June 5, 1890.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



389 



| CAPTIVE CANADA JAYS. 



"| 1ST his Cambridge museum, Mr. Wm. Brewster has two 

 JL live Canada jays (Perisoreus canadensis) which he 



♦ caught while encamped at Umbagog Lake, Me., last fall. 

 I will call one of the birds Jack, a name by which he is 



, locally known in the lake region, and the other Bob. 



tBoth are now kept in one large roomy cage, and up to 



.last winter have appeared the best of friends, possibly 

 owing to there having been no cause for a falling out, 



abut recently they had a regular "set too," which I wit- 



llnessed. 



\ Both birds being naturally fond of flesh and having 

 chad none for several days, i shot an English sparrow 

 Qwith which to feed them. Cutting off the wings, feet, 

 ihead and tail, and removing the feathers, I approached 

 ■the cage with the body in my fingers. Immediately Jack 

 Ijcame to the wire bars to receive the present which he un- 

 doubtedly believed was meant entirely and solely for him. 

 llHe grasped it i n bis claws and hopping to a perch began tear- 

 ling off pieces of flesh, and swallowing them with apparent 

 «relish and in great haste, while Bob looked on, evidently 

 Jastonished at Jack's appetite, and wondering whether 

 Jjenough would be left to "swear by" when his turn came. 

 «Jack was at last forced to rest from his greedy efforts, 

 Wand when this lull came Bob, who had been watching 

 ■ jjfrom the corner of his eye, made a dash at his companion 

 land the food fell to the bottom of the cage. Bob was 

 there, however, evidently intending to make the most of 

 4 the situation, but Jack could not stand by and see Bob thus 

 ', enjoying himself without making some effort in his own 

 | behalf , for like the dog in the manger he did not intend 

 J to let Bob have it all, even though he could not eat it 

 ■jhimeelf. So he "jumped on him" and fastened his claAvs 

 iltts firmly in Bob's back as he had previously done in the 

 llbody of the sparrow, began pecking him in the top of the 

 ■mead. At first no attention was paid to this annoyance 

 ■Beyond an occasional shake or flutter of the wings, either 

 ■made to dislodge his enemy or else to regain his balance 

 ■pr keep from falling over backward; but Jack pecked 

 Briciously, occasionally turning his head to one side after 

 Raking a good hold, as if endeavoring to tear out a piece 

 ■between Bob's ears, and this too every time just as the 

 Hatter raised his head to swallow. At last Bob could not 



taud this any longer. 

 I The tremendous pecks received in the back of the head, 

 ■kind more than all the griping pains in the small of his 

 ■back where Jack's claws were planted, caused him to 

 iiorget his appetite and raised his "dander," and turning 

 Bfaartially over on the right side he caught Jack a "left- 

 ■hander." This wrung from his victim a cry of pain and 

 ■landed him sprawling on the bottom of" the cage, where 

 ■he tipped over the dish of drinking wa,ter, which soaked 

 ■them both. Neither would let go his hold, but kept 

 Belawing, pecking, scratching, rolling over and over, all 

 ■the while uttering loud discordant notes, which plainly 

 ■indicated they were not only furious, but under great 

 Hstress of pain. 



I At length, fearing the birds might in their anger 

 ■destroy one another, thus ending the affair with a 

 > tragedy, I took the cage down from where it was hang- 

 ■ing in order to separate them; but only with considerable 

 I difficulty could this be accomplished, it being actually 

 ■necessary to pull them apart. They finally resumed 

 ■their accustomed places on the perch, while the "bone of 

 ■contention" lay upon the floor. 



Both birds, with soiled and dripping plumage, were 

 •pitiful looking objects. Jack, who had the best of the 

 bright up to the time of receiving the left-hander, appeared 

 lin the better condition of the two, but looked as though 

 ■the food so hastily swallowed had become slightly dis- 

 ■placed. As for Bob, he seemed to feel the abuse and 

 ■shameful treatment keenly, hung his head, and, half 

 ■closing one eye as though that member had been injured, 

 ■refused to be comforted. Shelley W, Denton. 



Wellesley, Mass. 



LARGE SETS OF EGGS. 



IN your impression of May 15 a contributor notes the 

 finding of ten crows or crow's eggs in a single nest 

 ,of that bird. While on ornithological tramps I have not 

 infrequently made similar discoveries with different birds. 

 Other parties have informed me that they also have found 

 large sets of eggs. Your contributor is undoubtedly 

 of the opinion that these eggs are those of a single 

 jair of crows, as he says: "These facts," referring 

 to the eggs differing but little in markings and size, as 

 well as to the failure of two pairs of crows to put in an 

 appearance, "seemed to show that the eggs all belonged 

 to the same crows." There are two solutions of the phe- 

 nomena, either of which to me seems credible. The first 

 is, that there were two female birds, and but one male. 

 It does not, however, seem natural that the two birds 

 should lay so nearly together, as though the one had 

 waited for the other to deposit her eggs before lay- 

 ing her own. This fact — that the last six eggs were laid 

 consecutively each day after the first four — gives great 

 strength to the writer's view in your issue of May 15. 

 For had two crows been laying, it is very probable that 

 two eggs might have been laid the same "day, or several 

 days might have elapsed between the two settings of eggs. 

 The most plausible explanation would seem to be that 

 another crow having either lost or been frightened away 

 from her nest, or having failed to construct one, intruded 

 upon the nest in question, where these eggs were discov- 

 ered. 



That there were two sets of eggs, and not one and a 

 half, would make it the more probable that two crows 

 and not one were the cause of the "large set." A bobo- 

 link's nest found by the writer last June contained eight 

 eggs, while a bluebird's, found the same season, had ten 

 eggs. There is no reason to think that a bird which lays 

 more than the number needed to complete a set should 

 not lay a few less or few more than the number ordinarily 

 attributed to two sets. Those readers of Forest and 

 Stream who are interested in ornithology would doubt- 

 less by recounting their experience in this matter throw 

 much light on the subject. That I have never known of 

 a nest being found to. contain more than the number 

 allotted to a set, or less than two sets, makes it appear to 

 me that two different birds must have deposited there; 

 for it is as probable for a bird to lay two or three eggs 

 more or less than the ordinary number constituting two 



sets. To the writer this would seem pretty conclusively 

 to prove the work of two different crows. H. Casper. 

 Pottstown, Pa. 



Killed in Migration.— Cleveland, May 24, — Editor 

 Forest and Stream.: Last night was noted for a general 

 and very late migration of land birds. For twenty-four 

 hours previous the wind had been blowing gently from 

 the south, accompanied with light and warm showers. 

 The evening was dark and lowery, consequently the 

 birds, in their passage north, had to hug the earth close 

 for guidance, as a consequence great numbers must have 

 fallen victims to the deadly telegraph wires, judging 

 from the following list from quite a limited locality that 

 happened to come under my notice. Eighty -three were 

 picked off the pavements at the corner of Water and 

 Superior streets, consisting of fox and white-crowned 

 sparrows, catbirds, vireos, solitary thrushes, summer 

 yellow birds, bay-breasted, cerulean, prairie, chestnut- 

 sided and Maryland yellow-throated warblers. Two- 

 thirds were male buds and in their best spring plumage. 

 From the corners of Erie and Euclid avenues, where 

 electric lights hang high and wires are over-abundant, 

 an early boy brought me seventeen migrants, consisting 

 of white-crowned and fox sparrows, white and red-eyed 

 vireos, golden -crowned and hermit thrushes, brown- 

 bellied nuthatch, blue, gray, worm-eating and bay- 

 breasted warblers, all male buds. — Dr. E. Sterling. 



Unusual Nesting Place of Junco.— The black snow- 

 bird (Junco hyemalis) usually nests on the ground, but 

 there are several instances of tree nesting. The follow- 

 ing, however, as far as I know, is without precedent. 

 On May 2 I saw a Junco carrying straw to tho cornice 

 over one of the windows on the first floor of Chipman 

 Hall, a building occupied by college students. In spite 

 of all the boys and the consequent noise around its 

 strange nesting place, the bird bravely held his own, com- 

 pleting its nest and laying its eggs. It is now very tame, 

 seeming to know that no one could harm so trusting a 

 bird. It comes to its nest when the students are in the 

 windows only a few feet away, and is not in the least 

 alarmed at their presence. The nest is composed of straw, 

 etc., as usual. Who knows but that in a few more cen- 

 turies, the Junco will have followed the example of the 

 swallow and bluebird, and prefer to place its speckled 

 beauties in the many inviting and protected places offered 

 by our buildings, than to intrust them to the enemy-in- 

 fested ground?— A. C. Kempton (Wolfville, N. S., Mav 26). 



"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; 

 Clabrough 12. May 1, '90. Parker 10, hammer, June 6, '89. 

 Colt 12, July 25, '89. Parker 13, hani'i-less, June 6, '89, 



Colt 10 and 12, Oct. 24, '89. Remington lfi, Mav 30. '89. 

 Folsosi 10 and 12, Sept. 26, '89. Remington 12, Dec"o,'89,Feb 6,'90 

 Francotte 12, Deo. 12, '89. Remington 10, Dec. 26, '89. 

 Greener 12, Aug. 1, '89. Scott 10, Sept. 5, '89. 



G-reener 10. Sept. 12-19, '89. L. C. Smith 12, Oct. 10, '89. 

 Honnis 10, Nov. 7, '89. Whitney Safety 12, M'ch 8, '90. 



Lefeveh 12, March 13, '90. Winchester 10 & 12, Oct. 3, '89. 



NATIONAL GAME LEGISLATION. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The suggestion that Congress should enact a national 

 game law is so abhorrent to my ideas of the structure 

 and powers of our Government that it requires some ex- 

 ertion on my part to consider the matter seriously. 



I do not propose to enter upon the often fought field of 

 what is meant by the clause of the Federal Constitution 

 in regard to the General Welfare, but I will content 

 myself with the statement that if the dead know any- 

 thing of the living, Mr. Hamilton himself would be sur- 

 prised at the claim now advanced that Congress can enact 

 the proposed law. 



No one can doubt the Federalism of Judge Story, but 

 he never asserted the power of Congress to legislate as to 

 any but national matters. The idea of a national game 

 law is rather in advance of the most extreme Federalists, 

 as their views have been made public. 



It is difficult to imagine any subject more strictly local 

 than the preservation of game. 



A national law would be absurd, in view of the variety 

 of climate and conditions obtaining in a country so ex- 

 tensive as the United States. What would preserve game 

 in one State would be ridiculous in another, and Con- 

 gress would only subject itself to ridicule by the attempt. 



I have been devoted to hunting and angling all my 

 life, and would do anything possible to protect the game 

 of our country, but I must confess that this proposition is 

 rather startling. 



If the States will not pass and enforce laws upon this 

 subject there is no remedy. 



Congress has no such power and ought not to have it. 



It would be just as reasonable to ask Congress to pass 

 laws for inspection in tho States, together with regula- 

 tions, of marriage and divorce, and all sorts of police en- 

 actments. If we enter upon this we should make a new 

 Constitution and dispense with the States altogether. 



G. G. Vest. 



United States Senate, May 23, 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The right of States to legislate for themselves depends 

 upon the_ non-compromising character of legal regula- 

 tions. Upon matters that directly affect the country as 

 a whole, and which may not be rendered uniform by 

 separate and varied action, there is little question con- 

 cerning the right of regulation by Congress. In the 

 matter of bird protection effective legislation must come 

 from a source that can control the entire boundary of 

 migration. The efforts of the most stringent game 

 protectors of one State are of small value if the birds 

 protected cross in their migrations the territory of other 

 States where they are exterminated. Mr. J.'P. Apple- 

 gate's excellent letter upon national legislation, in your 

 issue of May 22, hits the mark, but I think that a finer 

 aim at longer range may be taken. Why should not 

 Congress protect all migratory birds, and for that matter 

 all widely roving quadruped game and river-ascending 

 fish. A few years ago when the subject of bird protec- 



tion was first being agitated with zest, after some corres- 

 pondence, notably with Mr. John Burroughs and the late 

 Mr. Henry Bergh, I framed a bill to Congress for the pro- 

 tection of migratory birds at large by the Government, 

 and sent the same to an acquaintance of my family. 

 Representative Buchanan of New Jersey, only to receive 

 in reply an opinion that the matter was unconstitutional. 

 As with Mr. Applegate, I was not, and am not convinced 

 of this, for it is surely a matter pertaining to inter-State 

 law. Mr. Applegate's statement that a law of Congress 

 would be better respected than State laws is worthy of 

 belief and has its proofs. 



Concerning local variations of the seasons and time of 

 shooting, the national law should notice well-defined 

 areas generally east and west at right angles to the line 

 of migration. And why should not the Government 

 place police surveillance over this jurisdiction? I believe 

 that the non-migratory birds and other game, such as 

 the grouse family, turkeys, quail, with rabbits and squir- 

 rels, should be taken care of by the laws of each State. I 

 believe spring shooting should be done away with; the 

 very nature of the thing seems gross and out of place, 

 and the time of shooting being already too long, should 

 of course be curtailed at this end of the season. 



Regarding the inter-State law and the shipping of 

 game, it seems to me as if the section wherein game was 

 killed should have the say as to its distribution, but it is 

 a subject for suggestions from wiser heads than mine. 



S. Frank Aaron. 



Philadelphia, Pa. 



THE BLACK PARTRIDGE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



From an article in Forest and Stream of May 8 there 

 seems a probability of efforts being made to introduce 

 the capercailzie and black game into the Northern States. 

 Will you allow me through the columns of your paper to 

 strongly recommend that attempts may be also made to 

 supply the Middle and Southern States with one of the 

 most beautiful of game birds, the black partridge (Fran- 

 colinus vulgaris) of northern India. 



It is common in some of the large plains covered with 

 tall grass near the banks of rivers, and is found in the 

 Valley of the Doon between the Sewalik Hills ^and the 

 Himalayas. It is plentiful for a long distance into the 

 interior of those mountains, and I have often shot it at a 

 height of probably 5,000ft. above the sea, where there is 

 a considerable amount of frost in winter. There is, there- 

 fore, little doubt but that the bird would flourish in the 

 United States from Virginia southward, and also in Cali- 

 fornia in any districts where streams are fairly plentiful. 



There are minute descriptions of the black partridge in 

 Dr. Jerdon's work on Indian birds, and in the book upon 

 the feathered game of India written by Mr. A. O. Hume 

 of Calcutta. The latter is illustrated with colored en- 

 gravings. 



If introduced into the States the black partridge would 

 certainly become a favorite with American sportsmen, 

 as it is remarkably handsome, requires quick and straight 

 shooting to make a good bag, and is excellent for the 

 table. 



The crow of the cock bird is a series of hisses in some- 

 thing like this time: Hiss-s-s-s-s, hiss hiss, hiss hiss 

 hiss-s-s. The recollection of it brings back to my mind 

 days which will never return, spent amid the grand 

 scenery of the glorious Himalayas, among mountains 

 and valleys bathed in sunshine or shadowed by dense 

 thunder clouds, the slopes covered with forests or built 

 into terraces so as to allow of cultivation. Often when 

 marching from one camping ground to another the crow 

 of the partridge would be heard in front. I used then to 

 send one of the natives in the direction of the sound and 

 walk in a parallel line 50yds. below him. When flushed, 

 the bird would spring up about 20yds. into the air, then 

 make a long downward swoop towai'd the opposite side 

 of the valley, giving me a shot as he passed overhead. 

 North Devon, England. J. J. MEYRICK. 



GROUSE SHOOTING INCIDENTS. 



THE easiest and surest way to kill the ruffed grouse is 

 while he is flying. This is my opinion. The main 

 difficulty, to the beginner, appears to be to shoot the first 

 one. After that the way is usually comparatively simple. 

 But one is fortunate if, after he has shot his bird, he 

 always gets him, as the following incidents will show: 

 On my father's farm in Clifton Park I fired at a grouse 

 which rose close and flew high, and although I saw him 

 falling, yet when I sought him he was not to be found. 

 I laid the gun carefully on the ground and renewed the 

 search, going over a stone wall and on both sides along it 

 in vain. When I returned for my gun there sat the 

 grouse on the stock; he was alive. I took him up gently 

 and ho finally died in my hands. I shall never forget the 

 look he gave me; his large hazel eyes almost spoke for- 

 giveness. 



On another occasion I fired at a grouse as he made a 

 quick bolt from under an old scrub cedar. He was prob- 

 ably four feet from the ground when I shot, and although 

 I was pretty positive I had hit my bird, yet when I sought 

 him he was not to be found. I looked the ground well 

 over to no purpose, and finally I set my gun up against 

 another cedar, next beyond the one from under which 

 the grouse had flown, and renewed the search. On 

 coming for my gun, there sat the grouse just above it on 

 a limb about five feet from the ground. Only one shot 

 had hit the bird, and that had gone through his eye. I 

 inclosed him gently with my hands, and when I after- 

 ward took him by the legs he fluttered loud enough to be 

 heard a half-mile. Dorp. 



Schenectady, N. Y., May 15. 



Coeymans Junction, N. Y.— A rod and gun club has 

 been organized at Coeyman's Junction, N. Y., for the 

 protection of fish and game. The following is a list of 

 officers: Prest., John Bishop; Treas., S. E. Crane; Sec, 

 Geo. W. Post; Captain, Chas. J. McEntee. Directors, F. 

 F. Wendell, Geo. Shear and Geo. Van Wie. 



Omaha, Neb., May 26. — The upland plover shooting has 

 been capital here for two weeks past. I was out yester- 

 day from 3 o'clock until 6 and bagged 21. The snipe have 

 about all gone, but there are plenty teal here yet, and a 

 few geese continue to linger along the Platte.— Sandy. 



The first steel pens were all made with line points. In addition 

 to these they are now made with blunt, broad and turned-up 

 points. Esterbrook makes them all in great variety.— Adv. 



