, in 

 Onondaga county (Coues, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, VII. , 

 1882, 250). near New York city (Lawrence, Ann. Lyc. 

 Nat. Hist., N. Y., VlIL, 1866, 289) and at Elizabethtown, 

 Essex county (Brewer, Proc. Bos. Soc. Nat. Hist., XVII., 

 1875, 451), only ten miles west of Lake Champlain. 

 Although several writers have confidently predicted its 

 appearance in New England, the birds just mentioned 

 are the first that have ever been reported. The fact that 

 so many have been seen within less than three weeks and 

 at places some distance apart makes it highly probable 

 that they have crossed our borders in considerable num- 

 bers, and it will be surprising if more are not found be- 

 fore the winter is over. It would be interesting to know 

 if the recent heavy snowfalls in the Northwest have had 

 anything to do with their coming. Wm. Brewster. 



Cambrtoge, Miffis. 



Evening Geosbeak in Central Ontario.— The un- 

 looked for appearance of the evening grosbeak in 

 considerable numbers in the vicinity of Kingston, 

 Ontario, has created quite an excitement among the local 

 lovers of bird life. It was some time before they could 

 be identified, as they have never been seen so far east as 

 this before. It is supposed they were driven here by 

 some of the heavy gales we have had this winter. They 

 are met with feeding on the berries of the red cedar and 

 seeds of the black ash. We have also with us this winter 

 the pine grosbeak, white- winged crossbill and pine finch, 

 all of which are irregular winter visitors in this locality. 

 The great gray owl and snowy owl are also mere common 

 than have been known for a number of years. The 

 winter so far has been very mild. — John Ew art (Yarker, 

 Ont. , Jan .17). [ The occurrence of this species in Ontario, 

 though unusual, is not without precedent.] 



A Midwinter Traveler.— Albion, Wis., Jan. 18. — 

 Editor Forest and stream: While ice boating on Lake 

 Koshkonong (which is about four miles wide by eight 

 long) a day or so ago, and when near the center of the 

 lake, I noticed a small black object moving along on the 

 ice, which on closer examination turned out to be a large 

 woods mouse, traveling toward the western shore. Have 

 since learned of a dead one being seen further up the 

 lake on the sa*me day. The question is, do such small fry 

 migrate at times, like the squirrels, or had they been car- 

 ried out on the ice by some bird of the hawk species? — 



A. A. B. [Mice and shrews of many kinds are about all 

 winter, and may often be seen traveling over the snow 

 and ice.] 



What are They?— Hartford City, Ind., Jan. 18.— I 

 have in my possession one of the white quail from the 

 Godfrey Reserve, this county. A covey of twenty-six 

 were discovered by Sam Twibell, of Montpelier, on Dec. 

 15, and. he shot two, which were mounted. The plumage 

 of the bird is white, but is specked with small black 

 spots; the spots glisten as if varnished. No quail of the 

 kind was ever before seen in this section. Except as to 

 plumage, the bird is exactly like the common brown 

 quail.— E. D. Moffett. [So far as can be judged from 

 the description, these white quail would seem to be par- 

 tial albinos. But who ever heard of a whole flock of 

 albinos?] 



The Snow? Owl.— In your columns I saw that Mr. 

 Foster wished all notes possible on the southern limit of 

 the saowy owl. On Nov. 20 one was caught in a trap near 

 Princeton, N. J., a large medium dark female. I shot a 

 male on Dec. 16, 1883, and a bird was taken some three 

 years before. This made three specimens of this owl in 

 my collection, all from this locality. It seems strange 

 that during such a mild winter so many northern birds 

 should migrate so far south. Red crossbills are common 

 here all this winter and red-breasted nuthatches have 

 been common since the last of September, both of these 

 birds I never saw in this locality until last winter. — A. 

 H. P. (Lawrenceville, N. J.). 



Foreign Birds for British Columbia. — Vancouver, 



B. O, Jan. 21.— Editor Forest and Stream: A meet- 

 ing was held at the Leland Hotel, Vancover, British Co- 

 lumbia, last evening, to form an association for the pur- 

 pose of introducing aud protecting game birds on the 

 mainland of the Province. Mr. Sidney Williams was 

 appointed secretary pro tew,. Messrs. P. Thompson, H. 

 Abbot, D. Simpson, E. Mohun, C. Johnson and S. Wil- 

 liams were appointed a provisional committee to draft 

 the constitution of the association. A considerable sum 

 was voted to be expended by the committee in Chinese 

 and Japanese pheasants, to be brought over from China 

 and Japan by the Parthia next April. — Charles C. Tis- 



DALL. 



A Long-Tushed Woodchuck. — Last week W. C. Stimp- 

 son and sons, of Denmark, killed a woodchuck which 

 had tushes of extraordinary length. One of these had 

 curled under and grew into the animal's mouth, then up 

 through its head, destroying one eye and curled across 

 its snout and again entered its head. The tush was fully 

 six inches long, and how the poor creature managed to 

 live is strange. It was very thin in flesh. — Ashtabida ( 0. ) 

 Sentinel. 



\nmt Jf## m& 



"FOREST AND STREAM" GUN TESTS. 



THE following guns have been tested at. the Forest and 

 Stream Range, and reported upon in the issues named. 

 Copies of any date will be sent on receipt of price, ten cents: 

 Colt 12, July 25. Parker 12, hammerless, June 6. 



Colt 10 and 12, Oct. 24. Remington IB, May 30. 



Folsom 10 and 12, Sept. 26. Remington 12, Dec. 5. 

 Francotte 12, Dec. 12. Remington 10, Dec. 26. 



Greener 12, Aug. 1. Scott 10, Sept. 5. 



Greener 10. Sepi . 12, Sept. 19, L. C. Smith 12, Oct. 10. 

 Hollis 10, Not. 7- Winchester io and 12, Oct. 3. 



Parker 10, hammer, June 6. 



UNCLE NATHAN'S BIRTHDAY, 



WOKCESTER, Mass., Jan. 30.— One of the pleasan test 

 social events ever experienced by the Worcester 

 sportsmen occurred last evening, when a party of about 

 forty were gathered at the rendezvous (Lisha's back 

 room). 



The purpose of the gathering was to demonstrate to 

 the veteran sportsman, "Uncle Nathan'' Harrington, 

 that the love, esteem and good wishes of the "boys" 

 were with him aB he turned the three-quarter post 

 in the century of usefulness and started on the last 

 quarter, with a firm step, a steady hand and clear eye, in 

 tact, with a good prospect of holding out to the wire. 



To but few is it given to enjoy for over half a cen- 

 tury an active participation in the sports of the field. 

 Although "Uncle Nathan" has a go at the birds every 

 opening day, the last few years he has acknowledged a 

 perceptible falling off of his accustomed sprightliness, so 

 necessary to the successful hunting of birds, and has in- 

 sisted on laying himself on the shelf during the rest of 

 September. 



With the opening of the fox season, however, on Oct, 1, 

 the old gentleman always comes to the fromt with all the 

 vigor and enthusiasm of a fox hunter in his prime, and 

 np day is long enough or cold enough to drive him in as 

 long as the dogs can follow. 



An instance which brought out the qualities that are 

 supposed to show, in popular parlance, the amount of 

 "sand" in the old gentleman's "gizzard," occurred a few 

 years ago, and I think will bear relating here. Uncle 

 Nathan had been out since daylight, and though the dogs 

 had driven their fox all day he had managed to keep out 

 of reach of Uncle Nathan's gun. The latter part of the 

 afternoon found him tired, cold and hungry. A milkman 

 drove along on his way to the city and kindly offered to 

 bring him right into' Iris door almost. The dogs were 

 driving up on the Randall Rocks, in easy hearing but out 

 of sight. Uncle Nathan listened to the "dogs, then looked 

 up at the sun. Twenty minutes, or a short half hour at 

 best, and it would be dark. Four miles from home with 

 no team, and here was a chance to ride right in. It took 

 him but a second to decide. "No," said Uncle Nathan, 

 "I guess I'll stay with the old dog and see it out." He 

 stayed, and when the sun was just setting down behind 

 the edges and it was so dark he could scarcely see him, 

 that fox made up his mind to cross the runway Uncle 

 Nathan had guarded so long and faithfully. Well, he 

 never got across, and as the gritty old hunter trudged 

 home those four weary miles, he could feel the brush 

 "swish" against his left knee at every step, and he was 

 well paid for staying. But where will you find another 

 man, young or old, who would have taken that chance 

 under like circumstances ? 



And he is still in the swim. Has been at them all win- 

 ter, but with the wort-t possible kind of luck, and it did 

 seem for a time that the fates were against him. Week 

 before last, however, he connected with his first fox for 

 this season. Every good day finds him out, and now 

 that be has broken the ice, he is determined to add 

 another to his string before March 1. His immense popu- 

 larity was attested to by the number who turned out last 

 evening. 



Eveiybody who laid any claim to the proud distinc- 

 tion of being a sportsman and was aware of the affair 

 was there. It had only been talked up for a few days 

 previous, and was kept as quiet as possible, for "Uncle 

 Nathan's birthday party" was to be surprise, and- it was, 

 a genuine surprise, too. 



To Billy Dean, his fox hunting chum, was intrusted 

 the matter of getting him up to Lisha's, and no one knew 

 better than Billy that all that was needed to lead him 

 into the trap surely and unsuspectingly was to tell him 

 that he wanted to see him at Lisha's that night to fix up 

 a hunt. It brought him. There was no possibility of 

 his failing to answer to such a summons. 



The testimonial from the boys took the form of an ele- 

 gant gold-headed cane, which bore the inscriptions, "N. 

 S. Harrington, from his sportsmen friends," and "Uncle 

 Nathan." The presentation was made through John R. 

 Thayer, one of the brightest lawyers and most enthusi- 

 astic fox hunters in the country. His presentation 

 speech, although entirely impromptu, was a marvel of 

 brilliancy and touching reference to the esteem in which 

 Uncle Nathan is held by his brother sportsmen. 



The old gentleman, listened to him with bared head, 

 and at the close arose and tried to thank the boys; but he 

 was so completely surprised and so visibly affected that 

 he spoke but a few words. He was cheered to the echo, 

 however, and the congratulations of the boys poured in 

 upon him from all sides. 



"If Loud had lived and tarried with us until now," 

 said John R., "this day he should have had a golden 

 collar." 



Loud was Uncle Nathan's famous pup, so partial to 

 cats, swill buckets and dead horses, which, when Uncle 

 Nathan came to part with him, he gave away with the 

 thoughtful proviso, "If he don't suit you, and you want 

 to get rid of him, work him off down the other way. 

 Don't give him to any one near Worcester." 



Loud's new owner on his next visit to Lisha's was 

 asked how the pup was running. "Run? Yes, he'll run 

 a cat," he replied in his peculiar South o' Shrewsbury 

 drawl. "Do you s'pose Nathan Harrington is giving 

 away dogs that are good for anything?" 



Poor old Loud! The butt of so many jokes is no more; 

 but if there are cats in dog heaven he is happy. 



Caterer Rebboli had also been summoned to appear and 

 answer to the charge of having in his possession con- 

 trary to the law (of hungry sportsmen) sundry refresh- 

 ments for the inner man, consisting of chicken and turkey 

 sandwiches, coffee, assorted cakes, fruit and no end of 



such stuff, headed by an enormous birthday cake, which 

 bore frosted across its smilax-wreathecl crest, the famil- 

 iar greeting "Uncle Nathan." Upon his appearance the 

 curtains were drawn in front of the store and the house 

 resolved itself into a committee of the whole and took up 

 the refreshment case without delay. Reb. did not offer 

 a plea, but threw himself upon the* mercies of the court, 

 which in this instance were anything but tender. 



His entire stock was confiscated, and then Lisha pro- 

 duced "the finest box of '44 Londres' in Shattuck's store. 

 A perfect beauty!" And we settled down for a good old 

 "talk" of hunts enjoyed, and foxes run and killed. 

 About 10 P. M. the party broke up, and shaking Uncle 

 Nathan by the hand we separated fof our homes, all 

 agreeing that it had been one of the pleasantest evenings 

 we had ever passed at the rendezvous. Hal. 



VERMONT GAME. 



WATERBURY, Vt.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 Among other good things in a recent number of 

 Forest and Stream was pleased to notice the letter from 

 "Antoine Bassette," and though it seems he has made 

 little or no progress in learning to "spik dat Ainglesh— 

 or write it — I presume his old friends all made his letter 

 out. Any word of praise from me for Mr Robinson's 

 delightful volumes would be superfluous after all that 

 has been said and written of them. But on seeing 

 "Antoine's" letter I could not resist expressing a desire I 

 have often felt, and which I am sure is shared by very 

 many others— that Mr. Robinson would bring Uncle 

 Lisha back from the " 'Hio" and thus give us more of his 

 inimitable sketches. I have had many a hearty laugh 

 over Antoine's queer sayings, and hope to renew acquaint- 

 ance with him. 



The past season has hardly been an average one for 

 shooting. We never have an abundance of game, but 

 the partridges seemed to be more numerous than usual 

 early in the season. Unfortunately the results did not 

 bear us out in that conclusion, for while the birds were 

 present in fair numbers, they seemed to be unusually 

 wild and hard to get. There was a great deal of rain 

 through the season also, so light bags and poor luck have 

 been the rule. Plenty were "left for seed," and as every- 

 thing indicates a good breeding season, we hope for better 

 luck next fall. 



We have several new shooters, and have hopes of being 

 able to organize a gun club the coming spring. 



Foxes are reported plenty, and as we have no hounds 

 they are seldom molested, except they are taken by trap- 

 pers, or some one gets a chance shot at them. One trap- 

 per secured eighteen this season. 



O. King, of this place, recently killed a snowy owl, 

 which is a fine specimen, its wings spreading over four 

 feet from tip to tip, and the plumage being very thick 

 and in splendid condition. The bird has been mounted 

 and is greatly admired. This species is occasionally 

 found in this seciion, though they are somewhat rare, 

 this being the first one I have heard of for some two or 

 three years. The barred owl is more numerous, and I 

 have been fortunate in securing a fairly good spe cimen. 



Ducks are sometimes seen on the river, but they seem 

 to have given us the go-by this fall, as not one has been 

 seen so far as I can learn. F. E, A. 



NOTES FROM MICHIGAN. 



Editor Fo7'est and Stream: 



The flight of ducks seem so have given western Michi- 

 gan the go by lately for some reason or other, and when 

 ten or even five years ago we could kill fifty, we per- 

 force must now be content with half a dozen. Each 

 sportsman advances a theory of his own to account for 

 the non-appearance of the plump mallard and the tooth- 

 some teal. There seems to be as much diversity of opinion 

 in our ranks as among the doctors treating for la grippe. 

 Mallard, teal and woodcluck have been protected in the 

 spring for years; and while the laws have not been, 

 rigidly enforced, very few of these ducks have been killed 

 out of season, for the simple reason that most of our 

 shooters use decoys in open waters, and bluebills, wid- 

 geons, bUtterballs and whistlers are the main sufferers. 

 We stopped spring shooting of all kinds for one year, but 

 when we came to look the thing over carefully, we found 

 that our neighbors in Indiana and Illinois, and our Can- 

 adian cousins, were having great sport duck shooting. 

 Perhaps it looks a little selfish, but we couldn't stand it 

 to hear the guns cracking on both sides of us, so we began 

 the slaughter again. I think I am safe in saying that 

 the minute we see ducks protected in the spring in the 

 States immediately south of us, spring shooting will come 

 to a sudden end here. 



It's queer how fashion affects the sportsman. A year 

 ago there were only one or two men in town who hunted 

 rabbits, but now each man who pretends to shoot at all 

 owns one or more hounds, and every day some party goes 

 after the cottontail or the big swamp rabbit. 



Quail are more plentiful this winter than for years be- 

 fore. Owing to the fact that we have had several open 

 winters, they are protected for five years. It will be 

 rather exasperating if one of our old-fashioned hard win- 

 ters comes along and kills them off before the five years 

 are up. 



We had fairly good snipe and woodcock shooting this 

 fall, and may expect plenty of them in the year to come. 

 Their habits are so exclusive they are not likely to be ex- 

 terminated. Mac. 



Grand Haven, Mich., Jan. 27. 



South Carolina Geese.— Denver, S. C, Jan. 39.— 

 Reed Garrison reports seeing several flights of wild geese 

 passing over this j)lace the 26th inst. They were going 

 south in the direction of Seneca River. It is rarely of 

 late years geese are seen here. — Blue Ridge. 



Portland, Me., Feb. 1. — In the paper for this week, on 

 page 24, relative to cheap venison in Portland , I find that 

 I should have stated, "all winter, during the open season," 

 none has appeared since Jan. 1. — C. D. S. 



The Quebec Law.— Montreal, Jan. 30. —The game bill 

 was discussed in the Legislative Council, and on Mr. Bris- 

 son's motion black ducks were excepted from the provi- 

 sions.— E. D. W. 



