64 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb, 13, 1890. 



isfactory evidence of the white antelope's existence there. 

 We have heen told that one was killed nearly twenty 

 years ago on Elk Mountain, a peak rising to a height of 

 about 11,000ft., which lies twenty miles southeast of the 

 town of Carbon on the Union Pacific Railroad in that 

 Territory, but this is mere tradition. It is true that Mr, 

 S. Garman, of Cambridge, in 1885, reported the capture 

 of one of these animals in the Freeze Out Hills, near the 

 Shirley Basin, but it seems probable that the animal was 

 wroDgly identified. We have for many years hunted in 

 the Freeze Out region, and have never heard of the ex- 

 istence of white antelope there. They are entirely un- 

 known to the hunters of the region. Besides this we 

 have the testimony of an old hunter (Forest and Stream, 

 Vol. XXXV., p. 44) unacquainted with this antelope, but 

 perfectly familiar with Ovis canadensis, who states that 

 he saw the specimen referred to by G-arman, and who 

 avers that it was a female mountain sheep. We should 

 naturally look for this species in the western mountains 

 of Wyoming, near the Idaho line, and they are said to 

 occur rarely in the mountains to the south and west of 

 Fremont's Peak. Mr. Chas. M. Donnelly has informed 

 us that he has in his possession two skins of this animal, 

 said to have been taken in the Salt River Mountains, on 

 the heads of streams flowing into the South Fork of Snake 

 River. 



We cannot learn that Ma.za.ma moiitanahns been found 

 in the Yellowstone Park, and hunters who have resided 

 long in the country, Messrs. Ed. Wilson, E. Hofer and 

 the Rea brothers of Henry's Fork of Snake River, state 

 that it is unknown to them. In the country to the east 

 of the National Park, on the heads of Stinking Water, 

 this animal n. iy occasionally occur. The mountains 

 are well adapted to it, but we do not know that it has 

 ever been seen there. 



In Montana, along the main range of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, the white antelope, as we pass northward, becomes 

 abundant. We do not know of its occurrence in any of 

 the outlying ranges or spurs of the range, such as the 

 Snowies, the Crazy Woman's Mountains, the Big or Little 

 Belt ranges, or the Judith Mountains, though it is possi- 

 ble that stragglers may now and then be found there. 

 We have, however, talked with many men who have 

 hunted in these mountains, none of whom had ever met 

 with them there. There is, however, some evidence that 

 individuals have been killed still further to the eastward, 

 namely , in the Bull Mountains, a range of hills which lie 

 on the southeast side of the Musselshell River in Yellow- 

 stone county, Montana, nearly due north of the point at 

 which the Bighorn joins the Yellowstone River. This 

 evidence consists of the following statement from the pen 

 of Mr. J. W. Schultz, who.says: "In 1881, while trading 

 with the Indians at Carroll, on the Missouri River, some 

 Crees brought in two goat skins which they said they 

 killed in the Bull Mounta ins. These are a low range of 

 hills between the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, and 

 just east of the Musselshell. They are, I think, about 

 fifty miles from the Moccasin Mountains, a spur of the 

 Rockies, and the Crees might have killed them there: but 

 they repeatedly said they got them in the Bull Mountains. 

 I could tell from the appearance of the skins that they 

 had been recently killed.' More recently (Feb. 15. 1889) 

 Mr. Schultz writes again, "Henry Norris told me the 

 other day that an acquaintance of 'his, a buffalo hunter, 

 killed three goats in the Bull Mountains in 1882. We 

 were talking about goats generally, and Norris told me 

 this voluntarily and before I had told him that the Crees 

 had also killed some there. These Bull Mountains, you 

 know, are miserable little rolling buttes, with some pine 

 on them. Norris saw the skins of these goats. I have 

 questioned the Indians repeatedly, and cannot learn that 

 any goats were ever seen in the Snowy, Judith, Moccasin 

 or Belt mountains, which are the nearest to the Bull 

 Buttes." 



A few years ago this species was abundant near Deer- 

 lodge, iVlont., where it is said that about the year 1876 a 

 number were captured alive by the aid of dogs. Refer- 

 ence has already been made to another capture of these 

 animals by David Dobson, in 1879. They were also com- 

 mon in the mountains along the Missouri valley, in the 

 main range along the Continental Divide, north of Deer 

 Lodge. They are probably abundant wherever there are 

 mountains suited to their mode of life. In 1881 Major P. 

 Ronan, the agent of the Kalispel or Flathead Indians, in- 

 formed Mr. Grinnell that this antelope was abundant in 

 the mountains east of St. Igaatius Mission. On the 

 heads of the Marias River, on Birch, Badger, Dupuyer, 

 Two Medicine Lodge and Cut Bank creeks we have seen 

 it in considerable numbers, and from here north into the 

 British Possessions it is abundant. 



Before leaving Montana, however, another eastern 

 record must be given. This rests on the testimony of an 

 Indian whom we know personally and in the truth of 

 whose statement we have confidence. Our attention was 

 first called to this occurrence by Mr. J. W. Schultz, who 

 wrote us as follows: 



"Heavy Runner tells me that when he was a boy, he 

 one day saw a goat on top of the Medicine Rock Hill, on 

 the Marias River near Fort Conrad, and that he chased it 

 on horseback and killed it with bow and arrow. He 

 never heard of any having been seen there before or 

 since. This place is about 30 miles from the Sweet Grass 

 Hills and 70 from the main range." Heavy Runner, or 

 Tail Feathers-Coming-in-Sight-over-the Hill, known' to 

 the whites as "Brocky," is a Piegan Indian, and has the 

 reputation of being one of the best and most trustworthy 

 Indians in the tribe. He is also one of their most suc- 

 cessful hunters. We have talked with him of this occur- 

 rence and he repeated to us what is written above. He 

 further said that many years ago, when he was a young 

 man, he saw a "goat" on the "cut bank" on Two Medi- 

 cine Lodge Creek, where they used to "jump the buffalo," 

 and that he chased it on horseback and killed it. 

 When he first saw it, the animal was -on the face of the 

 bluff, standing on a ledge of rock, that when it saw him 

 approaching, it climbed to the top of the bluff and ran off 

 over the prairie, but that he, on horseback, easily over- 

 took and killed it. This place is about 5 miles north of 

 the Blackfeet agency and perhaps 25 or 30 from the 

 mountains. We asked "Brocky" if the goat ran fast. 

 He said "No, perhaps a little faster than a man, but a 

 horse could easily overtake it." We entirely credit all 

 his statements about these captures. 



Following the eastern flanks of the Rocky Mountains 

 to the northwest into the British Possessions, the white 

 antelope is found in considerable numbers, all along the 

 msin chain of the Rockies on both the eastern and west- 



ern slopes, as far north as where Peace River breaks 

 through the range. North of this point we were for 

 some time at a loss for anything definite as to the north- 

 ern and eastern limits of this animal's range, but the de- 

 sired information was at length kindly supplied by Mr. 

 Robert McFarlane, one of the chief factors of the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company, to whose courtesy we owe the fol- 

 lowing note: 



"While stationed at Forts Simp?on, Norman and Good 

 Hope, on the Mackenzie, I often partook of the flesh of 

 this species, killed by Indians at a distance, amid the 

 Rocky Mountain spurs. The eastern limits are the moun- 

 tains which extend on the west of the Liard, or Turn- 

 again, the Peel and the Mackenzie rivers. They are also 

 to be met with in the Rockies on the Upper Peace River: 

 but I have never heard of any being found to the east- 

 ward of the Mackenzie, but they come close to the latter 

 river." 



Further than what is conveyed in Mr. McFarlane's note 

 just given, we have but little definite information as to 

 the northern limits of the white antelope's range. Our 

 own opinion, which, however, is only an opinion, and. 

 sustained by no evidence, is that they are found as far 

 north in British America aud Alaska as the rough moun- 

 tains extend. When these disappear, as they do before 

 the shores of the Arctic Sea are reached, there is the 

 limit of the white goat's northern range. 



We know that this animal is abundant in Alaska, and 

 Mr. McFarlane's note would indicate that the species is 

 found nearly or quite to 05 a N. lat. Lieut. Henry T. 

 Allen, in his report of an expedition to the Copper. 

 Tanana and Koyukuk rivers in 1885, states that this ani- 

 mal "is found on the Copper River and the Upper 

 Yukon." Mr. Chas. C. Bartlett, of Port Townsend, 

 State of Washington, to whom we applied for informa- 

 tion as to the northern range of the white antelope in 

 Alaska, after conferring with Mr. Edward H. Brown, 

 who for several years was special deputy collector at 

 Sitka, courteously wrote us that he believes these animals 

 are "not found [there] except on the range of mountains 

 running south of the Yukon, and on other isolated peaks 

 in the same section of country, I have never," he says, 

 "heard of their being taken north of that river." The 

 chain of mountains^ here referred to is no doubt that 

 range laid down on the U. S. Coast Survey map of 1884 

 as Alaskan Mountains, which run from Bristol Bay in a 

 northeasterly direction to the point where the White 

 River empties into the Yukon, not far from latitude (>4° 

 north, and which are thus in fact a continuation of the 

 Rocky Mountains. Hon. H. W. Seton Karr, F. R. G. S., 

 is given by Mr. Chas. Hallock as authority for the state- 

 ment that the range of the white antelope in these same 

 mountains extends as far to a point directly north of 

 Cook's Inlet as latitude 62° north, longitude 152° west, 

 nearly. That it occurs in southern Alaska is well known, 

 the skins being brought into the markets of Sitka, Juneau 

 and Killisnoo in considerable numbers, where they, are 

 sold at from 75 cents to $1 each. Blankets woven "from 

 the fleece are common among most of the coast tribes, 

 and the so-called Chilcat blankets are somewhat famous 

 for their beauty and the skill displayed in their manufac- 

 ture. 



In British Columbia, at the mouths of the Nasse and 

 Skeena rivers, the abundance of this species is testified 

 toby Mr. W. B. Anderson, of the Provincial constabulary 

 force, who has had great experience with them, and all 

 hunters and Indians agree as to their occurrence in large 

 numbers throughout western British Columbia on the 

 mainland, though, on account of their habits, they do 

 not often come under the eye of the casual observer. 

 They do not appear to be found on Van Couver Island, 

 nor on any of the smaller islands of this coast. 



Having thus outlined as exactly as possible with our 

 present knowledge the limits of the white antelope's 

 range on the we3t, south, east and to the north, we may 

 now look within the borders beyond which this annual 

 is not known to pass, and may mention some localities 

 within his chosen territory where he is to be found in 

 abundance. 



Although occurring in considerable numbers in the 

 main chain of the Rocky Mountains in Montana, the cen- 

 ter of abundance of the white antelope in the United 

 States appears to be in western Montana, northern Idaho 

 and northern Washington. It is common in the Bitter- 

 root Mountains, and from there to the westward in the 

 very rough mountains of central Idaho. Mr. Theodore 

 Roosevelt has killed them in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains 

 of Montana, and Mr. John Claflin on the Big Hole in 

 Montana, but neither of these gentlemen report them as 

 common in these localities. Mr. John Willis speaks of 

 them as " very plenty in some of the mountains here," 

 i. e., in western Montana. In Idaho Capt. Chas. Bendire 

 reported them as abundant in the Sawtooth range, and 

 generally in the Salmon River country among the high 

 mountains, Mr. W. T. Hornaday, referring also to the 

 Sawtooth range, says that they are abundant 40 miles 

 north of the town of Mountain Home, where he saw skins, 

 and the country of the Seven Devils, so named from the 

 roughness of seven of its peaks, is said to be a great 

 range for them. In Oregon they are reported as occurring 

 about Crater Lake, and are no doubt found on many 

 of the higher peaks. In the new State of Washington 

 they are numercus on Mounts Baker, Rainier and no 

 doubt on all the elevated snow cones for which that 

 State and Oregon are so renowned; they are reported 

 as abundant on the north shore of Lake Chelan by 

 Mr. Orin Belknap. North of the United States boun- 

 dary line they are common in the mountains in all 

 suitable localities, from the eastern flanks of the 

 Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast. Through Cen- 

 tral British Columbia they are numerous, and we have 

 reports of their abundance from many sources, of which 

 the following are examples: Many hunters and miners 

 well-known to us report them abundant about Dease 

 Lake; Messrs. W. H. Smith and Wm. Humphries, who 

 mined for several years on McDame's Creek north of 

 Dease Lake, report them abundant there: Mr. J. C. Mc- 

 Kinnon, in July, 1877, saw a band of 175 to 200 on a 

 tributary of the Liard River, in latitude 61' north, longi- 

 tude 124° west. In fact they are abundant in suitable 

 localities all through the Omenica, Caribou and Cassiar 

 districts to and into Alaska, and wherever there are 

 high rough peaks, with perpetual snow and ice, there 

 one may feel sure of finding this Alpine antelope. 



All that has been said about this species indicates that 

 it is an animal of northern distribution. Except in a few 

 isolated localities it scarcely occurs south of the paralell 



of 4l c N. lat. When found to the south of this it is con- 

 fined so far as known to the most elevated peaks, while, 

 where it becomes abundant to the north, it often, even 

 in early autumn, descends to valleys not more than 5,501) 

 or 6,000ft. above the sea level, and in winter it is found 

 in British Columbia down to the very borders of the salt 

 water. It is truly an Arctic animal, and is well equipped 

 to endure' the rigorous climate of its chosen home. 



In closing these remarks upon the range of Mazama 

 montana we wish to acknowledge our indebtedness to a 

 number of correspondents who have most kindly an- 

 swered oUr inquiries as to the occurrence of this species 

 in the locality where they reside. Besides those whose 

 courtesy has been acknowledged in the foregoing para- 

 graphs, we are indebted to the following gentlemen: Mr. 

 Howard Rogers, Mr. J. C. McKmnon, Mr. Jas. R. Morri- 

 son, Mr. J. Y. Collins, Messrs. J. G. McCain & Co. and 

 Mr. Orin Belknap, of Washington: to Mr. H. M. Tileston 

 and Mr. W. G. Smith, of Colorado; to Mr. J. B. Monroe, 

 of Montana; to Mr. C. L. Page, of Nevada; to Messrs. E. 

 A. Bulkley, Jesse D. Vance. J. C. Calhoun and Frank E. 

 Glover, of Oregon, and to Mr. Donald Ross, of Edmon- 

 ton, N, W. T, 



NOTES ON PENNSYLVANIA BIRDS. 



I T may be interesting to some of the readers of Forest 

 -L and Stream to learn that pine grosbeaks (Pinicola 

 enucleator) have been quite numerous in Susquehanna 

 county, in the neighborhood of Montrose, Pa., during the 

 past two months. These birds are found in flocks of 

 from six to twenty each, frequenting mostly hemlock, 

 hickory and maple trees in the forests. The crops of 

 three which I examined contained buds and small seeds 

 which I have not yet had time to identify. Boys aud 

 some of the hunters'at Montrose call the grosbeaks "red 

 English sparrows." 



Mr. George Russell, of Erie city, shot on Oct. 12, 1889, 

 a snowflake (Plecirophenax nivalis) on the shore of Erie 

 Bay, near the town of the same name. 



Early in October, 1889. Mr. George B. Sennett, of Erie, 

 shot five or six specimens of the Lapland longspur (Cal- 

 carius lapponims) near Erie city. Lite in October last, 

 and again about the 28th of November, I visited Mr. Sen- 

 nett, and we shot about twenty snowflakes. In Novem- 

 ber I saw a flock at Erie, near' the Soldiers' and Sailors' 

 Home, of not less than 250 or 300 of these birds. I sup- 

 pose the species is still at Erie Bay. I have this winter 

 visited nearly every county in Pennsylvania, but have 

 not seen or heard of the suowfla*kes in any locality except 

 at Erie. B*. H. Warren. 



West Chester, Pa. 



EVENING GROSBEAKS IN NEW YORK. 



IN the last issue of the Forest and Stream Mr. William 

 Brewster has an interesting account of the occurrence 

 of the evening grosbeak (Coecothraustes vespertiaa) in 

 eastern New Hampshire and Massachusetts, in which he 

 records the capture of a number of specimens at various 

 places throughout that section of the country. Thus the 

 first introduction of the species to the fauna of New Eng- 

 land is on positive record, and not on unsatisfactory or 

 questionable data. In this particular New York is not so 

 fortunate, for not until very recently has the evening 

 grosbeak an undeniable claim to a position among the 

 birds of the State, although it has been enrolled as one of 

 them for nearly twenty-five years. The writer has no 

 knowledge of the existence of any New York State speci- 

 mens which were captured prior to December. 1M89, so it 

 will be well before dwelling on these late captures to re- 

 view briefly the status of the earlier ones. 



In 1866 Mr. Lawrence (Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist., VIII., 

 1866, 289) mentions the evening grosbeak, but as no local- 

 ity is given the citation may refer to New Jersey, as the 

 birds of a portion of that State are included in the list. 



The next record is by Dr. Brewer (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. 

 Hist., XVII., 1875, 451) of a specimen seen at Elizabeth- 

 town, Essex county, by Rev. Dr. Cutting, in the. winter 

 of 1875. This record is very unsatisfactory, for the 

 gentleman who observed the bud was presumably not 

 an ornithologist, and hence mistaken in his identification. 



In 1882 Dr. Coues (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, VII., 188.2, 

 250) records a specimen which was seen near Marcellus, 

 Onondaga county, on July 8 of that year, by a gentle- 

 man while fly-fishing. It is safe to consider that this 

 was a case of misidentification, as the time of year 

 renders the bird's occurrence as highly improbable. The 

 late Chas. Lenden (Forest and Stream,XXVII1. ,1887, 367) 

 mentions the capture of two specimens by a boy at Brant, 

 Erie coynty, on April, 15, 1S87. He identified the birds 

 from portions of one of the specimens, so there can be no 

 doubt as to the accuracy of this record. 



Mr. Edward Swift (Forest and Stream, XXIX., 1887, 

 383) records the capture of a specimen at Elruua, Che- 

 mung county, on Nov. 25, 1887. Tue specimen was 

 mounted, but destroyed by a cat the following day. 



This completes the published records for the State as 

 far as known to the writer, and taken as a whole they 

 are very unsatisfactory. It is pleasure, therefore, that 

 the writer is enabled to record the occurrence or capture 

 of evening grosbeaks in various parts of the State during 

 the present winter. On Jan. 8 the wiitu* was surpri-ed 

 by receiving six specimens of evening grosbeaks -from 

 Lake George, Warren county, the gift of his friends. 

 Messrs. Foster and Roy Lockhart. A letter from the 

 former gentleman gave an account of their capture. 

 Quite early on the morning of Jan. 6 nine individuals 

 were seen on some maple trees in company with pine 

 grosbeaks. Unfortunately, at the first discharge of the 

 gun no specimens were secured, but they were decoyed 

 back by imitating their shrill call and three secured. 

 After this they would not allow themselves to be ap- 

 proached, and finally disappeared. About noon of the 

 same day four individuals were seen high in air flying 

 south, but a few well-applied calls stopped their course 

 and brought them down to the treetops, from where they 

 were soon secured. One, a fine male, having its wing 

 only slightly injured, was placed in a cage, where be 

 soon recovered, making an attractive and interesting pet. 

 Although the young men kept a sharp lookout no more 

 specimens were seen until Jan, 23, when one female was 

 secured, and on the 25th another captured. On Jan. 30 

 a flock of about a dozen was seen, but departed before 

 any could be secured. The following day the caged 

 specimen, acting as a call bud, brought a flock about the 

 house, from which three females and one male was 

 secured. By the actions of their pet the young men can 

 tell in a moment when other birds are around. 



